Laney Amplification founder Lyndon Laney has died aged 77, following a battle with cancer. Tony Iommi, a man who helped turn Laney’s valve amp passion into a global force, has led the tributes.
The news has led to an outpouring of love for a man who, alongside Jim Marshall, was one of Britain’s finest amp builders.
“It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Lyndon Laney, founder of Laney Amplification,” Laney’s statement reads.
“Lyndon established Laney Amplification in 1967 and, through vision, dedication, and an uncompromising commitment to quality, built the company from modest beginnings into an internationally respected and successful brand. His work helped shape the sound of generations of musicians, most notably that of his long-term friend Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.
“Lyndon’s influence extended far beyond business success; he was admired for his warmth, integrity, humor, and quiet determination.”
Like Black Sabbath, Laney emerged from Birmingham in the late 1960s, and is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary next year. In true rags-to-riches fashion, Lyndon Laney crafted his first amp in his dad's garden shed, with the business born after friends started requesting more builds for themselves.
The tube amp fanatic very quickly established a relationship with Black Sabbath guitarist Iommi. That would prove to be the cornerstone of the Laney legacy. It was his 1970 creation, the Laney LA 100 BL, made specifically for Iommi, that powered the first two Black Sabbath records alongside Iommi's trusted Gibson SG, Monkey, after fate intervened to stop him from launching Sabbath with a Stratocaster.
Iommi has remained fiercely loyal to Laney's tones over the following decades, with a special edition of his signature amp and a slew of reissues and other signature models following since, including last year's Laney Black Country Customs Tony Iommi TI100.
“I’m so sad to say that I lost my very dear friend Lyndon Laney to cancer on Friday,” he writes on Instagram. “I am absolutely devastated. We go back to the late 60s, when I first met him and started using his Laney amps.
“He was a really lovely guy, and his great passion was building valve amps. He also loved his cars, as I did, and we had so much in common. We’d sit down and talk about ideas and what to build into my amplifiers.
“I am so honored to have known him and his family,” he continues. “James, his son, has been running the company for some years now, and he has carried on the business and has pushed it forward with some brilliant ideas.”
Today, Laney boasts a roster of high-flying artists, including Billy Corgan, Nathan East, Vernon Reid, and Guthrie Govan. It has continued to push forward with fresh ideas and innovations. The 1972 KLIPP amp, the first of its kind to feature a boost channel, and the DP Range, which, in 1988, emboldened bass amps with graphic EQs for the first time, are shining examples of that.
In 2024, it released the world’s most powerful FRFR cabinet as it continues to adapt to the changing needs of guitar players. The 4x12 cab is nearly as loud as a jet plane taking off.
Reflecting on the “privilege” of knowing and working with Iommi during an interview last year, Laney said, “We've had some fun on the way.”
“We've worked bloody hard, haven't we?” Iommi returned. “You used to be in there night and day, dedicated to it. I'm not going to use anything else, and without you, we wouldn't be here.”
With a smile, Laney returned the compliment: “It goes both ways,” he said. That it does.
