Laney AOR 50 Series II Head

tube head from the 80's, with 2 channels,effects loop,and a BIG MEAN SOUND

sounds great,I totallya agree with people who say that it sounds like a JCM 800 ,but the Laney has even more preamp gain ,if you want it. The first channel is more vintage,the second channel, HOTROD
It's also VERY LOUD. Excellent for heavy metal

This is a review for a used 1990 AOR50 Series II head.

Features in a nut shell:
* 50 watt
* All tube
* Two channel
* Vintage Marshall clean channel
* Simple Op Amp switched in for 'AOR' channel
* Two master volumes (one for each channel)
* 16/8/4 Ohm jacks on back - also powers 2 16/8 Ohm cabinets
* Line out
* Foot switch (for channels)
* FX loop
* Powered by two EL34s
* Preamp'd by four 12ax7s.

Basically: A JCM800 with a JCM900 channel without the crap quality of a JCM 900.

Plenty of power at 50 watts: EL34 powered.

This is the make-or-break section, and depends on your tubes.

This amp seems uniquely effected by crappy tubes. Crappy 9.00 JJ Teslas make this amp suck poop. Also, JJ Tesla preamp tubes give you the wasp in a jar distortion with bad tone. Tubes are the name of the game with this amp.

I am using:
V1 - USA NOS 7025
V2, V3 - NOS Tungsram ECC83
V4 - Mullard CV4024 (12AT7)
V5, V6 - Sovtek EL34s

The Sovteks sound descent in this amp. The preamp tubes are not the tubes to skimp on. I am willing to bet that those who are getting crap sound are using local music store Groove tubes or cheaper. You need to get your wallet out and go NOS.

With the proper tubes, this amp is GREAT.

No problems in the four years I have been using the amp.

Laney has been pretty good over the years in appeasing my requests for info.

Fantastic amp: workmanship is great. Obvoiusly handbuilt, and made in England. I see why Tony Iommi has been brand loayal for all these years.

This amp was made sometime in the 1980s, no idea what year exactly. Features? Pretty simple and very straightforward. Master EQ (for both channels, has boost function for Low EQ and "Bright" for master volume knob, but honestly, I don't hear a huge difference when they're either on or off. Does have an effects loop, as well as a footswitch jack and line out jack for direct recording. Don't have the original footswitch, but then again a Laney FS-1 doesn't even have an LED light, which I would prefer anyway. Would prefer separate EQ, but really, this amplifier was designed more for it's overdrive channel, and I'll address that more later.

All-tube, four 12AX7s and two EL34s. Fifty watts, and at the perfect power rating where you can crank it to be heard with a loud drummer, but also allows your distortion to really sing. Tube amps, of course, were made to be pushed. No need for a hot plate or any of that nonsense.

Not very versatile, so 6/10 in the features category.

Ah, now we've got something. I've had Marshall. I've had Peavey, Fender, Kustom. I've had solid state, tube preamps, modeling, and digital. They're all garbage compared to this. There's a legitimate reason people still use TUBE amps, and I never would have believed it until I owned this one. For the record, I've had other tube amps as well, but never one designed for this much gain.

Now, that doesn't mean it's perfect. The clean is a bit harsh for me, no breakup at any volume, but pretty twangy (though my guitar does have dual humbuckers which adds to that problem). Is it terrible? No. But is it a Fender Strat through a Blackface clean? No.

The overdrive (AOR) channel is where this thing made me fall in love with it. I went from a 260 watt Kustom solid state amp to this, and this thing kicks the heck out of it a hundred times over and then some. The distortion is amazing. It SINGS. The subtle nuances, the thick THICK THICK THICK THICK overdrive, this thing is heavy as hell if you want it. Now, it does LESS gain, too, but I can't help turning the preamp up on the AOR channel and just giggling to myself. It's invredible sounding. I've used Marshall JCM 800s for recording, and this sounds just as good, if not better. It made my bassist and drums both say in unison that it had more "balls" than my last amplifier. That's the response it gets from people.

