Just tried the new Laney Nexus tube head.

[G-bitch]

Just nipped into the local shop to pick up an Akai unibass (had the last one in the shop!) and found that they'd got some new bass gear in. All they ever used to stock was sh*tty low end Laney gear so imagine my surprise when I see a stack of Markbass amps and some new Laney stuff - including their new 400w all valve beast!

Anyway, asked if I could try it out...
"you thinking of buying it?"
"no, not at all"
"sorry mate but that's a £3k rig there so if you're not interested I...."
"go on - I just want to see how it sounds compared to my old Ampeg"
"yeah, no worries, I'll just come over and set it up."

It was running through a matching Laney 810 - gave it about a 15 minute workout, mainly the pre-amp/eq sections to see what range of tones it had. KT88's in the power section though is what really sets the sound.

f***ing. Awesome. Sounding. Amp.

Now I'm hardly a valve amp Afficiondo like some folks but I preferred this to the Trace V4 and V6 that I've tried (mostly a pre-amp thing) and it'd win over an SVT too for me I reckon.... and I love Ampegs. Really warm and punchy but very versatile too. I am officially impressed.

[url="http://www.laney.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod=nexus-tube"]http://www.laney.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod=nexus-tube[/url]

[MB1]

MB1.

You just mentioned Ampeg and Laney in the same sentence!

[G-bitch]

Seriously - I hope that people do not approach this head with that kind of brand prejudice, it's an absolutely beast that is well worthy of comparison with the best heads out there.

[MB1]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='84431' date='Nov 6 2007, 02:39 PM']Seriously - I hope that people do not approach this head with that kind of brand prejudice, it's an absolutely beast that is well worthy of comparison with the best heads out there.[/quote]

MB1.

On Commision eh?

[G-bitch]

No, just shocked 'cos I thought it'd be a very average amp - I mean, it's a Lany FFS!

[john_the_bass]

i use laney valve guitar amps and for the money, i don't think you can beat em
if it's as good as the guitar stuff, it should be bloody brilliant.

£3k though?

[Buzz]

Laney do good valve guitar amps though don't they? I know people don't rave about the solid state stuff for bass, but if their guitar valve heads are where their expertise is, I'd expect the bass one to be half decent.

Roughly £1300 isn't bad for a 400 watt all valve head to be fair.

Edited November 6, 2007 by Buzz

[G-bitch]

£3k was just the shop guy's bullshit.

The £1300 tag puts it squarely alongside SVT's, Mesa's and other companies with good reps though - if they just could've shaved a couple of hundred quid to say 'look at me' it might have worked. Wonder if all these new models is part of their 40th anniversary shake up?

[MB1]

MB1.

A guitarist in a band i used to play in, used to be able to get Chris Moyles on his laney combo!and various local taxi firms.Must admit it made rehearsals most amusing!.Ive always seen Laney at the cheaper end of the scale,they do have a lot to prove and theres a lot of competition in that area.

[G-bitch]

They always have been the cheap end of the scale for bass - their guitar stuff however, is quite different, one of my favourite heavy guitar sounds I've heard live came from a Laney head. They're based about a 5 minute walk around the corner from where I used to rehearse; should have been practising my breaking and entering shouldn't i?

Edited November 6, 2007 by G-bitch

[MB1]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='84479' date='Nov 6 2007, 04:01 PM']They always have been the cheap end of the scale for bass - their guitar stuff however, is quite different, one of my favourite heavy guitar sounds I've heard live came from a Laney head. They're based about a 5 minute walk around the corner from where I used to rehearse; should have been practising my breaking and entering shouldn't i? [/quote]

MB1.

Youll have to get one of those New Type Hoodies and a Gun case from Maplins.

[Rich]

I had one of the Laney Pro Bass 4x10 combos for yonks, the Trace-alike ones with the 11-band graphic and pre-shape and so on. It was absolutely brilliant, let me down just once in 12 years of gigs and that was only a dry joint... nothing but praise for it.

[paul, the]

I had a Laney 410 that was very nice. It's their SS heads I have a problem with.

Has anyone else had any reliability issues with Laney?

