Iommi's Laney?

[Julia]

Suggestions for module and settings to dial in Iommi's Laney. We can do his 1990s - present sound. Yes I have the Gibson SG except in heritage cherry instead of ebony.

 

[Ampoholic]

I've been using a 1086 with a KFK-1 EQ to tweak the mids for most early Sabbath. I'm at work and unfortunately my amp isn't, but wouldn't THAT be fun! If I remember right, the module is b noon or less, m & t are 1 to 3 o'clock. mid switch L, gain R 11-2 o'clock. I don't know what the EQ settings are but the mids are cut, flat, boosted, boosted less.

I sometimes use the modded XTC on the C# tuning stuff, but generally IF I need a boost I turn up the guitar volume. I have a Schecter C1 Classic (std tuning) with Iommi pickups that actually sounds better with the volume cut for early Sabbath.

 

[Julia]

I'm thinking of this (listen in HQ):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtdCG-TZTs

I know this is 1981.

So with the modules I've got? Brahma? SL+? or JTM w/ boost?

 

[Shinozoku]

I'd boost your JTM. Use a lot of treble, as he did use treble boosters on his old amps, and Laneys tend to have a lot of high end reminiscent of a vox, but with the lows, mids, and gain of a Marshall Super Lead. But on the JTM, try the bass a bit higher than you'd normally use it, then boost it, and make sure the module's gain is about halfway or higher.

Check out the SL+ with the bright switch and the treble up, gain about midway or a bit lower, tweak bass and mids (but bass probably around 1:00.)

 

[Julia]

Thanks. I'm totally unfamiliar with Laney's. Uh, and I have one of those boutique treble boosters with a NOS Mullard transistor.... It's the Keeley Java Boost, so kicking on the treble switch might not be necessary.

Maybe run the JTM and cascade the Keeley into a TS808? do you think that might do the trick.

 

[Shinozoku]

Maybe. But first, try cranking the gain on the JTM to just the point of breakup, to simulate power tube OD (or just crank your master with EL34s ), then hit it with the booster and tweak from there. Keep in mind though, Iommi's laney (based on the VH100) actually has less high end than the amp it was based on, but not much. It's just slightly warmer, so turn your bass and mids up a bit more on the module. The added high end from the treble booster and maybe some added presence may still work though in at least getting you close.

I was set on getting a VH100 tone for a while cuz of Opeth, and did a lot of research on the sound of Laneys, and basically what I got was high end similar to a Top Boost with the low and mid EQ of a Plexi (maybe an SL+ JCM80 mod), and the gain range of a Pete Modded Plexi, or even an SL+.

 

[Julia]

I'm running 6L6-GE cleartops.

I'll try the Brahma (late 2008) and SL+ with the treble boost. I have one of the late 2008 SL+.

 

[khingpynn]

That tone sounds more Marshall to my ears. I'd say a boosted Brahma or a SL+.

 

[m0jo]

JTM??? That's like advising a twin for 5150 sounds..

Brahma at the least, gain wise. The bass sounds a bit mushy like on my Laney VC100, so I'd run the bass a bit higher that normally. And boost it, not overdrive (or od on lowest possible gain and max volume).

 

[JKD]

JTM??? That's like advising a twin for 5150 sounds..

You're forgetting that the Randall modules are not circuit exact and have much more gain than the amps they are representing...with a boost you could get Iommi fuzzy tones out of a Top Boost or a SuperV or a JTM...Egnater Vx...altho' the SuperV sounds weird doing it

 

[m0jo]

JTM??? That's like advising a twin for 5150 sounds..

You're forgetting that the Randall modules are not circuit exact and have much more gain than the amps they are representing...with a boost you could get Iommi fuzzy tones out of a Top Boost or a SuperV or a JTM

Well yes.. but fuzz is not what you want There's a certain smudgyness to the Laney sound that makes it great for soloing and some people prefer it for rythm (especially medium gain, when it gets a bit tighter).

But getting to Iommi's sound is hard with any of the modules, because they're too tight in a way. The gain character is different somehow..
I'd like a Laney module Then I could get rid of my VC100 .. the leads from it are just too awesome. Something like this? :lol:

 

[Nightdare]

You're forgetting that early Iommi didn't have a 5150 at his disposal
IF you want to get his sound, one would suggest earlier marshall(like) amps that certainly lacked the gain of todays amps

 

[m0jo]

You're forgetting that early Iommi didn't have a 5150 at his disposal
IF you want to get his sound, one would suggest earlier marshall(like) amps that certainly lacked the gain of todays amps

All very true, but listen to the video Julia posted .. thats later Iommi most probably with his signature Laney which does have twice as many gain stages as any early marshall.. and also more than the MTS line offers (unless they start making dual modules ... think about it: 2 sets of controls but all 4 tubes used that also gives the oppertunity of a true 5150 module)

Iommi's sound has evolved over the years, just like anyones, and I thought we were talking later Iommi as per the video. If you're talking early Iommi then yes JTM/Plexi + boost would be the ballbark.

 

[riff man]

don't forget to cut some fingers off and apply some wood tips LOL ..jk

 

[Julia]

And after all of this I'm kind of coming up with my own sounds.

1) Clean clean -- **** I need something that doesn't break up.
2) SL+ gain around 10:30 with a Keeley Java Boost (rangemaster) set full range with the tone dimed.

I like the rangemaster circuit better than a tubescreamer. It's warmer and still cuts through. The pedal I hated for years is now my go to boost.

 

[m0jo]

And after all of this I'm kind of coming up with my own sounds.

1) Clean clean -- **** I need something that doesn't break up.
2) SL+ gain around 10:30 with a Keeley Java Boost (rangemaster) set full range with the tone dimed.

I like the rangemaster circuit better than a tubescreamer. It's warmer and still cuts through. The pedal I hated for years is now my go to boost.

I win :lol:

 

[khingpynn]

I can get very close with the plexi alone to old school Iommi. But the new Iommi Laney Signature head has a unique tone to my ears that I have not heard otherwise. It's definetly an EL34 wall of sound type deal, but more complex with broader frequency coverage and 3 dimensional tone. The mid hump is lower than say a JCM 800... more of a lower mid hump.

Though it's youtubified this is a fairly good representation of Iommi's classic and modern tones. Listen to the Amp in the class room to get and Idea of what I was trying to describe.

You can see in the video Tony is using a pedal in the signal loop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi6STOsWpPA

I've played a Laney Iommi head locally and they are loud like any other 100 watter but still sound great at lower volumes... it has a unique tone.

 

[SDWR]

I too am a huge fan of Tony Iommi, and after reading this post went back and watched several youtube clips and the Last Supper. Tony switches between a Gibson SG and a John Birch guitar in the Last Supper movie The guitar changes made some difference. He also uses Laney stacks in that movie. He used BC Rich guitars and Boogie amps in the Starlicks instructional series. It just seems like he sounds awesome no matter whats he plays or plays through. I just use my Gibson SG and Grail module for Sabbath like tones. I am thinking about buying a Iommi Signature pickup from Gibson. I am not considering the amputation of my middle fingers.

 

[Zander]

Pure Iommi Tone, 1970:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44J8kte9qQg

Before I found myself displaced by the employment situation, here was my next amp acquisition.

 

[maximus1]

blackstripe recto is all sabbath