For the record, there is some noise when you activate the overdrive channel, but it's not surprising with how much gain I have dialed in on it. Oh, and I did have the tubes replaced right after I purchased it...for the record I bought TAD EL34s (made for high gain) and Tung-Sol 12AX7s (also designed for high gain)...in fact, the tubes could be part of the reason the clean channel has that bite to it. But hey, no complaints from me. You want overdrive? This is the amp, unless you want to pay almost four times as much for the JCM 800. (And have no clean channel whatsoever.)

9 out of 10 for sound, despite the clean channel drawbacks. The overdrive channel makes up for it.

Now, I've only had this amp for about a month, no troubles yet. It's tube, so the usual precautions are necessary when transporting it (good case), and yeah, I'd take it to a (LOCAL)gig without another head (but I always have extra tubes).

I won't rate here, since I haven't had the amplifier very long.

Never dealt with Laney, although I do like how they keep their manual online in PDF format, on all discontinued model (including this one), for free.

Can't leave an opinion here either.

I already mentioned what other amps I've had, and this one, especially for the cost, takes the cake. Aside from having separate EQ for each channel, there's nothing I'd change. I was looking into the Laney VH100R, which has separate EQs as well as a dedicated FX loop for EACH channel, but it costs about $1500, which was way out of my range. I'm far from a gear snob, and the idea of dragging a thousand dollar item to a bar and having some jackass set his beer on it and me wanting to hurt him isn't appealing...I just don't want to be THAT guy, you know?

Overall this amp is what you're looking for if you need some sick distortion (capable of metal and hard rock, and REALLY nailing the hard rock sound), two channel, and a no-nonsense approach that keeps your rig simple and yet sophisticated sounding. I'm giving it an 8 out of 10.

i have two of these amps, both made in mid to late 80s. they are good for rock and blues (when they are working, but more on that later). it is a two channel amp, foot switchable one clean and one dirty channel. its made out of pressed wood (partical board) not plywood, so i would be extra careful when taking it on the road.

i play(ed) four different guitars through this amp. a G&L Legacy, a 1968 epiphone casino, a heritage H-555, and a heritage h-150 (les paul standard). the amp does sound good with all the guitars i use. with all the different e.q. settings, and the two different channels, you can get a wide varity of sounds. it even sounds good clean. the A.O.R. channel is a little over the top for my taste as far as distortion goes.

well here it goes. i play in a band part time. so i actually dont play out that often. yet these amps are, by far the least reliable amps i have ever owned. i purchased the first one in 99, i had to have it repaired in 2000 (jan, then april). the second time the shop did some updating to make it "more reliable". after about a month, it failed again. i took it back to the repair shop, he refunded me everything i had spent, (great guy) and said he had given up working on Laney amps because of this. he also said if you want a marshall, buy a marshall. this turned out to be good advice. anyway, i purchased my second AOR-50, from a very well known amp tech. that one lasted almost a year before going bad (very same symtoms, 60hz. hum, and no other sound) when i called the tech, he said he could repair it again, but he had already did all the updates he was aware of, and it was no longer under warranty. so now i have two AOR-50 Laney amps, that do not work. any suggestions would be welcomed.

not very impressed, i contacted them to see if they could give me ANY information on this that could help me. they just gave me the phone number of a amp tech, the same one that told me to buy a marshall!

i have been playing guitar longer then i care to remember. if these amps were stolen, i think i would kiss the thief right on the lipps! what i do love about these amps is the sound (no not the 60hz hum.) they really do sound great when working. what i hate is the lack of quality in these amps. i wish it had a circut that would last, and a plywood cab.
if anyone knows how or where i can get these amps to work, and keep working please e-mail me.

Features are basic which I consider a good thing. I am more of a plug in and play guitarist and I am most happy when I can get the few tones I need without a lot of confusion. It does have an effects loop and it does offer the ability to match up with a 4,8 or 16 Ohm cabinet. It would be nice if it had reverb but I have solved that by looping an Alesis Midiverb 4 which does a nice job.

