How many people gig with 1x12 combos?

SquireJapan

bigjon said:

I've used a Laney World Series 1×12 120W as my main gigging amp for over 20 years. Used a Peavey Triumph 120W valve amp as well for a while but it proved unreliable. If I've got room I supplement the Laney with a ZT Lunch box & cab to provide a bit more spread / fold back.

You're the first person I've seen that owns a Laney World Series. I love mine - I actually like the clean tones, plus I find it great for most pedals (I put a little bit of good compression before it though). Light weight and definitely loud enough!

ICBM

SquireJapan said:

You're the first person I've seen that owns a Laney World Series. I love mine - I actually like the clean tones, plus I find it great for most pedals (I put a little bit of good compression before it though). Light weight and definitely loud enough!

You two are the first people I've ever seen who admit liking them apart from me! I prefer them to both the earlier Linebackers (overcomplicated controls, can be tricky to dial in) and the later Tube Fusions (poor build quality, rattly). I think they may have fallen down a bit on market perception when everyone - shortly to be followed by Laney - was sticking a valve in the preamp of everything. Typically for Laney the styling is a bit dull as well.

They're simple, reliable, well-made and good-sounding solid state amps.

impmann

Been gigging a 1x12 solely for the last 3 years - recently using an HRD. Fantastic on-stage sound, always being complimented on having a 'big' or 'great' sound, plus doesn't take up too much real-estate in small pubs (trying to get a 5-piece into pubs is always a challenge!).

bigjon

SquireJapan;325227" said:

bigjon said:

I've used a Laney World Series 1×12 120W as my main gigging amp for over 20 years. Used a Peavey Triumph 120W valve amp as well for a while but it proved unreliable. If I've got room I supplement the Laney with a ZT Lunch box & cab to provide a bit more spread / fold back.





You're the first person I've seen that owns a Laney World Series. I love mine - I actually like the clean tones, plus I find it great for most pedals (I put a little bit of good compression before it though). Light weight and definitely loud enough!

Yes, I run it clean as well, don't touch the high gain settings. Precede it with a ton of compression from a Boss CS3 with the Attack and Sustain controls maxed out. Occasionally just a touch of overdrive from a Boss OD2 pedal but often don't need to bother.

SquireJapan

ICBM said:

You two are the first people I've ever seen who admit liking them apart from me! I prefer them to both the earlier Linebackers (overcomplicated controls, can be tricky to dial in) and the later Tube Fusions (poor build quality, rattly). I think they may have fallen down a bit on market perception when everyone - shortly to be followed by Laney - was sticking a valve in the preamp of everything. Typically for Laney the styling is a bit dull as well.

They're simple, reliable, well-made and good-sounding solid state amps.

Yeah - I love the "boring" styling, plus the whole amp is about half the weight of my Mesa 2x12 cab alone. It does need some TLC though, it keeps flipping between channels if I don't look at it right (fixed last time with contact cleaner). Not gigged in ages, so fixing it isn't a priority. 

The thing is so loud ... it would keep up with my old JCM900 MV (100W).

bigjon

E.G. IIRC correctly there is no overdrive on this song from an outdoor gig, and the Laney is the only amp used as I forgot the power lead for the lunchbox!

bigjon

Solo on that last track starts at 4:58, by the way

spacecadet

My first touring rig (before I had actually earned any money) was a Laney World Series 100SC 212 and a Boss ME-10. 100w, stereo chorus set to fat clean and used the ME-10 for all dirt and FX. Cracking rig that filled arenas no problem. Often got told to turn down. Wish I still had the ME-10.

Back on track, I have gigged with a Budda Superdrive 30 112. Never had a problem with volume or largeness but since I moved to the 212 V-40 it has made a difference. If I went back to a 112 I think I would have to have an extension cab to go with it.

ThePrettyDamned

I really need to see what this Laney thing is, sounds impressive!

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

I really need to see what this Laney thing is, sounds impressive!

It's just a very standard traditional solid-state amp - they made several sizes/power outputs, but as far as I remember all with two channels, both with 3-band EQ (the dirty one has various pull-switches), spring reverb and FX loop. Pretty much equivalent to the Peaveys we like . Similarly well-made, reliable and loud - perhaps with slightly less 'character' than the Peaveys, but a bit clearer and possibly more flexible in some ways, the EQ can do more… and can be a pest to dial in, though less so than the Linebackers if I remember rightly.

I can only remember having to work on one in the last twenty years, and I'm pretty sure that was just a dirty jack problem - either FX loop cutting the signal out, or the footswitch jack making the channels jump like SquierJapan's one.

