Conference napalm::guitar

	What is it with Laney Amps?  Are they any good?  Down at the Shrewsbury
Daddy's they have a seemingly steady supply of used Laneys for sale.  Is it just
coincidence or is everyone dumping them?

	Dan

    	As I remember Laney's only sound good with tone full tilt,and loud.
    I would think that a more versatile amp would be worth your $$$$$$
    
    							Rick

                           
       The only problem I've had with my Laney, was in the pre-amp
    circuit area. The tech said a defect he's seen a lot of was caused by
    Laney using only one resistor at one spot, which he remedied by putting 
    another resistor of equal value, in series with the other. (could have been
    parallel, I don't remember) Other than that, I've had no problems.
    And it sounds good to me, whether it's cranked, or way down low, which
    it is seldom that it is, cause I like it real loud. So your ears ring
    for days on end. 
    
    Bob 

    I'll 2nd the fact that I think Laney's sound like a mosquito unless
    they're cranked up.  When they're loud, they have a nice tone, but
    I think they're too buzzy and thin other wise.  Also, I think their
    active tone controls are poor in design...when you boost a freq,
    it overshadows all the other freq!  Try pulling the bass boost out on
    one to see what I mean!

re: buck's reply 

What he said!

My local has a Pro tube 50 and a 100...both soudn great cranked and wimpy
down  low...

dbii

Yessir.  Buck,Guy,Joe and Neil might back me up on this.

I used one last Halloween at the Northboro FaG.  It was cool.  I had a killer
tone that night...At least I thought it sounded good.  My first performance
with my MP1.  From what I remember, my ever-present dive bombs cut right thru
on the low end.

One of the complaints I have about my bastardized Marshall 2x12's is they
tend to get mushy on the low string dive bombs.  Not much cabinet there, ya 
know.

j'submarine'c

BTW - It was a 4x12...

And Alan Starr might have some input too, since he played thru my 
rig that night.

jc 

    The cabs seem to have lotza low end...don' tcare much for their heads
    (personally), but Blues was getting a mean tone out of his rig last 
    night!!!
    
    B.

Sheeesh... Now I'm thinking that I played thru a Carvin cab...

What *was* that cab ??

Nope, it WAS a Laney.  I have a pic of it right here.
It rocked.

;)

jc (Who is confused today ;)

    Regarding .0  It wasn't that long ago that you were raving about
    your Rivera amp. Is the Rivera rig being obsoleted ?
    I haven't seen it listed in the for sale note, yet !
    
    What's the scoop, are you regretting having bought the Rivera ?
    I would have thought that an $1800 amp would be the "end-all"
    
    Mark
    

$1800 !

<phwapp>

    -1
    
    But it seems as if dbii is converting from his Rivera to a KH/Perfect
    Connection setup!
    
    

Metaltronix rooolz.

jc (Who is a mortified rack puke)

    I still like my solid wood cab. Better. Pump it up sounds like a cello.

    Dave's looking to lightening his load. His back can't take the tonnage
    of the Rivera anymore, so he's gonna build a 'one-hand' rack -- Kitty,
    Quadraverb, SP1000. First hand, his Testa->SP1000->Laney 2x12
    ***ROCKED***! Solid brass balls! Geez, even I sounded like I might have
    a clue. (He *was* forcing me to play loudly in public. How mortifyin'
    8^>)
    
    --Chuck

 
Yeah what he said...

The Rivera went into the local want ads this week...

Since my auto accident I can no longer deal with a 100lb rack mount, my back
isn't/won't_ever_be the same. The Rivera isn't obsolete at all, I spent a day
proving that it made every sound the Quattro makes (and more, and cleaner). 
The Kitties on the other hand are lightweight, much more flexable for stage
use (instant accessability to 4 different sounds vs 2) and the metaltronix
sp-1000 gives me exactly the same tone I get using the Rivera as a power amp
(Kitty preamp) but nearly 50lbs lighter and 1/4 the rack space and more power.

If I could afford it I'd keep the Rivera for studio work as it's much less
noisy than the Kitties I have but I'm not that well heeled...

I'm gonna lose a bit on the Rivera that's life...I can use it as a write off
on next years taxes...

dbii 

    
    I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Laney's are excellent amps.
    
