Laney GH50L

Laney GH50L. It's a single channel high gain amp. It's 50 watts, and it's all tubes. For what I do, this amp is perfect for me since I don't have to go clean to dirty/dirty to clean mid songs. It has a very versatile FX loop, and I dig how the EQ's laid out. One thing I wish it had is reverb. That'd make this amp complete!

I retubed mine with JJs 6L6s in the power section, and their EC83s in the preamp. It still has very pronounced mid range the Laneys are known for, but it seemed to have tamed the top end a bit, and added more bass to the sound by going to 6L6s. I'm still experimenting, but so far, I like the 6L6s better.

I use a Les Paul and a Strat. This amp gives me all the sounds I want. I mostly play rock, and it does rock so so well. The distortion on this amp is out of this world (not because how much gain it has, but the sound quality of it). Another thing it nails is that SRV bluesy sound. You leave gain on around 3 ~ 4, and turn the drive around 5 ~ 6 for a little sizzle... I love how that setting sounds with the neck pickup on my Strat. No matter where you leave the gain/drive, you will find a smooth tube driven sound out of this amp at a resonable level. I'm absolutely happy with it.

I've had it for about 5 years, but it's only been through 4 shows. It delivers every time I fire it up, and hasn't let me down yet. All i've done is retubing, and biasing the tubes. It's a solid amp.

Can't say.

As I said, this would be my perfect amp if it had reverb, but I can do without it. This Laney sets the standard on ROCK TONE. I love it, and I'd buy it again.

This is a 1 chanel amp but it is as versatile as a 2 channel. Plenty of effects loop features and lots of choice about cabs. For a 1 channel amp it has a lot of fetures

This amp does a range of tones. with lower gain on the amp and not o the bridge pickup the amp has a thick clean/crunch sound. with the drive off it makes some nice rock tones at heigher gain levels and more than enough gain with the drive on. I use it with humbuckers and it sounds great. it is quite noisy at high gain levels but still rocks. I use it with a home made 1x12 vintage 30 loaded cab

I got it used (ebay) and it has never shown any signs of breaking. it is very solidly built.

Never had to contact them

I have been playing for about 3 years and this is my first valve amp. If it were stolen i woul buy another, as it is awesome. I also have a marshall valvestate vs100 and this sounds much better then it. i chose it cause it didnt cost too much.

Don't let the 6 make you think I don't love this amp. Instead of Laney trying to make some kind of do it all Head they just made a rockin amp. No reverb, one channel it's a basic amp. If you want Marshall tone but don't want to spend the money on an 800, Plexi, Old Hiwatt, or a 70's Laney for that matter this is your amp. I would rather have an amp that does one thing great rather than an amp that does four things ok.

I've played though every amp Imagineable and I've never written a review for any Fender, Marshall, Vox or various others. I was looking all over ebay and other places for a early 80's JCM 800 which is a grat amp(I was playing through a 900 at the time, not a great amp) Every one I found needed a repair of some sort. So included in the cost of the amp was a repair bill to bring it up to full potential. I went to the local shop which had an '81 JCM 800, sounded like shit, the shopkeeper said it needed new tubes and filter caps and then it would sound good. Then he suggested I try the GH50L. For AC/DC-Zepplin tone this is the Amp. With the resonance and Drive off this am has no hiss even at high volumes.

I bought mine used. It was built in '03, but it looks and works like new. This amp is very similar to the JCM800, except it has even more gain! It is versatile because you can dial in many different sounds. However, it is single channel amp, and there is no channel switching. But, you knew that going in. It has more gain than I need, more EQ range than I could ask for, and is LOUD! I am using it with a Recto 2x12 cab loaded with V30s. It's bright, and has that lovely British honk. It came with TAD brand tubes, but they've been promptly replaced with JJ's EL34Ls and ECC83s. I can honestly say I can match, if not blow away Marshalls. The best part is, is that it only cost me $500.

Paul Gilbert is the reason why I picked up the guitar, and the reason why I picked up this head. I've been a fan of his tone for years, and he says Laney is his secret. I believe it now when he says Laney has the best amp distorion ever. I usually use it with Ibanez RGs, and I really can't ask for more. This is THE standard rock tone! But this isn't a one trick pony. It loves it some blues. Low gain, with mid drive, it is SRV city. It does clean very well, too. You just have to use the LOW input if you have a hot humbucker. This amp gives me the sound I've been after, for that it gets a 10.

I've had this amp for about 3 months, so it's too early to tell. When I opened it up to replace the tubes, and bias it, I got to get a good look inside. Everything's tidy, and tucked. They used big gauge wires, and good components from what I can see. I think it'll last forever with proper maintenance.

They're in England, but they will reply to your emails. I've dealt with Gary from Laney, and he's helped me with biasing the amp. I was surprised.

I've been playing for about 10 years. I don't gig or play in a band any more, so I hope this is the last amp I'll have to buy. As I said, the sound I've been searching is right here inside the Laney. If you're looking for a simple amp that'll get the job done, this is your amp. Did I mention, it cost me $500? It don't get no better than that.

Cheers.

Single channel tube head (2*JJ6L6 + 4*12ax7) with a footswitchable drive option.
Presence, Bass, Mid, Treble controls shared by both channels.
Gain, Master volume (clean channel) and a single volume control (you clearly have to compromise if you want to switch between clean & overdrive, but more of this later)
Resonance switch is a nice addition to add depth to your sound
2 Inputs (hi/Lo)
FX loop, Slave in/out, LS oputputs 4, 8, 16 Ohms
Switchable bias el34/6l6
Not the most versatile amp I've come across, but I was looking for JCM800-like amp without the price tag of an JCM800
Looks quite sturdy and should withstand live gigging. I never gig without a back up, though...

Quite loud. I use it with a 2x12 Framus cab (loaded with V30's) and this things rocks!
I set my "clean" sound so it crunches when I hit the strings harder (Gain on 3, Master on 4 and all tone controls between 6-7). For OD/distortion purposes, I rely on my trusty JH1 (Visual sounds). Nice, thick sound that easily cuts through the mix.

bought 2nd hand (6 years old). When I first tried it it was all snaps, crackles & pops. The guy who was selling it offered me to have it fixed at little extra charge. Eventually, it came back fully serviced and retubed. It now works fine and hope it will last. ime will tell...

Diagrams, user's guide available from Laney's website.
If any problem should occur, I'll get in touch with the very competent amp tech who fixed this amp.

This amp suits my needs and fits my music style (heavy rock) perfectly. If stolen or lost, I would try to get hold of an amp similarly designed.

Not to many features, but everyting you need. Only one channel which you know when you are buying. It's a clean/crunchy and then you have the distortion, so it's kinda two channels. If you wanted you could get a clean and a distorted sound, you just wouldn't get as much distortion. But I don't use alot of distortion

Wow!!! I play a Schtor C-1 Elite (with Semour Duncan Livewire and a ESP LTD Viper 400 with stock active EMGs. The cab is a Laney cad, but with 4 Celestion Classic Lead 80s. It sounds so bright and clear and really gives me that attack I'm looking for. You can get: clean, crunchy, light dist, to heavy dist. Anything you'll ever need.

Nothing wrong with is so far, I've had it for 2 years. I've replaced the tubes, just because though.

I love this amp, it sounds amazing.

This is a one channel amp with footswitchable gain. 50 watts,effects loop.

I use only Gibsons,Les Pauls,Flying V,Explorer..all with EMGS.I play Metal/Hard Rock. I own a JCM800 50 watt that Ive had for years,and have prevously owned a Marshall DSL100 and Mesa Dual Rec.Basically Ive been searching for that 800 sound with more gain,since my 800 sounds great{think AC DC,crunch} but it needs a overdrive pedal of some sort for really heavy sounds,and lead playing.Ive always felt any type of overdrive{and Ive tried em all!}pedal adds an "artificial" sound which I never liked. The GH50L has all that gain built in and it sounds pretty natural.With the drive off and just the gain up,It gets the 800 style crunch,but with more high end,which some may or may not like.Its a little too "presence-y" for my taste,even with the treble and presence knobs low.Being a one channel head,you wont get crystal clean sounds but rolling down your guitars volume gets a nice clean/dirty sound,which ,for gigs works fine for me.With the drive on,and up ,this amp has the most natural sustain of any amp Ive ever played through,however it is noisy,as you would expect.Its a loud amp ,but not as loud as others I have owned.

the stock tubes,as others have said,are pretty crappy,and I had to replace them after just a few hours of playing.I put in EH12ax7s and it sounds way better.Other than that, this amp seems really well made.And on a side note..this is the LIGHTEST head Ive ever owned,which is pretty nice if you play often,Its WAY lighter than my 800.

havent had to deal with em..probably never will.

Ive been playing 15 years,If it were stolen or lost I might replace it,but would probably look around first.Overall this amp has great tone and balls. I still prefer my old JCM800 tone wise,but the Laney kicks new Marshall{DSL<TSL} ass. Id also take this kind of British distortion over Boogie fuzz anyday.If your into classic metal/rock tones definately check this amp out,for the money its unbeatable,and may be better than amps twice the price.

As stated before, this is a single channel amp. You have to learn how to use your guitar volume to clean up your sound. This amp has just what you need and no bells and whistles that just muck up your tone. I thinks it is really based on a JCM-800 with an additional gain stage to push more front end distortion than a stock JCM-800. There is a very versatile effects loop, many output choices for different cabinets, a slave output for running into other heads (I believe Tony Iommi runs his main Laney into 7 other Laney heads), a resonance switch for tightening up the low end thump, depending on what cabinet you are using, Presence, Bass, Middle, Treble, Master Volume, Gain (for preamp level) and Drive (for tube overdrive). There is also a Hi and Low input. On the back there is a jack for switching the drive off and on, the effects loop with level control, the slave in and out, the multiple speaker impedance outputs and a bias switch for using either EL34's or 6L6's. I believe this to be a very versatile amp even though it is technically a single channel.

I had to add my two cents worth because this amp is absolutely the best sounding amp I have ever played. There are "cleaner" sounding amps, but this amp just kicks ass in the gain department. For reference, I have a Marshall JCM-800, Mesa Nomad 55, Sunn Sentura II, and a Peavey Classic 50 4x10. The Marshall is great, but you have to put something in front of it to get enough gain. The Laney has it built in. The Mesa has really nice cleans and the gain channels are good, but they don't have that edge and cut like the Laney, the Mesa is almost "mushy". The Sunn is a single channel amp that has a beautiful clean sound and tremelo, it has to have something in front of it to get any gain and then you are on the quest of how may different pedals will do what with it, the Laney just works on it's own. The Peavey again is a totally different clean and a nice overdrive, but nothing like the balls of the Laney. If I had my way, my Laney would be on 24/7 because it seems to inspire me to play more and better. I think that is the best thing any amp can do. If you look at your amp and just wish it did something else than you won't get anywhere. With the Laney, you turn it on, let the tubes cook a while and then you just don't want to stop because it just keeps sounding better and better. I mainly use humbucking guitars and all of my guitars have Seymour Duncan JB's in the bridge position. When I play my strat, it gives you more of a cleaner sound with the single coils, but when playing with my Ibanez or Les Paul the distortion will rip your head off. I'll be honest, when you turn this amp up with the gain switch on it can be noisy, but I run a Rocktron Hush in the effects loop and it keeps the noise out and doesn't affect the sound at all. I am a huge Rush fan, but Alex never used Laney's, still, you can get some great old Rush sounds out of this amp. Guys like Tony Iommi, Paul Gilbert and Andy Timmons use Laneys and they have some great guitar sounds so I thought I would give it a shot and now it is my number one amp. Also, since I am a huge fan of the "English" sound
I retubed my Laney with EL34's and a new set of preamp tubes. All of the tubes are JJ's. Originally my amp came with 6L6's, but I prefer the EL34's. In that respect, your ears will be your guide. A word to the wise, even though there is a bias switch, when you go from 34's to 6L6's, or vice versa, be sure to check the actual current output on your amp. My amp was perfectly biased for 6L6's, but when I moved the switch to EL34 and installed my new tubes, the bias was way out of whack for the 34's. It is very easy to adjust, so I used my bias probe and set the bias internally for the 34's. Now the amp just sings. Also, I am using this head with a Marshall JCM-900 Lead 4x12 slant cabinet.

