I'm just happy they don't. It's how I own a YCV 50

 

Simple, it's made in Canada. But they are excellent amps.

 

My take on this…. They weren’t always $1400 new. 20 to 10 years ago I’ll guess they were at most maybe 600 to 800 new. new ycv20s were not much over $700 maybe 6 or 7 years ago.
Used, they’re competing with all the used Fender Blues Juniors and other reissues, and if those are going for X dollars, the Traynors seem to always be worth slightly less than X.
Same story with Godin, unfortunately.

 

This is the answer (imo). They had a real competitive edge with their price point, and that wasn't that long ago as you said (though I think less than 10 years ago). But when they are the same price as more well known brands sold in large stores, the average buyer is likely going to go with the more well known brand.

I saw a great deal on a used yvc40 and I'd buy it in a second if I was gigging. I owned the 50 blue back when it was new and it was killer (sold it during a period I wasn't gigging).

 

 

I've owned three, two were new, one used but it was minty. I did okay on resale, the YCV40 I probably broke even on simply because I got a good deal when I bought it and resold after prices hit the ceiling. The YCV20 might have resold for close to its purchase price for the same reason but I included a Coveramp cover. I took a hit on the YCV50 (I think).

Seriously, if I still had an electric gig or the promise of one, I'd likely still have them all. Great amps.

Market profile isn't what it is for Fender, Marshall, etc. Someone once asked me why I used "Trainer" amps. Lordy.

 

I think the fact that L&M rents them out, and once the rentals have "paid off" the amp, they blow them out the door at $299 on one of their sales. I bought two YCV20s in the past six months - one for $400 and the other for $300. I've been through enough amps now that I know I like these, and am going to have them done up with some custom Tolex or perhaps "tweed". Then, they'll still be worth $299 but will look cool.

I'm keeping my eyes open for one of the new green YCV 4050s - I can't see how they sell for the current new pricing but I'm sure one will come along under $500 eventually.

The Traynor YCV-20 is the best amp ever!

 

I think the fact that L&M rents them out, and once the rentals have "paid off" the amp, they blow them out the door at $299 on one of their sales. I bought two YCV20s in the past six months - one for $400 and the other for $300. I've been through enough amps now that I know I like these, and am going to have them done up with some custom Tolex or perhaps "tweed". Then, they'll still be worth $299 but will look cool.

I'm keeping my eyes open for one of the new green YCV 4050s - I can't see how they sell for the current new pricing but I'm sure one will come along under $500 eventually.

The Traynor YCV-20 is the best amp ever!

Yeah, the day I bought the YCV20 there were two identical units sitting side by side but with radically different prices. The floor clerk explained that one was new, the other used, so I naturally took the used one. What the absolute fuck I was thinking when I sold it I'm not entirely sure. My only real complaint about the model is the lack of a master volume., though I did switch out the speaker for an Eminence.

 

Traynor YCV80 - current Value?

I may be swinging a deal where I end up with a Traynor YCV80. I will probably sell it off for the cash, and would like to know what one of these would normally fetch. They're around a grand new. It's fairly new and in 'mint' condition according to the seller (which is, of course, subjective)...

www.guitarscanada.com

 

Two Traynor sale regrets that I did have been rectified.
1/4 horse (25w SS pedal amp) and Ironhorse (20/40w EL34 head).

 

The ironhorse is amazing amp. I sold mine because I'm not gigging and it's a lot of power (especially for my small place). But, I sold it to the other guitar player in my band with the understanding if he ever sells it I get first dibs. My drummer has one as well. The prices these sell for used vs the value are ridiculous.

 

Two years ago, I got a $400 YCV20WR for a little while. I couldn't find my tone in there. I advantageously traded it for an Egnater Rebel 30 head. No brainer for me.

 

I miss my YCV50 Blue. I sold it when I got the Anniversary YBA1. That amp sounded really good specially with the extension cabinet. I've seen some YCV40 around here and the price is crazy low. Excellent amps.

 

The reverb was shit on the older YCV20WRs, got muddy once past 2-3 or something. Supposedly there is official fix from Traynor (and I think they later fixed it in subsequent releases), I haven't gotten around of checking if mine needs it. Other than that, the bias method makes it run pretty hot, but the tone is sweeet...

 

Traynors have always had horrible resale value but on the other hand that made them an incredible value used buy. You could always pick up a YCV40 or 50 for around $300-400 and probably never need another amp for local gigs.

