Yorkville Sound and Traynor Amps Celebrate 60 Years
[A report by contributor Elisa FG. – AC]
Major milestone this year for Canadian audio icons Yorkville Sound and Traynor Amps, marking 60 years of mega strides, big moves and game changing achievements in sound technology.
“Somewhere in every Canadian garage band’s history, is a Yorkville Sound product or Traynor amp” assures Steve Long, Yorkville Sound’s CEO. “Yorkville & Traynor are common denominators among the Canadian music community.” thus the call for celebration.
If you were a lead vocalist in the 1960s you were arriving to gigs on a wing and a prayer, in hopes that the venue had something to plug your microphone into. Imagine that! You’ve got a packed house that may or may not be able to even hear you perform! Enter Pete Traynor.
At the request of a local band, Traynor built two column portable PA speakers, the first known of its kind.
“The YSC PA columns kickstarted the whole portable PA industry in North America,” says historian Mike Holman, who’s been with the company since the 1970s
“It started a line of pro-audio firsts including the first portable stage lighting system, the first mobile concert sound operation, and the first wedged stage monitor, to name a few.”
It’s been six decades since Long & McQuade founder, Jack Long and Pete Traynor took a stroll down Yonge Street, outside Toronto’s very first Long & McQuade location. Hunting inspiration for their latest venture, they found it in a street sign. One glimpse at the Yorkville sign
and Yorkville Sound was born – the harbinger of Pro Audio manufacturing and the catalyst for advancements in sound technology.
Throughout 2023 Traynor Amps and Yorkville Sound will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary with the launch of a limited-edition commemorative product, a bunch of special events, company profile videos, and much more. Who knew sixty years ago that a mild-mannered jazz trumpeter and a rock & roll bass player would be the key to major cultural shifts in Canadian music?
For more information about Yorkville Sound and Traynor Amps visit yorkville.com and traynoramps.com
