I have one. I love it. Here’s the thing fellow tube snobs, you’re never going to drive the tubes AND move air in a volume acceptable for home/apartment use. This thing models both and provides a real solution to bedroom players looking to not get evicted or wake the kids.
Although mostly true, my mesa stilletto ace is 50W with 2x12 V30s and can be played at bedroom levels just fine while maintaining great tone. It also has a pre amp and post amp volume, so that helps tremendously.
Is there a vibrato effect on the THR? If not a dedicated one, does the app allow you to change the settings on the chorus mode enough to get a vibrato sound?
I love how the affordable gear becomes more and more excellent. This means that you can achieve good and inspiring sound already at an early age and a sound you can grow up with.
You're right about the increased practicing. I own the original version and i didn't play the guitar nearly as much as i did since I bought it. My playing has improved out of sight because I use the aux facility to play along with RU-vid backing tracks. Fantastic bit of kit, Bravo Yamaha!
So Chris recommended the Revstar 502T to me so I bought one and have never regretted it for a second. Chris recommends the THR30ll so I bought one and yet again Chris was spot on as it’s better than I hoped. Thanks again Chris because now I have a set up that is a keeper. 👍🇦🇺
@@hesch-tag Yep, and my brain said spend your money on this gear and you have an inspirational set of gear. That’s the key to wanting to practice for me…👍🇦🇺
I bought the THR10ii and couldn’t be happier! The amp is perfect for home use. It has a smooth distortion, not brittle. It’s very versatile, you can dial in many different tones from clean to super distortion. I highly recommend getting this amp.
@@truckergilligangilligan5877 I did buy it and i think its really good! the clean sounds and slightly overdriven are too die for. but don't get the wireless receiver its total crap . i highly recommend to get the 30 version because of the line out
30w is as quiet as you want it to be i don't think it matters but the 30w can be connected to a computer which is amazing! it means you can record without mic and get all kinds of plugins to use with the amp and listen to what you play live in headphones while playing with backing track on YT with the same headphones @@tommysnurkerburger539
I use 2 THR-ll 30watt amps at once. One clean and one dirty. Because they are wireless, I can use as many as 6 at once. But they are incredibly loud so I use 2 and keep the rest charged and ready if I want to add more.
Thanks for the video. I am a Yamaha junkie. I have the THR10, great amp, but the 30 is on my to-buy list! I also have two Revstars, and in total, 9 other vintage Yamaha electrics, and one transacoustic. Now to learn to play more than barre chords and basic open chords!
I took the Yamaha THR10II and the Positive Grid Spark to my teacher lately because he wanted to decide what to buy for himself as well as recommend to other students. He liked the Spark, but was completely blown away by the Yamaha. I personally like the concept of the Spark but it just doesn't work in the longer run. The Yamaha makes me practice a lot more. It is a matter of a couple of seconds to find a good or great tone and just practice or improvise over some Bluetooth source.
that just made me think about different amps and sounds. and what makes me like or dislike an amp. in my search for a perfect tone, i can't find it because a. the amp has EVERYTHING and it will take me forever to find what i'm looking for. or b. the amp has so many usable and inspirational tones that you get distracted playing through the first tone you stumble on. i think i'll choose b. if it is going to take me a month or two to settle on a sound i like, i'd prefer it be because they all sound good, and it was hard to pick one. rather than always sounding "eh" until you can find the one thing the amp can do well. maybe its just me, but it has always seemed like the more crap they squeeze into these things, the less that they can actually do well. i plan on buying one of these. compared to the others, this one seems to focus on your beginning tone. if i can't play through the songs i want to play with a good tone i like, and enjoy it, i should not even be adding effects anyway.
@@pikengren1 that's right. Better have an amp that can do "less" but nails the sounds. It's the same with Multi FX like the Pod Go. I mean, these things are great, but having to look for the 1 overdrive out of 20 that sounds decent is just not what I want to waste my time with. Yamaha just hit the ball out of the park with the THR series. When it arrived at my home, I sold the Spark as well as all my multi FX units. I eventually bought the Pod Go (GAS!), which is great, but really, it is collecting dust.
Maaan! I'm a drummer & bassist by former profession, and guitar is merely a passion, but damnit man! Your right hand dynamics are just to die for! I can only imagine how keen a jam session of you and I would be. The hardest thing to do, especially on drums, is to play "softly" & then go full on! That's something that literally took me decades to accomplish. I'm now attempting that with guitar with variable results. Anyway... Just wanted to heap some praise on your obvious mastery. LMAO! Cheers!