    I talked to Blues Sareceno about his gear, and he told me he uses Laney
    heads exclusively, but is more concerned about the speaker in the cab,
    than the cabinet. He uses 4 25 watt celestions in his cabs, and has
    Marshall, and Peavey enclosures. Sounds great.
    
    Vinnie Moore also uses, and endorses Laney's. Last nights show at the 
    Channel was incredible. Not only does he reproduce the killer licks
    from his album, note for note (as far as my ears could tell), but gets
    that great sound live, with a minimum of effects. Incredible!!!
    
    Bob

    I'll say it again...Laney sounds GREAT...L O U D.
    
    Ask Charlie Farren.
    
    Both Vinnie and Blues play LOUD onstage...yeah, I agree they both had
    GREAT tones, but at a volume most sound engineers would chew your ear
    off for if you tried to do that in a club (full band w/vocals)!
    
    Buck, who was at both shows, agreed they sounded great, never saw Mr.
    Shallow there, and still plays Marshalls.
    
    PS - LOVE the notes p_n!

    
    That's cause I was there disguised as Jeffrey P. Raymond. 
    
    Maybe it's just my set-up. The Kramer, into the DSP 4, in the loop from
    the Laney. Into the Peavey cab with 4 25 watt celetions. (Bought it from
    Dave Parker, who's playing at Sneakers, in Salisbury, the 29th, around
    3:00, for those of you who be wondering what the Bolz are up to.) So with
    the input/output controls on the DSP, I can keep the volume low, and it
    sounds good. Ask Robby Barton, at the finals. 
    
    Bob

    -1
    
    Dude,
    
    Are the Peavey cabs coming stock with 25wt Celestions?!?!?
    
    Heck, *I'd* even buy one then!

I beleive that Peavy cabs come stock with either Black Widows or Scorpians
(std or plus).  I'm not sure what the VTM cabs have in them, but I'll assume
they are BW's.

FWIW - I've had Peavy cabs and Peavy speakers in my rig since I started playing.
I think they are great speakers...Although they are NOT celestions.  They 'feel'
a lot 'harder' than celestions...More like JBLs or EV.  Real clean; especially 
the Black Widows.

I've got Peavy Scorpian+'s in my Marshall 2x12's, plus I have/had two 4x12
peavy cabs with regular scorpians in them.  I'm pretty happy.

jc

    Just got off the plhone with a Peavey dealer and he said that the VTM
    Series cabs are loaded with 25wt Celestions!

What are they going for??  I'd even think about coughing up for a Peavey 
with those speakers.

Greg

    Think about it - it's no more than a box, but the SPEAKERS make the
    difference, Peavey or not ...
    
    Scary (who'd LOVE to trade his Marshall 4x12" for a Marshall 4x10"
    slant)

    >Scary (who'd LOVE to trade his Marshall 4x12" for a Marshall 4x10"
    >slant)
    
    Really?  Lets talk!

    
    Ooops! It's a Digitec MSP 4, sorry...
    
    I don't know if the cab came stock, but no one can tell it's a Peavey
    unless they're looking for it. As far as cabinets, is there really a
    big difference from one model to the next? It's the speakers that make
    the difference, right?
    
    And isn't it all a matter of personal preference? If it sounds good,
    and it's in my price range, why not? 
    
    Mr. Defensive
    
    

Absotlutely !
Ifin' ya likes it, buy it !

Sometimes I feel bad for folks that come in here and say "I'm a beginner,
and I'm looking for a guitar and amp"....

The next twenty replies are "Get a Ibanez JEM777 and a rack dude."

;)

>The next twenty replies are "Get a Ibanez JEM777 and a rack dude."

Then stop saying that, dude!

Isn't just me !

I try not too...But I wouldn't mind having one...
jc

    
    Re:17
    
    Buck,
    
    I spoke to Dave Parker at the BBGC, and he said they were not stock. He
    got the 25 watt speaker from a mid 70's Marshall cab. Not the same kind
    of 25 watt speakers as being sold in the newer Peevees. Better model.
    Where can I possibly get a replacement, if one should blow? I'd like to
    have a couple spares, just in case.
    
