Let’s be honest here… The Laney Ironheart series of amplifiers has carved a niche for itself in the realm of heavy metal guitar amplification, celebrated for its high-gain capabilities and unparalleled versatility. We’re not angry, by the way – it’s doing exactly what it was made to do. And with our line of artists, it’s safe to say that heavy metal is in our DNA!
With the Laney Ironheart series now being made here in the UK in our Black Country Customs workshop, and the announcement of the Ironheart-PLUGIN in an exciting partnership with AURORA DSP, we thought we’d give you a complete Laney Ironheart Amps Series Buyer’s Guide to help you decide which Ironheart amp is best for you and in what environment, whether its home use, gigs or studio – or anywhere in between!
Whether you’re practising at home, performing live, or laying down your latest Spotify-topping tracks in the studio, the Ironheart range offers something for every guitarist who wants crystal cleans, to searing distortion.
In this Ironheart amps buyer guide, I’ll walk us through the unique features, connectivity options, and explain what makes the Ironheart sound so revered with live and studio musicians, I’ll also do my best to break down which Ironheart models are best suited for home use, gigs, and studio work so you can make the right choice. This is bascially the blog you need to read if you want to know: “what’s the best Laney Ironheart amp” for you.
CAVEAT: as our resident Tone Wizard Simon Fraser-Clark always says “The Golden Rule is, there is no golden rule” so play what you want!
As of 2024 the Laney Ironheart amps range is now proudly made at our home in England, in the Black Country Customs workshop. We’ve also upgraded them with upgraded gain circuitry and pre-boost technology and released the first-ever Ironheart digital version of these amplifiers, aptly titled the Ironheart-PLUGIN, which you get FREE with every BCC-IRT purchase or you can purchase it as a standalone product, too!
Check out the announcement HERE:
The Laney Lionheart and Laney Ironheart amplifiers are made here in the UK in our Black Country Customs workshop.
The major standout features in the Ironheart series are the pre-boost section, vast EQ options, FX loops, Vari-watt feature and more connectivity than most amps for studio and direct-out/PA connectivity/USB connectivity. They’re also all tube amps, aside from the Ironheart-PLUGIN and LANEY IRF-LOUDPEDAL and they’re made for aggressive rock, with high gain stages.
Let’s dig in.
All the Ironheart amps have a unique pre-boost function which enriches the gain structure, offering tonal flexibility so you can slightly drive the cleans, or absolutely eviscerate the windows and drive the gain on the distortion even higher. They’re all foot switchable too. Even the Ironheart-PLUGIN has this function
We know you want to sculpt your perfect tone, that’s why we’ve made sure you have enough tonal options so you don’t have to compromise your tone. The Ironheart amp series boasts extensive EQ settings, allowing for meticulous tone shaping to suit any genre or playing style.
The inclusion of FX loops across the range enables seamless integration of external effects into your rig, ensuring time-based effects (delay/modulation) are preserved, unaffected by the amp’s tone.
You can’t always drive a tube amp to ear-shattering volumes fun as that may be) so you need those tube-driven tones at lower volumes! Laney’s innovative vari-watt functionality allows you to drop the output in varying wattage so you dial in the perfect volume without sacrificing tone, making these amps as suitable for bedroom practice as they are for the stage.
The Ironheart series is designed with the modern musician in mind, featuring an XLR DI Out so direct recording or connection to a PA system is made effortless with a balanced XLR DI out, ensuring your tone is consistently pristine in any setting. We’ve also included Aux Inputs on the amps so you can practice along with your favourite tracks or backing tracks.
Lastly, the IRT-Studio and IRT-SLS include a USB Audio I/O and a RE-AMP send jack so you can plug it straight into your PC/MAC or iPad and get pure tube tone directly into your digital world.
The Laney Ironheart sound is renowned for its wide tonal range, capable of producing everything from crystal-clear cleans to aggressive, high-gain overdrive – but it’s predominantly used by guitarists who want the option of pure high-gain tone. The Ironheart sound can be characterised by its warmth, clarity, and dynamic response at ultra-high-gain scenarios, setting it apart in a crowded market of tube amps that can’t quite handle the heavy riffs. It responds extremely well to the dynamics of your playing and the tube functionality with the addition of pre-boost and multiple channels means it can sing sweetly or growl heavily, providing really aggressive distortion when you need it. Ironheart has become an amplifier range synonymous with high-gain modern amplifier tones.
