Unbelievable eBay bargains - am I missing something?

ICBM

They're not bad - they have cut corners, but usually not in ways that cause problems. They did have a run of dreadful valve sockets that needed re-tensioning or replacing after one valve change on some of the models though.

Dave_Mc

ICBM said:

(a) The odd thing about the speakers is that the Lionheart cabs come with Heritage G12H-30 speakers, which I would almost class as 'unnecessarily expensive', and make the cabs look overpriced.

(b) I really don't think they do themselves any favours with the cosmetics either - they just look cheap. It's not just the crap vinyl - the corner protectors and even just the screws look more B&Q than they do something which belongs on a decent quality guitar amp. The logo is dull too. It would cost almost nothing to improve this sort of thing.

(a) Yeah. I got a good deal on mine, and they do sound great to be fair, but no way I'd have paid the the usual going rate.

(b) Yeah )

On some of the models I'd say the sound is maybe a little bit generic. But I'd still say even those ones sound "good". And some of them sound great (if a little noisy sometimes). No idea on how well they're built, of course, but as weasel says, the sound's there. In my opinion, anyway.

^ Didn't some of the 80s models have a problem with the tube sockets? I seem to remember someone on another forum saying that. The AOR, maybe?

randomhandclaps

 

Dave_Mc said:

  On some of the models I'd say the sound is maybe a little bit generic. But I'd still say even those ones sound "good". And some of them sound great (if a little noisy sometimes). No idea on how well they're built, of course, but as weasel says, the sound's there. In my opinion, anyway.

I agree with you there, although even the generic sounding ones do make great pedal platform amps.

ICBM

Dave_Mc said:

Didn't some of the 80s models have a problem with the tube sockets? I seem to remember someone on another forum saying that. The AOR, maybe?

Yes. Ongoing problem... although to be fair, a lot of other makers have had the same sort of issues.

Marshall DSLs just arc through the circuit board instead ).

Dave_Mc

^ )

When you say "ongoing", do you mean even with current models?

randomhandclaps said:

Dave_Mc said:

  On some of the models I'd say the sound is maybe a little bit generic. But I'd still say even those ones sound "good". And some of them sound great (if a little noisy sometimes). No idea on how well they're built, of course, but as weasel says, the sound's there. In my opinion, anyway.

I agree with you there, although even the generic sounding ones do make great pedal platform amps.

Possibly, I've only tried them in shops, without pedals (the more generic-sounding ones, I mean- I have a GH50L which sounds very good IMO). Those ones also tended to have the more, er, economical stock speakers so that probably wasn't helping, either.

Bidley

Some amps just don't seem that fashionable. Peavey Valvekings and Windsors go cheaply too, and they're both (largely) brilliant.

Drew_TNBD

I didn't like the Valveking. Too mushy sounding, maybe a TS would tighten it up. The Peavey Classic was pretty decent though!

Bidley

Admittedly, I have that issue with most 6L6-based amps. But at under £200 for a 100w head, I could get around it.

57Deluxe

Brett Kingman - the Antipodean who does some of the PGS demos is a great Laney fan

impmann

I had an LC30 - superb amp, especially after I whizzed the HH speaker and slotted in a V30 I got cheap...

A mate still has it and it sounds glorious. In fact... I could be tempted again, y'know.. <scuttles off to ebay>

ThePrettyDamned

They are great sounding. Reliable, too, or mine was, but @icbm has said they can have some shabby cosmetics (poor tolex, sometimes poor cabs made from mdf). But if you pick up a vh100r for 400 quid, you have a pro quality touring amp for... Well, 400 quid! My old one (lh50) was a cracker, and my mate has a vc50 (50 watt combo of the vh100 that Paul Gilbert is famous for using) that is fecking awesome, lovely cleans, crunch and epic high gain stuff.

They also do, in my opinion, the best sounding clean amp there is - the lionheart l50h. 5xel34s (!) running is something that is probably closer to class a than a regular class a amp.

Rocker

ICBM said:

I really don't think they do themselves any favours with the cosmetics either - they just look cheap. It's not just the crap vinyl - the corner protectors and even just the screws look more B&Q than they do something which belongs on a decent quality guitar amp. The logo is dull too. It would cost almost nothing to improve this sort of thing.

Not sure how to come up with a different way to write Laney. The logo looks OK to me.  And who, apart from guitar players, would even notice that the guitarist was using a Laney amp/combo let alone the poor quality of the corner protectors......

IanSavage

On the Laney front, if anyone's in Sussex this runs the risk of being a bit of a bargain (if you're already watching it and cursing my name now, drop me a message and I'll pull the link )...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/laney-vc30-/221330820119?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item3388584c17

Bidley

A VC30 212 just ended at £77, just down the road from me. Annoying really, my max bid was £75. Not a bad price for a £550 amp brand new!

IanSavage

Seems I didn't jinx it after all then - you'd struggle to find a better amp bargain  

Deadman

Cheap Roland GA112 here. Like most I know nothing about them other than they've flopped rather sharpish:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roland-GA-112-Amplifier-/181279983324?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item2a352106dc

Dave_Mc

Bidley said:

A VC30 212 just ended at £77, just down the road from me. Annoying really, my max bid was £75. Not a bad price for a £550 amp brand new!

That's crazy value, surely? I'm guessing people don't like a 2x12 as it's heavy (plus they have mediocre stock speakers, I think, so you'd ideally need to budget for a swap)...

Actually the main reason is probably collection only. I don't keep too close of an eye on ebay prices, but that's the one thing that really seems to keep prices way down.

StageStruck

Another vote for Laney amps here. I have a VC30 112 which has served me well over the years. It mainly gets used as a backup/small venue amp these days but it's a pretty good sounding and reliable amp. You can pick them up for amzingly cheap prices, even compared to the likes of the Classic 30 which very much keeps it's value.

hugbot

I have a VH100, its great but it sits the basement because its so heavy.

Maxi

I think Opeth had an endorsement with laney , they never had a bad guitar sound .