I take care of my gear and I don't see why this amp would ever give me trouble. As long as you take care of the tubes and the bias this amp should last forever. I'm sure if I dropped it down a flight of concrete stairs and then it fell into a pool of burning acid it probably wouldn't survive, but then again I would have followed it right down the stairs and I wouldn't survive either!

I had some silly questions and they emailed me within 48 hours, I think that is very respectable. I'd venture to say you would never hear back from somebody like Fender. Laney seems to care.

I've been playing for 30 years and right now this is my favorite amp. I actually like all the amps I have for vastly different reasons. I really don't want to get rid of any of them, but the Laney is the only one that really inspires me to play and play better. It is also the first amp that I really don't want to use effects with because I love how it sound on it's own. Sometimes I use my RMC wah with it, but that is just the cherry on the cake. Eventually I'll add phase, chorus and delay, but right now I am just in love with the primal distortion of guitar into amp setup. By the way, the EQ controls are very responsive and you can get some very different, but very usable sounds out of this amp. You can back off the treble and get a very singing smooth distortion or add a little treble and get more bite and clarity. It is also very reactive to guitar volume and pick attack. Back off a little on the pick attack and it sounds almost classic then hit it a little harder and it screams. I love this amp and would definitely get another if some bastard had the audacity to try and steal this thing from me. Get a Laney and get the TONE you are missing! Even new, these things are well worth the price.

Laney GH50L: 2005

I play all types of indie, experimental, punk and Garage rock. The amp is great for the types of music I play.

Features: 50 Watts
Inputs HI & LO Jacks
Channels 1: with footswitchable Gain
Equalisation Bass, Middle, Treble
Master Presence Control Yes
Switchable Resonance Yes
Preamp Valves Premium ECC83
Output Valves Premium EL34
Switchable valve bias (5881 / EL34) Yes
Class A/B
Link Jack (Line Level Slave) Yes
Footswitch FS1 (Not included)
Speaker connections Connections for 1 x 16 ohm, 2 x 16 ohm, 1 x 8 Ohm, 2 x 8 ohm
FX Loop(s) Yes (Switchable Insert / Side Chain) with return level
Weight 20 kg
Dimensions (mm) 674 x 231 x 250

These features are great! Love the resonance switch. Dialing in tone is easy. Wouldent mind some Reverb. Anyway, I love how loud this amp can get. 50 watts is more than enough. I got mine with the stock tubes. They sound great imo. I will be getting some JJ's very soon, so i'll keep you guys posted.

I have a Fender American Standard Strat. With stock pickups. I run the amp through a Mesa Boogie Recto 2x12. All I have to say is WOW!!! I AM IN LOVE!

My favorite playing is using the neck pickup. Man, the cleans are incredible. This amp is not noisy at all. I crank it up, very nice.
Sounds ok at low volumes. Add delay to the cleans and you are playing the most beautiful tones out there.

For distortion, this amp screams from rock to metal. I use a SD pickup booster. I flick the resonance switch on the amp and pedal. And my tone is soooooooooooooooooooooooo fat.

I was thinking of getting a guitar with humbuckers but with the pedal my tone is fat.

I want to be real, so I will give it a 9.

Hopefully nothing will happen. I think this amp will last.

I emailed Laney with some questions. He replied within 48 hours.

This amp is a winner!

Single channel, mid-90's model, footswitch-able gain. Plenty of cabinet options, and great effects loop.
Power? It's SICK loud. Reverb would be nice, but why sacrifice the tone with adding a bunch of bullshit? I give it an 8. If this amp were 2-channels w/reverb, it would be a 10. Still high ratings based on it's features/layout for a single-channel high-gainer.

I play a stock Gibson SG Standard, and boost it with an MXR Wylde OD. With the additional gain stage disengaged, it gets a REAL NICE bluesy tone, again, boosted.

As far as the distortion, with an OD in front, it gets into 5150 territory. I find a mean, pissed off Marshall tone, which leaves the DSL in the dust, PERIOD. I run JJ E34L'S, which maintain that British EL34 growl, but nice and thumpy, warm, and actually quite brutal. I highly recommend these tubes, as well as a change in preamp tubes over stock.

I play metal with NO PROBLEM! The tone is SICK! Suits me just fine.

No problems. I bought it used, (very clean, well taken care of), for $450. The absolute BEST DEAL out there on an all-tube tone monster.
I suspect it will not give me any troubles.

Laney is pretty responsive to emails. Of course they're in the UK, so answering questions tend to take a day or 2. They don't seem eager like some though, just "there". Seem like good people though.

10 - Fantastic value indeed. If you're him-hawing around about buying one, drop your cock, and grab your socks. In it's price-range, it IS the $%^&. As a matter of fact, it rips a new @$$%^&* into the JSX, Triple XXX, and DSL's, based on tone alone, IMO. It is in-your-face aggressive, raw, a POWERFUL. It will surely hang in a band mix, and cut through better than some twice it's price. This is NOT just a great value, it's a GREAT AMP in it's own right. Don't let the price fool you - it's a wolf in sheep's clothing - a Marshall killer indeed. AWESOME amp, even if they wanted $1000 new.

Remember this is a single channel Hi Gain amp.For a Single channel to have so many features (ie;swichable gain,series/parallel valve effect loop,slave and resonance switch)is unbelievable for the price.

This is such a versatile amp.It does super cleans,crunch an awesome hi gain.Iuse an Ibanez RG565 and a handbuilt JEM,both with Evolutions in the bridge.
I play mostly Metal/rock,but play other style aswell,and this amp does it all.All uou need is a decent amp and guitar(use your guitar's vol control!!).I use a Gmajor in the loop to give me a bit of depth and a Vai wah.thats it ,no overdrive.The Laney has mor than enuff!

No probs in 10yrs,1000=gigs.Change tubes annually(JJEL34's)

Very helpful on Email

Been using Laneys on and off for 20yrs.They have my sound.The GH L's are simple no brainer amps with an awesome sound.....ask Paul Gilbert!!
And they are cheap .......and English!

Update to an earlier review

I forgot to mention, that an external EQ is a must,(should be pretty obvious) as with most of other brands/models of tube amps. The amp`s own eq is NOT effective enough, nor it is supposed to be. With 6l6GC powertubes(JJ/Tesla), the sound is even better, than el34`s. Sinister as hell! This amp fucking grinds!!!!!

p.s. MXR KFK is GREAT, give it a try, if you're looking for an EQ.

around with the knobs, and you`ll find what you`re looking for.

2002, Very versatile for all kinds of music, I am into heavier styles. The features are well described below. It also has plenty of power for even larger venues.

I am using currently an U.S.A Jackson soloist and an ESP Jeff Hanneman neckthru guiars. Both are humbucker type of guitars. It has no exessive noise considering it an extremely high gain amp. The distortion sounds are very tight and vulgar sounding, and cleans chime like a bell. You WILL NOT find better sounding amp at this pricerange, or even considerably higher.....Remember to set the speaker impedance higher than the amps output impedance, for example, speaker 8 Ohms, amp 4 Ohms, this will take care of the unwanted speaker breakup distortion and the original signal from the amp will retain its tightness and sound quality. My amp has JJ`s EL-34`s, by the way.....

I have had it for few weeks now, bought it used. No problems so far.

I have been playing for 24 years now, own couple of other amps, but this is by far the best sounding I have ever had. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another one. I wish it were a 100 Watt head with an optional 50/100 Watt powersplit switch. It would be perfct, but it is very close.

Single channel amp. It has drive boost and a resonace switch. Amp has a self bias so you can switch tubes from 6L6's (mine) to EL34's.

CRUSHING. This amp is exactly what i was looking for. Fans of single channel Marshalls ( 800, Plexi, etc...) will love this amp. This is not a amp for nu metal so if you are a sloppy distortion hog please look elsewhere. Tone is so subjective, some like a Mesa, some like Marshall some, like Fender, and so on. I like the British distorted sound so this amp is right up my alley. Its has smooth mids, just the right amp of bass with getting into nu crap territory, and you can set the highs to be piercing or smooth depending on what you are looking for. This amp has all the punch to cut trough in any situation. i was looking for a Zakk Wylde on steriods tone and i now have what i think is it. The cleans on this amp with single coils remind me of SRV's Little Wing. I will give it a 9 only because i know (for proably 4 times the cost of this) there is something better.

No problems yet.......knock on wood

Never used them

I have played and owned many, many amps. I have played for 18 yrs. My opinion of a good tone and yours may be different but for me this king so far. Let your ears be the judge and don't be afraid to turn those knobs. I don't know how many people i have seen play through a tube amp with the volume on 1 or 2 and then say "this sucks" or "my solid state sounds better then this." It is a tube amp CRANK IT UP.

Single channel amp with resonance switch, presence, bass, mid, treble, and to drive knobs. Got all the features i need. 50 watts, 6L6 tubes( can be swithed to EL34's)

SSWWEETTTTTT. This amp was what i have been looking for. Tight, Punchy, and clear as a bell. This amp Sounds like a Marshall JCM 800 on racing fuel. From the moment i played the first notes through this baby i knew it was the one. I can not get over how much punch this amp has. It cuts through drums and bass like butter. Well as i said earlier it is a one channel amp but there are an array of tones in this sucker. I love the clean with its chimey tube muscle and the gain goes from Rolling Stones to Zakk Wylde. As with any one channel amp, you have got to use your guitars tone and volume knobs to vary the sounds. If you play any amp where you hide behind the muddy gain please read no further this amp is not for you. But if you are a fan of tranparent distortion and understand good tone do yourself a favor and grab one of these. This is rated at 50 watts (ha ha). I played with a guy with a "other name brand amp" and me on 3 and him on 7 was about eqaul and his is rated at 120 watts. I could go into detail about the tones in this amp, but if you have ever used a single channel Marshall then i promise you this will make your current amp collect dust. Sorry kid this is not a Nu-metal amp, this is for the adults. Go try one now if the British tone is what you are after.

No problems yet

never used them

I have been playing for around 16 yrs. and i think this thing is one of the best i have played. Just for thoughts i have owned or been around Mesa's,Marshalls, Peaveys, Crates, Line 6, Fender, Badcat, Vht, Bogner, and Soldano. Most of them in some form or another make a decent amp with strong and weak points. But, IMO i think Laney is towards the top of the heap in making a great Rock/Metal amp period.

Laney GH50L is a 50 watt single channel valve driven amplifier.
This puppy comes stock with a Sovtek 6L6 duo for the power section and 4 12x7 preamp tubes. This amp features a standby. Lo and Hi input Lo for the Ballsy guitars "featuring Humbuckers" and High for the Lush of Single coils. Features an overdrive circuit that is switchable from the front panel or footswitch. A "Presence" switch that enhances your highs. Resonance that simulates a form of compression that bottles up the bass offering a slightly tighter low end. Variable speaker outputs for maximum compatability with different cabs... helpfull when dealing with speakers with a different tolerances "Ohms".re-biasing from 6l6 to el34's at the flick of a switch "handy". A valve coupled effects loop that comes with a rotary to control the level of effects output. Slave in and out for chaining amplifiers. I bought this amplifier because it was too much for what he wanted "I think he wanted something with integrated effects and was intimidated by a tube amp in its raw form.I payed 400$ for the head and the 4x12 cab ... a GOOD deal.