But yeah, I never understood why they had a resale value of around 40-50% of their sticker price. Well built, good sounding amps. I'd take one over a Fender Hot Rod or Peavey Classic any day.

I will say this about the YCV20 though: my band mate had one and it was a good sounding amp but I’ve never seen a more “beamy” amp. It had a very specific narrow laser beam in the path of the speaker that was like getting hit with a light sabre. Move around in front of it was like kinda quiet… kinda quiet… OMG PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE… kinda quiet.

 

Yeah, the price increase is relevant because they have jumped recently. I believe the YGL1 has gone from $799 to $899 to $1199 since the fall of 2021. And I think it was $699 not too long before that…

Used asking prices are edging up as well, but I’ve seen prices reduced back to $450 as some don’t sell.

 

I have seen 2 ycv40 for under $500. One has sat at $400. Resale is low, but that one surprised me. I can only assume they are likely going for a bit less than asking too based on seeing them sit. I personally haven't really noticed prices edging up on them lately, but it could be specific to my area.

I'd love to see a ycv20 popup for that price. I've seen selling off my gigging gear to replace stuff with a small combo.

 

I got my YCV50 bleu for $100 with brand new power tubes 1 year or so ago !

 

The value of things are so subjective and strange. As some ppl have already stated it’s the Canada thing I think, as well as other factors. A 1978 Peavey T-60 will always be fairly cheap….100 yrs from now it’s still a Peavey. Garnet amps seem to fall here to, yet a funky little Magnatone lap steel amp will grab 500 all day long….strange…

 

I’ll pipe in, I’m in my 40’s, been playing for over 30 years, I’ve never played a Traynor, or known anyone who has. Growing up, I’d only ever seen them as part of house sound systems in bars, or trashed in pawn shops or used in music stores where I lived, which was overflowing with older Fender, Peavey, Crates etc. It’s not a brand name that resonates with me, and this thread is honestly the first time I’m learning that these are great amps. I have seen thousands of these used over the years and never even considered trying or buying one.

I’m sure I’m not the only one in this situation, and that’s probably why the resale value doesn’t hold. Those that know, know, and snap them up, while many people just look right past them.

Perhaps these become sleeper cult classics down the road, with cork sniffers looking for certain vintages. I’m stopping typing now to poke for a deal on Kijiji to give one a whirl.

 

I can honestly say that I am completely ignorant of most anything and everything where gear is concerned. I have played the amps I own and have built. That being said, coming from that place, I love the living hell out of my Traynor. Give one a whirl. For the price of admission, what do you have to lose

 

Have owned a YCV50B with the EL34 power tubes for 8 or so years now and paid $850 for it at L&M.
Also purchased the the 20th anniversary YCV4050 with the 6L6 power tubes for $800 on Kijiji,... it currently sells for $1,400 at my L&M.

Great sounding amps,... but what I have found makes them sound much better is when changing out the tubes with vintage NOS Mullard, Amperex, Telefunken, Brimar, Mazda, etc.. They become a whole different animal.

 

This is a YCV40 with a 1 X 12 blue ext cab. Like most decent amps, you can get what you need from them. Resale value is something I don’t really spend much time worrying about.

 

I would say two things: 1) don't buy a Traynor new, and 2) depreciation is your friend.

I'd love a Custom Special or a Custom 50, both of which are very affordable on the used market, but are too much amp for my current use case, even with the power cut.

 

Do they still test them by throwing them off of the top of a building?

 

Traynor is almost niche. YCV’s get the job done, in my experience no more no less. I owned a ycv80 212, havent missed it since.

a new dual rec is 3k. A used dual rec is still $1400-$1600.

also americans have had vintage traynors for years - i dont think any of them care or know about the ycv line. I first heard of traynor on a US forum.

 

I wish they made a master volume YCV5 or YCV10 combo. Nice home use amp.

Maybe I should look for a YGL1.

 

Are there a couple with wattage switches? I don't know a ton about some of the lines, but I swear one of the ones the other guitar player in my band has has both scalable wattage and a master volume.

 

YCS Series have low power options

 

Those are the big boys though. The branch of the discussion stemmed out from talking about the lower wattage combos.

Those ysc must be beasts. I've never played one.

 

Depreciation has been my friend, I wound up with mine through a series of trades that started with a mashal mg100hdfx + cab that I got for $300 off a friend who was moving. I just love trading gear and it seems like I've hit a wall on trading this on.

 

Maybe I should get a Traynor or 2 to try them out ! ...

 

It's never too late to try them out 🤣