I am playing a '96 US Fender Strat w/ a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge position and two Texas Specials in the neck and middle position. I think it's referred to as a Roadhouse. I also have a '97 US Fender Telecaster with standard neck pickup and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails humbucker in the bridge position. I am playing it through a Marshall 1960A cab with 75W Celestions.The amp suits my style very well. It goes without saying that the AOR channel is unsurpassed in amp distortion. It kicks and you will ove it. Powerful and crunchy with chords but plenty of clarity and sustain when playing single notes. Not a bunch of fuzzed out cheese.I am more likely to play a Sabbath or Maiden tune instead of new metal so it is perfect for that. The part that surprises me is the clean channel. I assumed it would be merely usable but it sounds damn good. It warms up nicely and has a nice chime to it. It will work just fine for SRV, Hendrix, Trower and any type of blues. It is a little noisy in general but that is to be expected with a high gain amp. Not a big deal. I play a wide variety of tunes from original work to Zeppelin, Rush, SRV, Thin Lizzy, Buddy Guy, Goo Goo Dolls, 3 Doors Down etc. It will deliver all I need. I couldn't be more pumped with the tone.

Just purchased it used.

I did contact Laney about replacing the nameplate and they followed up by e-mail. There are Laney dealers around but they are somewhat scarce. I was told this week that they were recemtly purchased by Stagg, I believe. I cannot verify this but it may have some impact on their service.

I have been playing for 25 years and I have played it all from rock, blues, jazz and country. I also own a tweed Fender Pro Junior and a Peavey Classic 30.I also have a Fender CG24-SCE classical and an Alvarez Jazz Fusion acoustic.
If I caught someone trying to steal it, they would be pummeled on the spot. I would buy another if I had to as the price is very reasonable. I am glad that this amp is not YET trendy. I expect these amp heads to be highly sought in the future.

Not going to reiterate what everyone else has said - just to say that features are not everything, Cream, Hendrix, SRV, early SAbs, Led Zep all used single channel amps VERY lacking in modern features but VERY full of tone. With this one channel, the AOR boost, a Korg AX1500G in the loop for reverb/modulation and overdrive and wah in front I can pretty much get any sound I want.

I'm still using my trusty '92 Les Paul Standard. I have reviewed this amp twice before here but I always feel that this underated classic deserves more attention. THERE ARE OTHER CLASSIC BRITSH AMPS THAN MARSHALL. There, I said it. What about Laney, Selmer, Carlsbro, Matamp (check their amps NOW) et al? All classic valve beasts, dinosaurs from the days before P.A.
Sound guys hate them, I love them, and this is one of the best.
In classic style EQ does very little and you need to find the "sweetspot". Pull all the boosts out. IF YOU CANNOT GET GOOD ROCK TONES FROM THIS THEN YOU ARE A HOPELESS CASE. GIVE UP THE GUITAR NOW.

My first amp was a Vantage 15w combo, my second a Fender Champ 25w, my third was this monster with a Peavey 412MS. Since then I have attempted to destroy it in millions of ways - it won't die. I've never even had to re-tube it - in 10 years!
I've had stacks of gear since I got this, rack stuff, a Boogie I imported from the states and yet I always sell them and go back to this monster. In short- I LOVE THIS AMP. IF YOU SEE ONE - BUY IT.

Laney have been tremendously helpful to me. No, I don't work for them - I wish I did.
Their site had all the manuals for this amp and other longtime discontinued models until recently and they have answered all my tedious questions very promptly and professionally over the years.

BEST AMP I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED> ANYWHERE> ALL YOU MARSHALL/BOOGIE FREAKS DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING. Which is good for the second hand market - maybe I can pick up another cheap.

Dont know when this was built, late 80's maybe.

I play mostly metal, different styles like thrash/death/prog, but I also play instrumental guitar stuff like Vinnie Moore etc. and this amp really fits my style perfectly. It is versatile enough for me.

It has 2 switchable channels, clean/crunch and the AOR channel with preamp master and master volume for both channels and a shared EQ.
EQ: Presence, Bass(with pull boost), middle(boost), treble. 2 inputs for guitar, Low gain and High gain. It has an effects loop, and many speaker outputs. I wish it had some reverb, but that is fixed easily with one small pedal.