Now for the sound.... Factory this amp is very raw,grainy, and loud.I was never satisfied with the stock sound and chose to replace the power section with mesa el34's.... this evened out the tone and the harmonic was better but the amp was still very "Flat sounding" and lacked character but..... after much research in the tube area cramming my skull with much info I finally purchased a full re-tube kit with JJ E34L's a balanced ecc803s "blanaced triode" for the phase inv. 2 ecc83s graded HOT for high gain and then a standard ecc83 in the v4 position all for about 70$.... This combomation LIVENED up this amplifier. The tone is thick and creamy WONDERFULLY harmonic's .. not quite as beefy sounding as a marshall... or as crisp as a deluxe reverb but somewhere in between. The high's are trimmed and not piercing , the low and mids are where this amp comes alive. The amps natural drive is so appealing to me now that I am contemplating laying my rat and option5 destination overdrive pedal aside for the footswitch to punch in and out the amps natural drive that is as smooth as they come. Clean this amp is smooth and crisp and starts to break up around 7 in the preamp offering a slight vintage drive. This overall sound is very appealing to the "Shoegazer" in me. To sum it all up the tone is truly "Unique"

"Cab Info"
4X12
__________celestion_________
(g12m greenback) ( Vintage 30 )
( vintage 30 )(g12m greenback)

"Custom not original config"

Solid for a tube amp. The amp features a 30 sec warm up time from power-on that saves the tube section a bit. The Standy can also add to the life of the tubes by Keeping the tubes primed and warm but reducing the load or demand. So when you are gigging this amp you can more safely and effectively prime this amp before you deliver.

The site is helpfull with manuals... they offer copies of their manuals in pdf format.. easy to locate.
I consult a local tech prior to speaking to laney .. Im not fond of tech support over the phone..

I have been playing for 12 years 7 of those years "Active".
I have alot of gear... Here are a few items..
I own a fender 65 deluxe reverb "Re-issue"
Fender 62 Jaguar "U.S. Re-issue"
Seagull 12+ Cedar top
67 Hofner Galaxie
After A re-tube and a better heartbeat in the cab that featured stock 4 H-H 12" speakers...
I would recommend the head and one of the newer cabinets that feature celestions in their cabs.

To get the head up to speed I would suggest 1st Eurotubes.com Bob is a great guy and offers a great deal of info,JJ electronics knows what they are doing. Dougstubes.com for more variety.
NO HH LOADED CABS!
The GH50L is a great value.

See the other reviews all I can say is USE YOUR VOLUME AND TONE KNOBS and its very versatile. I am rating this beast for classic rock and metal. Thin Lizzy to '87 Whitesnake type stuff.

Yes its true this is a tone monster,forget distortion/overdrive pedals you wont need them, honestly the distortion is that good, why do you think Paul Gilbert uses Laney and Andy Timmons and these guys can play a bit and could use any amp out there. I use the effects loop for delay and put a Boss ns-2 in the loop too as I have the DRIVE pot at 7 and it can hiss like a snake but its worth it for the sound. So yes it is noisy at high gain sounds. Back to the sound, its the best I've heard, makes your solos sound huge and holding a note even at lowish volumes makes you sound like Gary Moore on steroids. I'm bored now so just buy one and stop pissing money on names on amps.

Been playing 10 years, gone through MARSHALL/MESA/SOLDANO AND NUMEROUS RACKS etc etc etc tried everything and finally got THE sound shame it took 10 years and thousands of pounds and this bloody thing cost peanuts. I would like to compare it to a CORNFORD MK50H as thats the only amp I think could kick its ass, shame about the ?1000 price difference. Check out JAN CYRKA too, he used the GH50L for the majority of his sounds on his albums and he has a beautiful tone, hes a bit good too. Fek it just buy one and thank me for sharing my good luck.

The chassis says 95'. Pretty straight forward one channel all tube amp with an effects loop and footswitchable gain. I got mine used, which I think was played with to use different resistors in the power amp section(I could have gotten a sunburn from the tubes running so hot). Anyhow, I run this with a THD Hotplate since this is one LOUD amp. I loaded it with re-issue Mullard EL34's and Groove Tube 12AX7-M's with a Golden Dragon for a Driver Tube. There really is a difference in the tubes you select.

I pretty much like a distorted sound that cleans up somewhat when I roll the guitar volume back a bit. I have a bunch of Strats and Les Pauls that I use from gig to gig. I like to change guitars around when I play so none of them get jealous.

Clean channel.... I don't need no stinking Clean channel.

When I got the amp, the sound was OK but I had to roll the treble and Presence back alot to keep it from cutting my head off. I've since added several resistors and capacitors to the design to change the sound. The result it a ballsy basic sound that really gets great when you activate the Drive switch. I think the Master needs to be turned up to about 5 to get the power tubes working.

The distortion was a bit harsh to me before the modifications. Now it sings pretty nicely. Really, how many Distortion sound do you want a one channel amp to make. I have several pedals to alter the sound for variation. I give it a 9 with my mods.

The driver tube went tits up a while back. It made me really think about a backup unit since I had none and no tubes. I give a break to a 95' unit here.

These guys don't let you write them with questions. I don't think there's much support unless you live around the corner in England.

I've beem playing 25+ years. I owned or played a number of amplifiers. I can't see paying a ton for amps for the name. Look for the schematic to see what you are really getting. If you want an all tube amp that you can mess with to get your sound, this is a great amp at an unbelievable price (new or used). I have a Marshall 800, a modded Sovetek Midget 50H, a Trainwreck clone(from a Fender Bandmaster by me incidently), and a Line6(that's not that bad). This one's definately in my small Hall of Amps collection.

Read below for the specs. Keep in mind, this is a single channel, master volume amp. As for features, for what it is, this thing is loaded! Tube biasing switch, multiple ohm matched speaker outs, switchable distortion, resonance switch, slave out, and serious effects loop routing options. Not too versatile, but enough extras to suit me fine.

Wow...I had no idea Laney made such a sweet sounding amp. You need to know that my main influence is old school hard rock, and this amp does not dissapoint. Think Ratt, Dokken, Racer X, and all the sounds are there. Originally, I was going to get the amp just for it's clean channel and run my PODxt through it, but the distortion is wayyy better on it's own. You can dial in a very warm clean sound, but I agree with others that there's that magic 'sparkle' missing somehow. I would think that Laney really focused on making the distortion the amp's forte however. Noise? No more so than any other hi gain amp I've owned, and even more refined than most. Anyone that claims this amp doesn't have enough gain is smoking crack.

I've had mine for 6 years now with no issues whatsoever. The day I purchased the amp from my local music store, it had no output. A quick inspection revealed that the speaker output jack had a solder come loose. One minute with the soldering iron fixed the issue, which is also the last one my amp has ever had. I can say that I baby all of my gear, and rarely have issues with anything I own, so I'm glad my Laney is no exception.

As much as I love my amp, Laney's support (or lack thereof) sucks. Their website has absolutely NO e-mail address, physical address, or contact information anywhere. Thier site only provides links to their dealers. Amp comes with 1 year warranty on amp, 90 days on tubes, and another 2 years if you submit the registration card.

I love my Laney! In fact, I bought the 100 watt version of this amp a few weeks ago. As a point of reference, I also currently own a Marshall JCM 800, and a Peavey JSX. I have owned Mesas and most recently an ENGL amp as well. Laney amps are the best kept secret out there! It's really a shame that Laney's marketing is so lame, because they made a winner with this amp! My only complaint with the amp is it's super huge logo. They could have made it a bit more subdued, but instead it's able to be read from hundreds of feet away. It's styling shows that they're shooting for the Marshall crowd. Since I already own a JCM 800, I can honestly say the Laney sounds more like a Marshall than the Marshall does! However, it tends to have more punch and sounds much warmer to me than my Marshall does. I also recently tried the TT50 triple channel Laney head, and it's distortion didn't seem to sound as nice as the GL series. I love the ability to re-bias the amp with a simple switch and swap EL34's or 5881's so easily. I can own any amp I want, and at ANY price, the Laney is the best choice I've made in amps in a long time.

Single Channel with Switchable Gain Stages
6L6 or EL34 Power Section
4 12AX7 Preamp Tubes
Effects Loop with Level Control

Basically, it's stripped down and simple, so there's less to go wrong. It's not going to have 30 different tones inside of it, but it will do the rock tone extremely well.

This amp is probably THE best value on the tube amp market today. I picked mine up for $600 new, and spent $40 getting it retubed and biased and it is the best sounding amp I own. My signal chain is as follows:
Les Paul Studio w/ Duncan JB or American Tele w/ Noiseless
BOSS SD-1, BD-2, BF-2, and TU-2 into either
Laney GH50L, Modified 1983 Marshall JCM 800, or Peavey Classic 30. The cab used is a Marshall JCM 900 slant with 2 Vintage 30's and 2 G12T-75s.

As far as clean goes, this is not a Fender amp, nor is it supposed to be. The clean is passable as a clean tone, but it doesn't really "sparkle". I would not use this amp for ska/country, but as a rock clean tone, it gets the job done.

The distortion is where this amp shines. It is higher gain than my 800, and due to the extra 12AX7 in the front end of the amp, it compresses a little more. Whether you like that or not is another topic. I find that it gets a really nice hard rock tone, and this amp is also warmer due to the midrange being there as opposed to Marshalls, which tend to have a more nasal mid control. I changed the output tubes to EH EL34s and had it biased a little hotter and it made the amp seem much more alive. I would say that now, the amp has the gain of a Peavey 5150/Mesa, but a very typically British tone, without the midrange boxiness that a JCM800/900/2000 can tend to have.

I toured with this amp for two years, I've changed the output tubes once, the preamp tubes twice, and that's all I've done to it. As far as gigging without a backup, tube amps are inherently an unstable creature, and when you gig without a backup, you are asking to have something go wrong, so I never gig without a backup. But if it came to the point where I had to, I would feel best about this amp being my #1, as it is newer and the wiring inside is very well done and clean.

As above, I haven't had to deal with Laney, so I've got nothing here.

This is by far the best sub-$1000 amp head on the market right now. I put it up against a $2500 Roccaforte amp, and the Roccaforte beat it, but it was a narrow defeat, and considering the price point, this amp was the value winner.

This amp was manufactured in June 1998, when they still used black grillecloth and tolex. As versatility goes, it blows me away! I have never owned a channel-switching amp, not because i avoid them but it's just not a priority for me. So, since I don't depend on channel switching to get different sounds i have no problem jumping from clean to overdriven sounds with just my volume knob, or, occaisionally my Morley Power Wah Boost which acts as a volume pedal in bypass mode. It's a single channel machine with an effects loop and a slaving mode(i love this). at 50 watts, some of my "duh, more watts is better!" friends think it's not enough(one owns a Triple Rectifier...) but i honestly have never really needed to go past about 5 or 6 on the master, although i'd like to. This amp works so well that for quite some time it was also my primary bass amp!

I am really and truly BLOWN AWAY, as i said above by this amp. My guitar is not a spectacular flame-maple-top Gibson SG Supreme, unfortunately. it is a 1999 Yamaha Pacifica 112M with a Gold Lace Sensor in the neck and a DiMarzio Parker Fly Special humbucker at the bridge. My style began as sort of a punk rock type thing, but about a year and half ago i realised i don't have to suck and decided that my true calling was 70's rock. well, no problem for this amp! plug into the low input and there you have it, classic rock grind without excessive saturation! in the high socket, you obviously get heavier distortion and less headroom before breakup. I use my amp with 6L6 tubes, actually i have purchased a set of Ei EL34 but have not had time to take it to a technician for biasing, so i was only able to change preamp tubes. this amp really grinds with the midrange knob all the way up and the resonance switch flipped down(less speaker damping, more of a vintage sound). as for cabinets, i have a a Yamaha S210-III 2x10 guitar cab from circa 1985, which i bought for a measly $50 US...don't take the price into consideration because this bland-looking black box rocks ass!! for bass purposes i also bought a Traynor YB-18A made in 1971 or so...it contains a single Celestion Greenback...except this Greenback is 18"!! see my review of that thing. anyway, one day i had my bass plugged into the amp, and i wanted to play guitar but i was too lazy to switch cabinets, so i just played guitar with the 18" cabinet. your gut reaction to reading that is probably "muddier than Woodstock '69" but believe it or not, this combination is unreal! the midrange is HUGE and i don't believe anything projects like this. lots of people go to ridiculous lengths to extend their bass response...case in point, the Riviera K312. well, i don't believe i will need a 4x12 anytime soon! there is really no icepick effect when you use this cabinet and all the highs you would need/want are there. with any cabinet, however, i have found the clean tones to be excellent. very clear, sparkly, and slowly plucked arpeggios always remind me of drops of water hitting a pond surface. totally smooth. noise is only a factor for me when you use the gain boost, also known as "drive".

and, to top it all off, this amp creates the sickest bass distortion ever!