I think it's often understated how well the speakers are tuned for guitar recording, even disregarding the stereo image, while still being great (so great!) for use as an erstwhile bluetooth speaker. I've tried running VST amp modellers and synths through the speakers and miking it up with one microphone, and the colour it lends to anything is so much more musical and engaging
I got the THR-10 some years ago when the choices of which model was the conundrum. It costs the same now as then with a load more options, like the three way switch , making that choice irrelevant, and the downloadable sounds as well as the presets. It is quite a bit louder than one might think for such small speakers, but I like that it is portable, battery operated if needed, and works great in my office at work as well at home when a quick click is all I want to deal with. No warmup needed. It does ask me regularly why it has to produce my sounds as opposed to, lets say, yours. I tell it to be patient. This newer unit seems a lot nicer. The problem with buying anything anymore-- Give it short while it will be improved upon. Congrats on the first place by the way. You deserve it. Stay Well Groovy One.
I bought a Blackstar HT1-R a few years ago. Sounds epic for such a little thing. Huge sounding. Four knobs, one push button for overdrive and an on/off switch. All you (well, I anyway) need in a practice amp.
I done got one of them 10ii some months ago innit and to be honest I haven't stopped playing since ! For that alone, it was well worth buying. I'm still as rubbish as I always was - maybe a tiny bit better I suppose but the fun, oh the fun.
Hi Chris, the Airstep Lite is a footswitch which connects to the Yamaha ThrII and allows you to select your presets (and also control a bunch of other stuff too). Great playing btw.
You had me at Beatles pillow . want to pick up one of these Yamaha's one day. I have a Katana MKII 50w i love but its a bit too large for the desk top, and i would love to have a bit of variety as well as knowing what absolute quality Yamaha offer be it acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizers, amplifiers even motorcycles
With the THR, the "external cabinet" would be a DBR connected to either the L or R out (or a pair of them). I run mine through an EMX7 and out through two 12" SBRs.
I have a Yamaha THR10x and it is my main practice amp. I should add that I own several "Real Tube" amps, half stacks and combos etc. and the Yamaha small amp tone is amazing ... I am more than happy with it. I received it as a gift a couple of years ago. Everyone should own one geared towards their specific styles. I should add that I bought a Yamaha 100 watt solid state head with the same technology and hated the tone at large volumes and I opt for tube amps for that instead but this as a practice amp is the best I have ever used.
I have an older version THR10C and I'm constantly amazed how good it sounds. If it broke down or was otherwise lost to me, I would buy a replacement within minutes. I totally agree about the desirability of a looper function.
There was a point at which I loved seeing Chris play a Tele. Now, thanks to CB, I’m a Revstar fan through and through.. and missing seeing him play the Yamaha.
I have the THR10C and THR10X, both are brilliant on their own, but I use them often together in a WET/DRY configuration with an appropriate pedal. That's when they really shine, big and wide with great rock or clean sounds, plus four speakers and not two because of doubling the amps and still cheaper than this ONE amp. But I'd still like one...
As far as external outs for Cabs goes Chris, I purchased an easy ready to fit loom kit off ebay (terrymjohn) which just used electrical slide connectors. The only mod is to drill 2 holes in the side for L & R jack plugs. My THR 10 sounds great through 2 x 12 cab ! (2x 8ohm) Increased volume and bass response. Expect that the THR II 30 would sound immense, but not sure about its internal electrical slide connectors, or if any kits are presently available. So yes it can be done. Wish Yamaha would provide this in their THR series. From original site: ( Feb 2018 ) EASY FIT Plug-In wiring harness looms, connector plug, socket, and external speaker switching jack sockets. This kit simply plugs in to the existing connectors without any soldering or any cutting of the original internal wiring. Fits THR10, THR10C and THR10X, (and even THR5. See feedback comments below). Update; I have received very positive feedback and comments from previous users of the Plug-In Loom assembly. NB. One previous buyer has also actually fitted the Plug-In Break-Out loom Assembly to a THR-5. I have not done this myself but it is obviously possible although there is a less space inside so extra care is needed when fitting the jack sockets to the case. see comments on feedback lower down. Please send a message if you intend fitting to a THR5. The integrated switching jack sockets enable the internal speaker(s) to be disconnected when an external speaker cable is plugged into a jack plug is inserted into its corresponding external output socket, but the THR10 operates completely as normal using the internal speakers when nothing is plugged in to the speaker jack sockets. Fitting is easy! The special 4-pin loom plugs and socket, are direct fit replacements for the original internal connectors, and importantly, this means there is no need to cut or modify any of the internal wiring looms. Just disconnect the original speaker loom from the circuit board, and plug in the new pre-wired "break-out" assembly, and fit the jack sockets to the case side panel. It couldn't be easier! 1. Open the THR10 case. 2. Disconnect the internal speaker output plug from the circuit board, (you can also temporarily unplug the battery cable from the circuit board to separate the THR10 case into two halves completely). 3. Fit the two speaker jack sockets to the case side panel 4. Plug in the "Break-Out" loom male connector into the circuit board (now empty) speaker output socket. 5. The original internal speaker wiring plug (which was unplugged from the circuit board in step 2 above), is now connected to the "Break-Out" loom female connector. (So, the break-out loom simply plugs into the existing connectors. It's as easy as that! No cutting of the original wiring and no need to solder in longer wires etc). 6. Refit the battery wiring plug (if unplugged in step 2), and close the case. Full fitting Instructions will be included. . . .