I use it everywhere but home, because it is too damn loud for bedroom playing...you COULD play with less volume, but this thing was made for playing LOUD. It has plenty of power, 50 watts, I think it is enough for everything.

It is a full tube amp, with 4 X 12AX7 (preamp) and 2 X EL34 (poweramp).

I'm using an Ibanez RG1570 with DiMarzio Fred in the bridge position. Other pickups are original Ibanez pickups, the neck pickup is very warm sounding, but like I said, it is original, so it sounds kinda muddy (the pickup, not the amp).

I use a booster pedal with it, a Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion. I use it with the color knob way down to the OD side, so it is basically a Boss SD-1. I dont use the clean sounds very often, but this thing can produce good clean tones too, very bright and warm. you can use the crunch channel cranked, and then clean up the tone with your guitars volume knob.
I use the pedal with both of the channels. It produces good rhythm tones with the crunch channel, very heavy tone, and when I switch the AOR channel on, this thing starts to scream! It is very warm and punchy, and the sustain is unbelieveable. Incredible lead tone!
I'm using a marshall 1960 2x12 cab with it.
Without the pedal and the AOR preamp cranked up, it has very raw sounding distortion with lots of bite, it has lots and lots of gain. It can produce all kinds of distortions, it has so much versatility in the EQ with the pull boosts and everything.

It is built like a tank, I AM using it without a backup. :D

Mine has a little problems with the Low gain input,(hey, it's about 20 years old!), but that's nothing.

I've played about 10 years and have played trough many other amps, mostly marshall tube amps, but they sound nothing like this!
If it got stolen, I would find the thief, kick his ass and take my Laney back.
I love the sound it produces, the versatility and reliability, and of course PRICE. :D
I compared it to the marshall jcm800 and 900 amps, but they just don't fit my style. People say that Laney is some kind of marshall rip-off, but I dont think so, it has its own character (Paul Gilbert and Tony Iommi etc. should know!).
I still wish it had some reverb but...nobody's perfect.

Effects loop

Line out

Footswitchable

2 channels (overdrive AOR and clean/crunch, running off same EQ)

push/ pull controls on bass, mid and channel 1

many cabinet sockets (1 x 4ohm, 1 x 8ohm, 2 x 8ohm, 1 x 16ohm, 2 x 16ohm)

low and high sensitivity inputs

i use an ibanez rg370b with powersound pickups and a Keeley ds 1 ultra put infront of the amp and my tone is red hot! the low sensitivity input is great for country tones (although i rarely play country).

the clean/crunch channel can produce a whole range of tones from glassy shimmering notes (satriani- circles, vai- boston rain melody, dream theater- goodnight kiss), to 70's rock crunch (exactly like rush's early stuff). these sounds can not only be manipulated with the pre amp volume control knob, but also with your guitar volume. with the pre amp volume on about 9, rolling back the volume control can produce an alex lifeson style jangly cleanish sound.

the AOR channel can produce singing lead sounds (paul gilbert; he uses laney) or rock rythm tones like eddie van halen. i use the ds1 ultra with this channel for my lead sounds with the AOR on gain 5. beautiful.

the only tone that i cannot get out of this is an american metal tone. the EL34 valves just don't sound like that. you'd need 6L6 valves. so that's why its getting a 9

never blown a valve in 2 years of owning it. been fine! i'd use this in a gig without a backup.

not had to deal with Laney.

Fantastic amp. if you are looking for value diversity and great tone then this couldn't be a better choice. i've played some top of the range amps in my 6 years of playing guitar and this amp beats all but the legacy (carvin. execpt that has much less gain, this amp has buckets of it). the thing i most love about this amp is the diversity. it rocks. id buy another if it was stolen definately. if you have any questions about this amp then don't hesitate to contact me by email. i can help you get tones, give buying advise..etc. overall a great amp!

so endlichg maln deutscher der den amp auch liebt..
der amp hat alle features die wichtig sind und auch noch fur treble middle und bass n boost. ich benutze ihn im proberaum und auf konzerten und er hat mich bisher noch nie im stich gelassen.bin in einer rock-metal band und der sound is einfach perfekt.

