Laney GH100R 100W tube guitar amp head

General

Customers familiar with British company Laney's guitar amps are undoubtedly enthusiastic about this new tube amp head. For those in the know and those who aren't, this is the GH100R. It's a 100W guitar amp head with four 12AX7 preamp tubes and four EL34 power tubes for a mighty sound. What makes this amplifier really special though, is the ability to adjust the overdrive of the preamps and the power amps separately and combine their sound.

Tube power

According to Laney, the GH100R's sound is somewhere between the Ironheart and Lionheart amplifiers. This means you can expect a bit of a vintage sound and a bit of a modern sound too. Of course, you can choose how much you want of each. For instance, a classic rock sound can be set up on the first channel and lead sound on the second. With the included FS2 foot switch, changing between the two is effortless. For easy operation, both channels have a drive knob, while channel 2 has an additional volume knob. There is also a 3-band EQ as well as controls for tone, output and digital reverb. Some of the controls feature push/pull functionality for even more options.

Hidden from view

While the front of the amp is where you'll find most of the controls, the back is just as important. Of course, an amp head needs a cabinet and the GH100R has connection possibilities for 4, 8 and 16-Ohm versions. There's also a balanced D.I. output, should you wish to connect directly to a mixing desk, with the possibility to emulate a speaker cabinet. Effects pedals can be added via the FX loop and there's even an aux input for connecting an external sound source so that you can play along with your favourite songs.