    Bob

    >I spoke to Dave Parker at the BBGC, and he said they were not stock. He
    >got the 25 watt speaker from a mid 70's Marshall cab. Not the same kind
    >of 25 watt speakers as being sold in the newer Peevees. Better model.
    >Where can I possibly get a replacement, if one should blow? I'd like to
    >have a couple spares, just in case.
     
    Wurlitzer or any authorized Celestion dealer should be able to get
    you replacement 25wt speakers!  
    
    Howz Dave doin anyways?  Whats he using for cabs now?!?
    
    B.

    Thanks for the info on the speakers!
    
    Dave's doing good. Still playing with the Bolz. I think he's gone to a
    Randall rack, into a couple of Crate 4X12's. He wanted to buy the PeeVee
    cab with the 25's back, but I said no dice. If I hear of him playing
    out around here, I'll post it in the local bands file.
    
    Did you check out MSG last night at Axis? REAL LOUD! Ears are still
    ringing! Great show though. They did a few from UFO, and some early
    MSG. Into the Arena was smokin!
    
    Bob 

    Yo Bob,
    
    You still have that Marshall straight cab you were selling last Nov.
    for sale?  Lookin 4 one.
    
    B.

    
    Sorry Buck, but the cab is gone. But I do have a message from Dave for
    you..."Hey Buck! I tried those JC900, and I really think they s**k!
    But that's just my humble opinion..."
    
    He's now playing through a Mesa-Boogie Studio pre-amp, a Peevee 6060
    stereo power amp, and a GSP 21. Into the crates. He wanted you to know
    that he's going into the studio on the 19th, and tentative dates for
    playing out are... The Paradise, on May 21st, and Edible Rex, on June
    14th. 
    
    Bob

    Laney in the US, MADE (not dist) by Washburn, was always the poor
    man's Marshall.  Not always so.  In the UK, in the 60's, Laney was
    great.  If anyone wants a xerox of a catalog from that time, e-mail
    me.
    
    Jay Tashjian
    

    
    Actually, I'd better not ask for a copy of the old cataloge - I'll
    probably see pictures of my Laneys!!!!
    
    8^)

    		I have a 88 Laney 100 watt and I love the sound!
    	So much more crunch than a Marshall straight out without 
    	using pre drivers or overdrivers.
    			
    		
    Pierre who owned a Marshall before!

    OK folks ... I'm onto a `deal' again ...
    
    I'm looking at a Laney AOR Pro-Tube combo.  I haven't seen it or heard
    it, so my information is kinda limited.  The salesman said it has 1 12"
    speaker, and that it was probably 50W.  It's new (never been sold) but
    it's been sitting in the store for at least 3 years !  They had it
    marked at $700 or something outrageous like that - willing to trade
    even for a Crate 4x12 with celestions ...
    
    Anybody have any comments on this thing ?  Anyone heard one ?  Any info
    at all would be a great bargaining tool ...  thanks !
    
    
    Scary ... 

      _    /|   
      \'o.O'    
      =(___)=   Aack!!!
         U      
    
    Put it this way, I'd go buy ANY Fender or Marshall tube combo before
    I'd invest the bucks into a LAMEy combo!  I just hate the tone they
    give (too much of everything).

    Here's the deal tho' ...
    
    I've got a Crate 4x12 that's brand_spankin' new, loaded with 50W
    Celestions .... I can't give it away !  I have no use for it at all. 
    The music store that has the Laney has the slant cab to match mine and
    would be willing to swap even for it so they'd have a stack.  They've 
    also got a KMD combo and some sort of Fender Champ re-issue something
    or other that they'd trade even as well.  I'll still use my GP-8 in
    front of it anyway, so who knows.  It's not a matter of bucks at all.
    If I had the dinero to buy the Laney, I'd probably look at a used Twin
    or Marshall combo.  Speakers really aren't too big an issue either,
    because I've got an ancient Marshall 4x12 with 100W Celestions - I
    could always snatch one of those guys out.
    
    Scary (pondering possibilities ...)

    
    Insert a big "Hmmmmmmmm" <HERE>

    Is that a good `hmmmmmmmmm' or a bad `hmmmmmmmm' ?
    
