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Laney HCM 15R Guitar Amplifier Combo

 

Laney HCM 15R Amplifier reviewed by The Man in the Jar

I chose my Masquerader with the Kent Armstrongs to test this amp for two reasons. Firstly, I can tap the coils to test the amp in question with singles or humbuckers. Second, the pickups are PAF style so they won't overpower the front end of the amplifier.

The Laney is a 15 watt practise amp which uses an 8" custom speaker. There's a Clean channel and a Crunch channel, three-band eq section, independent reverb, CD input socket and headphone socket. The Laney turns up at rehearsal looking like an amp that knows the job it has to do.

I plugged in and set the eq's to twelve o'clock. I tweaked the Clean channel volume and engaged the single coils on the guitar. There was plenty of sparkle reproduced from the bridge pickup while the Laney delivered a nice mellowness from the neck position. I found a volume setting of 5 or 6 gave a reasonable level for solo practise or a bedroom-jam-with-mates. Cranking to 10 on the Clean channel added a touch of overdrive to the sound, and it felt quite loud for its 15 watt rating.

Humbuckers produced a fatter sound through the Clean channel that had more intrinsic character than the single-coil sounds.

The equalisation section doesn't have as wide a ranging sweep as some of the HCM's big brothers can boast. But Laney have delivered a usable range and tweaking between the three knobs got me most of what I was looking for. But remember this is a practise amp driving an 8" speaker so some physical limitations to tone must be expected.

Press the white button to engage the Crunch channel and the Clean channel volume is automatically disabled. Output is then controlled by the interplay between the Crunch Factor control and the Master Volume. With the Crunch Factor at zero there is no sound, no matter where the Master Volume sits. The Crunch Factor starts to deliver practise level volume at about 3. But even then the Master has to be at 8 which makes everything slightly noisy. But Crunch on 4 and Master at 7 delivers a decent classic rock crunch with much reduced background noise.

Advance the Crunch to 5 and you'll start to enjoy some juicy rock lead tones, especially if your using humbuckers. Move on to 6 and you'll be bordering on quite heavy guitar sounds. It's at this point you'll also consider backing off the Master before the neighbours start knocking on the walls.

Crunch at 7 or 8 gets you good "modern" metal tones. Crunch 9 and 10 takes you into high power lead guitar sounds with all the screech and sustain you could possibly need.

The Reverb covers both channels, set it at zero and it's off. Set at 3 or 4 it adds noticeable warmth to your overall sound. Crank it to 10 for a very nice extra biting lead tone for your clean sound armoury.

The CD line-in gives an extra dimension to your practise sessions. There's nothing better than playing with a band. Now you can choose any band in the world.

The set-up is completed by that practise amp essential, the headphone socket. A word from the wise here: Always turn all the volume controls to zero before you put the phones anywhere near your bonce. This is especially prudent on amps where a push-button switch toggles on a previously muted channel. Remember, bleeding from the ears will ruin your shirt.           

 

Overall impressions of the Laney HCM 15R

I really like the package of features presented on the HCM 15R and if you need a sturdy, portable practise amp you'll be hard-pressed to find anything better. Especially as this unit can be yours for under £70. The range of sounds across the two channels is impressive and will adequately service any kind of music you choose to practise. The inclusion of the CD socket is a God-send for acquiring performance skills without pissing off your band mates with constant fluffs. Buy a pair of headphones and it all gets done in the privacy of your own skull.

Buy the Laney HCM 15R

Note: As with all amps equipped with headphone sockets, turn the Master Volume to zero before plugging in the 'phones.

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