As a result of this review, I ended up getting the Laney Cub-Super 12 and after a good play-through, sold my Katana Artist. I have had my Artist for 3 years and never had a small tube amp before now; had several larger wattage amps that were all just too loud. I honestly had no idea what I was missing in tone, as good as the Artist was. I never thought I would be willing to trade in the variety of tones available from the Artist for a single channel amp, but for my acoustic environment, the Laney just blows it away. I never thought tone could be addictive until now...now I get it! Thanks Phil; never would have considered Laney without your reviews.
Not gonna lie, I got a Boss Katana Artist MkII to replace my Fender Mustang GTX100 thinking it would be an upgrade, but I hated how it sounded, especially for a $600 amp. I tried so hard to like the Boss Katana amps but I just don't understand what's to like about them tonally; they just don't sound very good. Needless to say, even with its flaws, I kept the GTX100.
@@Sticknub Agree. I had the Boss Katana. I liked it OK. But it just didn't do it for me. I have the Fender GTX50 and the thing absolutely smokes. Best tone I have ever achieved - and super easy. Plus - stereo left and right outs to my Peavey mixer when I feel like filling up my studio with music - even at lower volumes. And it's stunning what I can do with it.
Check out the Harley Benton Stage Right 15 watt amp. It's based on the Lanwy Cub & has nearly identical features, more gain on tap. Costs @ $200 if you order through Thomann. I'm very happy with mine. Sounds great.
All you'd ever need. Sounds great. As-is for practice, speaker out to a 2x12 for medium sized gigs, anything larger or to reach over acoustic drums you'll be mic'd up to monitors anyways. And an FX loop? So glad amps like this exist.
*doesn't play in a metal/hardcore/punk band that will often encounter basement type gigs with minimal PA support. Cool as hell, but definitely not going to cover you in all real world scenarios, at least not my world.
Laneys are great amps. They fly below the radar but are definitely worth checking out. I have a GH30R 112 combo amp. It's a great amp. Tons of headroom. It's hard to get a bad sound out of it.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the Stage Right 15 which is essentially a clone of the Laney, same features with slightly more gain on tap, & only $225 (if ordered through Thomann!! I've gigged with it & it's fantastic.
Still got my Laney 60 watt and 4×12 cab....brilliant amp and cab.....bought them new....January 1970...NEVER let me down yet...!!!...Bought Watkins Copicat same year...Still going strong too..!!...They're going to last longer than me by the looks of it...!!!!!!
Quite a decent sound. The only Laney I have is a L100 from year 1972. The B+ voltage (because of that huge Partridge power transformer) is around 555 VDC. Unfortunately, if I crank it up, it is a bit too loud to be played in a library. 😊
I have a Stage Right 15 (as in 15 watts) and I have read in various forums that it replicates the schematic of a Laney Cub. Don't know the veracity of that claim, but I bought one during last year's Black Friday sale for $200. With real plate reverb and plenty of controls, it is hard to beat.
I have a Stage Right 15, too, and I heard the same thing about it being a clone of the Laney Cub 15R. That amp rocks! I use it for rehearsals and I’ll be gigging with it in venues that mic the amps. Awesome amp!!
Pull the circuit board out and you'll find the words Laney Cub written on it. The Laney uses better materials and the circuit has been tweaked to an A/B on the stage right but there is no way I'd pay $600 for a Laney Cub.
I have gigged with my Stage Right 15 & I love it. From the sound of this demo I'd say the Stage Right has more gain on tap. For @ $200 it can't be beat!
It's great to see you look at a Laney amp. I've got their Cub-Super 12 and it's a fantastic little combo - a really affordable and expressive valve/tube amp, with a quality reverb, send and return and a boost, and plenty of power for anything I'm likely to need. And it's light enough to carry around easily! It ticks all the boxes for me.
@@balmain2496~$750 new, I played one earlier this month and absolutely loved it, I’d say it’s easily worth it, especially since I imagine you can get it cheaper on the used market.
@@balmain2496 It's 15 watts - ample for small venues. When I first got it my drummer and bass player were stunned by how loud it is cranked up. Of course, you can add an external cab too if you want.
I have this since February 2023. Great practice amp. I play jazz on this. Nice sounding amp. And cheap too. I put a delay and reverb in the loop and a tube screamer pedal before.
Laney.... a UK brand that have been going since I can remember (and that's a long time!)! They were always quality, and highly desirable, so this is not a surprise,. Spot on review Phil!
Laney stuff is solid. I’ve used their electric amps loads over the years. I currently gig with the Laney A-Duo acoustic amp as a portable PA and it’s excellent, for solo gigs
The usual aproach to my laney amps ( or any other amp, really) is to run them first into one 12" and then into a 2x12", to see how it behaves. Volume on 10 or 9 and start with the gain at 1, then 2, until it gets to the optimum headroom, controlable distortion and very sensitive touch. My personal preference, anyway. Laney always behave the same way in these conditions and that´s one of the reasons i like them so much. Other reason is the clean tones and the distortion and everything in between.
