Laney Cub 12R - lovely amp!

[Voxman]

I don't usually rave about gear but once in a while I do find some little gems - & IMHO this is one of them.

I went yesterday to Electrohill in Palmers Green, where I took my Epi Sheraton II to have new p/ups installed. If you're in North London and haven't been, you should definitely check it out - its run by Richard Hill who's not only a very nice guy but also a proper old school qualified electrical engineer (so, if you're in the area and your amp needs servicing/repair, Richard's your man!). Whilst there I tried out the all-valve Laney Cub 12R.

This is one of the sweetest sounding amps in its class that I've played. Gloriously good tone with very nice cleans, a nice distortion & excellent playing dynamics and feel that responds beautifully to picking strength & guitar volume roll off - I tried it out with a nice Godin guitar. With a 15w and under 1w input (0.75w), it's loud enough for small club playing yet quiet enough for bedroom use whilst still being able to crank it a bit - I was just amazed at the quality of tone and the volume even at 0.75w - the tone was infectious & I couldn't put the guitar down!! In addition the reverb is nice and very usable too (digital - but surprisingly good) - it even has an FX loop (I think it's serial), 8/16 Ohm extn cab outs & I believe comes with Chinese Ruby tubes.

Plus, there are some further very nice little touches, including a built in 'tilt' stand, and as well as the traditional Bass, Mids, & Treble passive EQ, it has an additional 'Tone' control which seems to be - or at least it acts act very much like- a presence control.

At circa £225-£250 this is a lot of all valve amp for the money, and it's compact & very light to take around too.

OK, it's made in China, the cab construction and finish may vary in quality a bit, but it's still a lovely, lovely little amp! I've been very impressed with Laney customer service & support & in the UK you still get (I believe) a free 5 yr extended warranty if you register it on line - so even if there are any 'wobbles' I'm confident Laney will sort them out!

Very impressive Laney & well done to the designers!

Rich

[bclarke675]

Saw one of these at my local dealer in the States. When I get a chance, I'll play through one and see how I like it.

[Voxman]

Bought it last week - very nice little amp. Sounds fabulous with my TLST too!

[bclarke675]

I'm thinking of trading my Carvin XV112 on one, since I really don't need that much power and the weight is getting a little too much for me. Cleans on the Carvin are nice, but can't get a decent breakup without going WAY over the edge.

[One-Way]

I have watched a few clips on You tube and this is a sweet sounding amp at half the price of a Night train here in NZ. I wouldnt mind getting a head version. Having a FX loop and the 1&15 watt inputs makes this stand out from the crowd. I was thinking with an A-B switch and volume pedal you would basically have a 2 channel amp.

[Voxman]

No, it's single channel - the 1w & 15w inputs affect volume level only, not tone - so an A/B/Y is pointless.

[marcovox]

Just got one (...it all started here with a little GAS...damn)
It's a peach - I second Voxman's review except the Tone control is more about 'character' of sound, beyond +/- presence, I think. You won't be disappointed. The <1w is a godsend, beautiful breakup and dynamic control from your right hand. I'll be using this beastie for recording

[marcovox]

Hey Voxman - you got that Vintage 30 in there yet?
What's the verdict?

[Voxman]

Haven't had time yet - just back from hols so will try & do over the weekend if I can

[Voxman]

Just changed the speaker this afternoon - massive difference; makes the Cub sound huge!

http://www.laney-posse.co.uk/theposse/v ... f=1&t=3440

Rich