As i say of my big ol' Traynor box, i could probably ask this cabinet to back me up in a gunfight.

Never had to talk to Laney.

I have been in the game for 4 or so years, and a loss of this amp would really sadden me...it has been my catchall amp and has never failed me in any way, mechanically or sonically. I only miss reverb sometimes, but often, i forget that there is no reverb because it sounds so good. to have reverb i use an Alesis Nanoverb.

Not the most versatile amp on the market. It's a single channel 50watt all tube head. THere is footswitchable gain but that's mainly to achieve overdriven or clean sounds. It doesn't work in live settings because the drive mode is alot louder. This amp wasn't intended to be a 2 channel amp. Otherwise all sounds are there from clean to raging high gain.

This is the best sounding amp I've tried. It needs to be used with the right setup however. The right cab and the right tubes. My tubes of choice are EL34's and I run it through a Marshall 1960AX cab. This setup rules. This amp with EL34's and a vintage 100w marshall cabinet demolishes anything else. I'm able to get great 80's shred sounds as well as blues and classic rock sounds and good warm jazzy cleans. For live settings I set it up to just have a little bit of dirt and grind. I use mostly superstrats with medium output humbuckers in the bridge and single coils in neck and middle positions. I get all the sounds I need. While setting the amp slightly dirty and get great bluesy sounds with the single coils and I can back off the volume to about 7 or 8 on my guitar and get good clean sounds with single coils. Dime the guitars volume and switch it to the bridge humbucker and get great hard rock rythm sounds. Switch on an overdrive or any boost device and get searing lead sounds. This setup is awesome. This is honestly the best sounding amp I've ever tried. This is my second GH50l. I sold it at one point to buy a Mesa. I didn't like the Mesa. I also had a brief stint with a marshall dsl50 and a Marshall 1987x reissue. I also tried peaveys in the store and also some bogners. Nothing sounds as good as this cheap amp. It's not even very noisy at high gain. To me this sounds alot like a 50watt HiWatt head. Pretty much a modified marshall sound with more gain, low end and more agressive biting tone. Combined with the marshall cab I can achieve Randy Rhoads and George Lynch sounds as well some good early Van Halen sounds. This is my main style of music. I write alot of instrumental ambient groove music similar to Satch, Vai and Vinnie Moore and this amp gives great crunchy rythm sounds as well as soaring lead sounds. THis is an amp that you record an entire album with without effects just straight into the amp. Paul Gilbert style speaking of which also uses this amp on his solo albums which are great and I'm a huge fan. Like I said I had a GH50L but I figured since it was so cheap that there had to be something better. I was wrong I spent thousands on other amps and was dissapointed except for the 1987x reissue but that was a limited amp although I got great sounds out of it. It was also fairly expensive and then I saw a GH50l on ebay and bought it for $250 so here I am. Back again with the amp I love. Nothing beats this sound. It's a super marshall on steroids with a way more punchy tone. Like I said it needs a good cab. I used to use it with a 2x12 and originally didn't like the sound but now I'm in heaven. There is nothing better to my ears and I will never go away from Laney ever again. I get everything from warm jazzy cleans, to great blues sounds to total metal mayhem. I can't ask for anything else.

I had my first laney head for 2 years with regular gigging. No problems. Not any signs of fatigue. These amps are really tough and well built.

I've never tried to contact them. I don't know.

What can I say. I am sold on this amp. You eventually learn how to work with a single channel amp. Almost all the greats have. Most channel switching amps don't fair too well. Either they are lacking solid clean sounds or the dirty channel doesn't have enough guts. This amp just alot of great tone. That's it. Nothing works better for me. This is a very responsive amp that cleans up extremely well and loves effects and overdrive pedals. I'm so glad I managed to find a good one for so cheap. I'm happy now. This in combination with my custom built guitars and the vintage marshall cabinet is the best damn sound I've ever achieved. Another thing, this amp doesn't sound very good with the stock tubes. It only really suits metal in stock form. High gain ruby preamp tubes and sovtek 5881's. Not my choice at all. I use JJecc83's and JJel34L's. This is my sound all the way. I get some great george lynch sounds especially similar to the Back For the Attack album. You know what I'm talking about. That roaring British EL34 tone. For rock it's the only way to go for me. That's all from me.

This is an update of my previous review. This isn't a feature rich amp. It wasn't really intended to be either. Unfortunately I was forced to sell this amp due to a severe change in my music career. Alot of people are complaining that the drive switch isn't useable. What the hell is wrong with you people. It's not a second channel. This is a one channel amp with footswitchable gain. The drive switch is simply a way to access either clean or distorted sounds it wasn't made to be another channel and it wasn't intended to be used as channel switching for live use. duh. It says it right on laneys website that it's a one channel amp. Learn how to read. If you wan't clean and distorted sounds in a live setting either you use a dual amp setup which you should probably do anyway to have a backup or set it clean and use good distortion box or effects processor.

Really great sounding amp that can give you anything from nice smooth clean sounds to extremely heavy metal but as stated you can't switch from these tones. Again it's a one channel amp. I really love the sound of the distorted sound. I originally had swapped out the crappy stock tubes and put some GT El34's and preamp tubes but eventually went with some JJ 6l6's and JJ Ecc83's. It made the amp sound really good. Nice, warm and thick. I've never liked 6l6 tube distorted sounds until I tried these. The clean sound after the tube change was rich and beautiful and the distorted sound could make your hair fall out. I've tried tons of amps and this has some of the best sounds I've heard. Unfortunately as stated above I had to get rid of this amp as I got a new gig now that requires alot of clean sounds so I bought a 68 Fender Bassman head from one of my buddies which gets great clean sounds. Not that the laney didn't have great clean sounds. It did but just not at the volumes I needed to be playing at. At these volumes it would distort a bit and it wasn't really a nice fender breakup it's kind of a cold sounding distortion, couldn't calm it down without backing off my guitar volume alot which wouldlower the overall volume to the point where I couldn't stand up to the other guys. Keep in mind we are playing some really big gigs sometimes outdoors so when I set the laney clean I had to have it up to about 8. At this point it's seriously overdriven. Although the Bassman also breaks up at these levels it's more of a slight warm overdrive than distortion. The bassman is also really responsive to touch as well so if I play lightly it's still but not overdriven but If I dig in it overdrives. Overall though the laney is a great amp with the best distorted sound I've ever heard from any amp. After having owned marshalls, a 5150 and line 6 gear. What I like about the laney is that it's a very honest amp. No b.s. Straight hard rock distortion without reverb, channel switching and anything else to get in your way. It also cleans up really well backing off on the guitars volume knob for that great 80's semi clean/overdriven metal sound. Very clear sounding amp as well. Just get rid of the stock tubes though. They are terrible. Contact bob at www.eurotubes.com for some new JJ tubes. They are the best currently manufactured tubes on the market. Don't go with crappy chinese or russian tubes ala ruby or sovtek.

Had it for 2 years with regular gigging and never any problems. Laney doesn't make crap. They make solid amps, which is why Tony Iommi has used them for so long. I gig at least 100 times a year and this amp has never acted funny. Replace tubes from time to time and don't throw it around or drop it and you will be fine. Don't put drinks on top of it either. duh. Very solid amp.

I've never dealt with them.

I really liked this amp but unfortunately I just didn't have the budget nor space to have different amps for different sounds. I love the laney's distorted sound. Great semi overdriven sounds as well as raging high gain. Completely natural distortion not fake buzzy chainsaw distortion ala Mesa. If I ever make my own studio and become a successfull recording and touring musician I will buy another and use it for recording and for my main distortion sounds. Keep in mind I am not trashing the laney's clean sound. It has great clean sounds just not at high volumes. It also doesn't really do the fender clean sound that well which I need for my new gig. This would make an extremely good recording amp which is why Paul Gilbert is now using them. I think he uses a VH100R for live gigs and GH series for recording. I'm not sure don't quote me. With the right tubes and cabinet this amp is untouchable for sound especially when you consider you that you can get your hands on one of these for well under a grand. Amazing. I'm not into marshalls that much anymore. Their newer stuff blows. I really liked the plexi's and JCM800's. I used to own a 50 watt plexi which I sold due to similar circumstances it was just to much of a one dimensional amp. Well that's what I have to say. I just wan't you to know that although I had to sell mine I still think it's a great amp and almost couldn't let it go. If I ever create my own little studio and need a good recording amp with a killer distorion sound. I know what to get and will bypass Mesa, Marshall and Peavey. Although their new XXX is good.

Does three things very well; clean, crunch, and roaring gain. The catch is you can't do it at the tap of a foot switch. It's "either, or". No lead channel.

The clean sound is very warm and well rounded. Crunch sounds as well, think Nazareth "Hair of the Dog" to Zeppelin. I absolutely LOVE the high gain tone. I am a big Paul Gilbert fan, and this amp can deliver that Racer X tone. The mid-range (middle) control is very responsive. The presence is negligible until around 8 to 10. I don't use it (0). Bass and Treble very responsive.
My gear going into this amp include: '98 ESP Custom Horizon Standard w/Tone Zone Bridge PU, Steve's Special Neck PU; '96 Fender USA Strat w/EMG PUs; Ibanez TS9 Reissue Tube Screamer; Ibanez Vintage CS9 Chorus; MXR Micro Amp. Cabinet is an ADA 2x12.

2 months with a used amp; So far so good.

N/A

Besides the absence of a lead channel or switchable master volume, this is a great amp. I love the tone, sustain, etc. It can get VERY loud without losing definition. Other than a TT50, VH50, or VH100, this is my dream amp, especially considereing what I paid for it.

not feature rich. as the other reviews state: single channel with footswitchable 5th gain stage, no 'verb. but it does have resonance switch which is very nice and the presence knob adds tonal control.

okay, it does have a very nice clean, but you have to dial it in since it's a 1 channel amp. but this beast is made for gain though. this amp is almost identical to the lead (or B) channel on the VH100R without the reverb. simple and sounds great. I still stand by my other reviews, I'll take a Laney VH100R/VC50/GH50L/GH100L over a mesa rectifier/PV 5150/etc any old day!

As for the good that said the tone knobs don't offer any control: have your amp checked...or your ears. They are very responsive and it's impossible to get a bad sound out of these.

never had a problem with any of my laneys (okay, a bad speaker in the combo, but that was due to shipping!)

the Laney USA distributor is very helpful. the UK website, is near worthless. I've rated accordingly. call the US guys if you need something, they are VERY helpful!

been playing for ages. own lots of gear, owned nearly everything.

great amp for the money!

Single channel 50 watt all tube head. There is a drive switch which kicks on some extra gain and drive. There is also HI and LO input. I mainly use the amp with the drive switch with my guitar in the HI input. I don't really care for the drive switch too much because it won't get completely clean. It will clean up if you back off on the volume.