It's cute as hell and it sounds pretty nice, though rather dark. But ... not having reverb built in is a total fail on a small amp like this. I have 2 laney lc15's, one with and one without reverb ... guess which one I use 🤔🎸🔊
@@KoaCharvelIn the current era, you're better off with a pedal for reverb for a small amp like this...big amps though, it should have a legit spring pan, if it has a digital hall reverb chip that's a hard pass
@@longlivebytor On a big amp I'm perfectly happy with pedals, but on a little drag around amp like this I just don't want to be dragging pedals, power supplies and cables around when it's so much easier to have some basic reverb built in to the amp.
I've always had a soft spot for Laney as they originated in my home town and I believe their HQ is still there albeit in different premises. But regardless of that they make bloody good affordable amps and this one is no exception.
the monoprice Stageright 5 watt tube amp, is supposed to be a clone of the cub series. Mine only has an 8" speaker though. Not sure if that is the actual case or if that is something someone made up.
That could play a part in why Laney moved production back to the UK...the chinese stealing intellectual property rights in the form of circuit designs...they'll pull any dirty underhanded trick in the book to save money on research & development...supposedly the Harley Benton branded amps(made in china!) are also laney clones
I have always loved Laneys. In the 90s their Tube Fusion range were a great hybrid gigging amp. versatile, loud, great pedal platform etc. and their LC range of valve amps just kicked serious butt! In particular the LC15r which I had for a while is amazing. Then later on their lionheart range, they are stunning sounding amps. I have had the L5 head and cab and it was just fantastic. I currently have an old VC15 which has a real spring reverb! I paid £100 for it used and it is fantastic sounding. I would love a Lionheart L20h with matching cab. Laney do amazing amps which can easily compare to the more well known brands, it’s a shame they are not more well known.
I got an used AOR30 combo in early 90s and it had serious drive (all I wanted in those days), but no head room. The only amp I regret selling. I had a Peavey with single EL84 that sounded great, but had to fashion my own speaker output as it didn't have one. I was lucky if I got 12 months from the output valve! Is the Laney the same?
It’s funny you just replied as I have fried my vc15! I was running at full tilt with live drums etc for 3 hrs straight so understandable! The great thing about these little valve amps too is that they are serviceable and repairable. Loads of modern day modelling/digital amps are pretty much throw away if they go wrong. It will cost me less than a £100 to service it and it will be back up and running. And lesson learned for next time to either mic up or use a large external cab when playing with a loud drummer!
@@DavesGuitarGear External cabs are great for increasing volume in small amps! I played bass in a band that rehearsed for a while in the the keyboard player's house and plugging my Blackstar HT1 combo into a 150w PA 2x12 cab so it could be heard over the live drummer. I saved me from carrying my 50w valve head and 4x10 bass cab. If only I had learned about it earlier as I played bass through my AOR30 (single 12" speaker) at rehearsals in another band where the guitarist used a JCM900 50w twin combo and could never hear myself.
Nice! I used to play a Laney that I rented from Guitar Center. Also, I am a big fan of small wattage amps. However, after reviewing what's on the market, I decided on a Marshall One Watt head. Ironically, the Marshall has a push button on the back of the head that lowers the wattage to .1 Watt. Point one watt???? I didn't expect much, but that is what I play on now. The sound is very cool and is surprising loud. I modified my Marshall slant half-stack to introduce a 10" Celestion speaker. I noticed that the Marshall 5 Watt combo comes with a 10". However, the amp handles both a 10" and a 12" really well. Only one speaker though 16 ohm. Perfect for practice and even a small gig.
I loved the old Fender Champ (mine was stolen). It was great for practice and something like a small cafe gig. I haven't needed an amp in that size lately but I'm jealous because there were no small, inexpensive, good sounding amps back when I could have used them.
I had the champ 600 cost about £100 but I never liked it, too small thin and farty - the value of them went stupid when they discontinued production and I swapped it for an old blues jr that needed £80 spending on it - use the blues J all the time
@@frankcarter6427 I bought my Champ from a guy along with a Guild X-175 as package deal. My other amp was (is still) a Mesa Boogie MK2 but weighs a ton. And yeah, too many idiots with money pricing actual guitarists out of the market.
I made a champ clone, a head not combo, with also a tone control and a bright switch. It sits in my living room with a 1x10" , with a Jensen speaker, also homemade
Ouch at the price, this is a little over £300 in the UK (or even under if you can get a deal) That does make a nice change though as we get killed on Fender amp prices!
Thank you for the review...very well done. I am a big fan of Fender Princetons and Deluxe Reverbs and clones. If I were buying a Princeton today, I would seriously consider this Laney model. Sounds great and way more versatile. It sounds great clean and has a awesome breakup sound.
i have the cub super~12, with the 12”speaker (15W ? or 20W ? but it’s class AB) and its a beautiful little combo; same set of features, plus a digital reverb. i’ve had a Laney bass amp (solid state) for years and years and its also solid and well appointed.
I have a Laney Cub10 (10 watts) and used to have a Cub8 (5 watts) for a couple of years. They're great home studio amps, maybe a bit dark sounding, but they take pedals really well, so you can easily shape their sound.