    Scary_mon

    I think the AOR combo was a 30 watter, wasn't it?
    
    Wadda I know, I play bass...

    a confused Hmmmmm

    The AOR models came in several power ratings.  I've seen both 50 and
    100 watt versions.
    
    Personally if I had that choice I'd take the Laney over either the KMD
    (bad sounding from all reports I've heard, certainly not very popular)
    or the Fender Champ (not worth that much money to me).
    
    Greg

    
    
    
    
    
    	Scary, use your 4x12 cab to rebuild 4 small Fender amps with blown
    speakers and make a bundle... yuck.... hmmmm... wait a minute that's
    not a bad idea..
    
    	Here's the only piece of feedback I have on Laneys... my local
    store has 2 100 watt tube heads (yep, I know, a hell of a lot different
    from a combo) and they keep crapping out.. you'll be playing right
    along and they die, I think Al (the owner) has tried to get them fixed,
    but nobody has a clue as to what the hecks wrong with them....
    BEWARE...
    
    Gree Vee

Scary, your the most fickle doo I have ever met.  Sheeesh.

:)

    FWIW - I've got the little beast sitting right here.  This is one of
    the rare moments since I brought it home for the weekend that it hasn't
    been in use.  I love it !  Keep in mind, my previous combo was a 12W
    Peavey with a 8" speaker and numerous electrical problems (hey, I got
    it for nothing, can't really complain ...).
    
    The AOR series comes in 50W and 100W versions, mine is a 50Watter into
    1 12" Fane speaker.  It's got seperate preamps for clean and dirty
    tone.  Pull/boost pots for treble/bass/mid.  The reverb is real nice
    too.  I haven't tried the GP-8 into it yet, no real need to.
    
    Tone wise, it's very Fender-ish on the clean side, which is what I was
    after in the first place.  The distortion is sorta buzzy, but a lot of
    that comes from my strat - not a high gain set_up, ya know ?
    
    The list price is $999 for the 50W version, so I could nab a new one
    for $600.  This one is about 3 years old, but it's never been sold -
    been sitting on the back shelf unused all those years.  I think it'll
    suit my needs very nicely !   8^)
    
    Scary  

    I took the Laney AOR 50W combo to a jam session tonight, and I can't
    wipe the smile off my face !  I could go on for 200 lines about how
    sweet this little amp sounded.  I'll spare you the gorey details, but
    in short, for the blues tone, you need a Strat (with plenty of
    fingerprints ...) a Tube Screamer, and this Laney.  Oh yeah, and you
    might need a couple decent patch cords.   8^)
    
    Pat !  Care to give an unbiased review of this mighty mouse ?  If ya
    don't, I'll spill the beans about your PittyHawk ... heh heh heh ...
    
    
    Scary (who can't blink his eyes ...)

    I need one of you UK noters to do me a favor ...
    
    I need a knob for my Pro Tube combo, and there is NOBODY around here
    that is an authorized dealer.  Anyone care to try and scare one up for
    me ?   8^)
    
    I also saw a recent copy on a Musicians Friend yesterday, and they're
    selling these amps for $649, list for $999 !!!!  Sheeesh .... it's a
    killer little amp, but not *that* killer ...
    The add gave me more info about it than the dealer where I bought it
    was able to - the concept of `cascading preamps' makes a little more
    sense now.
    
    Scary

    Am I the *only* noter in here that's using a Laney these days ?
    
    Anyhow, I've finally got "the tone" dialed in on my ProTube combo.  The
    distortion channel was a little harsh for me, so I've replaced that
    with an Ibanez Tube Screamer Classic - the ultimate in dirty blues. 
    The clean voice was always perfect for me, but it needed a little push
    for leads.  Enter the Washburn EQ ... little boost here, little boost
    there, and next thing ya know ol' Jed's a millionaire !
    
    With this combination of amp/stomps, it'd scare the bejesus out of
    *any* Fender ... 8^)
    
    Jerry

    >Am I the *only* noter in here that's using a Laney these days ?
    
    Yeah, the rest of us are either Rack_Pukes (god forbid!) or using
    the M-Word!