I'm using this with my custom warmoth tele with dual dimarzio virtual PAF's and a custom Zion radicaster. I run it through a genz benz G-Flex 2x12 cabinet(awesome cab, the best) Word of advice, ditch the stock preamp tubes they are junk. The stock power tubes aren't very good either but reasonable. I put 4 groove tubes ECC83's and 2 groove tubes EL34L's. Now this thing just roars and sounds extremely british. What I love about this amp is that you can have it set with alot of gain but if you roll off your guitars volume it really cleans up. It actually is extremely good at this so you don't really need 2 channels or footswitching with this amp. I sometimes use a klon centaur overdrive as a clean boost for leads and a fulltone wah and they sound great through this rig. I would rate it a 7 with the stock tubes and a 9 possibly 10 after the tube change. I dig it because I can roll off my guitars volume slightly and get a good crunchy rythm sound and then dime my guitars volume for leads and it really roars and screams with the best of them. It sounds like my old marshall JCM800 on steroids. Almost identical but with alot more gain. I play mostly hard rock and classic rock. I'm not into the numetal scene and I think that this amp in it's stock state would excel for that and thrash metal because the preamp tubes had so much gain. They are rubys in the first 2 stages and some chinese unlabeled ones in the last stages. It is harsh and hissy and unclear with the stock preamp tubes. Greatly improved after the tube changes. I've never been a fan of 6L6's either which is why I put some EL34's. What can I say it now sounds like a classic hot rodded marshall. Extremely senstive to playing dynamics and the guitars volume and control changes. I have to say that I agree with some other reviewers that this amps character stays no matter how much you mess with the EQ settings. What you get is what you get. Which is pretty much how marshalls are. Mesa's are more versatile. But for someone who likes hard rock get this or the gh100 and change the tubes and you'll have one of the best amps on the market for dirt cheap. the reason why they are so cheap to begin with is because they have crappy tubes and they aren't well known. Don't be fooled by mesa. They also use crappy tubes for the most part. I'm thinking of putting in the new Tesla ECC83 in the 1st position because it's pretty much the quietest preamp tube currently on the market and it's an exact replica of the classic german telefunken. It even has gold pins. This will really tame the amp and make it more versatile I'm told by watford valves. This amp in stock form just had way too much gain and was harsh. Don't worry about this thing not having enough gain. I'm a classic metal/hard rock player and I only have the gain on 5 put I crank the master volume and yields great results. Just ultimate rock tone. Blues licks also sound great through this amp. This thing has all the gain you could ever wan't. Another thing about clean sounds. Ruby preamp tubes just aren't good for clean so I recommend you get rid of the stock preamp tubes to make the amp more versatile. Now even with the gain cranked to 5 with the drive switch on if I roll back my guitars volume know halfway it will clean up and I mean clean, as long as you keep your pick attack fairly calm. What more can you ask for. I'm not kidding I like this thing more than my old JCM800. It sounds almost identical but with a wider distortion range. This is of course after the tube change. In stock form it sounds alot like a dual recto. This amp for $650 just annhialates anything that is reasonably priced. What do you think Tony Iommi has been using the whole time. Laney my friend.

I've had it over a year and have not had one problem and I've taken on about 20 gigs or so with the volume in some cases above 7 or 8 which is extremely loud. What can I say it's a classic british rock amp. these things are meant to be played hard. I've banged it up a bit on the road and it doesn't worry me because this thing is a tank. This thing also weighs a ton. It's definitely a sold amp.

Non existent. Not that I need any but there is no phone number or email adress on their website. I don't forsee any problems in the future with the amp.

What can I say for what I need in an amp this amp easily delivers everything I need. If you are patient enough to work with the amp and also change the tubes you will be rewarded with awesome tone that is unique unlike all the mesas and marshall jcm900's and jcm2000's. This is the only amp that I could realistically only use one channel similar to your old marshall plexis and jcm800. You control the overdrive and volume with your pick attack and volume and tone controls on the guitar. It takes a pro to work this way than to be experimenting with channel switching which with most amps simply doesn't work anyway. Also that elusive black sabbath Iommi sound is in this amp if you load it with EL34's and put some decent preamp tubes in it. It does more than this but it is a sound that's possible with this amp. For my needs this amp just does everything. If I have the gain cranked halfway I can get all the sounds I need by tweaking my guitars controls and altering my pick attack. Anything from jazzy clean to blues breakup to raging hard rock and metal. I also got a very good Joe Perry type overdriven sound similar to Sweet Emotion. Simply awesome amp that in my opinion is the best kept secret in the guitar world. I don't know how you could do much better than this amp especially for the money even though I would pay as much for this as a new marshall jcm2000 because this amp is better although it doesn't have all the features. But consider this, all the best guitar tones in rock history were recorded with old plexis and jcm800s which were single channel similar to this one. When you add all kinds of gadgets you alter the reliability, sound and sensitivity of the amp. As long as you are a good player you only need one channel.

This in a new GH50L head with a grayish front. Sharp looking amp. 1
Channel.

I play this with a Norton Bridge Humbucker in an Ibanez S guitar.

My only gripe about the features is that the drive switch doesnt really make sense. It switches between high-gain and slight breakup. The breakup is too much to play clean passages but not enough to play standard rock rythym. It doesnt make sense that someone would want to switch between raging high gain and blues breakup. The switch should either go to a clean or to a good rythym sound. So the swithching is kinda useless.

Otherwise I knew what I was getting myself in for with a single channel amp.

I really wanted to like the Laney and based on the Glowing reviews and the fact that Paul Gilbert uses them, I expected a fantastic high gain sound.

The problem is that the eq is PASSIVE and doesnt really offer much tone shaping capabilities. What you hear is what you get. So you either like the sound or you dont. This sound has a large presentation like a nice tube head should, but unfortunately the preamp sounds like a buzzy footpedal. Now its not BAD per se (who doesnt enjoy a nice pedal every now and then)-- theres enough gain to play your solos and do your crunchy chords, but its grainy ilke a distortion pedal, the only solution I found to make it sound more amp-like was to reduce the presence and treble almost to 0, but its not quite the same thing, its still the same buzzing sound except without any highend.

The EQ doesnt do much, its still the same sound, much like a 5150. (which also has passive EQ) The sound is very bright and not so great for heavy power chords, it doesnt have a tight botom end, its kinda loose. It works out that you can hear the individual notes in chords even on high gain. This is more of a hard-rock sound than contemporary metal. Still high gain, but doesnt sound like a recto, nor a classic marshall sound, something differnt.

I really thought it would have a nice lead voice but its too buzzy to be inspiring. I got this for nice lead guitar tones.

I know these kinds of amps start to sound differnt when CRANKED (and I didnt get a change to crank it beyond LOUD in my basement). You know, the point when the speakers are distorting, the power tubes are saturated and everything is so loud you cant hear yourself think. I think this amp would sound good in that context, but then, most amps do.

Dont get me wrong, its OK, I have pretty high standards. If I was gigging in a band I probably wouldnt be so concerned with the tone although it doesnt inspire me to play. Maybe this thing reaches its sweet spot somewhere around the volume you would need if playing with a loud drummer.

So since I havent used it in a band context, Im not fully qualified to write the best review, I do know that its tone shaping abilities are less than desired.

The store I bought it from has agreed to take a return, no questions asked. If you are interested in trying a Laney, I recommend them: Grand Central Music. They advertise on ebay.

This amp doesnt suit me. Even though it is in the style of music I play (hard, instrumental rock) its farther from the tone I was looking for than the MP-1 I was using previously. (Wish I hadnt sold that).


Ive been playing since the late 80s and have used rack based systems the majority of my time so I'm used to having alot of control over my tone. This amp gives you one sound. Period. I'm not about to spend time with a parametric, tube changes etc. to try and massage it into something I'm looking for. ITs too far from the mark to begin with.

I think this head is similar to a 5150 in alot of ways. Perhaps a 5150 with more brightness, more grain, and without the peavey midrange honk (which I personally like).


I would recommend that anyone interested give this amp a try because it may be just what you are looking for. I think it would be great in a band context.

I suppose this will be a 2002 amp, has the switchable EL34/6L6 job on the back, along with 2x4, 2x8 and 1x16 ohm outs. Standard-ish EQ with presence, gain and master with footswitchable gain boost. Loop functions in one of several ways, but I don't use it. The level control can be variously used as an extra master volume control for fine tuning.
In fairness, the amp is relatively obsolete next to some of the more space-age digital things with onboard coffee machine and anti stagediver missiles. However, the rating has to be given next to what I need it to do, and it does most all of that.

The guitars used a generally a Guild Bluesbird and a Big Apple Strat, but it does see others at the input occasionally. Both these guitars are fitted with big sounding Seymour Duncan hummers, but the Fender has a coil split sound which sees some use.
I usually set the thing with the master and gain to give a cleanish, punchy sound for whatever the venue is. The cabinet is a Hughes & Kettner TC4x12 with Greenbacks, so the sound is sort of warm and not too strident, with a bit of friendly breakup round the edges. Switching the gain boost in from here gives a good Marshall-y sound with midrange to the fore. The only complaint from this setting is that the gain boost seems to increase the treble content, and it can be tricky to get the clean sounds clear enough without too much spitty, shrill edge in the driven sound.
It is also more than capable of delivering a foundation shaking metal chunk with the resonance in and the mids down (though I preferred the sound with the mids high at the amp and then cut by a graphic EQ in the loop). These sort of sounds generally have a tendency to get lost in the overall picture, but I thought the combination described gave a good fight in being heard without overpowering.
I've never had it sounding like a blackface Fender, nor an AC30, but then, I've never set out to do that. It might be possible given the right speakers and cabinet to get this amp to sound wildly different from what I describe.

Interestingly, the gain boost does not appear to make a huge clacking noise when engaged. The amp itself is pretty quiet due to the ingenious toroidal mains transformer design that Laney uses in all of its amps.

Ultimately, again, this amp plays a good game for the money you pay for it. Not up there with the likes of Cornford, but not so far distant, the main problem this amp has is that going from clean to drive sounds with the same EQ settings and what have you is a compromise.
Still, you could for the price of some of even the lesser imported amps and indeed some of the homegrown talent, get a couple of these.

Not been put to the test. It hasn't failed in the few shows/rehearsals it has been used for, but it has never had to cope with flat out abuse for anything more than a couple of minutes.

Website is decent but lacks the detail necessary to really delve.
No destruction manual with it, and no pdf on the website. Doesn't need instructions to pilot, but still...?

It's a good buy for someone who wants to have power, and a range of decent sounds at their disposal. What you sacrifice, and for some this will be of no object, is the ability to use that range within a set, due to the nature of the amp itself.
I prefer the sounds this amp makes to those available on the Marshall DSL amps, partly because I found the Laney to be more robust and rely less on outrageously puerile levels of gain to get the sounds. As a comparison point, I found the most satisfying settings on the DSL to be on the 'clean' channel with the crunch button (whatever it is) engaged.
So, although it doesn't get full marks in any category, because of the price, it has to get 10 here.

Ok this is a new update of my review since my amp broke down last. Since then i have got a better cab, a Laney 4x12 Tony Iommi model closed back model (dunno what other laney cabs r like)

Now, with a decent cab, i can evaluate the sound better. At the moment my strat is busted so im evaluating the sound with a BCRich - EMG81 Bridge. Clean its sounds very full and warm but the EMG is pretty craptastic at clean tones. Neck pickups sounds great but im guessing a guitar more suited to clean tones would fair better in this department.
Now distortion is where this amp reigns. Like the previous guy said you need it at a decent volume level to hear this amps potential, which is unlucky cos i have neighbours so i have to use a MT-2 metal zone while using this for practice, but when i get to use this in a band situation it'll shine. With a high volume and the amps distortion high the heavy metal tone is great, again anything metally will sound great with this amp, but nu/shit-metal, pop (blink, greenday) will sound crap. Im gonna put new valves in this amp as it will definetly make the tone/quality better (its hard to believe when u hear the great sounds the stock valves have). You often get a fizzing/fuzzy tone when playing at low volumes, high volumes and better valves will rectify this problem. Sometimes with this amp i feel that i need a more saturated distortion (i.e. gorerotted/cannibal corpse/at-the gates/napalm death). but i think new valves will make this problem go away, or i could use a dist pedal.

well i havent had ne problems since it was fixed

seems quite good

in a word greatttttttt. metal/blues/rock sounds perfect on this amp. Maybe not enough dist for death metal but if u tweak it you can get a loada sounds.

For a single channel amp it's got everything you need except a reverb which would have been the icing on the cake.lots of cabinets options, 3 options for the FX loop: insert between preamp and amp with a knob to set the overall level of amp +fx,parallele interface with the knob used as a dry/wet level and bypass.The boost drive is footswitchable and can be used as a lead channel sharing the EQ with the normal gain.
Therfore it is more of a dual channel sharing EQ than a simple single channel.

