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Published on 12/17/11 at 05:55The Laney LC30 1x12 combo is the amp that picks up where the LC15 and LC15R left off. It's got a 12" speaker and puts out 30 watts of power as opposed to 15. It's two channels (separate clean and drive) and with the same core EQ controls and the reverb and effects loop that are left over from the 15 watter. It's pretty simple overall, just a great British set of tones. The clean channel has a typical layout of volume, bright switch, bass, middle, treble, and the drive channel has gain, volume, bass, middle, treble. The master section has a reverb control for controlling overall reverb levels and then a master volume.
UTILIZATION
Getting a good sound out of this amp is pretty easy overall. It's got a pretty typical EQ layout and the controls react in the typical way for an amp of this style. They're not insanely tweakable like a modern style amp (IE: Mesa Boogie) but they have more of a subtle curve like a Fender or VOX amp. The two channels offer a nice range between clean tones and drive tones that is easy to balance and offers a different take than a Fender, VOX or Marshall. The tone of this amp is nice and smooth, but with a certain biting quality to the top end that sounds great when pushed hard.
SOUNDS
The overall vibe from this amp is that of a British amp with a vintage tone in mind. The clean channel is nice and spanky, with a hint of grit and saturation that lurks within if you hit it hard enough. It works best for a nice country or early rock n roll tone I find. It's not really sweet or dark enough for true jazz sounds and it's a bit too clean for gritty blues to my liking. The drive tones are pretty solid as well, very smooth and clear overall. The tones can range from Cream/Hendrix levels of saturation all the way up to some dinosaur sized rock tones that really give some nice kick, especially when using some hotter humbucking pickups.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all I think the Laney LC30 is a great amp for someone looking for a unique take on the British tube tone in a versatile dual channel package. This model has been superseded by the LC30II which updated some of the features, so you'll only find this model used now, but when you do see one it's definitely worth a look. They can be had for about $400 used which is a great deal considering the quality of the sound that you get.
UTILIZATION
Getting a good sound out of this amp is pretty easy overall. It's got a pretty typical EQ layout and the controls react in the typical way for an amp of this style. They're not insanely tweakable like a modern style amp (IE: Mesa Boogie) but they have more of a subtle curve like a Fender or VOX amp. The two channels offer a nice range between clean tones and drive tones that is easy to balance and offers a different take than a Fender, VOX or Marshall. The tone of this amp is nice and smooth, but with a certain biting quality to the top end that sounds great when pushed hard.
SOUNDS
The overall vibe from this amp is that of a British amp with a vintage tone in mind. The clean channel is nice and spanky, with a hint of grit and saturation that lurks within if you hit it hard enough. It works best for a nice country or early rock n roll tone I find. It's not really sweet or dark enough for true jazz sounds and it's a bit too clean for gritty blues to my liking. The drive tones are pretty solid as well, very smooth and clear overall. The tones can range from Cream/Hendrix levels of saturation all the way up to some dinosaur sized rock tones that really give some nice kick, especially when using some hotter humbucking pickups.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all I think the Laney LC30 is a great amp for someone looking for a unique take on the British tube tone in a versatile dual channel package. This model has been superseded by the LC30II which updated some of the features, so you'll only find this model used now, but when you do see one it's definitely worth a look. They can be had for about $400 used which is a great deal considering the quality of the sound that you get.