the commonly-used particleboard or medi-um-density fiberboard, but Traynor claims
this helps the tone project with stronger
authority and body. I was in complete
agreement after plugging in a 2011 Gibson
Les Paul Jr. DC bass and laying down some
stoic, rock grooves.
One of the best things about an all-
tube preamp is that the Gain control can
be used for tailoring the feel and response
of the tone, rather than just piling on
distortion. The YBA300 exemplified this
well as I moved the Gain control to the
upper registers of 2 o’clock and beyond,
which softened the highs, thickened the
midrange, and pushed the low end to
even deeper territory. There wasn’t a lot
of onboard overdrive available from the
amp—just enough to add a slight amount
of grit to the top end—but the YBA300
doesn’t appear to be designed for the heavy
overdrive crowd. Instead, Traynor gives a
nod to the old-school style of using the
preamp Gain knob for altering the over-
arching response and feel of the tone—a
refreshing approach in these days of mod-
ern, saturation-soaked amplification.
Even with all the glee I was experi-
encing while exploring the amp’s tonal
offerings, the real fun began when I
started kicking in the Deep, Bright, and
The tone of the YBA300 was stag-
geringly huge. As I worked with some
Clutch-inspired, bluesy, hard rock lines, I
didn’t have a need to move the Bass control
higher than 1 o’clock. The tone breathed
naturally as I alternated varying degrees
of fingerpicking attack, heaving in and
out like a strong wave of water hitting my
chest with every note, I plucked on the
Gibson’s short-scale neck. All the EQ con-
trols had a good amount of range, but the
Mid Frequency control seemed to make a
noticeable difference only when I moved
into the 2.0 kHz range.
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The tonal experience was not just hearing
with my ears and feeling with my hands,
but vibrations through my entire body.
Resonance switches. The Deep switch
added extra subs and a slight amount of
extra cut on the treble, making it perfect
for modern, hard-rock bass tones that
demand a solid foundation underneath
heavy guitar-riffing. While the Bright
switch performed its designated job
well—simply boosting the treble a tiny
amount—the real kicker came from engaging the Resonance control. This effectively
removed a large portion of dampening
on the low frequencies and allowed the
bass to bloom and vibrate in exhilarating
ways. Even with the Master Volume at 10
o’clock, this was not for the faint of heart.
Two pieces of glassware, located two rooms
away, vibrated off a shelf and shattered
with the Resonance control engaged. The
tonal experience was not just hearing with
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