    Re: .55
    
    Speak fer yerself, I still proudly wave the Traynor flag  8^)  8^)
    
    						Gunther Toody wannabe

    
    Yo Scary,
    
    I used to, but then I upgraded to a Marshall  8^)

    No, you settled for a Marshall ...

    re .56
    
    	Oh so thats a Traynor hiding inside that 1962 Fender Bassman cab
    eh?
    
    	Hmmm,.. had me fooled
    
    			;-)
    	
    								/Bill
    
    	

    >And Buck, you play a P word now...
    
    SSssssssssssssssssssssh!  We don't talk about it!!
    ;')

    I wouldn't talk about it either...

    Re: .59
    
    Yeah, but when I had to face off Buck in Frank Rene's basement, only
    the best would do...Traynor, eh!!
    
    						Brian

RE: Talking about the P word

I would admit it.  I went back into ProSound and plugged back into it.
Damn - that things volume even makes ME smile...Sounds pretty good too.
:)

    Guys, this is a LANEY note....and Scary's is an air mover...I was
    impressed...like the KH combos, I didn't  know you could carry that much 
    horsepower around in one hand.
    
    S

    re .54
    
   Hold on there Jerry White!
    >>With this combination of amp/stomps, it'd scare the bejesus out of
      *any* Fender ... 8^)
    
    
    How in the hell you gonna act? Now I know "u a dam foo boyah". I'll
    take my "The Twin" anyday. My Fender ain't scared of nuthin (but I would 
    like to hear a comparison)
    
    
    "sakman" 

    It's a mighty mouse for sure.  I tell ya though, Pat's KH had the
    perfect clean tone ... up until I got my Laney.  As far as overdrive
    goes, I'd use a Tube Screamer regardless of what kind of amp I used, it
    even sounded good going into my old rack rig.
    
    This amp compliments my style perfectly, that's why I'm so up on it. 
    Not trying to imply that it'll slay any other combo, but for my needs,
    it's lacking nothing.
    
    Jerry

	The fact is - Jerry is a happy camper with his "no emission control"
	rig.  That's what counts.  'Course, he'd probably be awful damn 
	happy with the Twin tone/reverb as well (don't forget the TS).

	-pat

    Probably true ... a fellow band mate had a 60W 4x10 "super something"
    that I loved for it's clean tone.  I'll have to say though, that I've
    yet to hear an amp, tube or not, that can match the warmth provided by
    the Tube Screamer.  The Laney does this nicely when the clean channel
    is slightly overdriven, but you lose your clean then ...
    
    Jerry

    FWIW,.. I think the tne coming out of the tube screamer is kaka
    compared to any decent amp...
    
    As for "losing your clean",.. thats what channel switching is for..
    
    								/Bill
    

Yeah - I gotta agree with /Bill here...

I used to be a MAJOR stomp box floozy, and while the TS I 
had (a *real* one) was okay, it was just a "fixer up".  It 
added to - but created well, not much.  

However, I bet it does an EXCELLENT job on the Laney - like
I said a "fixer upper".  FWIW - Laney's that I've heard SCREAMED
for that metal sound...  Hubba,hubba.  :)

    The Laney will blister when cranked.  Plenty of crunch and nastiness,
    even using a strat !  But that's NOT where my tone is at.  The Laney
    uses cascading pre-amps, so you can't effectively have a clean/dirty
    channel difference, even though it does do switching.  For what I do,
    having a pristine clean channel, using the TS for dirt, and the EQ to
    boost either one for lead work, is better than sex with half the mess.
    
    At a gig this past weekend, several musician buddies were blown away by
    the Laney/TS combo.  "I never knew Laney's sounded like that !" was
    heard more than once.  But hey, it ain't for everybody, so please be
    happy that I'm happy ... 8^)
    
    Jerry                        

	Bill, I think the TS is just fine for low gain applications.  My KH
	overdrive tones blow it away (of course), but try a LP or ES with the
	TS and you have a very classic, warm, tubular tone IMO.

	-pat

	besides, SRV and EJ use the sh!t outta 'em and sound nice to me.

    Yeah,.. I know,.. just my humble opinion and all that. To each
    their own,. if you guys are happy,. more power to ya..
    
    Variety,.. the spice of life eh?
    
    							/Bill
    

    RE: using a TS with an ES or LP.....
    