[d-basser]

it took me a couple of combos to get one that worked, but the second had got beaten up in the shop. the first though just cut out on me

[Wil]

Think Billy Gould from Faith No More used a Laney all tube head? If so, I'm intrigued, as his tone was awesome.

[LukeFRC]

went to look at the laney website. look at the pictures, bottom right of the back, is that a computer input?

[ahpook]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='84720' date='Nov 7 2007, 12:57 AM']went to look at the laney website. look at the pictures, bottom right of the back, is that a computer input?[/quote]


the manual lists it as the footswitch connector

[eude]

[quote name='ahpook' post='84748' date='Nov 7 2007, 08:10 AM']the manual lists it as the footswitch connector[/quote]

Yeah, my guitarist has a fancy Marshall amp with a foot controller and the connection looks like a parallel connector, like the ones we used to hook printers up before the advent of USB.

Geez that makes me sound old and I'm only 28!

Cheers,
Eude

[crumpet_tramp]

I use laney heads and i think it's an awesome head although i could use the preamp on my much more expensive ibanez i let the head do it all and hust boost the treble on my bass!

Laneys = Awesome

[TPJ]

[quote name='MB1' post='84470' date='Nov 6 2007, 03:45 PM']MB1.

A guitarist in a band i used to play in, used to be able to get Chris Moyles on his laney combo!and various local taxi firms.Must admit it made rehearsals most amusing!.Ive always seen Laney at the cheaper end of the scale,they do have a lot to prove and theres a lot of competition in that area.[/quote]
Our guitarist had the same problem in a rehearsal space...kept picking up the other bands riffs through his amp. Mind you, some of them where better than what he was playing

[rodl2005]

I don't really think picking up taxi's etc... is just low end gear- Our old rehearsal room was right in the centre of the city, & we used to get all the 'lads' chatting on their CB radio's- oh that was often VERY SAD!!!! This would come thru out Fender Twin, Marshall fjfiuf ??? can't remember-this was 1991 !!!!! Doesn't it have something to do with ppl acting as ariels -via the guitars if not earthed properly....sumink like that!

OT- GLAD to hear the Laney 400w is a good one. I'll be pushing my local into getting one in.....I, too, won't be buying it tho

[51m0n]

I used a '94 Laney G300 stereo head for years. The preamp was pretty average, although it did have a 15 and graphic and biamp & bridge outs, so really not too bad, but the power amps were definitely HH (at least in their 'DNA') and they were fine.

Having said that it did die after being stored in a very damp flat for a while, but so could anything else.

Replaced it with an MB SA450 recently and to be fair that blows it away.

[MB1]

[quote name='rodl2005' post='85233' date='Nov 8 2007, 08:10 AM']I don't really think picking up taxi's etc... is just low end gear- Our old rehearsal room was right in the centre of the city, & we used to get all the 'lads' chatting on their CB radio's- oh that was often VERY SAD!!!! This would come thru out Fender Twin, Marshall fjfiuf ??? can't remember-this was 1991 !!!!! Doesn't it have something to do with ppl acting as ariels -via the guitars if not earthed properly....sumink like that!

OT- GLAD to hear the Laney 400w is a good one. I'll be pushing my local into getting one in.....I, too, won't be buying it tho [/quote]

MB1.
I have a feeling there will be a lot of shops that may stock them but wont be selling them,if this is anything to go by.
If Sound Control can get there hands on a job lot, the price may be more acceptable.

[tempo]

Not in the market for it myself, but it does look like a nice bit of kit. Problem in the UK though is that the Marshall VBA400 is approx £400 cheaper. It may not have as many bells and whistles, but, (generalizing here) people who go for all valve heads don't need/want that.
That said, if I had unlimited funds, I'd order a Nexus today!!

[G-bitch]

To be fair, the VBA400 is OK but it's a bit woolly IMO and I don't think it quite comes up to scratch compared to SVT/400+/Orange et al.

The biggest problem is brand prejudice!

Right then - we'll all just have to wait a few years until it's discontinued and pick 'em up on blowout or second-hand when nobody knows a thing about them !

Edited November 8, 2007 by G-bitch