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.
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...!!!!!!
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.
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.
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. 😊
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.
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
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 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!
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"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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
Last year I bought the Cub 12" 15w and liked it so much that I got a second one for another building and bought their 2x12 cabinet, which as Phil said, gave it a lot more low-mid and bottom end.
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.
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.
I ordered one on your recommend from Sweetwater. It has no high end. The treble knob makes noise when I turn it. It has an OK sound but again even with the treble maxed it has zero brightness. I am keeping it because it is so light and I run a Zoom G11 processor so the amp modeling and my MXR EQ pedal bring the bright I need. Couldn't use it by itself like my Vox AC15. Love your show.
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.
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.😂
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.
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.
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.
My Laney VC 30 is the best stage amp ive ever played on volume 8 as the power tubes have the best harmonic breakup to die for. It is one loud amp but at home i used smaller 20 watt & 5 watt amps in stereo !
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.
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 just picked up the head version of this same Cub amp last week. It's a fantastic sounding amp and was right in my price range. Ive also got a 6505 MH and the Laney covers all the lower gain stuff that the 6505 doesn't do that well. You don't buy a 6505 for the cleans. lol. I'm using the Laney in my wet/dry/wet rig that I'm running with the Boss EVH delay. So easy to do wet/dry/wet with that pedal. I've got the Laney going dry into a 2x12 and then 1x12 combos as my wet cabinets.
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!
Thanks Phil 😊 After trying two Monoprice 5 watt tube amps and giving up because they were both defective, I ended up with a 90s Laney LC15 to use as an alternate to my Hot rod deluxe 40w. I love it!
My Monoprice 5 watt amp crapped out, too. Replacing tubes didn't help. I sold my Laney VC30 because it was too heavy. Love my Fender Mustang II. It sounds great and is LIGHT.
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.
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.
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
@@douglaschristine8387 I use pedals. My understanding is to get break up you need to crank the volume to max. I can't do that where I live, so I use a vox Silk Drive or a Mooer Rumble drive (As part of the redtruck multi-effects pedal.)
@tonynoon8693 I know the guitar volume should do it too. I live in an apartment too but I'll try it out, thanks. I've always wanted to try a WahWah pedal like Robin Trower.
@@douglaschristine8387 Not usually, Guitars at max volume don't generally have a high enough signal to distort a guitar amp. You might get something with really hot pickups that could do it, (I am thinking humbuckers) but in general, it's just an instrument-level signal going into the amp, which is what the amp is designed to take. If you use a boost pedal to increase the volume of the signal going into the amp that will overdrive the capacity of the amp to handle the signal which clips the top and bottom of the waveform and causes distortion. (As I understand it, not an expert.) An overdrive or distortion pedal does that in the pedal before it gets to the amp. I like smooth clipping overdrives like the Silk Drive or the Rumble for that slight break-up sound, and then bring the volume down on the guitar to clean up the signal.
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.
Hey Devon do you have the Artist tweed tone 20r?
@ I do not; sorry.
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...!!!!!!
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.
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.
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.
WOW!!! THAT LITTLE AMP SOUNDS GREAT!!! I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE CRISP, "60 CYCLE HUM-FREE" VOICING!!!
Love reviews of low wattage amps (I'm a fan of 5 Watt World). This looks like my kind of amp. Great video, thanks!
That amp/guitar combo sound rEALLy great. Kudos LANEY for a great sounding manageable little amp
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. 😊
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.
That's really a thick sounding amplifier. Thanks for the demonstration.
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
Brother, you are the KING of demos. That amp is seriously ballin'. Looks my next acquisition has been settled.
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.
That amp sounds really good. I'm impressed and I like that it has an effects loop.
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!
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"
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.
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.
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.
Props to your guitar playing, you've come along way since early in the channel! Keep jamming Phil!
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.
Great extensive review Phil. You nailed it showcasing where it’s aimed at. Cheers ✌️🎸
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!
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.
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
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.
Your playing has really improved over the last few years. Well done!
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 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
Sounds like a little beast. I've always been a Tony Iommi (Laney) fan. Great sounding gain & nice spanky cleans-too.
Last year I bought the Cub 12" 15w and liked it so much that I got a second one for another building and bought their 2x12 cabinet, which as Phil said, gave it a lot more low-mid and bottom end.
Absolutely fantastic little amp. Great demo!
I had a Laney Cub 12. If I remember right, it had 3 inputs, one gave you 15 watts, one at 7 watts and one at
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.
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.
I dig it. Would LOVE to have one of these little babies! And I'd love to add an extension cab for some real fun! Some killer riffage, Phil!
My favorite part of your reviews is when you finally play guitar. Your an awesome player and must be a phenomenal bass player!
Laney make some GREAT sounding Amps plus their Backup Service is excellent 👍
I ordered one on your recommend from Sweetwater. It has no high end. The treble knob makes noise when I turn it. It has an OK sound but again even with the treble maxed it has zero brightness. I am keeping it because it is so light and I run a Zoom G11 processor so the amp modeling and my MXR EQ pedal bring the bright I need. Couldn't use it by itself like my Vox AC15. Love your show.
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.
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.😂
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.
this thing ticks all the boxes - I'm gonna find one and hear it in person. Thanks Phillip.
