Author Topic: Best amp I've ever played... (Read 8483 times)

crispsandwich · « **on:** June 14, 2006, 08:27:19 PM »

A Laney VC15. Plugged in my Bareknuckle loaded Richwood Strat (Trilogy Suite neck, Mother's Milk middle and Nailbomb bridge) and it was the best tone I've ever had. I've never sounded so good :P. The pickups REALLY shone through that amp. Classic rock? No problem. Jazz? Easy as pie. Blues? Wow. Classic Strat tones were there in abundance too. Finally I realise what all the fuss with valve amps is about. I've played many a valve amp and hybrid amp and I've never been impressed enough to stray from modelling amps (because of the versatility) but today was an epiphany. Absolutely fecking wonderful amp. I reckon with a good overdrive pedal I'll be able to get any tone I can think of. The 10" Jensen speaker was so clear and warm. Excellent clarity and note definition, even at high gain settings (which wasn't really high gain, admittedly, but it was high gain enough for Marshall/Mesa crunch type tones). The reverb was outstanding too. Nice and subtle, but definetly there, if you know what I mean. Exactly how I like it.

At 300GBP I really reckon these amps are a steal. And did I mention that all these tones were at bedroom level? That's what amazed me most.

Roll on payday!

-Danny :)

dave_mc · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2006, 09:59:38 PM »

^ don't want to make you feel bad, but you can get them for £250- I'd have told you if you'd asked before buying it... :( EDIT: ah, you didn't buy it yet- www.gak.co.uk sells it for £250, and the vc30 for £300 (which seems like great value for the 30)

but anyway, I'm half looking into those laney vc's- they seem to be good value, but I haven't got to try them yet.

How loud is it? crankable at home? (i assume not, and if not, I'd probably just go for the 30 watter, since it has a 12" speaker, and would be more versatile because of the extra volume/headroom available)

Have you tried the vc30?

Am I right in thinking that it sounds a little like a vox ac30?

:drink:

_tom_ · « **Reply #2 on:** June 14, 2006, 10:03:24 PM »

I always thought the VC models were the higher gain ones out of the LC/VC models... obviously not :P I'm interested in em though, saving up all my money and selling old gamecube and games to get enough for a new amp 8)

chrisola · « **Reply #3 on:** June 14, 2006, 10:06:33 PM »

£l80 on ebay ;)

crispsandwich · « **Reply #4 on:** June 14, 2006, 10:20:18 PM »

It can sound very AC30ish on the drive channel. It sounds very Fendery on the clean channel. I'd have to try the VC30. It has a cheapo speaker in it from what I can gather (as opposed to the VC15's Jensen which sounds wonderful) and I don't think it'd sound amazing at low levels like the VC15. I actually prefer the 10" speaker in the Laney to all the amps I tried with 12" speakers. The tone was wonderful and glassy, very clear, not ice-picky in the slightest and it was LOUD if needed. Can't wait to try it with a pedal in front!

But yeah, the VC15 is going to be the best option for me I think. I'm predominantly a bedroom player. I don't mind spending the 300 on it at my local shop as opposed to 250 (260 with delivery) on the interweb. After buying the big Behringer piece of s**t GMX212 off the internet and it sounding horrendous, I'll have the piece of mind knowing that the amp I tried will be the one I buy, and that the shop aint too far away.

crispsandwich · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2006, 10:22:14 PM »

Oh, and it has a speaker out jack, so I could always connect a 4x12 if needed :)

dave_mc · « **Reply #6 on:** June 14, 2006, 10:37:07 PM »

ah, ok, thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I tried a 15 watt fender blues junior, a 40 watt fender hot rod deluxe, and a 30 watt peavey classic 30 recently, and the blues junior sounded best- the HRD was too prisitine at the low volumes, but the peavey also sounded pretty good. I figure 30 is probably low enough to still sound good, but don't quote me on that (the HRD had 6L6's too, so the different tubes may have been the cause of the less breakup, in addition to the higher wattage).

i think the 30 does have a cheapo speaker- but I wouldn't mind swapping it for a decent one.

Meh, I'll have to try them, I suppose... :D

:drink:

EDIT: oh yeah, you could always see if your local shop would price match- that's probably the best option.

"look, i want to buy from you, but this other shop is doing it for £250..."

:drink:

JamesHealey · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2006, 09:46:31 AM »

I had a LC15R which was a great little amp, I really loved the tone of that thing with my Japanese Contemporary Strat i had at the time.. I'd love to see how that setup sounds against what i've got these days.

stratcat · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2006, 02:42:48 PM »

Had one for about 6 months now ,blinding little amp plenty loud enough,you would'nt want to play it flat out at home though ,i use mine with an M Audio tube zone (fantastic pedal) and it sounds just great.

headtheball · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2006, 04:52:28 PM »

The VC-30 2x12 is fecking dynamite. I almost bought a s/hand for 300 notes, and it'd be worth every penny. Greed has kicked in though, so I'm going tonight to buy a s/hand boogie dc-3 instead....

38thBeatle · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2006, 05:45:51 PM »

Would the VC15 be loud enough to gig- I am talking smallish venues-pubs and the like?

Davey · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2006, 05:48:25 PM »

i dont know if this applies to the VC also, but the LC sounds like utter shite loud. bedroom volume sounds awesome, but once you turn it up, its the most horrible tone EVER!

the vc30 i played through before sounds awesome at small venue levels.
and that with a marshall guvnor 2, my shyt epi SG and a duncan JB/59 combo

dave_mc · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2006, 06:51:34 PM »

^ ah, ok, I'll keep that in mind, davey.

:drink:

Davey · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2006, 07:53:56 PM »

no worries.

just be sure to play the peticular amp before you buy it and be sure to turn it UP. and i mean up.

gain past 7 and gradualy increase the volume from 3 to around 8.

if they dont let you, pack the stuff up and tell em you're not buying.

there might be nothing wrong with it and it will sound smooth as silk, but it might not. have your bases covered for when you do need to turn it up. so you dont find out it sucks completely at high volumes and then you're shite out of luck and cant return it.
i returned mine within the week of getting it, because i couldnt believe it can sound that bad loud.

but, to not shite on laney that much.. i AM going to buy a GH50L when i sell my epi. that amp sounds GODLY!

dave_mc · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2006, 10:57:38 PM »

^ yeah, i know, I'd better try that, lol.

I was just lucky that my engl did sound good when turned up. I was kind of under the (as I now know) false impression that all valve amps just sounded better cranked, and that the low volume tone was the "worst" it could sound- so if you liked it quiet, it was great!

Anyway, thanks for the save, davey- I appreciate it.

:cheers: