Pete Traynor was a Canadian guitarist, bassist, [1] businessman and designer of Traynor sound amplification equipment for the music industry.
Career
As a young man, Traynor played guitar in three bands with Robbie Robertson: Robbie and the Robots, [2] Thumper and the Trambones, and The Suedes. [3] [4] He later played with Ronnie Hawkins. [1]
Traynor worked as a repair technician at Long & McQuade's first store in Toronto. In the 1960s he began designing specialized sound amplifiers and other related equipment for the store's customers. [5] His hand-wired bass amplifier, which he called the DynaBass, was in demand, so Traynor teamed with his employer Jack Long to create a company, Yorkville Sound, to manufacture and market the products he designed under the Traynor brand. [1] [6] Another of his designs was the BassMaster tube amplifier. [7]
The Traynor line of equipment has been sold worldwide and is manufactured in Pickering, Ontario. [8]
Traynor died in May 2016 related to undiagnosed diabetes. [9]
References
- ^ a b c Keenan, Edward, "Pete Traynor, Toronto’s quietly legendary sound man: Keenan". Toronto Star, May 10, 2016
- ^ Levon Helm; Stephen Davis (1 October 2013). This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. pp. 66–. ISBN 978-1-61374-879-4.
- ^ Jason Schneider (2009). Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music from Hank Snow to the Band. ECW Press. pp. 54–. ISBN 978-1-55022-874-8.
- ^ "Proudly Canadian: Scott ‘Professor Piano’ Cushnie". Cashbox Canada, 10/31/2013 Sandy Graham
- ^ Dave Bingham (22 October 2015). Noise from the North End: The Amazing Story of The Ugly Ducklings. FriesenPress. pp. 43–. ISBN 978-1-4602-6651-9.
- ^ "Pete Traynor The Man, The Music, The Struggle". Cashbox Canada, Bill Delingat, September 30, 2011
- ^ Jean-Claude Maillet (2002). Inside Fender and Marshall tube amps. Author. p. 243.
- ^ " Meet the Canadian companies making noise in music". David Fielding and Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail, Aug. 23, 2010
- ^ "Liner Notes: Bullet News for May 11th". FYI Music News, By David Farrell 05/11/2016