About Upgrade my Laney
Hi David, I have the Laney Cub10 with a hi-hat speaker. I also have a Squeal Killer clone and a Lone Wolf Harp Break. I use a Hohner HB52 microphone. I like the Laney, but I'm afraid it's not powerful enough, and I don't think it makes good use of the pedals (it's great through the PA, and they were for a previous amp), it already sounds good on its own. I'm torn between getting the Weber you recommended or upgrading. We're talking about €500 for 15 watts. I'm considering the Fender Blues Junior and Pro Junior, but they don't have the best reviews from you. I sing and play in a Chicago blues band (guitar, bass, drums). We haven't even started playing outside the rehearsal space yet.
I have the feeling that the Laney Cub10 falls short and the Fender Bassman is too much (weight, volume...). Would you suggest any intermediate alternatives, or do you think they're not worth it? And in that case, would it be better to put the Weber on the Laney and wait until I need a bassist? I know a harmonica player who has these two amplifiers.
Yeah, the Laney Cub10 falls short for gigging, it's more of a home amp (or recording). Intermediate amps tend not to be very practical (they're too big for small venues and too small for big venues... most players just have a small and large amp). I recommend you borrow your buddies Junior and give it a try on the bandstand before committing the $.
Thanks a lot, David.
Hello again. I've tried the Fenders, and I like my Laney better. So I've already ordered the recommended Weber speaker.
I wanted to ask you about the next modification, the Mojotone cabinet. How has it held up over the years? Does it hold up well with a full band? It sounds amazing in your videos. And we can always mic it up.
Doesn't surprise me, the Laney is a great sounding amp.
I sold it to a student, and he's still using it happily to this day. He did have to have the amp serviced once.
I would still not personally use that amp for gigging with a band, but you're right, mic'ing the amp can fix that.
Hello Mon1979. The Fender Blues Junior and Pro Junior are staples in the blues community, but many harp players find them a bit too clean sounding for their taste, though with your pedals, you'll probably like them enough (and for live performance, your don't want too much distortion anyways). The main concern is that they're still a single speaker amplifier (not loud enough). If you always have a PA to mic it through, and the venue you're playing has enough channels and microphones, and someone there that knows how to use the PA, then you're okay. With that said, the standard for gigging harp players is the Bassman. Unless my band was a very quiet band, I would not personally gig with a Junior.