Cub10 is a delightful little Tweed Deluxe style amp. It's more "polite" than a 5e3 for sure, but it fills the same role. You can record clean, but anything that competes with even a quiet drummer will be pretty dirty. Sounds terrific.
I love it! And your demo really showed all the ways you can use it. That gain up really gave a great tone. I have the Marshall Class 5 combo and it's class A as well. It's an amazing little fire breather. Accepts pedals really well and like you said, the Class A amps are VERY dynamic in their touch response. Hit the strings lightly, it swells up and down, hit them hard, it digs in an screams.
Wow! Impressive. I have the older Laney Cub12r which i absolutely love. Swapped out the stock HH for a Vintage 30 and it's a perfect pedal platform for HiWatt/JCM800 "hybrid" tones. I can get the amp in this video for $500AUD with a Celestion Gold 10 and JJs tubes. Tempting..EDIT: It's the old Cub 10. 10 watts, 6V6, 10" speaker. It's the little brother to the old Cub12r. Great amps, those OG Cubs - but I REALLY like what I heard in this Supercub10.
Modern manufacturing of the electronics within is not good quality. Fender is terrible , Laneys? I'd look inside before i'd buy. circuit board mounted tube socket is the first red flag. Plastic jacks is another. Cheap boards? Don't trust youtube videos or eye candy..
This reminds me of my Fender 1987 Red Knob Champ 12, 10 watts (which got a bad rap). It's got 1 6L6 GC and 2 AX7s. I love it. I stuck an Eminence Cannabis Rex and a Mercury Magnetics Transformer. Just like you, I run a booster and a delay and that's all I need.
So it's an "improved" Fender Champ, except using the EL84 instead of the 6V6. Both of these little tubes have amazing sound in single ended amplifiers. The great sound of a SE amplifier is hard to beat, they make great studio amps because they are clean, quite and don't overpower the room. These little tubes can also work well with desk top monitors too and will produce a satisfying volume. The tubes date from 1953 and 1936 and are still in widespread use. Nice to see a new and improved "Champ"
It sounds terrific. I have a little Vox AC10, and am thinking of offing it. With the fx loop and the super nice clean and good sounding breakup, this kind of eats it.
Be sure to review the Monoprice 15-watt tube amp w spring reverb. It is a white-label Laney Cub 12 for $225. Swap in a Weber 12A150A and it is fantastic.
great overview of the amp, Phil. hope you get a chance to cover the Laney L5 Studio head in the near future. super interested in that one as a home/recording amp.
I have a LC15, and LC50 mk. II, and a Laney Cub 8. The speakers they ship with (HH spkrs, made in China) aren’t much, but with a greenback? They all 3 scream.
I bought a Cub 10 on blowout for $200 US a couple of years ago. It was replaced with the Super Cub 10 but there are major changes between the two. The Cub 10 is a Class A/B amp with a pair of 6V6GTs, 10W and no boost or loop. It does have high and low inputs, and only Volume, Tone and Gain. It may closer in tone to a Princeton with it's power tubes and output. I am also a fan of low power amps and have 13 tube amps from 1 to 10 watts.
I agree with you on the super champ x2. It is really confusing to me that it wasn't popular (or if it was, that they discontinued it), I have the "inferior" older & smaller model; the vibro champ XD and even that is absolutely incredible without even considering the $149 new(on sale, I they were retailing at $199 otherwise) price. I'd probably buy another one if something happened to it even though they're like $200 used now. I wish they'd bring em back!
It would have been interesting to hear it through a 2x12 cab…..you probably would have got more bass…..great amp for recording and practice. I have a Blackstar 1 watt with reverb for practice and recording and a Fender Blues Junior for all other duties.
Even a single 12 with the right size cab has been that missing touch for me.... I actually use a Peavey PA/FOH cab with the tweeter disconnected. It takes an alright sound and makes it sound right.... even with a solid state amp. Of course for bass, I use 10s which sounds backwards but.... This amp sounds "boxy". I think that 10 would work a bit better with a bigger box or with different venting.... it just seems to resonate at the wrong frequency.
Finally someone who makes a low wattage tube amp which can rival Fender cleans but unlike pure traditional Fender corp are actually willing to meet players needs and wants by including a master volume control and a dedicated effects loop. Cmon Fender-you charge a premium on your reissue amps but don’t include an effects loop unless its one of your modern amps (Hot Rod deluxe or SuperSonic)?
If it doesn't at least have, and can drive, an 8 inch speaker, I don't see the point whatsoever. These baby amps, including orange, aren't even worth the hassle of plugging them into an outlet and hooking them up. I'd just use Sonicake.
I've owned the Cub 8, VC 15 and VC30 112. All great amps. I wasn't a fan of the parallel effects loop on the VC 30, but is was a simple mod for an amp tech to change it to serial - with the added benefit of adding a master volume.