@100 Thanx for comment. It works for me, the stereo sound seems pretty good to me, plus like the extra volume and bass response, seems a little flat when go back to just the THR unit alone. Perhaps even better with the setup you mention. Either way the THR is a great little amp, especially with the speakers out mod. All best.
Also takes pedals well. So if the on board effects don't suit your needs, set it to flat (or bass, which is even better) and add pedals. As there is no on board looper, I really wish it had an effects loop and, as noted, a speaker out. The absence of an effects loop led me to buy a Katana 100, otherwise I would have bought a THR30 ... so you lost out on a £500 sale there Yamaha! Surely these additions would not have added excessively to the cost or otherwise could be provided as extras.
I currently have the THR10II for playing with at home. I love that I can take the amp anywhere in my house to play the guitar. Or take it to a friend's place. Anywhere! It does sound amazing too. If you try one out, I find that changing the "speaker cabinet" setting can make a very big difference. I don't always like the default cabinet settings, so do yourself a favour and play around with them. So many possibilities! Love it!
I tried it out today even though I was almost convinced of buying it blindfolded through Thomann and thank god I tried it because it’s nothing like they paint it. I didn’t like it a bit, maybe I’m too used to tube amps at high volume but I really recommend you trying it up thoroughly...
ive ordered the bias spark im huge into effects and online resources available in the app and on the amp. the bais spark sounds amazing too. great stereo sound.
I've had the THR 10x for years, and I use it everyday. Much easier to just turn it on and play. Would love to have one of these new ones, but I would have to sell some stuff, to get it. I'l probably use mine, until it dies. btw, you always sound great...Cheers!
Great demo bud. Would love to know what you're practicing in your practice sessions. Also congrats on the music radar poll- what an amazing achievement.
Incredible playing, and the video that finally made me pull the trigger on the THR10-II. Would love you to do a lesson on your interpretation of Don’t Let Me Down. Soulful.
I recently got the THR10X and it is perfect for practicing metal at home. You can't play with other people with it because it is only 10 watts but you could play at midnight while living in apartment and it would be perfectly fine and with really great tone.
I use a Blackstar fly 3 with my own designed and branded drive and boost pedals for practice and writing songs. The sounds and volume you can produce out of the tiny Blackstar Fly 3 is amazing. I also have the extension cab that makes the Fly amp into a 6 watt stereo amp. The Blackstar Fly 3 is so portable and comes with Bluetooth option and emulated out/headphone and MP3 line in options, weighs nothing and can fit in a small bag.
I own a Fly 3 too (with extension cab as well). In my view it sounds much better (except in OD mode, which I don’t like) than the THR : I bought a 10c which I resold after a couple of weeks , due to the impossibility to extract any decent sound from it despite extensive tweaking.
I had the 10x, 10c, and then the 30II. I recently sold the 30II. It had an issue playing with high gain where the amp would basically clip at half volume and up. I saw a few other users report a similar issue. My 10X never did this. It was really annoying and I had to let it go. I’m not sure if it was an issue with the firmware or the speakers themselves. The cleans tones still sounded great on it . Honestly I’d probably just grab another 10x and 10c if I buy another. Much cheaper and still have the tones I’m looking for.
I'm looking to use at low volume and I'm getting it for the battery use in case of a power outage. Which one between the 10 c and 10 mark 2 would you recommend ?
I was very excited to try one but it sounded very thin compared to the more traditional speaker box practice amps but I think the portability is a primary selling point of it.
i owned the original thr for a while, and didn't really like it, i went back to my pod 2.0 with headphones for practice, the amp tones on the line 6 are much better imo. I know the thr is not a pedal platform, but i tried putting pedals in front of it, and it just sounded shite. Though the pod doesn't act like a tube amp with pedals, you still don't lose tone like with the thr, i think the fuss surrounding the thr is just hype, it's nothing like a real amp, despite what reviewers say, that's just money talking.
I’ve owned both this and the Katana Air. While I find the new THR to sound quite better than the Katana, it doesn’t sound quite as good as the original THR. That’s unfortunate. So much so that I sent it back. Wasn’t very impressed, plus it had an odd crackle noise. These sound much better in the RU-vid demo videos than they do in person.
Starr Guitar Works I just sold mine for the same reason. It almost sounds like the amp is clipping. My 10x and C never did that. I didn’t have the previous amps to A/B, but I also recall the X and C sounding better.
