Laney IRT60H

[SkylarWanke]

I just want to preface this by saying that I'm sorry if this particular topic is in the wrong place.

Anyhow, in the next two to four weeks (whenever payday comes), I'm going to be buying a new amp. I've been using exclusively software plugs for the past two years, so this will be my first 'real' gear purchase in quite some time. I think I've narrowed it down, but I would like some opinions. I'm between a Laney IRT60H, or the Laney IRT-Studio. The only real reason the studio is on the table for me is because the cost difference would allow me some wiggle room to afford to take my guitar to a shop to get it set up (it doesn't need it all that bad, but probably needs in nonetheless).

I know the IRT studio runs different power amp tubes and one less tube in the preamp section. To sum it up, I was wondering if anybody had experience with one (or both?) and could help me decide which would be the better option. I do play out occasionally and often jam with full bands. To follow up, my price point is roughly $900, so if there is something better, I'm always willing to listen. The tone I look for is a really tight, crunchy metal sound. I'm not all too concerned about cleans, in all honesty.

Thanks!

 

[bryan_kilco]

Have no experience with either but we played with a band recently who's guitarist used what looked like the IRT60H and it sounded killer.

 

[dissident]

I've tested both in my local store and I must say I really love the IRT60H, the studio is slightly different but honestly not that much, imho.

 

[SkylarWanke]

Have no experience with either but we played with a band recently who's guitarist used what looked like the IRT60H and it sounded killer.

Awesome. I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the IRT60H. I haven't heard a bad word about it anywhere. I read on sevenstring.org about a guy who hadn't played his in quite some time and the controls were all crazy, and he plugged it in and still got great tone.

 

[SkylarWanke]

I've tested both in my local store and I must say I really love the IRT60H, the studio is slightly different but honestly not that much, imho.

I'm pretty 100% on the IRT60H now, haha. If you would be willing, how would you describe the tones you got from it? I've also heard that it's kind of confusing to learn how to tinker with as far as all the controls/knobs go. Is that true?

 

[cfh11]

probably above your price point, but the laney tony iommi sig is a really awesome amp

 

[Ericlingus]

I have the IRT Studio and I love it. The features are awesome. It sounds great through a cab or IRs. It's great the it has an internal dummy load. I would get the IRT Studio. It is really loud despite being low wattage.

Here is a tone test through a Genz Benz Gflex cab


Here is direct in with an IR

 

[Lozek]

Been running an IRT 60 for the last 18 months, they are absolutely awesome. You can definitely do tight with it. They're not really that difficult to set up, there's a switchable solid state approximation of a Tube Screamer up front which is really useable, clean, rhythm & lead channel (most of which have push-pulls for frequency alterations, but to be honest I've never felt the need to mess with any of them). The power section also has a few master controls, Dynamics which tightens or loosens the low-end (You'll want that set low if you're looking for tight), overall presence (set that somewhere below the mid-point as the amp is naturally voiced a little bright, dependent on your cabinet), and then a Watt control that acts as a master.

I haven't really used the footswitch as I was patching from a G-System, but I seem to remember it being one of those Clean/Distortion on one switch, and Rhythm/Lead on the other switch types.

 

[drew_drummer]

I hated the IRT120 I used. Worst amp Laney have ever made imho. The VH100R is way better for metal imho

 

[SkylarWanke]

I hated the IRT120 I used. Worst amp Laney have ever made imho. The VH100R is way better for metal imho

What didn't you like about it exactly, if you don't mind me asking? I was looking for a VH100R originally, but couldn't find any.

Been running an IRT 60 for the last 18 months, they are absolutely awesome. You can definitely do tight with it. They're not really that difficult to set up, there's a switchable solid state approximation of a Tube Screamer up front which is really useable, clean, rhythm & lead channel (most of which have push-pulls for frequency alterations, but to be honest I've never felt the need to mess with any of them). The power section also has a few master controls, Dynamics which tightens or loosens the low-end (You'll want that set low if you're looking for tight), overall presence (set that somewhere below the mid-point as the amp is naturally voiced a little bright, dependent on your cabinet), and then a Watt control that acts as a master.

I haven't really used the footswitch as I was patching from a G-System, but I seem to remember it being one of those Clean/Distortion on one switch, and Rhythm/Lead on the other switch types.

So, all in all, you would say it's well worth the money? I was also reading somewhere that they are confusing as all hell to tweak with the way all of the controls are laid out, is that true? I figured that people saying that just hadn't had much time with it, but I don't know. Also, how does the variable wattage control work? That's something that's really attracting me to it, but I'm worried that the tone will deteriorate pretty fast the more I turn it down because I heard someone say that if they turned it down past half way their tone went to hell.

I have the IRT Studio and I love it. The features are awesome. It sounds great through a cab or IRs. It's great the it has an internal dummy load. I would get the IRT Studio. It is really loud despite being low wattage.

Here is a tone test through a Genz Benz Gflex cab


Here is direct in with an IR

I'm still completely torn between the Studio and the IRT60H, honestly. It's basically coming down to how much ease-of-use I want when it comes to recording the amp. Obviously, for simplicity, the Studio seems to cover all the bases when it comes to recording. But, still, I'm torn. I always stress myself out when it comes to buying new gear By the way, I think I remember coming across those clips when I was browsing Soundcloud a couple of days ago. Definitely great sounding!

probably above your price point, but the laney tony iommi sig is a really awesome amp

Yeah, I'm trying to stick around $900. But I might try looking into it just to see if it might be worth throwing a couple extra towards.

 

[Lozek]

I wouldn't agree on either of those points, as long as you're used to an amp with a few channels and a master section then there's nowhere to go wrong really. I've never really noticed the Wattage control deteriorate the tone, there's probably a sweet spot (again cab dependent), but that's no different to any other master volume amp.