I had a laney 10 watt with reverb some twenty years ago, I think it cost aroun 200+ at the time and it was fantastic but i traded it for a Fender; you can guess the rest... : (
Eddie brah, give it a couple of years at the most, people are really gonna learn he had it covered from the guitar to the amp and everything in between it.😂
LOVE my 5 watt 12" combo, UK Made Lionheart, with REAL reverb. Clean to Driven, and whatever it can't do, Pedals step up and Deliver, as it is QUITE pedal friendly. And a FX Loop for better results when done internally too. Don't know why this amp gets flown over by so many "amp" reviewers. Over-confident arrogance? Or catering to manipulated audiences? You can answer that.
Fender no longer makes the Super Champ XD, which is and remains my go-to amp for most uses. It has volume/gain on the second channel plus a variety of digital effects, of which I really only use the reverb. Sounds great straight in, or with pedal effects. Fender no longer has anything comparable, or at the great price point this was (~ $350).
Meh. Put that ~$600 towards a used fender Reverb. Better yet, save up and get a Dr. Z amp and be done with it. Built better and less hummm and more reliability then the Fender. Also, I have neve really enjoyed the tones coming out of a very light weight amp- tubes or not. For bedroom casual practice, just get a Fractal FM3. You can even use headphones. You will get better sounds and hundreds of effects.
I would think this amp should be compared to the Fender vibro champ reverb. The Laney Cub-Super12 15-watt 1 x 12-inch Guitar Combo Amplifier is closer to be compared to the Fender Princeton reverb. Especially the Sweetwater version with the 12 inch speaker and it is a 15 watt istead of 12 watt.
Phil, once again you've provides a great review, I haven't watched your channel in a while, and this shows why you are still one of the best channels to watch. You take just enough time to sample each tone without forcing anyone to listen to you noodle for too long like some other's do, not that I don't like hearing you play, I do, I think you have a great feel and understanding of what we want to hear in these, and do a great job of communicating what you're hearing, pros cons etc. Nice little amp! I had one of the earlier Laney LC (I think?) EL84 powered 12 w/reverb, really nice gain character, a boost pedal in front of it really put it in the zone, wish I never parted ways. I have a friend who has the next two higher Cub models, he doesn't use the gain, only for a pedal platform. Yikes! Missing out on the best part of the amp! Ok, enough, thanks for your down to earth and watchable informative reviews.
No disrespect but I had to think twice about the phrase "sub-$600." I am fairly certain that none of my working musician friends can afford this amp. But thanks for the video.
I like low watt tube amps but no way am I going to pay 600 for an amp that doesn't have a 12 inch speaker, you can say that's amp snobbery but it's my experience that sub 12 speakers just don't have the tone I'm looking for.
As a result of this review, I ended up getting the Laney Cub-Super 12 and after a good play-through, sold my Katana Artist. I have had my Artist for 3 years and never had a small tube amp before now; had several larger wattage amps that were all just too loud. I honestly had no idea what I was missing in tone, as good as the Artist was. I never thought I would be willing to trade in the variety of tones available from the Artist for a single channel amp, but for my acoustic environment, the Laney just blows it away. I never thought tone could be addictive until now...now I get it! Thanks Phil; never would have considered Laney without your reviews.
Not gonna lie, I got a Boss Katana Artist MkII to replace my Fender Mustang GTX100 thinking it would be an upgrade, but I hated how it sounded, especially for a $600 amp. I tried so hard to like the Boss Katana amps but I just don't understand what's to like about them tonally; they just don't sound very good. Needless to say, even with its flaws, I kept the GTX100.
@@Sticknub Agree. I had the Boss Katana. I liked it OK. But it just didn't do it for me. I have the Fender GTX50 and the thing absolutely smokes. Best tone I have ever achieved - and super easy. Plus - stereo left and right outs to my Peavey mixer when I feel like filling up my studio with music - even at lower volumes. And it's stunning what I can do with it.
Check out the Harley Benton Stage Right 15 watt amp. It's based on the Lanwy Cub & has nearly identical features, more gain on tap. Costs @ $200 if you order through Thomann. I'm very happy with mine. Sounds great.
All you'd ever need. Sounds great. As-is for practice, speaker out to a 2x12 for medium sized gigs, anything larger or to reach over acoustic drums you'll be mic'd up to monitors anyways. And an FX loop? So glad amps like this exist.
*doesn't play in a metal/hardcore/punk band that will often encounter basement type gigs with minimal PA support. Cool as hell, but definitely not going to cover you in all real world scenarios, at least not my world.
Laneys are great amps. They fly below the radar but are definitely worth checking out. I have a GH30R 112 combo amp. It's a great amp. Tons of headroom. It's hard to get a bad sound out of it.
Great demo. This amp really is the Laney equivalent of the Princeton.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the Stage Right 15 which is essentially a clone of the Laney, same features with slightly more gain on tap, & only $225 (if ordered through Thomann!! I've gigged with it & it's fantastic.
I'd love to see a comparison of this with the Monoprice 'Stage Right' 15w tube amp, which as I understand it is a kind of Laney clone.
I don’t think clone I think they are literally made out of same parts except cab and reverb
Sounded really good. Glad to see Laney still working that format. I had understood they were switching to solid state for their smaller amps.
I have one of the min-amps and they are great.
Still got my Laney 60 watt and 4×12 cab....brilliant amp and cab.....bought them new....January 1970...NEVER let me down yet...!!!...Bought Watkins Copicat same year...Still going strong too..!!...They're going to last longer than me by the looks of it...!!!!!!
Quite a decent sound.
The only Laney I have is a L100 from year 1972. The B+ voltage (because of that huge Partridge power transformer) is around 555 VDC. Unfortunately, if I crank it up, it is a bit too loud to be played in a library. 😊
Love reviews of low wattage amps (I'm a fan of 5 Watt World). This looks like my kind of amp. Great video, thanks!
Is it really worth that much more than the Monoprice/Harley Benton versions of the 5W and 15W Laney tube amps ($159 & $259)?
I have a Stage Right 15 (as in 15 watts) and I have read in various forums that it replicates the schematic of a Laney Cub. Don't know the veracity of that claim, but I bought one during last year's Black Friday sale for $200. With real plate reverb and plenty of controls, it is hard to beat.
I have a Stage Right 15, too, and I heard the same thing about it being a clone of the Laney Cub 15R. That amp rocks! I use it for rehearsals and I’ll be gigging with it in venues that mic the amps. Awesome amp!!
It’s not class A, so a little darker, but I LOVE mine!
Pull the circuit board out and you'll find the words Laney Cub written on it. The Laney uses better materials and the circuit has been tweaked to an A/B on the stage right but there is no way I'd pay $600 for a Laney Cub.
Indeed a little gem.
I have gigged with my Stage Right 15 & I love it. From the sound of this demo I'd say the Stage Right has more gain on tap. For @ $200 it can't be beat!
Brother, you are the KING of demos. That amp is seriously ballin'. Looks my next acquisition has been settled.
It's great to see you look at a Laney amp. I've got their Cub-Super 12 and it's a fantastic little combo - a really affordable and expressive valve/tube amp, with a quality reverb, send and return and a boost, and plenty of power for anything I'm likely to need. And it's light enough to carry around easily! It ticks all the boxes for me.
How much is that?
@@balmain2496~$750 new, I played one earlier this month and absolutely loved it, I’d say it’s easily worth it, especially since I imagine you can get it cheaper on the used market.
I have one too and love it
@@balmain2496 It's 15 watts - ample for small venues. When I first got it my drummer and bass player were stunned by how loud it is cranked up. Of course, you can add an external cab too if you want.
I'm thinking it's basically the same as the Monoprice 15 watt combo.....got one and LOVE it.
I have this since February 2023. Great practice amp. I play jazz on this. Nice sounding amp. And cheap too. I put a delay and reverb in the loop and a tube screamer pedal before.
That amp/guitar combo sound rEALLy great. Kudos LANEY for a great sounding manageable little amp
Your playing has killed all the Reverb sellers pricing... omg.
don't really understand this comment
Laney.... a UK brand that have been going since I can remember (and that's a long time!)! They were always quality, and highly desirable, so this is not a surprise,. Spot on review Phil!
WOW!!! THAT LITTLE AMP SOUNDS GREAT!!! I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE CRISP, "60 CYCLE HUM-FREE" VOICING!!!
Laney stuff is solid. I’ve used their electric amps loads over the years. I currently gig with the Laney A-Duo acoustic amp as a portable PA and it’s excellent, for solo gigs
Do you highly recommend? Greetings from Tanzania East Africa
The usual aproach to my laney amps ( or any other amp, really) is to run them first into one 12" and then into a 2x12", to see how it behaves. Volume on 10 or 9 and start with the gain at 1, then 2, until it gets to the optimum headroom, controlable distortion and very sensitive touch. My personal preference, anyway. Laney always behave the same way in these conditions and that´s one of the reasons i like them so much. Other reason is the clean tones and the distortion and everything in between.
It's cute as hell and it sounds pretty nice, though rather dark. But ... not having reverb built in is a total fail on a small amp like this. I have 2 laney lc15's, one with and one without reverb ... guess which one I use 🤔🎸🔊
I prefer my reverb pedals any day.
@@KoaCharvelIn the current era, you're better off with a pedal for reverb for a small amp like this...big amps though, it should have a legit spring pan, if it has a digital hall reverb chip that's a hard pass
I used to insist on having built-in reverb. EHX and Strymon pedals changed that.
@@longlivebytor On a big amp I'm perfectly happy with pedals, but on a little drag around amp like this I just don't want to be dragging pedals, power supplies and cables around when it's so much easier to have some basic reverb built in to the amp.
It’s brand new. It will take hours for the speaker to break in, providing a more midrange heavy tone.
Great extensive review Phil. You nailed it showcasing where it’s aimed at. Cheers ✌️🎸
Seems awfully expensive and no reverb right?
wow no gain, worse than fender, hard pass sorry
What do you mean sorry, the maxed out gain sounds like an overdrive?
Props to your guitar playing, you've come along way since early in the channel! Keep jamming Phil!
I've always had a soft spot for Laney as they originated in my home town and I believe their HQ is still there albeit in different premises. But regardless of that they make bloody good affordable amps and this one is no exception.
the monoprice Stageright 5 watt tube amp, is supposed to be a clone of the cub series. Mine only has an 8" speaker though. Not sure if that is the actual case or if that is something someone made up.
