Delivering a full 500 Watts at 4 ohms, the ultra compact and lightweight Traynor SB500H is the ideal professional bass head for the musician on the move. Loaded with essential features including Active and Passive level instrument inputs XLR DI output, a versatile four band EQ with an additional low frequency expander, the SB500H allows virtually any tone to be dialed in quickly and easily.
The all-metal chassis with front mounted handles to protect the knobs and jacks ensures the SB500H is fully road ready. A rear mounted in-line effects loop, selectable Pre/Post EQ XLR DI output, front mounted tuner out (with mute) and heavy duty Speakon speaker outs are included.
The SB500H is made in Canada and like all Traynor products, covered by an unconditional two-year transferable warranty.
Features:
500-watt Ultra Compact and Lightweight Bass Head
Versatile 4-band EQ with Additional Low Frequency Expander
All-Metal Chassis
Active and Passive Inputs
Selectable Pre / Post EQ XLR DI Output
Rear Mounted In-Line Effects Loop
Speakon Outputs
Made in Canada
Q & A
There are currently no questions for this product.
Electro Magnetic Interference (Output) 4 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Brampton, Ontario
My Warwick Rockbass Starbass 5 guitar has single coil pickups. It is very susceptible to interference (hum) from a number of different amplifiers that I have tried. As far as I know, there are no interchangeable Hum Bucking pickups compatible with this guitar. In searching for Bass combo cabinets with low electro-magnetic-interference output I found the Traynor BB115 to be one of the best. It appears that the amplifier inside the BB115 is basically the Traynor SB500H amplifier. I recently purchased an SB500H amplifier head and the interference from that is also extremely low. The performance of this amp is way better than the Fender Rumble or the Ampeg Rocket Bass amps in my opinion. Congratulations to Yorkville and Traynor for producing such a stunning amplifier. I'm a happy camper. Go Yorkville and Canada!
Posted by Eric Hutchins on Jan 22, 2023
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Small Block pulls like a Big Block! 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Calgary East, Alberta
I had a Eden amp fail on me one weekend, so I ran out to L&M to rent something.. of course. My favorite sales bassist Darrell told me to give this a try, that he knew I'd be impressed. My weekend rental turned into a purchase.. I didn't even want one in a box, because I wasn't going without it. 3 years later it's still my main head, and the Eden combo got converted into a sweet low powered add on cabinet for my Big Block, as I like to call it. I'd love a built in tuner, and I'd love ONE swept eq point at least. 2 would be amazing.. but until those features appear in THIS line of heads, I'm not giving it up.
Posted by Jeff LeGrand on Jun 4, 2021
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Class D Boom 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Grande Prairie, Alberta
Used my new Traynor SB500H this past weekend, and was pleased with its performance overall. Easily kept up to stage volume and punched through the mix. Only gripe I have is no 1/8 aux input. Other than that it's a winner!!!
Posted by Todd Bennett on Jul 6, 2020
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Powerful! 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Oshawa, Ontario
I put this up against an Ampeg PF500 using my ampeg 4x10 cab, my band and I all agreed the Traynor won the battle. Super responsive with the way it attacks and punches the speakers. The gain doesnt have the crunch that the ampeg did when you crank it, but thats what my pedal board is for anyway.. Canadian made, 2 year warranty, great price, badadadada Im lovin it!
Posted by Brian on Aug 18, 2019
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This is a very good little amp 8 of 8 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Kanata, Ontario
Over the years I've used just about every bass amp/pre-amp power amp that's been available. For most of that time I've had SVT's and for the last 30 years I used one the first Boogie 400's. Well that amp has come to the end of its useful life and being a person of a certain age, I'm just not going to cart around a plus 40lb. head anymore. So I tried every one of these small mirco head amps. Overall the Traynor small block 500 was the one I liked the most. The voicing and feel were exactly where I want it, with more than enough power and it was the lowest price with a very good warranty. It's already held up under fairly tuff conditions, over-heated clubs with lousy wiring, and me playing through it (I'm well known for making transistor amps go full DC )
This is one of the best sounding and consistent amps I've ever used. Kudos to the people who designed and put it together.
Posted by Kevin Cooke on Sep 4, 2018
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Lots of Useable Tone for a Great Price 8 of 8 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Québec, Quebec
A lot of people claim that the SB200H/SB500H are clones of Galien-Krueger's MB200/MB500. Well, they are not. I have own both the GK MB200/MB500 and I no longer do but my Traynor SB500H is a keeper. The SB500H has different eq frequencies than the GK. The character of the amp is a bit different. The GK's are warmer sounding. The Traynor is more in the mids which results in better definition and punch. It does not have the GK tone which is OK because it has the Traynor tone.
Posted by Michel Bélisle on Jul 16, 2018
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Best deal in class-D 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Guelph, Ontario
When I decided to go ultra-light (Class-D) I tried a few, and liked the Traynor the best, over Mesa, GK, Eden, and Genz-Benz. I had the roundest, most organic sound. All the features I need, and plenty of power. With two GK Neo 12's I have a rig I can carry in one trip, and will work bar gigs, or places with big FOH rigs.
