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dci100
Published on 09/23/08 at 19:58
The Laney GH50L is a British-made,all-tube (both pre and power amp sections), 50 watt rated, single channel (plus lead) beast. I say rated at 50 watts because this thing howls and can more than keep up in most clubs and venues without miking.
The amp has a single input but can handle stereo outs (ie multiple cabinets) and an effect loop with a dedicated volume knob.
The setting are simple... treble, mid and bass for EQ'ing; gain and master for volume levels, and a "presence " knob that controls the "depth" of the low end.
UTILIZATION
Setting up great (not good) sounds takes little to no effort. This amp wants to sound awesome right away and you really have to try to get subpar sounds from it.
All the EQ kobs are easy to read and have a good amount of tension to keep them in place and not slide around (even when moving onto and out of clubs or stages).
To be honest, if there was a manual I never even opened it up. There is no need to if you can read English and can comprehend that 10 is more than 1.
SOUNDS
What the amp lacks in knobs, buttons, flashing lights and other eye candy, is more than made up for by the rock solid tones it puts out. When I first plugged into this head (and matching cabinet) with my 2000 PRS CE24, I was floored by the warm, clean and round sound produced. The amp has a ton of clean head room which is great if you prefer to do your distortions or overdrives via stompbox. That doesn't mean this amp won;t get dirty, in fact it's the gain produced by this British beast that everyone has probably already heard (the GH100L was the basis of the Tony Iommi signature model Laney).
This amps natural overdrive and crunch are so good that it might just convert all you Metal Zone and Tube Screamer guys.
OVERALL OPINION
I have played through a variety of amps in the past years (Fenders, Traynors, Marchall, Vox) and while you can dial in fantastic tones on all of these, they all lack the uniqueness of
the Laney.
The only draw back (which can be rectified via effect pedal) is a lack of onboard reverb. I know you're probably not looking at this rig for playing Dick Dale surf guitar, but a little ambiance is always a nice addition to clean sounds.
I purchased the head (and matching cabinet) in 2001 for $950- or so. I believe this to be an absolute steal considering that the lowest end all-tube Marshalls are well over $1000. If you can find the Laney GH50L snap it up quick, cause these aren't going to stay on the market long.
The amp has a single input but can handle stereo outs (ie multiple cabinets) and an effect loop with a dedicated volume knob.
The setting are simple... treble, mid and bass for EQ'ing; gain and master for volume levels, and a "presence " knob that controls the "depth" of the low end.
UTILIZATION
Setting up great (not good) sounds takes little to no effort. This amp wants to sound awesome right away and you really have to try to get subpar sounds from it.
All the EQ kobs are easy to read and have a good amount of tension to keep them in place and not slide around (even when moving onto and out of clubs or stages).
To be honest, if there was a manual I never even opened it up. There is no need to if you can read English and can comprehend that 10 is more than 1.
SOUNDS
What the amp lacks in knobs, buttons, flashing lights and other eye candy, is more than made up for by the rock solid tones it puts out. When I first plugged into this head (and matching cabinet) with my 2000 PRS CE24, I was floored by the warm, clean and round sound produced. The amp has a ton of clean head room which is great if you prefer to do your distortions or overdrives via stompbox. That doesn't mean this amp won;t get dirty, in fact it's the gain produced by this British beast that everyone has probably already heard (the GH100L was the basis of the Tony Iommi signature model Laney).
This amps natural overdrive and crunch are so good that it might just convert all you Metal Zone and Tube Screamer guys.
OVERALL OPINION
I have played through a variety of amps in the past years (Fenders, Traynors, Marchall, Vox) and while you can dial in fantastic tones on all of these, they all lack the uniqueness of
the Laney.
The only draw back (which can be rectified via effect pedal) is a lack of onboard reverb. I know you're probably not looking at this rig for playing Dick Dale surf guitar, but a little ambiance is always a nice addition to clean sounds.
I purchased the head (and matching cabinet) in 2001 for $950- or so. I believe this to be an absolute steal considering that the lowest end all-tube Marshalls are well over $1000. If you can find the Laney GH50L snap it up quick, cause these aren't going to stay on the market long.