That could play a part in why Laney moved production back to the UK...the chinese stealing intellectual property rights in the form of circuit designs...they'll pull any dirty underhanded trick in the book to save money on research & development...supposedly the Harley Benton branded amps(made in china!) are also laney clones
I have always loved Laneys. In the 90s their Tube Fusion range were a great hybrid gigging amp. versatile, loud, great pedal platform etc. and their LC range of valve amps just kicked serious butt! In particular the LC15r which I had for a while is amazing. Then later on their lionheart range, they are stunning sounding amps. I have had the L5 head and cab and it was just fantastic. I currently have an old VC15 which has a real spring reverb! I paid £100 for it used and it is fantastic sounding. I would love a Lionheart L20h with matching cab.
Laney do amazing amps which can easily compare to the more well known brands, it’s a shame they are not more well known.
I got an used AOR30 combo in early 90s and it had serious drive (all I wanted in those days), but no head room. The only amp I regret selling.
I had a Peavey with single EL84 that sounded great, but had to fashion my own speaker output as it didn't have one. I was lucky if I got 12 months from the output valve! Is the Laney the same?
It’s funny you just replied as I have fried my vc15! I was running at full tilt with live drums etc for 3 hrs straight so understandable!
The great thing about these little valve amps too is that they are serviceable and repairable. Loads of modern day modelling/digital amps are pretty much throw away if they go wrong. It will cost me less than a £100 to service it and it will be back up and running. And lesson learned for next time to either mic up or use a large external cab when playing with a loud drummer!
@@DavesGuitarGear External cabs are great for increasing volume in small amps! I played bass in a band that rehearsed for a while in the the keyboard player's house and plugging my Blackstar HT1 combo into a 150w PA 2x12 cab so it could be heard over the live drummer. I saved me from carrying my 50w valve head and 4x10 bass cab.
If only I had learned about it earlier as I played bass through my AOR30 (single 12" speaker) at rehearsals in another band where the guitarist used a JCM900 50w twin combo and could never hear myself.
Nice! I used to play a Laney that I rented from Guitar Center. Also, I am a big fan of small wattage amps. However, after reviewing what's on the market, I decided on a Marshall One Watt head. Ironically, the Marshall has a push button on the back of the head that lowers the wattage to .1 Watt. Point one watt???? I didn't expect much, but that is what I play on now. The sound is very cool and is surprising loud. I modified my Marshall slant half-stack to introduce a 10" Celestion speaker. I noticed that the Marshall 5 Watt combo comes with a 10". However, the amp handles both a 10" and a 12" really well. Only one speaker though 16 ohm. Perfect for practice and even a small gig.
no spring reverb :(
I loved the old Fender Champ (mine was stolen). It was great for practice and something like a small cafe gig. I haven't needed an amp in that size lately but I'm jealous because there were no small, inexpensive, good sounding amps back when I could have used them.
I had the champ 600 cost about £100 but I never liked it, too small thin and farty - the value of them went stupid when they discontinued production and I swapped it for an old blues jr that needed £80 spending on it - use the blues J all the time
@@frankcarter6427 I bought my Champ from a guy along with a Guild X-175 as package deal. My other amp was (is still) a Mesa Boogie MK2 but weighs a ton.
And yeah, too many idiots with money pricing actual guitarists out of the market.
I made a champ clone, a head not combo, with also a tone control and a bright switch. It sits in my living room with a 1x10" , with a Jensen speaker, also homemade
Ouch at the price, this is a little over £300 in the UK (or even under if you can get a deal) That does make a nice change though as we get killed on Fender amp prices!
Sounds like a little beast. I've always been a Tony Iommi (Laney) fan. Great sounding gain & nice spanky cleans-too.
record a video laney 6watt vs blackstar studio 10 el 34
Last time I played a Laney it sounded like crap 😮
Thank you for the review...very well done. I am a big fan of Fender Princetons and Deluxe Reverbs and clones. If I were buying a Princeton today, I would seriously consider this Laney model. Sounds great and way more versatile. It sounds great clean and has a awesome breakup sound.
$600? I dont think so.
i have the cub super~12, with the 12”speaker (15W ? or 20W ? but it’s class AB) and its a beautiful little combo; same set of features, plus a digital reverb. i’ve had a Laney bass amp (solid state) for years and years and its also solid and well appointed.
Not bad Phil! Doesn't sound LIKE a small amp! \m/
fine for bedroom, but even still id rather hear the 12 over the 10
Yeah, you’d drown in a band with a ten, no matter the magnet size IMO. 1x12 or more plus miked to PA…
That amp sounds really good. I'm impressed and I like that it has an effects loop.
I have a Laney Cub10 (10 watts) and used to have a Cub8 (5 watts) for a couple of years. They're great home studio amps, maybe a bit dark sounding, but they take pedals really well, so you can easily shape their sound.
Cub10 is a delightful little Tweed Deluxe style amp.
It's more "polite" than a 5e3 for sure, but it fills the same role. You can record clean, but anything that competes with even a quiet drummer will be pretty dirty. Sounds terrific.