einfach nur hammer, hab ne les paul mit nem dimarzio dropsonic humbucker und mit meiner marshall jackhammer tretmine kann man jeden beliebigen sound rausholen egal ob bretthart oder bluesig soft. der amp koppelt auch kaum zuruck und ich liebe ihn einfach :D der claen channel is super geil. man kann einen sound von cremig sauber bis funky punchig rausholen. ich finde den aor channel aber leider nicht so gut. besser man benutzt ne tretmine

wie gesagt hat der amp mich bisher noch nie im stich gelassen auch wenn man mal beim auschalten nich aufgepasst hat oder die box noch angeschlossen war. (hab ihn noch nich solange dass ich jetz hier grossartig die reliebality bewerten kann

ich wurde mich immer wieder fur diesen amp entscheiden weil er einfach super gunstig ist (wenn man ihn noch wo findet)und er den teuren marshall amps in nix nachsteht.

The features are all useable, unlike most that you get these days!

Never have I heard an amp quite like this, soooo many tones from one box! You can go from blues, to jazz, to classic rock, to balls to the wall metal! This amp does everything and unlike modelling amps it does all these things well and with it's own warm personality! I LOVE IT!

Tubes gone occasionally, they last just as long as you'd expect though so it gets a 10!

Features are great, they are actually useable unlike most modern amps that pack a bunch of useless features into the box.

I use this amp with an SG '61 reissue, stock as a rock. The sound quality is absolutely brilliant... it can make beautiful warm blues/jazz tones.... but switch on the AOR channel and you'll be in high gain heaven... sooooooooo much gaain...

Serviced occasionally, had the odd tube changed here and there. Nothing I wouldn't sacrifice for the sound this thing produces.

Emailed Laney once and they got back to me with a response.... haven't realllly dealt with them though.

Sounds better than anything else i've heard in it's price range and I personally think it kicks even the dual rectifier's arse!

Just a followup from my last review..this Amp is a Killer..I've got 2 now and they do sound really similar so I did nt buy a one off last time. I put a KEELEY BOSS DS-1 as a boost and it sounds stupid, me god Steve Vai would be proud of the sounds this head produces, still under #250..$350 ish..with the KEELEY!! Add the Rocktron Replifex and I have nt heard better sounds, funk to metal!! Laney are still sooo underated, again check out Mr Gilbert and Mr Timmons for a slight thumbs ups from the two best guitarists still breathing,playing and pissing me off!!

Only wish it had reverb. As said below its very versatile especially if you know where your guitars volume/tone pots are!!

This has got the best sounds I've ever had and I've gone through alot of amps and racks etc. I prefer this amp to amps costing 8 times what it cost me (#200) no joke, save a fortune and get one if you can, I've used it live every week for 6 months now and I'm always impressed with the sounds. I play in a function Duo and also a Rock band (70's,80's 90's stuff) and I can get all the correct noises when used with my Rocktron replifex in the effects loop. Cant praise it enough, again considering the price. Buy one if you dont like it e-mail me grahambrace@hotmail.com and I'll buy it from ya.

Been 100% so far.

Been playing for about 10 years properly, 3+ hours a day. I've had Marshalls,Boogies,Soldano etc etc and I've sold them and dont miss them, they were all good but theres something about this cheapo Laney that I like, if you've still got doubts about Laney check out my favorite Guitarists gear a certain MR ANDY TIMMONS yep hes a Laney user as too is MR PAUL GILBERT another player who is a bloody demi-god in my opinion...so there.

I'm reviewing an AOR50 Series II. I bought it second hand in 1993 in mint condition.

See reviews below for features. I might add that it would be nice to have a GOOD QUALITY reverb on board, but at least I can choose my own with the configuration provided.

Lets get this out of the way right now. The sound is awesome, but not in a Marshall way. This is no ordinary amp, it can reproduce any sound including classic (early and late) Marshall, but is has it's own sound which I just can't find in another amp.

I've been playing guitar since 1983. My main influences have been (funnilly enough) 80's hair bands and classics (Black Sabbath, not Led Zepplin and not AC/DC). More recently I've drifted into softer (Van Morrison, REM) and harder (Nickelback, Limp Bizkit, Offspring) genres. I have an old HH IC100 combo that I just can't part with and I have used your standard range of Marshalls but not owned one.