I use an Ibanez RG 570 and a Marshall 1936 2x12 (great cab by the way) and also a marshall powerbrake to be able to play at sensible levels and let the valves do their job.
Let's make it clear:this amp is very very loud and don't expect to use the distortion if you are in a bedroom with neighboors,let alone the drive boost!To comment on the previous reviewer,I'd just say that he probably gets a buzzy sound because he doesn't use the amp section properly,it is a valve amp and the master needs to be at a minimum of 3 to start giving nice sounds,and it is by then amazingly loud!!!!
THE SOUND OUT OF THIS AMP IS SIMPLY A DREAM FOR ANY HARD ROCK/METAL FAN!it is very,very musical with a lot of distortion and remains clear.it is the best distortion I've heard alongside Mesa but it's voice differently,Laney is Laney and nothing else.there's buckets of distortion if you need it.
with the gain at 10,the boost at 7 and the master at 5 it gives The sound any metal ,hard rock fan would die for: a powerful,tight bass,with a very smooth sustain,warm and compressed ,very distorded sound,it just sings and make you want play more and more.I run a Boss GT-6 FOR THE FX ONLY in the insert FX loop and that's it,the king is happy!it's very easy to chnage from near clen to full distortion just by rolling the volume of your guitar back and switching the boost off,just be ready to have a massive volume boost when the extra drive is on!
It will cover any ground as long as rock is covered,from AC/DC to Metallica,the sound is full,rich,melodic,3 dimensional,tight...
Clean sounds are fine nothing special,do thei job properly.
I'm going to rate it as hard rock/metal amp becuse it's been designed for it,but it will do far more than that.
IT has A BLOODY KILLER TONE,are you getting the picture now???!!

I've had it for 4 months and no problemo,it's build like a tank,worth at least twice it's price,very,very nice and well build,it's pro stuff

I play original hard rock and metal it is perfect for that,sounds absolutely awesome.If it were stolen I'd buy another one or maybe a VH100-R (but the power of it is really scary),or a mesa if I were a rich man,but this one is really really good,professional metal sounds my friend.I wish it had a reverb and the difference of volume beween clean and full distortion wasn't that big!
REMEMBER:IT IS UNUSABLE AT BEDROOM VOLUME WHEN THE GAIN AND DRIVE ARE ON AND IT NEEDS TO BE AT MINIMUM 3 ON THE MASTER TO START DELIVERING.
This amp is a bargain,they compare it to a Marshall jcm 800,which is totally stupid as the Laney is so much better,Laney deserve full respect for the GH series.I love it and I am very hard to please and peaky about tone quality

Built in '98 I think. Is a simple, single channel, all valve head with gain boost, no reverb i.e. all you need for a straight up rock amp. Two full channels would be nice, but that's why Laney ,make the VH100R.
No rating here as it has all the features an amp like this should have. I'd like more versatility in an amp, but I'd buy a multi-channel amp for that.

Being used predominatly with a totally unmodified '92 Gibson Les Paul Standard. I play mostly Industrial and experimental music, and for that I find the amp lacking. The amp produces some excellent classic rock and 80's metal sounds, but does not posess a punchy saturated guitar sound a la converge for example. Sound is vastly improved by fitting EL34's which tames much of the buzz 'n' fuzz the amp can produce. Clean sounds are very good for this type of amp, not up to Fender standards but very usuable.

I've never had any problems caused by poor design or workmanship. Had an internal fuse blow when a valve blew but that's it. Seems pretty wel designed. Nicely screwed together and finished, better I'd say than the equivalent Marshall. Excellent for an amp of this price range.

Headstock distribution (Laney's distributors) have caused many headaches for some friends of mine with Ibanez gear. However, in my personal dealings direct with Laney, I found them to be most helpful, promptly supplying me with a manual and schematics. No opinion due to wildly conflicting experiences.

I like the simplicity and 'ready to rock' approach of this amp. It is very logical and well designed, and at the price how can you go wrong? I do feel however that the voicing of this amplifier is somewhat dated now, and lacks the sheer gain and grunt of many other modern hi-gain designs. If the amp had this 'grunt' I would be extremely happy with it. The sounds it does produce are very good however, again especially at the price.

this is an update of my previous review.

ok this is what happend. after exactly a week of owning the amp it broke down on me, no sound at all coming from it. i hadnt been playing it too loud and i hadn't abused it at all. after looking for a problem i couldnt find one. the tubes seemed to be working, they were glowing as usual. i checked the fuses as well and they were still intact. the only sound i can get out of it is when i turn on drive and put it to full and crank the master volume to full, so this led me to the conclusion that my speakers were fine. i have no idea what is wrong with it, the only thing i can think of is that something has come loose. i then phoned flying pig instruments where i bought it and they said they would collect it and send it back to Laney to get it fixed. oh well, im not very impressed at the moment but maybe it was just a faulty model.

well laney will take it back and fix it so i guess they cant be that bad. i looked on laneys web site as well and i couldnt find an e-mail address to contact them.

this is an update of my previous review.

ok this is what happend. after exactly a week of owning the amp it broke down on me, no sound at all coming from it. i hadnt been playing it too loud and i hadn't abused it at all. after looking for a problem i couldnt find one. the tubes seemed to be working, they were glowing as usual. i checked the fuses as well and they were still intact. the only sound i can get out of it is when i turn on drive and put it to full and crank the master volume to full, so this led me to the conclusion that my speakers were fine. i have no idea what is wrong with it, the only thing i can think of is that something has come loose. i then phoned flying pig instruments where i bought it and they said they would collect it and send it back to Laney to get it fixed. oh well, im not very impressed at the moment but maybe it was just a faulty model.

well laney will take it back and fix it so i guess they cant be that bad. i looked on laneys web site as well and i couldnt find an e-mail address to contact them.

look at the laney site for the features.
would get a 10 if it had more channels.

ive got a BC Rich NJ Beast (with stock shit humbuckers) and a fender strat. i mainly play Death metal (deicide, at the gates), Thrash metal (metallica) and clasic metal (sabbath). i can nail the sabbath sound on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath with this amp. If u play pop music like Blink 182 or Greenday this amp is not for u. u need something with less tone, cos this is a tone machine. sounds great overdriven, perfect for early metallica. clean is very good, nice and sparkly to warm and round. Brutal distortion when gain is turned up to full and distortion turned up. maybe a bit too much as it starts to hum and feedback. sounds very good with a metal zone as well, sounds much more real and natural with the tube amp than my tranny amp.

well i think the tubes should last 2-3 years before fukking up. the amp in general is very sturdy, u should be able to use it without a backup.

have no idea

a great amp for metal. i mean real metal not shitty nu metal/rap rock bullshit. if u want a good sounding amp with mountains of tone get it, but if u are after a shitty amp that u can play korn/blink/any other shit non talented music, dont. great value, actually fantastic.

It's a 1997 one channel amp with 6l6 tubes. it has precence, mid, bass, treble, master volume, gain and (foot)switchable gainboost and a resonance switch. It has a effect loop, switchable to parallel, seriel and bypass. It has 50 Watt and it really kicks ass!! It just gets a 8, becaue it's just a one channel head

I'm using an epiphone les paul std black with seymour duncan invader and sh2 jazz model. I play mainly Punk ( blink, greenday, no use for a name ) and NuMetal, NeoGrunge ( puddle of mudd ) and it suits my style almost perfect. you can not go from totaly clean to brutal distortin but what do you expect of a one channel amp?? I love the clean sound. very warm and full. when you crank up the distortion ( gain on 3 and gainboost on 10 ) then you'll blow every mesa rectifire ( the single of course ).

you CAN depend on it

Haven't dealt with it

i'm playing for almost 8 jears.and it's the best amp i've ever played in this pricecategory!! it's awesome

50W Head, 2002 Model. Has just about every feature you'll ever need already built in. Effects loop, cabinet Ohms selections, resonance switch, PLENTY OF POWER!

I currently use a miriad of different guitars...Everything from old Kramers (1980's), to brand new American Deluxe Strats. Pickups range from EMG-81's, to Vintage Noiseless pickups in my strats. Gets a REALLY nice clean tone!!! Very warm, smooth, and pretty darned clean.

Main focus is progressive metal, underground metal, blues, 80's metal...etc Amp suits me just fine! The distortion on this amp is KILLER! Gets everything from nice warm blues distortion, all the way up to your early Van Halen "brown" sound, to really killer modern Progressive metal & underground metal sounds. May not be a 2 channel amp, but what this amp lacks in having 2 channels, it sure makes up for in KILLER TONE & it's abilities to crush skulls when distortion is cranked! I find it to be quite versatile for not having a seperate clean channel. So, I actually disagree with alot of people here saying that it's not very versatile. Might not be too versatile for switching from clean to dirty, BUT, still one of the best sounding amp heads I've ever played thru, in my 20 years of playing.

Awesome amp!

Well, being a tube amp, it's always good to have at least ONE backup. Not that I don't trust it, but, simply because ANYONE who gigs without a backup amp or guitar is crazy.

Brand new amp, so, it HOPEFULLY will not break down! :)

Never dealt with them, yet.

Been playing for over 20 years, and absolutely love the tones this amp delivers. Clean to crunch! Very happy with it.

I did compare to other brands like Mesa, Marshall, and your standard well-known amp brands...Better than the rest, as far as I'm concerned. And the price! Well, you can't beat it.

It's no Bogner amp, :) But, all joking aside, I wouldn't part with this amp for quite some time. I finally found a great affordable ALL TUBE AMP, for a great price, that sounds every bit as good as an amp head costing twice as much! No joke!

This amp rocks!

-Master volume one channel with gain boost knob(can be controled by foot pedal).

-Resonance switch

-Effect loop(there's a small knob on the back which controls the level)

-Tube bias switch(it can be tubed with either 6L6, 5881, or EL34 by simply flicking a switch)

-bunch of jacks with different ohms for cabinets.

-Slave in/out

I'd have given a definite 10, if it had two channels.
So I'm giving it an 8, A LOT of features.

For guitars, I play a japanese ESP Akira Takasaki Randomstar.
For effects, I don't like using much, I use MXR Phase90, Ibanez tubescreamer, Dunlop Crybaby 535Q(although I don't find myself using it often thesedays) and Danelectro French toast octave distortion, when I feel like playing "Purple Haze" And I have a Beheringer Virtualizer PRO thru effect loop for reverb, delay, and chorus.

Anyway, my amp is currently tubed with Sovtek 6L6(I'd love to tube it with EL34 soon) thru a Mesaboogie cab. I play mostly 80's to current rock, prog rock, and blues and it serves me right playing all these music. I get very smooth, clear lead sound with a lot of response, and I could get a delicious fat crunch sound as well(Rage against the machine) And clean channel is very decent, too.
I find Resonance switch quite a nice feature, when I play crunch rhythm playing. By turning it on, I could get more PHAT sound out of it, although I prefer it off when playing lead.

I don't miss reverb since I have a rack effect thru effect loop, but it'd have been nice having 2 channels. I find this amp versatile, since tweaking does a lot to the sound but by having just one channel, it can't be versatile performing live. But it gets me by tough, since my guitar has a kill switch.(For clean sound, I put my guitar volume where it clears up the distortion with kill switch off, and when I want to switch from clean to dirty sound I just turn on the kill switch and ready to go!) Otherwise you have to just lower your guitar volume till it clears up distortion and have it on 10 to switch to distortion which is pretty inconvienient playing live. Or just tweaking the amp knobs which is BAD when performing live. You will find it easier to get another clean amp and A/B them when you play live.

>>I haven't tried but I think you should definitely read the post below me. His idea would probably save you from spending more money for another amp and an A/B switch.

But bottom line is, this amp sounds awesome! Back in the days, a lot of guitarists including Vai, Satriani used Gh100L(which is a 100W version of GH50L but you probably knew that) and currently Paul Gilbert uses GH100L. Yeah So what if they've used them? u r right, you won't sound like them just by getting this amp. I'm just saying this amp is a very nice sounding and dependable amp for such low cost.:)

Great buy, this was the first Laney amp I've tried(kinda hard to find them..) and I LOVE this amp.
You should try it for yourself if you ever see one.

