Laney GH100L and Marshall JCM800

TTBZ · May 2021

I seem to remember someone saying its something to do with the type of output transformer used that gives it that gritty and dry kind of sound when compared to an 800. With the resonance off it does have a bit of a softer more vintage feel but not quite the same still.

Stevepage · May 2021

Didn’t have the GH but i did have the VH100R which is the same thing but with a dedicated clean channel. I got the chance to compare it to a JCM800 and I preferred the Laney. Very similar but there was something in the Low end of the Laney that I loved.

I did like the Laney more with 6L6’s too

monquixote · May 2021

I read recently that Laney got back into making valve amps because of Tony Iommi.

His original sig was based on a JCM800 that he owned that was modified by Paul Reed Smith.

So perhaps that is what these amps are based on.

Dave_Mc · May 2021

TTBZ said:

I seem to remember someone saying its something to do with the type of output transformer used that gives it that gritty and dry kind of sound when compared to an 800. With the resonance off it does have a bit of a softer more vintage feel but not quite the same still.

Yeah, it could be. It does have a toroidal transformer and (as far as I know) the JCM800 doesn't. But that obviously doesn't necessarily mean that that's what causes the difference, of course. There could be some other reason...

Stevepage said:

Didn’t have the GH but i did have the VH100R which is the same thing but with a dedicated clean channel. I got the chance to compare it to a JCM800 and I preferred the Laney. Very similar but there was something in the Low end of the Laney that I loved.

I did like the Laney more with 6L6’s too

Yeah you're right about the VH100R. I seem to remember running the Laney values versus the Marshall ones into the tonestack simulator program, and IIRC that translated as the Laney having a little more bass, but I might be misremembering.

I haven't tried it with 6L6es.

monquixote said:

I read recently that Laney got back into making valve amps because of Tony Iommi.

His original sig was based on a JCM800 that he owned that was modified by Paul Reed Smith.
So perhaps that is what these amps are based on.

Yeah I think the Iommi sig is the GH with the extra gain stage permanently turned on?

ICBM · May 2021

Dave_Mc said:

TTBZ said:

I seem to remember someone saying its something to do with the type of output transformer used that gives it that gritty and dry kind of sound when compared to an 800.

Yeah, it could be. It does have a toroidal transformer and (as far as I know) the JCM800 doesn't. But that obviously doesn't necessarily mean that that's what causes the difference, of course. There could be some other reason...

The toroidal transformer is the PT, not the OT - much less effect on the tone, although it will affect the dynamics.

There are more circuit differences than that too. They're similar amps, but not identical.

Reverend · May 2021

Iommi also ran 8 of them. For his smaller rig.

Dave_Mc · May 2021

ICBM said:

Dave_Mc said:

TTBZ said:

I seem to remember someone saying its something to do with the type of output transformer used that gives it that gritty and dry kind of sound when compared to an 800.

Yeah, it could be. It does have a toroidal transformer and (as far as I know) the JCM800 doesn't. But that obviously doesn't necessarily mean that that's what causes the difference, of course. There could be some other reason...

(a) The toroidal transformer is the PT, not the OT - much less effect on the tone, although it will affect the dynamics.

(b) There are more circuit differences than that too. They're similar amps, but not identical.

(a) Ah ok, misremembering

(b) Oh are there? I thought I pretty much compared the circuits of both up on the laptop screen together (the signal path, anyway), but I probably made some mistakes, lol.

Plus that was only the schematic... they may well have changed some bits once they actually made them, I guess...

ICBM · May 2021

Dave_Mc said:

I thought I pretty much compared the circuits of both up on the laptop screen together (the signal path, anyway), but I probably made some mistakes, lol.

Plus that was only the schematic... they may well have changed some bits once they actually made them, I guess...

There are differences - the input network and the way the Low input and preamp gain control is implemented (even with the extra gain stage bypassed), various component values in the signal path, filtering values - not huge, but they all add up to a noticeably different-sounding amp.

The schematic will be accurate I think, I don't remember any difference when working on them, although you usually don't go through and check every single bit!

Dave_Mc · May 2021

^ Ah you're right, I forgot about the input! And yeah I probably missed a few other details as well- as you say, small things (if there are enough of them) can certainly add up.

LOL about not checking every bit, I can't say much about that since I forgot about a ton of stuff in it too

Definitely the clips I've heard don't sound the same... not sure why I never got round to try an 800, there always seemed to be something else I wanted to try more when I was in a shop, lol. Kind of kicking myself now, what with Covid and all.

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Laney GH100L and Marshall JCM800

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