Anyway, my main guitar is a Kramer Nightswan, however I used the amp extensively with a US Fender Strat with a Seymore Duncan Hotrails in the bridge. I run the head through a 4x10 Laney cab to get a bit of a punchy sound. I have replaced the original tubes with Groove Tubes. Expensive to do over here, but worth it. I play with virtualyl no effects. I use a noisegate and kick in a small amount of delay with a solo.

During the 90's I was in a couple of different covers bands playing everything from Bad Company to Pretenders to Pink Floyd to Live to Offspring and Greenday.

OK, so you know what I do and how I do it - let me tell you how the amp copes. This amp does it all. By using the right guitar with the right settings this amp can produce any sound perfectly.

Volume:
Don't be put off by the 50W rating. This things cranks to high heaven! I have played with BIG drummers (you know the ones - they opund the kit and chew through sticks and break sticks, big hitters) and loud PA's (mainly clubs) and I have only been miked up once. But here's the killer - I usually set the Ch1 volume (rhythm) on 5/10 and the Ch2 (lead) on just over 5/10. I have been on 6 once and had to wear earplugs on stage! I'm not kidding (I was reasonably close to the amp though). Anyway, I cannot think of a real life situation where you would run out volume, it's just not possible with this thing. And for some reason it cuts through the mix every time. I have done a lot of three piece work and the sound just massive.

Clean tones:
As mentioned by some of the other reviewers, the low gain input can produce vibrant tone with chrystal clarity. A decent strat through the low gain is better than a JC120! I'm not exaggerating. The sound does not distort and the tone is just perfect. You need to tweak the settings of course but it is worth spending the time getting to know the amp - it has a lot of character.

Overdriven:
I'm trying not to use too many superlatives here, but there is really no way to describe this amp when it's overdriven other than SCARY. I spent a little bit of time during the early 90's tweaking the amp settings (especially after putting the GTs in), but I have used the same basic settings for that last 8 years. However (and this is why I'm writing about it tonight) two weeks ago I revisited the settings. I went to a nice quiet industrial shed and cranked up my normal stage settings on the Laney with my Kramer (no effects at all - straight in). It sounded great as usual, but I dialled in a couple of changes that I hadn't bothered with previously and the things just started to scream. I don't want to sound like an idiot here, but it was the best live guitar sound I have ever heard. I really felt like it was out of control - like I couldn't keep up with it. Imagine dialing in a few changes to your car and then getting in to find it has an extra 600hp. Thats what I mean by out of control. It was a real hybrid Mesa-Boogie / Marshall sound. Oh my God it sounded good. I just cranked it for hours. By the way, this is Ch1, the rhythm channel. You are probably aware that the AOR system is known for its ability to be HEAVILLY overdriven (Ch2). I spent a lot of time playing with Ch1 and haven't done amything unusual on the AOR channel, but if the sound of Ch1 is any indication I will be leaving the shed in an a

I cranked it hard for a few years in the early to mid 90's and then left it sit for four years. When I dragged it out again I just plugged it in an bang - dead. Not surprising - tube problems. Filled it full of Groove Tubes and it has not stopped since. Recently it has sat fr two years and I dragged it out and it has been running like a dream. I have not had any other problems with it.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers - this thing feels like it is built like a tank. I am pretty careful with it though, but I don't baby it.

Never dealt with them, but I am annoyed that they don't support some older amps on their web site. Also I am a big fan of HH gear (which Laney now "supports") and they don't seem to have much to do with it.

If this were lost or stolen I would be pretty upset and I would definitely buy another one. Actually, i'd be laighing all the way to the bank because I would only have to cough up a couple of hundred bucks for another one (if I could find it, this particular model is pretty rare). This is the great thing about this particular amp - it not only sounds better than everything else out there (except MB), it is the best value amp I have ever come across - and I've been looking!

One final note if you are considering buying an AOR50 Series II (which is written on the back of it), buy with confidence, if you can't get the worlds best sound out of this thing don't blame the amp.