I went with the thr 20 watt, I'm gonna return mine for the same reason. I am using a fender strat hhs with a humbucker on the bridge position. I wanted it for great cleans in the neck for the bell sounds strats are known for, and a humbucker for metal music. I normally use a marshal valvestate 8080 which is a hybrid amp and even at low volume the marshall sounds way better for metal. It's alright for the cleans. Not sure if it would get much better by switching to the 30watt version of the thrII. I want the bell chime sound and also to be able to have good distortion. is the original thr good for that? or any ideas?
From what I understand if I’m playing cleaner tones/ jazzier tones with my Les Paul I should be fine with the modern amps but if I want higher gain or distortion I should go for an older model?
Just get a blackstar HT-5 mk 2 or even thr HT-1 tone wise I’d imagine much better . These modelling amps have this sag to them I don’t like . The Blackstar HT-1 has a great crunch blues tone to it . The HT -5 isn’t the same it’s definately voiced towards a Marshall sound .
David Merlin I have the X I use it to play my cell thru the speakers fir backing tracks or songs to play along with. The best Yamaha modeler imo is the 100hd. Sounds and feels great. Overlooked and underrated. It sounds better than the X. Just my opinion.
I love mine. The tone quality at low volumes, true wireless (battery, Bluetooth and line 6 relay) and portability make it an absolute winner for plug and play practice at home. I had the THR10C, sold and moved to the Katana Air when that was released but moved back to Yamaha in a nano second. Does it stand up against my Pleximan or Sky King. Obviously not, but I use them in a different setting entirely. Worth the money.
Great playing Chris! An honest and informative review (corporate sponsors etc..yeah..I know!!.we all gotta make a living like!). Cracking bit of kit it seems ..might get me one!
@@DaveSheremata I have a restored 50s Champ 5c1 and a thr10. The Champ has a magical quality unmatched by anything yamaha has to offer in the thr range. It takes pedals extremely well too but even without the tone is just unreal. Maybe I'm lucky and have a special one. It blows me away every time I plug in. My thr I use everyday, it is brilliant, and I'll be ordering the latest wireless one very soon.
This RU-vid video, "Yamaha THR30ii + looper pedal" shows how to use the line outs to a looper pedal, bringing the output back in through the Aux In: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9qLOSAFR7Xg.html
I tried the 30 II, and was disappointed by the lack of headroom, especially on the Bass channel. Tone was OK, but it got into voice coil rattle super-early. Least useful 30 watts ever.
I have the THR 10C - and have been using it for the last 3 years (mainly through headphones or low volume, occasionally louder) . It's great at what it does but has some frustrating limitations. I would be interested to know whether the new version has fixed a couple of issues: The old one isn't particularly good with a looper - it can't really handle the combined signal and gets messy and clarity drops away. Does the extra headroom in the new one help in this? The old one isn't particularly good with pedals either - I guess it wasn't designed for them given the on board effects. But most pedals don't react anywhere close to the way they do with other amps (both valve and digital) - the Katana (I don't own one, but have tried one out for a bit) seemed to be better in this regard. Is the new one any different? I suspect not, because from what I've read Yamaha haven't really changed any of the underlying modelling algorhithms?
Not sure if you've seen the Anderton's review for this, but I believe your issues are addressed in that video. And they may have resolved the problems you mentioned with the previous version.
Thanks for the video! I am really thinking about buying one. Are the sound that comes out of the speakers IR impulse responses or does it sound like a real amp ( not miced speaker )? Greets
Great amp, I‘m using a THR10II wireless. But Yamaha missed one crucial thing: auto-off on battery. It already happened times to me now, that I put my Tele with the G10T in the stand and the amps battery was down as I wanted to play the next time.
I use a boss katana and have a pretty fat pedal board and even though it's just 8 pedals the routine of turning it on sucks compared to the quick tones on the thr10
I have a THR10C that does a decent job at lower volumes and through headphones, but when I can allow for a bit more volume the Blues Jr. is always a classic. As always, great work Chris, hope you make your way to Canada at some point in the near future!
My Princeton through a UA OX using headphones and a mini mixing desk to play backing tracks. Sounds like the THR-II can do all of that in a very small footprint!
Just bought this amp. pretty much because of this review, and I'm not disappointed. It's bloody brilliant to be honest, except for one thing... has anybody else downloaded the remote app (to a Windows computer) and found it doesn't have the Bluetooth icon top right of the window? I can play music from my laptop on the THR via Bluetooth, but I can't control the THR from the app. I just have a USB symbol where the Bluetooth symbol should be. Can't get any response from Yamaha, nor from Yamaha's user forum. Any ideas anyone?
Anybody have problems after downloading the update on the amp? My line 6 receiver plug doesn't work now?! Was there something i needed to do in settings before or after the download?