    AMEN!
    
    Bulldawg (using the LP, TS, Dean Markley "no emmission controls" rig
    and loving it)

    The PT30 30wt model SMOKES !!!!!!
    
    Those of you who said that Laneys sound good full blast;  Righ-TOE!
    And the 30wt model is not powerful enough to cause TOO much damage.
    But it also smokes thru a pair of 4x12's for an 8 ohm load...Plus some
    PRESSURE!
    
    I'm wicked psyched.  It's got the gain my old Marshalls lacked, 
    but is still warm enough to play the strat thru.  And it's reverb
    is pretty nice, like my buddy Scary mentioned before.
    
    Best of all ??  the guts of the thing will slide right into my rack
    with an adaptor kit.  :)
    :)
    
    jc
    
    

    
    
             Has anybody out there had any experiance with Laney guitar
    heads, (not combo's, I've allready owned two). What I like about the
    Laney gear is the clean channel, and the reverb(jc will agree to that).
    I need something around 50 watts, but will go to 100 if I have to. I
    just DON'T want something that has to be on 10 all the time to sound
    good. I have owned a Linebacker and the AOR 30 watter and was happy
    with them, but want something that will go louder if needed. I think
    the Laney heads are made in 50, 80, and 100 watt versions but am not 
    sure. 50 would be awsome! I have played many amps and have come to the
    the conclusion that if it don't have tubes, it just does'nt have the
    tone I'm looking for. Gee, anybody want to trade a Crate G120C head for 
    a tube head? 
    
    
                  Clicking my heals(there's no tone like tubes, there's no
    tone like tubes)
    
                           Jeff

    Saw a new model Laney combo in the stores the other day, the VC30.
    It looks to be Laney's cut at a modern AC30 style amp.  All tube,
    4 x EL84s, 2 channels with reverb and efx loop, either 1x12 or 2x10
    speaker configurations.  The cab styling was a clear nod to the Vox
    AC30 but with some of 60's Laney vibe as well.
    
    The sticker (at Wurlitzers) was $479.  This could be a real nice little
    amp.  Anyone heard one?  (I didn't have time).   Any idea where these
    are made?  There was a lot of talk in the accompanying literature about
    "British" but the price makes me think Far East.
    
    /rick

    RE: Laney's new AC30 design-a-like
    
    Rick,
    	Did it have "trem"???
    
    ;^)
    
    	Fred (who's hopeless)

    Sorry no, surf dude
    

    
       Sounds like Scary's old amp.   Nice. 
                                  

    Among other things, I plugged into one of the new Laney VC30 combos.
    This one had a single 12", they also make a 2x10" version.
    
    The Laney reminds me of nothing as much as a British version of the
    Fender Blues Deluxe.  Both amps have pretty much the same features;
    clean channel with reverb, bright switch, switchable crunch channel
    with independent gain and volume control, effects loop.  They're about
    the same size, price, weight (nice and light for a gig-able combo) and
    generate about the same level of sound.
    
    Where the Fender uses a pair of 6L6's, the Laney uses a quartet of
    EL-84s in the power section, just like the venerable AC30.  Given that,
    I was hoping for a bright chimey Vox clean sound, but the Laney didn't
    quite deliver.  It was pretty good, but not as good as the Vox.  Also,
    it was tough to get enough volume in the clean channel; things started to
    get dirty before they really got loud enough.  By comparison, the Blues
    Deluxe pumps pretty good in the clean mode and delivers lots of nice
    fat Fender clean tone.  Score one for the Yanks.
    
    In overdrive mode however, it was a different story.  The Laney really
    shined hear.  Bright, thick British crunch with plenty of variation as you
    turned the gain knob.  You could get nice Tom Petty-ish overdrive all
    the way to very rude, snarling stack sounds.  The Fender's overdrive
    seems tame by comparison; it gets a good medium blues-rock dirt but
    never really gets outrageous, even at full tilt on the controls.
    Score one for the Brits.
    
