I have a Traynor YCV20WR that I just never use. It sounds really lousy after you play it for five minutes--plenty of distortion, but not the good kind. It sounds like I'm playing guitar through a cheap transistor radio.

I know it's only 15 watts, but I'm not playing it all that loud.

It's got three 12AX7A's and two EL84's. The speaker is a Celestion "Greenback" G12M 12.

Should I look for new tubes? Would it benefit me to try switching from EL84's to something else?

Anybody else had this problem?

Do you know how old the EL84's are?I would retube it 1st.EL84's are pretty cheap.I'd give the EL84 JJ's a try.

I second the JJ's. I would keep the EL84's they are very cool sounding. If the tubes don't solve the problem there may be an issue somewhere else.

A retube is defiantly going to help. The most important tube in any amp is the first preamp tube, most people refer to this as v1. Experiment with a few different ones to find the one you like. I seem to go for a jj or a tungsol but thats just me. I would also replace the el84s as cathode biased amps running el84s kill them fast. I recommend the jjs for most everything but a pair of electro harmonix can sound real nice also. But yeah sounds like your tubes are dying.

Use JJs, the tubes that came with those amps were prone to failure.

If it occurs in one channel but not the other it is more likely a pre amp tube. Switch V1 and V2. If it changes you've found your culprit. If not, then it is possibly a power tube, a failing bias cap or a cold solder joint.
Contrary to many others i prefer the sovtek el84's in tone but it is hit-or-miss as they don't all sound alike. i had to go through 11 to find 4 that sounded great. JJ has better quality control from my experience but in general a blander sound in my 18-watt marshall clone. i don't like jj's at all in single-ended amps.
Good luck.

Heres your prescription.
Matched pair JJ El84's
V1 NOS Jan Philips 5751
V2 Tungsol 12ax7
V3 Balanced JJEcc83s

All this can be picked up at tube depot. Run you about $50 but its the best setup I have found for most EL84 cathode biased push pulls.