Laney Amps - Underdogs, or...?

[BabUShka]

Just wondering what you guys think about the Laney Amps?
Thinking about the GH/VH/LC and simular series for metal.

Always heard that they are solid monster amps, but I dont see too many posts or players using those amps.

Thoughts? They are really cheap some times. I've seen the GH/VH series for $300 used.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I've had some experience with the GH50, and it was a fine yet uninspiring amp. I can see why they go for fairly cheap.

They never had great distribution in the US, which meant you either found a deal used or payed way too much from a small distro. Eventually they popped up at GC/MF but by then I think the only amps they were pushing were their Marshall thing and the Iron Heart.

 

[Pietjepieter]

I had a VH100R for years, loved that amp.

Really versatile, 4 channels (or 2 with both 2 gain stages)
3 effect loops (one overall, one for channel A, one for B) and build in reverb

Sounded pretty good as well. build quality also good, never had a problem with it.

It was a one amp does all. Down site is that all sounds where good, good clean, grunch, overdrive etc. But does it really stand out... maybe not. But still if you are looking for a cheap versatile good sounding amp, I can recommend it.

I also own a ironheart studio, also nice amp. Lot of opptions can sound really good as well, bit more modern.

 

[Emperoff]

I had the VH100R. It's pretty much a Marshall 2203 circuit with an added (godly) clean channel, an extra boost per channel, and reverb. Made in the UK. If it had MIDI it would be crazy versatile but you needed a custom switcher to get the most out of it.

Main reason why I think Laney amps did not make a better impression is that they're ungodly loud and heavy. My VH100R was 30kg, which is nuts for a head. I had to whisper to the volume knob to use it.

 

[BabUShka]

Yes, I noticed that they look insanely huge.
Sounds like something to consider eventually, but I notice that every time I consider one, there's always something more exciting to spend money on

 

[SalsaWood]

They're great amps IMO. For metal they can be a little sterile sounding, but not unwieldy. The cleans tend to be a little dull for my tastes as well, but less so. All that said they definitely have an individual feel and sound to them which I enjoy.

 

[Choop]

I had a VC50 on two occasions (50w 2x12 combo version of the VH100R). It's a fine amp -- fantastic cleans and a nice drive sound, similar to Marshall but it kind of has a different presence or something, hard to put my finger on. I think I still may prefer the GH/VH amps to say, something like a Marshall DSL. For a good price I think it'd be a cool pickup. I will say I didn't find it especially "brutal" or whatever. My VC50 got reasonably gainy when boosted, but it didn't have as much body as some other amps I've owned like 5150/6505s or any of my Mesas.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I had the VH100R. It's pretty much a Marshall 2203 circuit with an added (godly) clean channel, an extra boost per channel, and reverb. Made in the UK. If it had MIDI it would be crazy versatile but you needed a custom switcher to get the most out of it.

Main reason why I think Laney amps did not make a better impression is that they're ungodly loud and heavy. My VH100R was 30kg, which is nuts for a head. I had to whisper to the volume knob to use it.

I think the loudness is why Opeth liked using them as power amps live it seems lol.

But yeah I only tried a GH50L once but it didn't seem right. It was super muddy and wooly, wasn't the bright-as-hell amp I've been told it can be. I really do thing I didn't get to crank it loud enough or there was something wrong with the tubes. Unfortunately never got another chance to try one

 

[gnoll]

I always thought of Laney as kind of crap. Seemed to constantly want to do something some other cooler brand was doing, but ending up doing it less well.

And whenever I played one it was kind of crap, and whenever I heard one recorded it sounded kind of crap.

That said, I have on occasion been tempted to get one, since they're almost free. But I haven't. And I don't think I will.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Lots of people like them but I was fairly meh on the gh50L I had

 

[Choop]

I think the loudness is why Opeth liked using them as power amps live it seems lol.

But yeah I only tried a GH50L once but it didn't seem right. It was super muddy and wooly, wasn't the bright-as-hell amp I've been told it can be. I really do thing I didn't get to crank it loud enough or there was something wrong with the tubes. Unfortunately never got another chance to try one

Yeah, I think the distortion has a kind of fuzzy quality to it that I could never quite get to sound the way i wanted. Paul Gilbert used the VCs for a while, and I know Stephen Platt used to be all about his VH100R (maybe still is? I dunno).

This video is a pretty good representation of the general gain sound of the VC50:

 

[odibrom]

... Think of BLACK SABBATH.... Laney amps are the amps of Metal, not Marshall, Laney.

My experience with Laney was with 2 powered stage monitors and they lasted 20+ years before I sold them. These would eat anything I'd throw at them, either direct or from a console/audio interface and had super cool definition... Solid State Full range Flat Response kind of sound.

As far as guitar amps, I think I've messed with one once, but it was a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago, so my memory is quite vague in it...

 

[RaceU4her]

my GH100S is cool and different. heres a clip doing some ac/dc i think represents it very well. its my sg, mxr fat sugar boosting and T75's. basically sounds like iommi in ac/dc lol

https://app.box.com/embed/s/jhxep8eeuk3ijnd6s7jdbhb92zfns387

 

[penguin_316]

I gigged a vh100r in the early 2000s playing 28” baritones. Always had a lot of compliments on my tone. Also, they are really solid…literally fell with it on concrete and it broke my fall. As someone else mentioned, it was quite large and heavy and built like a tank.

I was going to grab one used but shipping prices are pretty wild right now.

 

[Slaeyer]

I had a VH100R for some years as well. Really versatile amp, but heavy and loud as f***.
I sold it when focusing on using modellers.

Do I miss it? Hell yes. Even more than my 6505.
The gain structure takes some time to getting used to though

 

[Emperoff]

The VH100R is known as fizzy, but there are some things about it people didn't know back in the day:

- Most importantly: The "Deep" switch. It gives a very satisfying low end punch and most people had it always on. The catch is that it also added quite some fizz (never mentioned anywhere). I only realized when I sold it and the buyer was playing it while I was right in front of the cab. This EQ shift is on the poweramp, so no matter what you try you can't replicate the effect with the amp's EQ. An EQ pedal in the loop is a good overall solution.

- The now known: "dip the presence, dim the treble". Same deal as with Engls.

The VH100R was my first tube amp and I will always have a soft spot for it. Looking back, it was a massive versatility powerhouse. The clean channel was one of the best clean channels I've ever heard in a high-gain amp. Enabling the boost with the gain dimed was a very satisfying crunch channel. The lead channel + boost also had independent gain controls, so you could blend the two gain knbos to find your sweet spot, use as a solo boost, etc.

If it had MIDI switching I would have kept it a lot longer. By then I was getting into the "Only one floorboard on stage" mantra, and I didn't want to mess with separate footswitches. Adding the weight and volume problems just sealed the deal.

 

[Choop]

The TT series had midi switching, but I think it had less gain than the GH/VH even though it came out later, and I don't remember thinking any of the clips of them were too great comparatively. .-.

 

[sonoftheoldnorth]

Jon from Sonic Drive Studio's has some videos that represent the Laney Iron Heart quite well.

I picked up the IRT60h for a steal and it's a very solid and versatile amp.

 

[JSKrev]

I always found them Marshall-y. The Klipp curcuit sounds cool, but not for modern sounds. I've never tried one, but like the VA series for its sheer ugly cool.

 

[nerdywhale]

I’ve owned several Laneys in the past - the aforementioned GH100S being my favourite - because they were always excellent value for money on the second hand market.

I just made the mistake of looking up the GH100S on Reverb and almost fell out of my chair at the price someone is asking for one.