Artists such as Killswitch Engage, Malevolence, Mattias Eklundh, Lari Basilio and more use the Laney Ironheart thanks to its clarity at high gain – check out the Laney artists page for a full lineup.
When considering which Laney Ironheart amp to buy, for home use, the IRF-LEADTOP, and Laney BCC-IRT30-112 are excellent, offering compact size and studio-quality sound. For live performances, BCC-IRT60H and BCC-IRT120H provide the power needed on stage, with IRF-DUALTOP and LANEY IRF-LOUDPEDAL being great for portability. In the studio, the IRT-STUDIO and IRT-SLS stand out for their recording capabilities, while Ironheart-PLUGIN is ideal for digital music production. These selections ensure you get the right sound for any setting. Of course, you can use any amps in any of these situations, but that’s a good starting point!
I’ll further break these down into home use, studio use and live use – again, they can overlap…but you get the idea!
These are some of the best Laney Ironheart amps for home use. Again – it’s entirely up to you how you use them, but I’ve simplified the decision process for you.
This compact portable desktop guitar amp is ideal for home use, offering Laney’s signature high-gain tones in a desktop-friendly format. In fact, it’s one of the best desktop guitar amps on the market today.
The Laney IRF-LEADTOP, part of Laney’s Ironheart Foundry series, is like a compact portable guitar studio that can sit nicely on your studio desk. At just 3.5kg (7.7lbs) it’s an ideal choice for guitarists seeking the best tube amp for home use or a portable guitar amp for on-the-go performances. With 60 watts RMS, this single-channel amp delivers Laney’s signature high-gain tones but is still suitable for both clean and lead modes. The high-quality, latency-free analogue emulated DI out ensures direct recording with ease, while the selectable bright, natural, and dark voicing provides tonal flexibility so you’ve got options when you’re recording or playing live.
The 3-band passive tone stack allows for detailed sound shaping so you can sculpt the frequencies you want, while you can have some fun with the footswitchable pre-boost level. We’ve made sure you can get the tube tones at low volumes with the inclusion of high and low power modes, with the low power mode dropping below 1W, which makes it an excellent desktop guitar amp for practising without sacrificing tone. Additionally, the transformer-isolated high-quality effects loop, 3.5mm stereo aux-in jack, and 3.5mm stereo headphone jack give you more than enough functionality for recording and practising at home. The IRF-LEADTOP’s blend of power, portability, and tonal diversity positions it as a top contender for the best desktop amp and best tube amp for home use.
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Yes, you can use the Laney Ironheart BCC-IRT30-112 amp for all aspects of guitar playing, but the smaller more portable guitar amp construction and easy-to-carry nature of this combo makes me want to put it in the best tube amps for home use category, too!
The BCC-IRT30-112 from the made in the UK Laney Black Country Customs line is a testament to British craftsmanship, offering a 30-Watt 1×12” combo that’s as versatile as it is powerful. Designed and handcrafted in the UK, this amp is tailored for modern players seeking a blend of traditional tube warmth and contemporary high-gain tones that get you pristine cleans with great headroom, to bone-crunching distortion.
This 1×12” tube amplifier is designed to cater to a broad spectrum of musical styles, thanks to its three distinct channels: clean, rhythm, and lead, and a switchable boost so you’re covered for ALL sounds! We made sure you had a comprehensive EQ section so you can tone shape and dial in your sound switch with ease.
One of the standout features of the IRT30-112 is its built-in reverb and wattage control, providing musicians with options when they need them The amp’s vari-watt control can be used to to adjust the power output from 30 watts down to a lower level, making it ideal for various playing environments without compromising tone quality – full blown tube amp distortion at lower volumes. With loads of EQ, 3 channels and a DI out that you can connect to a PA, the Ironheart BCC-IRT30-112 is perfect for practice, studio and live gigs – it’s a great all-rounder, but if you want the best tube amp for home use in combo form, this is one of the best we have!
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Ok, we’re in the realm of home studios here so the Laney IRT-STUDIO has to make an appearance as this rack-mountable head with USB connectivity is perfect for home recording enthusiasts looking to capture studio-quality sound when they don’t want an amp taking up space.
