Laney vc

suspiciousminds

Been offered a laney vc 15w all valve amp.
Anybody got any experience of this amp?

stickyfiddle

I loved mine. 

Voiced kinda halfway between vintage Marshall and Vox. Not quite loud enough for gigging unmicced, but a great sounding amp. Usually very good value secondhand too.

suspiciousminds

Cool, thx sticky

steamabacus

I have one. Very nice and very portable. You can just about gig them with a bigger extension cab (sounds better through a 12" speaker as well).

One minor annoyance is the FX loop which is a pre-set 50/50 parallel loop. For me, a series loop would be better as I often use a looping pedal - I have to go into the front of the amp which means I can't use the Laney's drive channel when looping.

ThePrettyDamned

Didn't own one, but have heard one and it's a fab sounding thing.  

HH speakers are a bit naff, but at the price they work fine.  Corners *are* cut in construction, but not anything that seems to compromise the amp in any real way - my LH50 was excellent, socking great big toroidal transformer, great sounds in a relatively small and reliable package.  

Typical issues are MDF cab construction (again, at the price, not surprising... Some are definitely ply though) and poor tolexing if you want to take it apart.  But again, mine was fine, and both of my cabs came apart with no issues when I snooped around.  

ThePrettyDamned

Also, Paul Gilbert was a long time user of the GH50, GH100 and VC50 and VC100 amps.  

And that man has tone.

steamabacus

ThePrettyDamned said:

HH speakers are a bit naff, but at the price they work fine.

 

Mine is the updated version with a Jensen speaker. I think the redesigned logo / aesthetics of the later version are better, too.

ThePrettyDamned

steamabacus said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

HH speakers are a bit naff, but at the price they work fine.

 

Mine is the updated version with a Jensen speaker. I think the redesigned logo / aesthetics of the later version are better, too.

Nice work, the Jensen ones are a little better.

Used, though, HH loaded ones fetch silly cheap money.  I suspect I'll get a VC50 combo when I want to go back to valves, but I'd probably need a gain pedal...

vasselmeyer

Great amps. I have the VC30, it's bigger brother which is more than loud enough for any pub gig.

I have to agree on the effects loop. I waver between running everything in front and delays & mods in the loop, although I can't really tell that much difference at gig volume.

Check the speaker. The more recent ones have a Jensen C10Q16 speaker in them which are better than the first ones they supplied (H&H I think).

ecc83

Could be wrong but I don't think H&H ever made speakers? Those bearing the logo were just re-badged Fanes. 

Nuff said?

Dave.

menamestom

Nice little amps, but not the loudest 15w (in comparison my PRRI appeared quite a bit louder with a similar Jensen Speaker in)

For gigging in a rock band it would have to be the 30w for me.

Perhaps you could get more out of it if you could squeeze an Eminence Ragin Cajun or something but if it's for just home playing they are great.

bazxkr

I have the VC15 white LE & I think it is stunning. I only clown around at home so gigging volume does not matter & it sounds great on clean or dirty & takes the HD300 through really well too if the fancy takes me. Put it thro my HB 2x12 & it sounds really big !

They seem sought after & hold decent money used so that tells you something.

Cheers

Baz

suspiciousminds

Thanks for the info guys.
Might well do the deal then!

stickyfiddle

I had one of the very early ones. The first I had actually had a dodgy transformer about a week in, but the replacement was fine for years. They can be a bit boxy when close-micced, but less than you'd expect for such a small amp. I put a Greenback in mine, which helped a little too. 

When I got into my new band I swapped the Greenback for an Eminence Copperhead, which gave a smidge more headroom, but still wasn't quite enough to go unmiced against a noisy drummer.

bobblehat

I have the VC30 and its great.

bigfuzz

had a VC30, did like it. was bit too loud for me at the time of having it - but do kind of miss it now I think back..

siraxeman

vasselmeyer said:

Great amps. I have the VC30, it's bigger brother which is more than loud enough for any pub gig.

I have to agree on the effects loop. I waver between running everything in front and delays & mods in the loop, although I can't really tell that much difference at gig volume.

Check the speaker. The more recent ones have a Jensen C10Q16 speaker in them which are better than the first ones they supplied (H&H I think).

I've had 2 VC30's in the past..the 2x12 had Celestion 70/80's and the 2x10 had the Jensens. Both great amps - the 2x12 was considerably louder though. But it did have a fuzzy quality to the drive channel...oddly the 2x10 didn't so I guess that was down to the speakers. I didn't expect the 2x10 to sound smooth on the drive channel after owning the 2x12 previously..but it was just fine. That fuzzy quality to the 2x12 was the one thing I didn't like about the amp others it was a great amp - I just ran it clean with pedals in my band at the time. Similar ish to an AC30 on its brilliant channel...very chimey! 

suspiciousminds

Well, deal done today, very pleased so far, traded a fender 15g,vox cambridge and 80 quid.
Only issue is the main on/off led doesnt seem to work.
Other than that cracking.
Need to look out for a footswitch now.

GIJoe

suspiciousminds said:

Well, deal done today, very pleased so far, traded a fender 15g,vox cambridge and 80 quid.
Only issue is the main on/off led doesnt seem to work.
Other than that cracking.
Need to look out for a footswitch now.

I have a 2 channel marshall footswitch I might part with?

suspiciousminds

Gowaan......

ThePrettyDamned

Nice one. Cracking sounding amp.