If I remember correctly they have Celestion speakers too, they're from just before the period when Laney started using the HH Invaders, which first came in the Tube Fusion amps (I think). Hence partly why they're loud and sound good.

vasselmeyer

I gigged with a 1x12 for ages (Laney VC30 112) and volume was never aver a problem. The issue was always the directionality and the spread. Because we play pubs more than anything we only ever put vocals through the PA and rely on backline volume for the rest of it, I found that people couldn't always hear me or said I was overpowering our other guitarist who also gigs a 1x12. I sold my 1x12 on and now play an Egnater Rebel 30 212. It's heavier (but it can take casters which the Laney didn't) but I can fill the place much better than before.

I think most 1x12s valve rigs of 20w or above will have no problem at all with volume, it's just the spread that might be an issue. If you can mic it up just to give it a litle extra tickle through the PA, they're perfect platforms for most gigs.

Jalapeno

I do.

I prefer a 2x12 or better still 2x10 for the spread.

With proper monitoring (when it's worth the effort of setting up the IEM) 1x12 is fine

SquireJapan

I did gig with the Laney LC30 too come to mention it - I really loved the tone, but I couldn't get a good loud clean with it and I was always only _just_ keeping up with the drummer. Ended up getting rid of it (for a really low price ) and getting a 4x12 half stack Marshall.

Looking back I should have bought a loud Fender, as I was chasing clean sounds (but was even more simple minded and naive than I am now).

littlethoughts

I always used to gig with a Hayden essex blonde 1x12, 15 watt combo. It was plenty loud, even without a mic. I sold it though since i've not gigged on guitar for about 3 years (only on bass).

TimmyO

I've pub-gigged my 1x12 Maz in various settings and it's always been a good sound.

If you worry about beaming from a 1x12 cab look at the whole "mitchell donut" thing - works well .

Danny1969

I thing I don't understand with the non mic'ing thing is, if you have to turn the amp up loud enough so the whole pub can hear it above the drums then surely when you stand in front of it it must be really loud ?  I mean really really loud ?

vasselmeyer

Danny1969;325399" said:

I thing I don't understand with the non mic'ing thing is, if you have to turn the amp up loud enough so the whole pub can hear it above the drums then surely when you stand in front of it it must be really loud ?  I mean really really loud ?

Which is why Etymotic ER25s are a permanent fixture in my gig bag.

citizen68

vasselmeyer said:

I gigged with a 1x12 for ages (Laney VC30 112) and volume was never aver a problem. The issue was always the directionality and the spread. Because we play pubs more than anything we only ever put vocals through the PA and rely on backline volume for the rest of it, I found that people couldn't always hear me or said I was overpowering our other guitarist who also gigs a 1x12. I sold my 1x12 on and now play an Egnater Rebel 30 212. It's heavier (but it can take casters which the Laney didn't) but I can fill the place much better than before.

I think most 1x12s valve rigs of 20w or above will have no problem at all with volume, it's just the spread that might be an issue. If you can mic it up just to give it a litle extra tickle through the PA, they're perfect platforms for most gigs.

Try a Mitchell donut - it really evens the sound (negating directionality) of a 1x12 cab and seems to improve spread (to me anyway!!) - have them in both my Zilla cab & Fender HRD - cheap but effective.

ICBM

Danny1969 said:

I thing I don't understand with the non mic'ing thing is, if you have to turn the amp up loud enough so the whole pub can hear it above the drums then surely when you stand in front of it it must be really loud ?  I mean really really loud ?

Not really really loud - although a small directional amp does make this problem worse. You also don't (in my opinion) want it pointing right at your ears at short range - which is why I don't like tilting amps back. About waist high and horizontal seems to give about the best mix of spread out into the room without being too directional, lets you hear what the amp sounds like properly, and yet not fry your own ears. Usually not pointing out absolutely straight forward into the room is better too.

That's always worked well for me, and yes I do go out front and check what the balance is like out there. I don't normally have to wear earplugs for that, although I have played in a couple of bands which were loud enough that I had to - although more to do with the drums than the guitar amp. I don't play all that loud - I find a fuller tone, usually with a bigger amp, allows you to fill the room much better at *lower* volume than with a cranked-up small amp.

I may be a bit old-school but to me this is how to mix a live band in a small space. I really don't go for the whole small amp/low stage level/put it back through the monitors/let the PA do everything idea - and I certainly wouldn't want to do it with IEMs - to me it's far more work, usually doesn't sound as good and disconnects the band from each other and the audience far more. To me, live music in a small venue should be about the musicians working together in a common acoustic space, listening properly to their own volume and tone for balance and not relying on 'fixing it in the mix'. Bigger gigs are a different thing though, obviously - when you get up to more volume than you can comfortably do that with, there's no option but to put it through the PA.

But that's me. If you want to do the opposite and it sounds good, that's fine too.

stickyfiddle

I've done 99% of my giving career with a single 1x10. No problems whatsoever