I think the Laney IRT-Studio is a game-changer for home recording enthusiasts, earning its place as the best tube amp for home recording and the best rack-mounted home studio tube amp as it’s packed with features that recording artists and guitarists like you will really love. Features like the ability to drive the output stage harder at reduced levels allow for capturing the perfect tube tone without overwhelming volume, perfect if you have a smaller home studio (or neighbours you don’t want to disturb), studio-quality digital reverb, MP3 AUX In, speaker emulated output, PC/MAC/iPad/Android compatible – the list goes on.
Probably the most important feature, aside from the incredible premium hand-selected ECC83 & EL84 tubes, is the T-USB interface, which provides a direct signal path to your DAW, delivering both dry and processed signal so you can split left and right to your DAW – directly into either your PC/MAC or iPad*. If you want to re-amp your recorded riffs, the re-amp socket is your best friend as it allows the original signal to be rerouted through the preamp for tonal adjustments. Additionally, the internal dummy load enables silent operation, ensuring you can record at any time without the need for an external speaker load. In a nutshell, the IRT-Studio’s combination of tube warmth, recording-oriented features, and compact design makes it the best rack-mounted tube amp for musicians looking to achieve professional-grade recordings in a home studio setting.
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I’ve talked at great lengths as to the benefits of the Laney IRF-LOUDPEDAL and how easy it is to go ampless on guitar with this but in a nutshell, this pedal-format amp brings Ironheart tones directly to your pedalboard, ideal for home use and direct recording. You don’t need an amp ever again, because this pedal IS one!
This amp-in-a-pedal is easily the top contender for the best pedalboard amp, best pedal amp, and best flyrig amp awards (if there were any) as it’s actually a 60-watt solid state amp in a pedal, that you can connect to a cab or direct to PA. You’ve got two channels, each featuring independent gain and volume controls, with Channel 1 selectable clean, rhythm, and lead gain modes, while Channel 2 offers selectable bright, natural, and dark voicing, ensuring versatile tone shaping.
The balanced male XLR DI out with switchable analogue speaker emulation is where it really shines for ampless guitar setups and flyrig guitar pedalboards as it allows for direct connection to PA systems or recording interfaces, ideal for gigging musicians and recording artists alike as well as those who want to use UK guitar pedals in the USA and vice versa. Additional features like the loudspeaker out, transformer-isolated high-quality effects loop, channel select footswitch, and 3.5mm stereo aux and headphone jacks make it perfect for recording, practice at home and gigging – hence the reason I said these amps can traverse the three categories of home, studio and live amps. If you want an amp to rehearse, record or jam with at home, then this is easily one of the best amps for your home setup.
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The Laney IRONHEART BCCLOUDPEDAL-IMM is a signature Loudpedal from Martin Miller, and is 60-watt twin channel amp with foot switchable Boost and LA·IR – Laney Advance Impulse Response technology. It’s also one of the best pedal amps and best pedalboard amps on the market today for those who like high gain sound.
The Laney Ironheart BCCLOUDPEDAL-IMM caters more to metal and hard rock guitarists, delivering high-gain tones with the precise tone sculpting they need and clarity at high gains.
This is perfect for home recording and gigs, as the Laney Ironheart BCC-IMM is a 60W pedal amp that features two independent channels, footswitchable boost function, comprehensive EQ with Bright, Flat, and Dark modes, built-in digital reverb, and an IR loader for cabinet simulation. Connectivity options include USB-C for direct DAW integration, XLR, and headphone outputs, as well as MIDI control.
Here’s how Martin Miller uses his signature Laney Loudpedal:
“The channel I use by far the most, which is possibly 95% of the time if not more, is channel two, because channel two in itself is extremely versatile. So, for example, I would run a volume pedal in front of the input, or I use the volume control of my guitar to dial that way down, turn off the boost, and have a really spanky, clean, yet still compressed tone. I crank up the volume on the guitar or on the foot pedal – I have a mid-gain sound, and then I hit the boost, and its all-out shred goodness. So that’s all within channel two. I go to channel one if I want something that is super pristine and uncompressed, clean, almost like a warmed-up DI signal.”
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When you want some of the best tube amps for gigs of all sizes, these Laney Ironheart amps are ready to go!
With 60 watts of power, the Laney Ironheart BCC-IRT60H tube head is built to fill venues with super high gain and plenty of clean power when you need it. Fortunately, we made sure the amp remains versatile enough for home use if you need something to practice/jam with.