Oh yeah, and the best warranty in the business.
Posted by Paula Pykala on Jan 6, 2018
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Traynor SB500H 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Burlington, Ontario
this head is awesome. sounds amazing. made in Canada
Posted by Jack on Nov 10, 2017
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SB500H 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Sudbury, Ontario
This head is very versatile and has plenty of volume and headroom for anything I do (practice, garage jams, small bars). The eq controls reapond to the slightest adjustment, which takes some getting used to. Also, the "low expander" seem to basically be a scoop knob that brings in some low end while cutting high mids. It's not quite the Eden enhance sound, but it's in the ballpark. I run it at about 10 o'clock most of the time. You need to increase gain as you turn that knob up.
One thing I discovered is that running anything through the loop will increase overall gain in a nice sounding way, even with the fx off. I now run a little ART studio tube pre in the loop to get a little "tubeiness" and it sounds fantastic.
There are undoubtedly better heads out there, but not for the price.
Posted by Matthew on Apr 2, 2017
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Very Nice! 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store London North, Ontario
Great Value! Great Tone! Tons of Balls!! I play in a Classic Metal Band and this head (Paired with the Traynor 15 and 2 - 10 Cabs) cuts throgh with tons of head room! I've used all kinds of amps - Trace Elliot, Marshall, Gallien Kruger etc etc. This is better than any of them. I run it dry and flat with a Fender Jazz, Peavey and Yamaha basses. It sounds incredible! Great amp!
Posted by Jamie on Jan 15, 2017
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Super buy well worth considering. 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store London North, Ontario
Been around Traynor gear since it first started up more than 50 years ago. Still own my original Big B 8X10 with the custom special100 watt tube head. IMHO this small block paired with the TC-210 and 15 cab is the best value in the market. During the 60's and 70's I used big Marshall's, Sunn 2000S, Accoustic , Peavey, Ampeg and others.. I currently also have a 59 bassmen. This little head is as good as any 500 watters today and is plenty loud with lots of sounds. I have used it in a bigger venue and have listened to others using it at the concert. Go for it. No regrets so far.
Posted by Nick Gurr on Nov 1, 2016
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Decent value 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Winnipeg (Pembina), Manitoba
It's a good head. Couple things to note: it's only 250 watts into an 8 ohm load, and the effects loop is AFTER the DI out, so if you plan on using the DI to FoH, any effects in the loop will not be present in the signal sent to the board. I also found the tone centres a bit odd, including the "low expander", essentially making it useless to me with my other gear. Overall though, it's a good amp, lots of headroom, and who can complain about something you can slip into a gig bag pocket?
Posted by Scott on Apr 15, 2016
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Small, Light, Sounds Huge! 6 of 7 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Chilliwack, British Columbia
I've never been a fan of Traynor bass amps. Other than the all tube yba-200, and now, this one! I was looking to buy a small, digital bass amp and gave the small block 500 a try. I was impressed with the tone I can get out of it! The word I use to describe it is 'stereo'. You will need to buy speakon cables to use this amp. My first one was a showroom model that stopped working after a few weeks of owning it. Pay attention to the inputs passive and active people!! I liked the amp so much I exchanged it for one in a box and it has been problem free. The only thing that would improve this amp would be a variable compressor instead of just a limiter.
Posted by Seamus McNasty on Mar 11, 2016
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Incredible head for the size & price 12 of 12 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
This amp is killer. I have it paired with the Traynor TC1510 cabinet (2x10" & 1x15" with adjustable tweeter all-in-one cab). It has a very flat EQ that allows your tone to come through as-is. More than I'll ever need (even at a medium-to-large sized gig), but this way I have tons of headroom even with some fuzz.
It has a great feature-set. Built-in Limiter, mute, DI XLR out, effects loop, two 1/4" jack / SpeakOn outputs, and it's smaller and lighter than you'd think. It can be used without a cabinet connected, e.g. with headphones. I only removed one star from Features because I never understood 2 input jacks (one passive / one active) instead of a switch to select between the two, considering you can't use both inputs at the same time anyway. Also, a built-in tuner would be nice.
Overall, this made-in-Canada amp is a superb offering from Traynor, a fantastic Canadian company (which originally started at Long & McQuade) with a widely-respected reputation. I emailed them a question and they got back to me almost immediately. You can't go wrong, especially for the price and with the unbeatable transferrable warranty - it's a keeper.
Posted by static on Dec 1, 2014
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Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
Great Additions
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When ordered you will be contacted with an expected delivery date.
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What is the Long & McQuade Advantage?
Long & McQuade is a family-owned Canadian business that has been servicing the Canadian music industry for over 60 years. Our experienced team of experts offers the highest level of before- and after-sale service. Our policies and services are designed to provide you with the ideal shopping experience.
Performance Guarantee - normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. 100% Parts and Labour Coverage.
Product Replacement - if your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
No Lemon Policy - your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
Convenient - easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
Guitar Setup - Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
Loaners Available - a loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
Power Surge Protection - your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
Accessory Coverage - any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
Commercial Use Coverage - music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.