Nice rubbery cleans, really barks and gets pretty fierce.
I've been playing Laney amps for the last 15 years, they really know what they're doing!
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.
Laney have been making great stuff for a really long time, and often overlooked, never quite managed to get their amps to look as good as they sound.
Man that is a perfect amp your playing is very good with the kiesel and sound great.
The amp pairs nicely with the humbuckers on your Strat. Definitely a vintage sound. Want to check one out personally.
Nice amp! A stereo rig of this and a Fender Pro Junior would sound so good!
Laney amps have been knocking it outta the Park with phenomenal product as of late....
What a great sounding little amp.
Everything Laney is amazing!
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.
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.
I went with a Blues Cube for home, but had this been available, it would have been a definite contender.
Great sounding amp!
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 demo. This amp really is the Laney equivalent of the Princeton.
My Laney VC 30 is the best stage amp ive ever played on volume 8 as the power tubes have the best harmonic breakup to die for.
It is one loud amp but at home i used smaller 20 watt & 5 watt amps in stereo !
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.
Not bad Phil! Doesn't sound LIKE a small amp! \m/
Your playing has killed all the Reverb sellers pricing... omg.
don't really understand this comment
I ordered one today I thought the video was good and was the motivation for me to buy the Laney Cub would never have known about it otherwise.
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 just picked up the head version of this same Cub amp last week. It's a fantastic sounding amp and was right in my price range. Ive also got a 6505 MH and the Laney covers all the lower gain stuff that the 6505 doesn't do that well. You don't buy a 6505 for the cleans. lol. I'm using the Laney in my wet/dry/wet rig that I'm running with the Boss EVH delay. So easy to do wet/dry/wet with that pedal. I've got the Laney going dry into a 2x12 and then 1x12 combos as my wet cabinets.
Is it really worth that much more than the Monoprice/Harley Benton versions of the 5W and 15W Laney tube amps ($159 & $259)?
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!
Kiesel plus Laney! Great playing demo!
Sounds great and with just 1 EL84 super cool !!
Great clean, and crunch tones. I would buy this for my home studio.
Looking sharp Phil! The collared shirt looks good on you. Hey! It goes with the Laney amp too!
Thanks Phil 😊 After trying two Monoprice 5 watt tube amps and giving up because they were both defective, I ended up with a 90s Laney LC15 to use as an alternate to my Hot rod deluxe 40w. I love it!
My Monoprice 5 watt amp crapped out, too. Replacing tubes didn't help. I sold my Laney VC30 because it was too heavy. Love my Fender Mustang II. It sounds great and is LIGHT.
it never left clean
Lovely amp, I want one now!! Laney never disappoints on this days.
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 👍🏻
It comes with a footswitch in uk. And only 15 watt comes as a head.Got one and its great.
I like the red boost knob. It makes the amp go to eleven.
Good review and nice playing Phil.
I used to have a Laney VC-30 1 x12” combo. I compared it with a Blues Jr. and an AC-15. I liked the Laney the best, and still wish I would’ve kept it!
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.
Sweet unit gots the effects one would expect out of the box and everything.
Some of your riffs were badass man. Pretty impressive
Holy s**t, that thing sounds glorious! Thanks for this Phil. Cheers!
Great review Phillip. Really enjoyed it, and got me thinking.
Hey!! I used to sell those. As a big brand alternative, Laney stuff always got good reviews bang for buck :)
A lot I like.... Might even get one, nice tone and great to see a full eq on a smaller amp..
This Ad has been approved. Great little amp.
That's a pretty lil thing. Even the head, looks sleek 🤘
10" is an excellent sized speaker for a 5 watt amp.
Phil is the clean more like a Princeton or a Fender Pro Junior?
That little F'r sounds great!!
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.
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 the Stage right 5a but can't get any breakup out of it no matter what I do. Do you know?
@@douglaschristine8387 I use pedals. My understanding is to get break up you need to crank the volume to max. I can't do that where I live, so I use a vox Silk Drive or a Mooer Rumble drive (As part of the redtruck multi-effects pedal.)
@tonynoon8693 I know the guitar volume should do it too. I live in an apartment too but I'll try it out, thanks. I've always wanted to try a WahWah pedal like Robin Trower.
@@douglaschristine8387 Not usually, Guitars at max volume don't generally have a high enough signal to distort a guitar amp. You might get something with really hot pickups that could do it, (I am thinking humbuckers) but in general, it's just an instrument-level signal going into the amp, which is what the amp is designed to take. If you use a boost pedal to increase the volume of the signal going into the amp that will overdrive the capacity of the amp to handle the signal which clips the top and bottom of the waveform and causes distortion. (As I understand it, not an expert.) An overdrive or distortion pedal does that in the pedal before it gets to the amp. I like smooth clipping overdrives like the Silk Drive or the Rumble for that slight break-up sound, and then bring the volume down on the guitar to clean up the signal.
thanks for fashion critique
I have a cub 12R from back in the day ! It’s got a 1 w use for practice & a built in reverb which I have the laney pedal for it ! I love it! 😜😎👌
Man so many factors go into watts vs volume. 6 watts is clean with like 0.01% distortion (i think maybe 0.1) plus speaker size/ efficiancy.