Laney Ironheart 120

[Guerrilla235]

View media item 24341 Laney Ironheart 120. Hey guys, I've tried almost every amp out there, but never had a chance with this one. I'm curious if anyone has any experience/ownership with this one. I can get it on trade. Pro's-Con's. I play mostly thrash/metal, and 95% of the time my Mesa Dual is on the frontline.

 

[Axe-Man]

I have an IRT studio which has the same preamp as the Ironheart 60 and 120; I have to say that I love it; a super cheap amp that is just great to play. The EL84's provide a different tonal palate than say a 6L6 or EL34 but it's a flexible amp that can do high gain no problems.

It's more of a Thrash amp IMHO rather than a super tight Djent machine. It has a nice feel but it's not stiff nor does it have that instant attack like some high gain, super tight amps.

Mine likes some volume before it sounds great but I load it for home use and slave it through a Marshall 100w power amp.

Killswitch Engage seems to like the Laney's; they've used the Ironhearts for their last two Albums with the Laney Tommi I sig amp.

 

[Guerrilla235]

Thanks for the info man. I have a guy interested in a trade for one of my JCM 900's, I think I'll give it a try

 

[Jchrisf]

I've got an IRT Studio as well and it is an amazing sounding amp. Very versatile. I didn't like it at first but have finally dialed in a nice 80's metal Marshall tone on it. I play mine through a Marshall JCM900 1960B 4x12 at bedroom levels. It sounds best to me, the way I have it dialed in, at bedroom levels. If I bring up the channel volume it doesn't sound as good so I'd have to EQ it back in but have not need to since I play this in the bedroom. Adding an EQ pedal really made it come alive but sounds great without it. The 120 won't need that pedal because it will have more punch and kick. I use the studio on 1 watt mode. You're 120 has a "Watts" dial that is kind of like a MV from what I read so you will have an advantage over the studio and can push the tubes with the channel volume and dial it back with the Watts dial. I wish the studio had that option but I've been able to dial in such a great tone at bedroom levels (Channel volume at 1 on 1 watt mode) that it really doesn't matter.

This might come in handy if you get it:

http://www.laney-posse.co.uk/theposse/index.php

 

[onedge custom]

Scored a mint one in a trade deal. Reference is a 5153 50w that had been my go to for sometime. The IRT may just replace it, I like the gain very much (the dynamics knob works very well), the inbuilt boost also does as advertised (just don't goose it or it gets wooly).

Clean is much better than the 5153.

Impressed. If you like metal you won't go wrong

 

[Axe-Man]

For home use I use a Two Notes Torpedo as a reactive load and another amp as a slave; just like a Fryette Power Station.

The Laney works great as a power amp too and sounds killer at home playing levels. Seriously good; I run about 1pm on the master volumes when it's loaded.

Without a load it sounds fantastic through an Orange 4x12 just under half but it's insanely loud at this point for a little amp.

I'm really thinking about getting the 60 or 120 watt version in the future. I used to own a 5150 and Dual Recto and would take the Laney any day over them.

 

[Jchrisf]

For home use I use a Two Notes Torpedo as a reactive load and another amp as a slave; just like a Fryette Power Station.

I don't understand this. What does it do/how does it work?

The Laney works great as a power amp too and sounds killer at home playing levels. Seriously good; I run about 1pm on the master volumes when it's loaded.

Without a load it sounds fantastic through an Orange 4x12 just under half but it's insanely loud at this point for a little amp.

Yeah.. that is too loud for me

I'm really thinking about getting the 60 or 120 watt version in the future. I used to own a 5150 and Dual Recto and would take the Laney any day over them.

I kind of wish I would have gone with the 60 watt head but the Studio was more practical and half the price... I still may

 

[Guerrilla235]

For home use I use a Two Notes Torpedo as a reactive load and another amp as a slave; just like a Fryette Power Station.

The Laney works great as a power amp too and sounds killer at home playing levels. Seriously good; I run about 1pm on the master volumes when it's loaded.

Without a load it sounds fantastic through an Orange 4x12 just under half but it's insanely loud at this point for a little amp.

I'm really thinking about getting the 60 or 120 watt version in the future. I used to own a 5150 and Dual Recto and would take the Laney any day over them.

This is more for messing around in my House, I have my Mesa's set up for Practice/Live sound, should be perfect then

 

[Axe-Man]

Yeah that was the main thing I detested the Recto for: home use! It was unusable at home (totally unusable) as it just went BANG and was deafeningly loud (it was an older Rev G from memory). I really love recto's but you may end up surprised with the Ironheart (though it might depend on how you use it - volumes/tones you like etc).

I've always gelled with the high gain recto and 5150 tones but after trying various high gain amps and finally settling on my modded Jose Marshall as 'my' high gain sound, I've ironically found fantastic tones in a cheap little second hand Laney amp that I planned to use just as a power amp with the (slight) hope that it was ok as a preamp.

This is more for messing around in my House, I have my Mesa's set up for Practice/Live sound, should be perfect then

 

[Axe-Man]

A lot of people are getting the Fryette Power Station as an attenuator but I guess you'd say it's actually a load/slave setup in a box; the 'modern style' attenuator that we will se from now on I imagine.

Basically you get your amp and run it into a reactive load (not a classic attenuator - something like a Two Notes Live, Suhr Reactive load etc) which emulates a speakers impedance curve and then the output gets run into a power amp of some description (tube or SS or another amp's FX return) and then into a speaker cab. This is how I frequently use the Two Notes Live. I turn off the IR's and just use it as a reactive load which gets run into a power amp/FX return. I love it because I additionally have IR's and poweramp/mic/cab/EQ/reverb simulation as well inside the box so it's unbelievably flexible. If you have another amp lying around (even a SS one), you can do the loaded/slave thing. If you have studio monitors you can use the Live for IR's for a FOH/FRFR sounds too or headphone practice straight out of the box - this is the units bread and butter but it can be used perfectly for the slave thing too which many people might not realise.

What it allows me to do is get totally convincing sounds of a crazy loud amp with perfect feel so I can play whilst my son watches his iPad in the bedroom next door (killer sounding home volumes I guess you could say). I even use it like this when my kids are sleeping for practice but I turn down the amp's output so I'm not as hard on the power tubes and turn the output volume down really quiet (baby sleeping levels - I actually have a baby sleeping when I practice like this so I'm not just quoting the usual TPG thing ).

After a lot of searching (rack gear, modelling gear, lots of pedals, amps etc) I feel this type of setup is the future (as it sounds great and is so flexible).

I don't understand this. What does it do/how does it work?

Yeah.. that is too loud for me

I kind of wish I would have gone with the 60 watt head but the Studio was more practical and half the price... I still may