Easiest way to convert Traynor tube PA to proper guitar amp

[disorder]

I recently purchased a Traynor YVM-1 (http://www.lynx.net/~jc/yvm-1.jpg). Its a 4 channel tube PA amp, with 4 single 12AX7 gain stages feeding a 12AX7 PI and 2 x 6CA7 power tubes.

It seems like this amp is a great platform to mod and I know a lot of people have reconfigured the preamp to get something close to a Marshall sound.

I guess to start, could I simply copy this schematic as is? (https://robrobinette.com/images/Guit..._Schematic.gif)

Add the grid stopper and cathode res/cap to stage 1 V1A... run that into stage 2 V1B acting as the "cold clipper" stage, use stage 3 V2A as a cathode follower before the tone stack, and then move the master volume after the tone stack before the PI?

Or is there something big I am missing? I don't need this to be as close to a Marshall or any specific amp as possible, just looking for classic guitar sounds.

[Chuck H]

I actually converted one of these to a guitar amp. I did a Fender circuit, but it hardly matters I think. The OT was strangely anemic for a Traynor amp. Especially one meant for PA service. To it's credit though it didn't sound bad at all. No Marshall thunder, but good, smooth overdrive just the same. Lacking in low end thud and crunch. I was glad for the symmetry of the knob arrangement on the front panel. Being a PA it could have been grouped in segments or some such. As it was the knob arrangement for a typical guitar amp configuration worked out just fine.

The one I did was quite literally stripped down to tube sockets with transformers in place before I rebuilt it. Still a savings and a worthy effort. I'll reiterate that the OT was the weak link in the project. I've since scrapped the amp and used all components other than the OT elsewhere. I actually tossed the OT in a dump run.

YMMV

[g1]

In case you haven't tried it out much, one thing I would suggest is you try it with a guitar before doing anything and see how you like it and what you think it needs.
I have a Garnet tube PA head that sounds amazing as is. It would have been a shame to have modded it without giving it a chance.

[mozz]

Oh my, grid leak bias. I would say leave 1 channel as is, you got 3 other channels to convert to other makes, fender, marshall, etc. Put a switch or switches to let you choose 1,2,3,4, or any combination of the 4 .

[J M Fahey]

In case you haven't tried it out much, one thing I would suggest is you try it with a guitar before doing anything and see how you like it and what you think it needs.
I have a Garnet tube PA head that sounds amazing as is. It would have been a shame to have modded it without giving it a chance.

That.
Even without testing it, I bet they sound quite good as-is.

Of course you can build any preamp you want.