I have the old Cub 10 as well. It's a little beast with pedals.
I love it! And your demo really showed all the ways you can use it. That gain up really gave a great tone. I have the Marshall Class 5 combo and it's class A as well. It's an amazing little fire breather. Accepts pedals really well and like you said, the Class A amps are VERY dynamic in their touch response. Hit the strings lightly, it swells up and down, hit them hard, it digs in an screams.
6watts would be closer to a champ vs Princeton?
yes
The original Princeton was single-ended 5-6 watts with a 10" speaker, this may be why he mentions that this amp is like a Princeton
Was thinking same thing
I have the head and 2x12 fantastic amp and cab for £499 total
I could not take looking at the front. LOL.
Seems like a nice little amp but it will still sound like shit if I’m playing thru it. Alas!
Same
Wow! Impressive. I have the older Laney Cub12r which i absolutely love. Swapped out the stock HH for a Vintage 30 and it's a perfect pedal platform for HiWatt/JCM800 "hybrid" tones.
I can get the amp in this video for $500AUD with a Celestion Gold 10 and JJs tubes. Tempting..EDIT: It's the old Cub 10. 10 watts, 6V6, 10" speaker. It's the little brother to the old Cub12r. Great amps, those OG Cubs - but I REALLY like what I heard in this Supercub10.
10" is an excellent sized speaker for a 5 watt amp.
Laney make some GREAT sounding Amps plus their Backup Service is excellent 👍
Modern manufacturing of the electronics within is not good quality. Fender is terrible , Laneys?
I'd look inside before i'd buy. circuit board mounted tube socket is the first red flag. Plastic jacks is another. Cheap boards? Don't trust youtube videos or eye candy..
This reminds me of my Fender 1987 Red Knob Champ 12, 10 watts (which got a bad rap). It's got 1 6L6 GC and 2 AX7s. I love it. I stuck an Eminence Cannabis Rex and a Mercury Magnetics Transformer. Just like you, I run a booster and a delay and that's all I need.
So it's an "improved" Fender Champ, except using the EL84 instead of the 6V6. Both of these little tubes have amazing sound in single ended amplifiers. The great sound of a SE amplifier is hard to beat, they make great studio amps because they are clean, quite and don't overpower the room. These little tubes can also work well with desk top monitors too and will produce a satisfying volume. The tubes date from 1953 and 1936 and are still in widespread use. Nice to see a new and improved "Champ"
It sounds terrific. I have a little Vox AC10, and am thinking of offing it. With the fx loop and the super nice clean and good sounding breakup, this kind of eats it.
it's interesting you mentioned the Super Champ X2 as an amp you like. I still have its predecessor, the Super Champ XD, which I really like.
it could be something similar to the vox ac4 c1 , 2x12ax7 and a el84 , it's simple to guess how they used them and the layout... sounds good 👍🏻
Be sure to review the Monoprice 15-watt tube amp w spring reverb. It is a white-label Laney Cub 12 for $225. Swap in a Weber
12A150A and it is fantastic.
Sure and the Hotone Heart Attack is a $90.00 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Diamond Faceplate. Swap in a different volume pot.
HH Electronics is owned by Laney since 1990, so says Wikipedia.
got one for $60 at a garage sale in echo park a few years ago. frickin deal. it's been sitting needing a repair ever since.
I dig how this sounds. It reminds me a bit of my Bassbreaker 007 head that I run through a Laney 1x12 Super Cub Cab. Wish mine an an effects loop!
great overview of the amp, Phil. hope you get a chance to cover the Laney L5 Studio head in the near future. super interested in that one as a home/recording amp.
That's really a thick sounding amplifier. Thanks for the demonstration.
I have a LC15, and LC50 mk. II, and a Laney Cub 8. The speakers they ship with (HH spkrs, made in China) aren’t much, but with a greenback? They all 3 scream.
Everything Laney is amazing!
I bought a Cub 10 on blowout for $200 US a couple of years ago. It was replaced with the Super Cub 10 but there are major changes between the two.
The Cub 10 is a Class A/B amp with a pair of 6V6GTs, 10W and no boost or loop. It does have high and low inputs, and only Volume, Tone and Gain.
It may closer in tone to a Princeton with it's power tubes and output.
I am also a fan of low power amps and have 13 tube amps from 1 to 10 watts.
How the Hell can anyone afford $600.00 for a 6 watt amp..........Inflation Reduction Act is not working for me !!! ------ouch $!$
I agree with you on the super champ x2. It is really confusing to me that it wasn't popular (or if it was, that they discontinued it), I have the "inferior" older & smaller model; the vibro champ XD and even that is absolutely incredible without even considering the $149 new(on sale, I they were retailing at $199 otherwise) price. I'd probably buy another one if something happened to it even though they're like $200 used now.
I wish they'd bring em back!
It would have been interesting to hear it through a 2x12 cab…..you probably would have got more bass…..great amp for recording and practice. I have a Blackstar 1 watt with reverb for practice and recording and a Fender Blues Junior for all other duties.
