Yamaha

Japanese and solid-state, but in the period and a really odd one.

TA-30

New: 22/4/07
Serial: 22151

Sockets: Ch-1 Hi, Lo, Ch-2 Hi, Lo, Reverb, Tremolo, Sig.Out
Two foot switches and light slip cover supplied

An elegant package, but a bit too different for the 70's

Source: Grouse Guitars

Flexion 60 and 100.

Some time in the 70's Yamaha decided to have a go at the guitar amplifier market.

The result was three solid-state offerings that have to be one of the most divergent guitar amp designs ever.

Firstly they were one of the early transistor offerings in a valve guitar world.

Since the Japanese had no track record or rep in band gear they could afford to be really imaginative, and they were.

The most striking thing about these combos was that they were tall and triangular side-on, that is deep at the bottom and shallow at the top, the frontal view giving the impression of the black monolith in the film 2001.

The shorter 30W (28 inch/720mm) and 60W (33.5 inch/850mm) versions had the all-silver ali control panel deeply recessed in the top facing up, while the 90W was so tall at 48 inch/1200mm that the controls were facing forwards (else you would need a chair to see the controls).

But the biggest difference you couldn't see, hidden behind the grille cloth.

Each of these amps used an invention of Yamaha's they called the Flexion or “Natural Sound” speaker. Fairly flat and rectangular with one end cut at an angle and an off-center well to the large voice coil. This speaker had no side suspension, the radiating plate being firmly held around the edge with the plate/cone flexing to the voicecoil - hence the “flexion” name.

The rave was that it worked like a piano soundboard giving significant colouration to the sound. This doesn't seem an unreasonable idea for keys, but a bit curious for their intended use with guitar.

These speakers were reviewed in RTV&H/EA as a component some time previously.

In their day they were expensive compared to locally buit amps, solid-state, and very unconventional in both shape and speaker, so after an iniat splash of interest the amps and speakers sank without trace.

I heard one once being used for guitar, a 90 watter at Melbourne Town Hall, but only remember being impressed by the look and that the sound was nothing special.

So now if you happen across something about the size of a doormat that looks like a cross between a speaker and a piano soundboard you know what you've got - a serious collectors item, because they were only a momentary flash in the pan.

New: Dec '05

Peter Hutchison kindly sent a scan of a catalogue containing these TA-series Yamaha amps.

Yamaha TA-60

New: 23/8/07

This amp does indeed sound great for clean work although I am using it in a rock band at the moment with a few pedals in front and in this role it also works well.

I get so many comments on this amp - it is a great talking point whenever I play or practise at a rehearsal space around town.

Source: Hamish Scott

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