    I think Laney would have a real winner here if they could get a little
    more volume and shimmer out of their clean channel.  Even so, it was
    still different enough from the usual Fender sound to be interesting.
    And the overdrive mode on this pup is terrific.  Actually, you couldn't
    go wrong with either the Laney or the Fender if you were looking for
    a nice, good-sounding, flexible, inexpensive tube combo.  Choosing
    one or the other would probably just come down to how you take your
    tea :-)
    
    Oh yeah, and the back of the chassis says "Made in England by Laney".
    Who knew?
    
    /rick
    

    	I hear there's now a 50watt version of this amp. Has anyone tried
    it , if so whats it like volume wise. It does have a rather cool
    looking extension cab so I was hoping it would be pretty loud. Thinkin
    of buyin one of these but havnt tried one yet.
    	
    	J..

    I read in a recent issue of Guitar World (i think) a very good review
    on these amps. Not bad price -wise either. THe mag ran down all of the
    new tube combo's out there right now. Good article.
    Also praised the Fender Blues Deluxe at $599, 1x12 or 2x10, i thought a
    real steal. Called my local Fender rep and a friend of mine who happens
    to work there said they were coming back for repair all the time.Any
    body else hear anything about this??? 
    
    -kev

    	Well ,I'm buying one of the VC50's . It's gonna cost me 595 pounds
    from the Flying Pig Music Co. which was the cheapest price it Britain
    for this combo.
    	These babies are a bit thin on the ground and its not gonna be
    delivered until september which is a long time to wait but after trying
    the VC30 the 50's gonna be a gem.
    	I'll do a demo when I get it but its gonna be a while
    	jzm..

    OK , I got my VC50 combo and it sounds amazing and seems to have more
    features than any amp I've ever seen.
    	Just one problem ,when on the clean channel there is a pronounced
    hiss ,even when i'm touching the strings . You cant here the hiss when
    playing but it seems to be quite loud in comparison with when the over
    drive channel is on, ie there is hardly any hiss when this channel
    which seems a bit strange as there is usually more hiss on the
    distorted channel of a switchable amp.....
    	Could it be the tubes and if so what can I do cos most of these
    notes say not to poke around in the back of tube amps...
    	Pls help cos apart from this the amp is unbeleivable
    
    	cheers j.

    SIDE NOTE: 
    
    I don't have an answer to the question, but I've
    been looking at amps lately, and I'm wondering
    whether there is such thing as a hum-free tube
    amp? The hum I'm referring to is audible as 
    soon as the amp comes up, without the guitar
    even plugged in.  And I believe it increases
    as the volume is turned up. 
    
    Is this a function of the tube quality, or is
    it present no matter how new the tubes are, and 
    in all tube amps?  Are some brands known for
    more hum than others?   
    
    Dave
                         

    You could also swap the tubes from the clean channel with tubes
    from the overdrive channel. If it's a bad tube, the hum will
    move to the other channel. Most likely, the overdrive channel 
    will have more tubes than the clean channel. The clean channel
    will most likely have 2 12AX7's and the overdrive channel will
    have 3 or more 12AX7's. 
    
    Swapping preamp tubes is never a problem since there is no bias
    adjustment associated with preamp tubes. Only power tubes are
    affected by bias. If the hum doesn't move when you swap tubes
    around, then the problem is a capacitor. 
    
    Mark

    I'll try swapping the pre-amp tubes.....
    	Can I just yank these things out and swap them around without
    messing up the amp or myself ,this might seem quite simple but I've
    always been solid state and dont know much about these things.
    	If I cant do anything about the hum I'll keep it anyway cos it
    sound better than anything I've heard before , its now tubes forever
    	Cheers J.

    As long as the amp is unplugged, there is no danger in pulling
    the preamp tubes. You don't have the huge caps with several 
    hundred volt potential to bleed off like you do with power 
    tubes. Make sure you pull them straight out, and be very careful
    plugging them back in. Make sure you view the tube socket and 
    make sure all of the pins are straight and the tube is oriented
    properly. 
    
    Mark

    
    	Am I the only one who noticed that this note's title is spelled
    	incorrectly?
    

It actually sounds like there are two "things" being discussed here: hum and
hiss.

Hum in an amplifier is usually the result of a failing or failed component.
The most common exampled are filter caps and tube shorts.  (There are other
possibilitied, but they are much less common.)  Both of these are one reason
why some (many?) high end tube Hi-Fi amps use DC for the tube filaments.