This amp has got one channel, with an additional drive, which could mean that it could be a little limited. However, I've come up with a solution which won't cost u that much. This solution reqiures that u buy an old Boss Me5. U connect it as follows. The guitar is connected to input on the me5. Then u connect send from the me5 to input on the amplifier. Send on the head is then connected to return on the me5. Finally u connect output on the me5 to return on the head. This way of connecting the me5 and the gh50l means that the preamp of the head gets to be an external effect on the me5 and the beauty of the solution is that the fx loop can be either on or off on the me5. This means that if u turn the fx loop off the signal will go pass the loop and directly from the me5 into the power amp of the head, which will give clean sounds whatever way the preamp on the head is set to. On the other hand if u turn the fx loop on u will get the preamp connected and u will get the fat and full overdrive from the head. Of course u will need a channel swith for choosing which o'f the modes to use. This may seem a little complicated but when u've tried it u will see that it works fine. An example: If u want four sounds (the me5 can only give easy access to four souns at a time). For clean sound: Build a sound where the fx-loop is disconnected(U can of course use all of the effects on the me5) For crunch: Build a sound where the fx loop is disconnected and use a tiny amount of distorsion from the me5. For rock rythm: Build a sound where the fx lopp is connected and set the separate mode swith to gain. For lead: Of course u just use the mode switch to get to the drive mode.
Good Luck!!

I think the best rock/metal tube amps for the cheap $ are Peavey 5150 AND Laney GH50/100L.
I've owned a 5150 for about a year, LOVE the killer lead tone with A LOT of gain(too much I only use half of the gain) But 5150's clean channel sounds bad. Chorus does help, but still.. it sounds dead to me.
I also found crunch channel not great. It was ok but doesn't sound very PHAT, it was rather loose sounding. Also knobs are very passive and not very sensitive to tweaking, therefore it's not a very versatile amp. But it does one thing superbly, LEAD CHANNEL! It really kick some serious ass, I could shredd all day!!
But I recently traded my 5150 with LaneyGH50L,
and here's why..
Laney has a very good clean sound and crunch sound (very phat, similar to JCM800) and Laney's effect loop has a knob for controlling the effect level which 5150 doesn't have. Laney also can use either 6L6 or EL34 power tubes by a flicking a bias switch.(If you like both 6L6 and EL34 sound like me, it's an awesome feature)
Laney's lead channel has a lot of gain with more clarity than 5150, which is somewhat muddy sounding.
But I think I like 5150's channel more, I just prefer the 5150's smooth tone.
But in the end I traded 5150 with Laney because I was after phat, punchy sound that was good for rhythm playing, but 5150 was loose sounding with lack of versatility.

I was kinda growing out of 5150's sound and was searching for a new amp. Been using and trying Line6, Johnson stuffs, Marshalls, MesaBoogie rack units, etc... Then I heard Paul Gilbert was using Laney GH100L for live and VH100R for recording. I really love Paul's playing as well as recording/live sound so I gave it a try and I knew I had to have it since I loved it and it's only $450. But it seems like all the reviewers here paid much less than me, man! did I get rip off? Still.. I think $450 is a resonable price for such an awesome amp like this.
Like I said, if you are short in money but look for killer sound try Peavey 5150 and LaneyGH50/100L and go with the one YOU like.

Amp was made in the 90's. Not the most versatile amp in the world but a killer sound. One channel amp all tube, with footswitchable gain boost. Wish it had a clean channel. The 50watts is more than you will ever need, unless you are playing a stadium without a PA.

I am using this amp with a Les Paul, Fender Strat, Warmoth Firebird, and Jackson strat. I play mostly metal and heavy music I also play some blues. This amp will put out some noise, so if you are looking for an amp that is quiet as a mouse get a solid state amp. This amp can put out a great heavy metal tone, if you want Metallica you got it. There is no use for distortion pedals on this amp. I have seen a lot of people compare this amp to a mesa rectifier, I played a mesa rect and I like the Laney better. It has that brutal distortion but it doesnt have to be fuzzy, it can remain clear.

So far it is great, I would gig without a backup.

I have been playing for about 15 years and this amp rules. I have had a lot of different amps over the years this one is the best for heavy music. If you want to use the amp clean it also has a very good sound, not as good as a Fender, but close. If you want to switch channels the only thing you can do is turn down the volume on the guitar and turn off the gain boost, you won't be able to go from rage to clean. This amp is a one trick pony but the trick it does is amazing. For the price I got this for I could buy two of them and an ab switch and it would still be less than some amps out there that do the same job.

ok Well i dont own this amp just yet, but i will soon! i spent a good amount of time at my fav. guitar store playing with it. so i have used it. Anyways i like to play most kinds of modern music from vertical horizon to godsmack and this amp is great! OMG! It is a one channel all tube head that has footswitchable gain stages. it has effects loops and all that crap u'd expect. It is amazingly loud at the store i ad it on like 1.5 and it was shaking the whole place. this amp is great for just about anything but really stands out for metal and hard rock.

this is my amp!!! i have a gibson les paul and i ahve tried alot of amps before i played this amp i had my heart set on a dual rectifier but now the laney is #1. my les paul has standard pickups which cause a little noise but i like the way they sound so its worth it. this amp is perfect for sabbath, godsmack, cred, disturbed, etc. it has an unbelivably brutal distortion it sounds amazing. the amp was noisy but i was also playing it on full out gain and drive and everything and i was like 5 feet away so noise is natural. the amp has sounds that basically go from crisp clean, blues overdrive, marshall type crunch, to rectifier distortion, a nice variety. i didnt really get to turn it up loud enough to tell if the clean distorts at high volumes but i'm sure it does like most amps. fender twins still are the best at clean sounds. i was playing the head through the matching laney 4x12 cab and a/b switching with 2 2x12 george lynch cabs. the lynch cabs were amazing low-end wise but i mean theyre besically bass cabs but they didnt sound too good high end wise the 4x12 sounded just right. on the head there is a resonance switch that makes the bess response so heavy, punchy, and tight that it just blows you away. anyways this amp is amazing better sounding then a rectifier and much much cheaper.

cant tell yet but initially i could tell its built like a tank

Man I had gone from amp to amp and finally found it!Man the Laney rocks.I love all of the different ohmage settings on the back.I love the valve coupled effects loop .The amp was made in 1993.It has all youll ever need in 8 knobs and a resonance switch, screw marshall Laney rules.

I use a fender Venus with a dimarzio tone zone in the bridge and the stock fender single coil in the neck.It gets the most bone crushing distorsion turn off the drive switch and turn the gain on abut 6 and flip it on a single coil and it gets the ballsiest Stevie tones you could imagine.I am also the proud owner of an Epi les paul Slash limited edition.It and the laney together are a sonic duo.O.k. for volume hah .....I play with an exceptionally loud drummer and all I have to do is turn on the drive on abuot 8 the gain on 5and a half the treble on6 the mids on 1 and a the bass on 8 the presence on 4 and the resonance on and the volume on 2 and thats all I need.

NO PROBLEMS AT ALL!!!! VERY DEPEDABLE!!!

It didnt come with a manual or any thing.So I called laney and I got one in 2 days theyre pretty awesome to talk to and very helpful.

Fo 300 bucks this is the rockingest amp ive played!!!

This is an update to the review I sent in recently. Not much has changed although I ma trying to get another head to run as a clean channel (see other reviews for details this is a shit-hot idea).

Since my last review, I have switched to an Epiphone Les Paul with standard p/u's. Some might say a bit of a step-down from an Ibanez with EMG81s, but bear with me....... I play everything from Pantera to Santana to Stereos to Ronan Keating (how the fuck did that happen?) and the combination of an epi plus Laney does the business. My trick is to replace th evalves when you get one. First off get rid of the stock 12AX7s - they are crap - replace with Sovteks (either WPS' or LPS', go to watfordvalves.com for more info). Second, and most importantly, replace the stock Sovtek Power valves with Svetlana 6L6s. Believe me you will notice the difference. You can go from clean to VOX, Orange through to Boogie (forget Marshall, they've had their day)

No change, I have droped it twice since with no probs

Laney are re-building their website, and I haven't heard anything to date. But e-mail them with your requests, they are very helpful

I also own a Laney LC50 (re-valved as above). The best thing about these amp heads is the EFX split- because the GH50L has no Accutronics reverd, you can easlily patch in a reverb unit (I recommend the Zoom 505 and edit your own patches!!) I also use a Guyatone Phase Shifter and Marshall VibraTrem

Laney first brought these single channel amp heads out in 1993. I read an review of them at the time that said they were "designer amp sounds at a great price". I've tried a few Laney hybrids and tranny amps in between then, but they sounded like shite. I previously thought only Marshall had the market on rounded fat tones. How wrong can you be? This single channel amp has all the basics - 3 channel EQ, footswitchable distortion, standby to warm up the valves - but is has so many other little features that the likes of Marshall don't even think about 'til you get to the $1000 stakes, such as slave in ports, switchable effects loop (insert for patching out to modulation effects before distortion, or bypass for blending effect and signal). Laney cut out all the bull and go for options rather than fancy add ons.

Primarily, I use an Ibanez Destroyer (Explorer style)custom fitted with two EMG81s (just like Hetfield). When you switch to the Drive channel - Jesus! - no mater what your preference EQ-wise, the Laney blasts. Using a touch of Wah-Wah, you can get Slipknot style grindings. Every level of crunch is here. On clean, i set the Gain to 3.5, this gives a generous amount of bluesy tones - al a Stereophonics (if I want ultra clean - I use my Tranny Tube Fusion 200). I much prefer the limited options this amp gives i.e. I don't want three channels - I want to work with the crunch you can't avoid on this amp - it's so much more naturalr. Overall though, the distortion is a little noisy - I roll off the volume on my guitar when playing to counter this, as footswitching makes an uncomfortable "pop" when playing live.

I play all sorts, blues, Metal, indie, Britpop, more metal. To me the Laney can privide a world of different tones, but all you need to do to control them is learn the art of volume/tone control on your guitar - it makes all the difference.

THIS AMP IS AS HARD AND HEAVY AS THEY COME. IF THEY ANNOUNCE NUCLEAR ARMAGGEDDON, I WILL HIDE INSIDE THE FUCKER AND BE SAFE. Believe me, these guys know how to build amps to last. I 've used it several times live now, in some extremelt awkward settings - bumped it , knocked it , dropped it, and it never even got a scratch

The guys at Laney are very helpful. I've e-mailed several times and always got a concise and very informative response (even when talking about a Mesa/Boogie V-Twin!). Getting catalogues and owners manuals (the GH50L didn't have one) are sent promptly and free of charge.

On and off, I've been playing for ten years, but ony two in a propper band. I also own a Laney Tube Fusions hybrid amp, a Jackson Pro Dinky, Morley wah, Guyatone Phase Shifter, Marshall Vibratrem, Boss Delay, Rocktron EQ etc etc. I also own a V-Twin, and this amp beats fuck out of it (sorry Mesa!). Th only thin I wish it had was Reverb, but you can easily get round this by buying a cheap Reverb unit (like the Zoom 507) and patching it in through the EFX loop.

To summarise, Marshall have a good name, but they are still overpriced. A lot of people look to Orange and Vox (because of Oasis etc) but , honestly, Laney are always worth a look coz they have the right tone for everyone - you just need the patience to find it (it took me two months!!)

Although this has a switchable drive circuit, I still only see its use as a single channel amp, hence, 8 for features.

I disagree with many of the other reviewers here; I think there is incredible versatility in tone when combining the two gain options. For my main sound, however, I use only the gain pot as you can control the drive from the guitar volume efficiently. And with my two humbucker guitar I can get an excellent array of crunchy, blusey, metallic, cleanish sounds just by using the guitar controls. This as far I'm concerned is amazing. Marshall is I suppose the sound of rock, but this Laney rocks with more clarity!

Only owned it for a few weeks

I want to grow old with this amp, (I'm 20yrs), and I want to buy another incase the model is discontinued. Its so nice to have finally found the right amp. Try, buy, beg, bribe..etc..