Even a single 12 with the right size cab has been that missing touch for me.... I actually use a Peavey PA/FOH cab with the tweeter disconnected. It takes an alright sound and makes it sound right.... even with a solid state amp. Of course for bass, I use 10s which sounds backwards but.... This amp sounds "boxy". I think that 10 would work a bit better with a bigger box or with different venting.... it just seems to resonate at the wrong frequency.
Sounds great and with just 1 EL84 super cool !!
Monoprice Stage Right, same exact amp, internally, same exact components, half the price
Finally someone who makes a low wattage tube amp which can rival Fender cleans but unlike pure traditional Fender corp are actually willing to meet players needs and wants by including a master volume control and a dedicated effects loop. Cmon Fender-you charge a premium on your reissue amps but don’t include an effects loop unless its one of your modern amps (Hot Rod deluxe or SuperSonic)?
Nice amp! A stereo rig of this and a Fender Pro Junior would sound so good!
If it doesn't at least have, and can drive, an 8 inch speaker, I don't see the point whatsoever. These baby amps, including orange, aren't even worth the hassle of plugging them into an outlet and hooking them up. I'd just use Sonicake.
Small wattage tube amps are the bomb. The clean channel of my 1 watt Marshall JVM combo is sublime at room volume. Ymmv
Those 1 watt combos they made seem awesome. Hard to find, they pop up every now and then.
I've owned the Cub 8, VC 15 and VC30 112. All great amps. I wasn't a fan of the parallel effects loop on the VC 30, but is was a simple mod for an amp tech to change it to serial - with the added benefit of adding a master volume.
I got the 1 watt Marshall micro stack 🎸🔈
Your poor neighbours
I have the 1 watt and 5 watt DSLs. If I didn’t, I’d be all over the Laney.
I had a laney 10 watt with reverb some twenty years ago, I think it cost aroun 200+ at the time and it was fantastic but i traded it for a Fender; you can guess the rest... : (
Phil is the clean more like a Princeton or a Fender Pro Junior?
Absolutely fantastic little amp. Great demo!
Pull it apart, show us what's inside.
That’s sounds great. Really took the 5150 pedal well and didn’t sound fizzy at all.
Eddie brah, give it a couple of years at the most, people are really gonna learn he had it covered from the guitar to the amp and everything in between it.😂
Good review and nice playing Phil.
What a great sounding little amp.
it never left clean
Why not just play thru the amp alone with out miking it up???
Another great review.
Nice playing on this video, btw.
Get the Cub Super 12, you'll be glad you did .
a little pricey for 6 watts. But it does sound great...
How would it pair with a Prinston as a wet dry rig?
LOVE my 5 watt 12" combo, UK Made Lionheart, with REAL reverb. Clean to Driven, and whatever it can't do, Pedals step up and Deliver, as it is QUITE pedal friendly. And a FX Loop for better results when done internally too. Don't know why this amp gets flown over by so many "amp" reviewers. Over-confident arrogance? Or catering to manipulated audiences? You can answer that.
If not for Black SABBATH, nobody would know about Laney Amps. Tony said,it was the cheapest amps they could afford. He switched to Orange for awhile.
Great little amp! i hope i can get one soon :)
Fender no longer makes the Super Champ XD, which is and remains my go-to amp for most uses. It has volume/gain on the second channel plus a variety of digital effects, of which I really only use the reverb. Sounds great straight in, or with pedal effects. Fender no longer has anything comparable, or at the great price point this was (~ $350).
Meh. Put that ~$600 towards a used fender Reverb. Better yet, save up and get a Dr. Z amp and be done with it. Built better and less hummm and more reliability then the Fender. Also, I have neve really enjoyed the tones coming out of a very light weight amp- tubes or not. For bedroom casual practice, just get a Fractal FM3. You can even use headphones. You will get better sounds and hundreds of effects.
I would think this amp should be compared to the Fender vibro champ reverb. The Laney Cub-Super12 15-watt 1 x 12-inch Guitar Combo Amplifier is closer to be compared to the Fender Princeton reverb. Especially the Sweetwater version with the 12 inch speaker and it is a 15 watt istead of 12 watt.
Phil, once again you've provides a great review, I haven't watched your channel in a while, and this shows why you are still one of the best channels to watch. You take just enough time to sample each tone without forcing anyone to listen to you noodle for too long like some other's do, not that I don't like hearing you play, I do, I think you have a great feel and understanding of what we want to hear in these, and do a great job of communicating what you're hearing, pros cons etc. Nice little amp! I had one of the earlier Laney LC (I think?) EL84 powered 12 w/reverb, really nice gain character, a boost pedal in front of it really put it in the zone, wish I never parted ways. I have a friend who has the next two higher Cub models, he doesn't use the gain, only for a pedal platform. Yikes! Missing out on the best part of the amp! Ok, enough, thanks for your down to earth and watchable informative reviews.
No disrespect but I had to think twice about the phrase "sub-$600." I am fairly certain that none of my working musician friends can afford this amp. But thanks for the video.
I like low watt tube amps but no way am I going to pay 600 for an amp that doesn't have a 12 inch speaker, you can say that's amp snobbery but it's my experience that sub 12 speakers just don't have the tone I'm looking for.