Hiss in an amplifier is usually the result of excessive gain in a particular
stage (pre-amp, driver, poert-amp, etc.)  It can also be the result of using
components that may not be of the highest quality.  The level of hiss is
most often the result of practical considerations.  In other words, you can
buy really high end (expensive $$$) components, but would any one really pay
the mony for the (possibly minor) reduction in hiss.

The more stages you have in the pre-amp (usually, but not always indicated
by the number of tubes for a particular channel), the greater the gain and
the more likely hiss is to be a problem.

As for pulling tubes, I would recommend doing it with the amp off and
unplugged.  Pre-amp tubes and may driver tubes can simply be swapped with
another tube of the same type.  Power-amp tubes, on the other hand, will
usually a bias check and perhaps a adjustment.

Another malady of tubes is excessive microphonics.  This is usually a problem
with pre-amp tubes, but not always.  (Most noticable because of the high gain
seen in the pre-amp stages.)  A simple test is to tap the suspect tube with
the eraser end of a pencil, a chop stick, or some other thin wood (or other
NON-CONDUCTING substance) implement.  The more microphonic the tube is, the
more of the tapping you will hear in the speaker.

- Mark

    Well , I've tried tapping the tubes , no noise at all .
    	I havnt pulled the tubes yet but I'm gonna try it tonite cos its
    annoying me now .You pay 700 quid for a brand new amp and its a bit
    dodgy..... nightmare. I'll get it sorted out though cos the rest of it
    is way cool. 
    	If anyone gets the chance to try one of these combo's , do so ,
    you'll definetely be impressed..
    	yes the spelling is wrong but I dont think I'll be able to say or
    spell ampilifier properly until mine is perfect.
    
    	j.

    I've always loved the Marshall (and others) tube sound, but was put off
    by the hum and noize.  So I didn't buy one.
    
    Then I finally tried the Quad-X (Carvin).  It's the quietest preamp of
    it's type - especially since the 4th channel has 5 tubes in series in
    it.  The noise gate works like a charm too.
    
    The only problem is you generally can't try one out - it's catalog.
    But if they can do it, some of the other modern designes should too.  
    I have trouble believing that a tube amp *has* to hum.
    Mike
     
    
    

It's the power stage that hums dood - preamps don't have a power stage.
:-)

>    The only problem is you generally can't try one out - it's catalog.

Hmm - I tried one.  Liked it too...Even if it ain't MIDI.  :-)

    I wondered if it could be the earthing on my house that would cause
    this hum/hiss cos I've tried the tubes and its not them , suppose I
    could take it elsewhere and try it.	
    
    J.

    I have an Ampeg VT60, 6l6's, has the same problem on the clean channel.
    Has 2 other channels, crunch and lead, these dont make half the hisssss
    that you get out of the clean channel.  Took it to the repair shop,
    said there was nothing they could to it.  SUX.  It sits in the garage
    now.  Went and bought a Rivera Hundred Duo Twelve, big bucks (for me
    anyway).  This is what it's all about.  Clean all the way up, dirt for
    days, doesn't get any better, except maybe 2.
    
    Later
    RJ

    If'n youze guys with noisey amps are in the Central Mass area, I
    suggest you look up ole Niel Orsi. Last I heard Niel was doing amp
    repairs full-time. Niel knows his stuff, especially when it comes
    to tube amps. If Niel can't quiet those tubes down, no one can.
    
    There is really no reason why an amp can't be (slightly) modified
    to eliminate hum/hiss. It's a simple matter of isolating the noise
    and filtering it out. It may have a subtle affect on the voicing
    of the amp, but if the amp is collecting dust, it sounds like it
    would be the right thing to do.
    
    Anyone in here have a number for Niel?
    
    Mark

    Neals Amp Shop	508-792-2944
    

re: .101

    If'n youze guys with noisey amps are in the Central Mass area, I
    suggest you look up ole Niel Orsi. 

Actually, that would be spelled "Neil".

-Hal

    Actually, I need to call Neil myself. I've got an old Black-face
    Fender VibraChamp that needs his help. 
    
    I'll have to get a round tuit, as the amp is getting quite dusty.
    
    Mark