I bought my head and cab at a time when all I was playing was only all-out hard rock. Since then, I've found it to be a little limited. The real trouble lies in balancing the channels to get a good sound out of both, as it REALLY kicks when you punch in the gain and there is a significant volume difference. That said, the (all tube) sound it makes is absolutely awesome. The effects loop is also useful. Since my playing has moved on a bit since then, it's probably not the amp that I'd choose now... it's simply not that versatile, and I have to say that when gigging it's a pain in the arse to have to drag it around (especially the head, which weighs a ton!), when the rest of the band use combos. If I were buying this amp again I think that I should have bought a 2x12" cab instead, as the whole thing is a little bit too much unless you regularly play bigger gigs; I like to go through the PA anyway, and a 4 x 12" tends to dominate everything if you don't do this, especially as this amp is LOUD, and you really have to crank it to get the very best sounds. At the moment I'm considering some of Laney's other 2 x 12" combos simply because they're more versatile.
In short; very limited basic features (1 channel + gain), but all very well made, with several sensible features such as an effects loop and a headphone output. Beware, though; you need space for this thing, and you must turn it up to make good use of it.


Price inc. 4x12 matching cab

I've used a Fender Jagstang for about three years now, and I still believe that the two work well together, at least for rock and pop applications. The clean sound can be a little weak, especially with the humbucker, but the single coil sounds stunning, and you can squeeze a good range of sounds. My amp at least is slightly noisy, certainly one of the noisiest I've heard, especially when the gain turned up. If you're considering this amp you're probably buying it for the distortion, which is easily the match of amps twice the price. If not, I'd still consider it, but make sure that you can live with some of the problems outlined above.

This amp is built like a tank... I've smacked it off walls, dropped it several times, it was even in the back of my friend's car when she smacked into an oncoming Volvo at 40 mph and, even though I had it checked, it's STILL ALIVE! The thing is amazing; the only thing I can see going wrong with it is that sooner or later the valves may end up going, but short of a missile strike there doesn't seem to be a lot that you can do to it in regular usage that will really hurt it... one point, though; keep drinks away from the top, as there's a big grill on the side for the heat to escape that sits right the valves. I've had several lucky escapes with drinks in the past.

Never had to contact Laney

This is the kind of amp that you really love or hate. If you don't need massive versatility and are looking for a simple to use, fantastic-sounding amp, consider one of these, especially as they're so cheap. They're also great for all the rockers and metallers out there. I love the distortion sound, but it's not easy owning one, especially if you're travelling a lot. The problem is, they weigh a ton, and as combo amps keep getting better and better, unless you're used to lugging heads and cabinets around, after the initial satisfaction of scaring the cat with it's apocalyptic everything-set-to-ten sound wears off you do realise just how damn unwieldy they really are. It isn't helped by the problems balancing the clean/gain sounds which can really annoy you if you're soundchecking in a rush. Also, unless you're a sadist, the 50w version is more than enough in most circumstances. I wish it had two channels, but it's still a very good and certainly individual amp for not a lot of money

This amp was made in 1998, it is a single channel, no reverb 50w head. It has Presence, resonance, 3 band EQ, gain and extra drive for more brutal distortion. It has a great FX loop, you can wire things in series or parallel, loop upto 5 other heads together which is very helpful as i will explain later. It uses 4 ECC83 and 2 EL34 (can accept 6L6, as it has an onboard bias switch). Channel switching option availible, but a little pointless (??) as i will explain later.
This thing is great if you want only one sound at a time...want more...buy more heads. you see, the problem is, being one channel, if you want to play both clean and distortion in one go without fooling with both EQ and volume controls, you have to accept i) the distortion will be like 2x the volume of the clean unless everything is on 10, and ii) the EQ settings for clean may not be the same for Dist and vice versa. This hurts its versatility a lot! however, if you can afford two heads, simply loop them together, and use an AB switch to go from one to the other. This is the only solution i can find. This also explains why the footswitch idea is pointless?
Now, this thing may only be rated at 50w, and on the clean side of things it shows, but hit that little drive switch and prepare for lift off! this thing is louder than my friends JCM 900 100w, (which sounds like SH*T compared to this thing, very thin and no tone IMHO) Primarily this head is used for both practice and jamming with friends, this is why i got the 50w head. And when i do play gigs, i always tend to go through the PA, so whats the point in 100w?, and i recommend that 50w is the more sensible version!!) I rate this at 7, because it does what i want it too, and when you got two of these things linked together, they fucking roool!

I play a modified Les Paul and also an Ibanez RG series, and have been self taught for the last couple of years. Im no hendrix, but i can flick out some groovy riffs, and maybe a couple of mediocre solo's, but i am content with that. The tone is FAAT, thick and smooth. The clean is nothing compared to a Fender clean, its on par with a DSL 2000 if you ask me. It distorts smoothly to a bluesy crunch, but its not really voiced for this, and you could do a lot better! More gain, and start working the tubes and out comes a fat rock tone, sounds great with HB pickups, and almost as good with single coils. Then finally, hit the drive, set the distortion levels and BOOM! Out comes a Fat, brutal distortion, thats not grainy or fuzzy, but in my opinion is equal in quality to that found on a Mesa Dual Rectifier. Mine has a tendancy to feedback when at full volume, but i have replaced the tubes with high grade TESLA tubes, that make this amp shine. If i were to compare this with another amp, it would be a dual recto, not as good, but damn awful close, and for the money, this thing wins anyday. The original tubes were a little noisy, but once replaced that problem almost disappeared, it is still just as noisy as any tube amp, but when you play at any volume you dont notice it. I tend to kick off the distortion between songs, as it is a bit hissy when gain is on 10. No problems for me though. As i said, this thing is primarily voiced for metal, hard rock, and a poor variation. dont expect to be able to plug this thing in and find Godly tones either, i spent weeks tweaking it to my taste. The lack of reverb can be a fucking pain in the arse, so i had to stick one in front, because it was a little "dry". The songs i play, require both clean and distortion. I always have two heads anyway, because im always weary of one breaking down (see below), so i hook them up, and use an AB switch, configure one for dist and one for clean. Works for me. I cant give it a 10, because to be honest i havent found a 10 yet. Im always seeking a better tone, and unfortunately for my wallet, im always seeking new gear! You want a good priced amp for rock or metal...this is it my friends.

I hear the last Laney series (AOR) had problems with transformers. I carry two of these things anyway, because of channel problems, but to be honest i would never trust a single amp on stage, especially a tube one. Never had any problems so far, and this thing is built like a brick sh*t house (dont mention the weight to a roady!) , good construction. And a fairly solid board...phew.

I only asked them for a manual, quick response, but it was only 3 pages long. thankfully they sent it free. But i have never had any experiance with them and dont know how clued up on products they are. But i will say this. Their web page sucks. No info what so ever! I can't give an opinion though.

Been playing a couple of years, i taught myself because i couldn't afford lessons. I have a couple of axe's, Les pauls and an Ibanez, should be getting a tele soon. I play metal, and some bad blues, but i mainly go for the chuggathon chord playing stuff. Stolen...yeah right.. i would like to see the poor bastard lift this thing of the cab! I Love it because i) i got a brilliant price ii) it sounds excellent, and iii) it shows that you can find a good amplifier for a reasonable price, SO WHY ARE MESA's SO MUCH? I dont like this amp for only a couple of reasons i) its too damn heavy ii) it only has one channel. I chose this one by accident. I was almost gonna buy a JCM 800 2210 head, but pulled out at the last moment when i found this. I would like to play it through a PV5150 cab, because i love the amount of bass this thing shoots out. Im currently using a Marshall 1960A with Celestion 75s, which works well, but the cab is too in-your-face for me, i prefer sheffields or Vintage 30's. No complaints though. Let me just say, if you want a Dual Recto and cant afford one, ahem, you can always rip off the laney logo and stick MESA on the front right?

Due to the lack of a proper clean to overdrive switching system it isn't the most versitile in a perfomance situation. However the added drive and effects loop (with adjustable level)are quite usefull. The resonance switch is a nice touch and the eq is simple yet delicate enough to dial up a range of tones. There's no reverb, which is a drawback but not a big deal.

Both my Les Paul and Tele sound great with it. The humbuckers sound really thick and the single coils retain their unique quality without sounding too thin. By adjusting the eq you can get a wide variety of tones at any volume. If you want clean or if you want that scooped thick distortion or nearly anything in between it's right here.I use alot of effects and generaly a pretty thick distorted tone and this amp remains clear through all the hell i send into it.

So far so good. It's has yet to break down or give me any trouble, but i have also yet to gig with it heavy.

I e-mailed them a few days ago and have not gotten a responce yet. This is seemingly out of character for this company so i'll with hold judgement.

This amp is pretty limited in features. If you were someone who wanted to change channels from clean to distorted you would have trouble. For the style of music I play (deathmetal) it is perfect. The all tube tone is great, and even at 50 watts, it has plenty of power for my sonic 4x12 cab.

Being a tube amp it is a bit noisy. I played many amps when i was shopping for a head and found no equal in the sound. I use no effects, just plug right into the head. I changed the pre-amp tubes with Mesa/Boogie 12AX7's and the power amp tubes to Svetlana El34's. This made a big difference in the sound. I now have to back off on the distortion to avoid too much noise. I am using a Gibson SG with one 500T pickup at the bridge. I liken the sound to a Riveria amp in tone.

I have owned this amp since it was new, and havn't had a problem in the last year and a half.

I emailed them for a new manual and got onewithin a week. I also emailed the company in England for some tube brand recommendatioins. The next day a tech there emailed me with info, he even knew the sound I was going for (thats hard to find when you are talking about tuning down to c and the death metal style tone).

I have been playing 5 years. I have no complaints about this amp. If it were lost or stolen I would get another. For death metal or a heavy music tone, this amp cant be beat.

The following controls are shared between all the channels - presence, bass, mid, treble, master volume, gain. There is an additional drive stage that can be turned on by a footswitch or by a switch on the head and is controlled by the drive control (0-10). Clean is achieved by turning off or lowering the gain and turning off the drive. Here's where it differs from most amps, the clean and distortion channels are footswitchable in a lot of amps but in this amp, the extra drive stage is what is switched on and off by the footswitch. Therefore, you can't footswitch between a clean sound and a distorted sound. If you need a clean sound you have to turn down the gain and raise the master volume. I think this hurts it's versatility. It has an effects loop with an adjustable level, line in and out, speaker jacks for 4, 8, and 16 ohm, and a bias switch to allow you to go from 6L6's to EL34's. The amp has 4 12AX7's and 2 6L6's. It's 50 watts but it's plenty loud.

I plan to play a wide range of music with it but at this time, I play mostly hardcore British punk and speedmetal (trying to learn other styles!). It is surprisingly quiet for a tube amp. The clean channel is leagues above the Marshall JCM800 (2204) head I used to own. It's not as good as a Fender clean but it has a nice full range of sound. The distortion in this amp is great. The extra drive control adds a lot of versatility. You can get classic 70's rock sounds from it, all the way to grunge, death metal distortion. No need for any distortion pedals here. I'm not sure it has as much punch as my JCM800 (it might though) but it definately has a lot more overdrive. Also, it is playable at low volumes. My JCM800 would not sound good unless you played it loud. By using the drive control, you can have lots of overdrive even at low volumes. Turn the drive control off and adjust the gain and you have the classic British sound. If you are looking at the Marshall DSL or JCM900's, take a serious look at this head. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I haven't had it long enough to determine though. I know the old Laney AOR series had bad output transformer wiring, I hope Laney learned from that lesson. Truthfully, I wouldn't use any amp without a backup!

The day I brought it home, I emailed Laney for an owners manual. They replied the next day and are sending it to me in the mail. Very nice and quick response. So far, so good.

Overall, this is a very nice head. It has a wide range of sounds. The only (small) negative is the channel switching in my opinion. I feel like it's like owning a Marshall with a better clean, optional more overdrive, playable at low volumes and at a good price. I would definately buy it again especially at the price I paid.