This 60W RMS powerhouse is equipped with hand-selected ECC83 and 6L6 tubes, ensuring a rich harmonic response and dynamic range that responds to your playing. Again, you have three channels with a switchable boost to push (see what I did there) you into modern high-gain sounds and allow for seamless transitions between clean, rhythm, and lead tones.
Some of the key features that make it the best for live gigs are the enhanced pre-boost circuitry and dynamics control, offering nuanced tone shaping and an improved tight-end response at high gain levels – you’ll hear everything you need to. The push-pull EQ pots open up even more tonal options, ensuring precise adjustments for the tone snobs. For connectivity, we put in an FX loop with series/switchable level for your time-based effects to function “better”, alongside an XLR DI out with level control and switchable cabinet emulation, perfect for direct recording or live performance where you want to run straight to a PA. Also – each BCC-IRT amp purchase comes with a free Ironheart-PLUGIN, so you can have the exact same tone in the studio on your DAW. The inclusion of the FS4-IRT footswitch makes sure you can flick between channels, and lose a few pedals if you need more room on your board making the BCC-IRT60H a perfect live gigging tube amp for guitarists who know exactly what they want from their tones.
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The bigger brother to the leadtop, Laney IRF-DUALTOP amp is a gigging musician’s dream, as you have an additional channel (one more than the single LEADTOP) and additional tone sculpting features.
I’ve said it before, but this is easily one of the best desktop guitar amps on the market today as you get the legendary Ironheart sound in a portable guitar amp package, weighing in at just 4.5Kg, (9.9 lbs). This 60-watt RMS twin-channel amplifier is perfect for the gigging guitarist who wants to travel light. Each channel is equipped with its own gain and volume controls, with Channel 1 offering selectable ASYM/CLEAN/SYM gain modes and Channel 2 featuring selectable Bright, Flat, and Dark voicing, so you’ve got tonnes of tonal options depending on your preference of sound.
The amp incorporates an IR-loaded DI out with emulation on/off so you can choose between 1×12 and 4×12 sonic qualities (or switch it off), so you can connect to PA systems or recording interfaces, capturing the essence of your tone with or without cabinet emulation. Note: if you want to know how important your speaker cabinets are, or whether or not to choose a 1×12, 2×12 or 4×12 cab, i’ve got you covered.
The inclusion of the Springline Reverb, based on the SECRETPATH algorithm, adds lush, atmospheric textures to your sound. The 3-band passive tone stack, coupled with an input pre-boost level and footswitch, allows for precise adjustment of your tone.
For practice and low-volume settings, the high and low power modes, including a Low Power setting of less than 1W, offer the full Ironheart experience without overwhelming volume. The amp also features a transformer-isolated high-quality effects loop, a 3.5mm stereo aux-in jack for playing along with external audio, and a headphone output for silent practice. The IRF-DUALTOP stands out as a versatile, portable solution for gigging guitarists seeking Laney’s signature high-gain tones.
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The Laney IRF-DUALRIG212 rig combines the IRF-DUALTOP with a 2×12 cabinet. We know you’ll want to gig with this amp so we’ve put together the DUALTOP alongside the custom-designed GS212FE cabinet so you can get all the IRF-DUALTOP’s tone and flexibility for the live stage. The cabinet is loaded with a pair of custom-designed HH 1260 drivers delivering 60 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms and the all-wood, open-back construction gives you that wide open, expansive sound. One of the benefits of open back vs closed back speaker cabinets.
If you want a smaller 1×12 setup, the Laney IRF-LEADRIG112 consists of the incredible IRF-LEADTOP packaged with a custom designed GS112FE cabinet. Loaded with a custom designed HH 1260 driver delivering 60 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms.
We’re doubling the wattage here compared to the IRT-60H so the Laney BCC-IRT120H is for those who might be playing the festival circuit or larger venues. Or those who just want MORE power!
Again, this is meticulously crafted in Laney’s Black Country Customs workshop in the UK, and is renowned as one of the best tube amps for metal and high gain, delivering a formidable 120 Watts of power with supreme clarity at high gain. We’ve loaded this amp with premium hand-selected ECC83 and 6L6 tubes, ensuring a rich harmonic foundation and dynamic response, ideal for modern distortion and heavy metal players. The amp features three channels (clean, rhythm, and lead) plus a switchable boost, providing a vast tonal landscape from pristine cleans to aggressive overdrives.
But possibly one of the most important features for metal players is the fact the BCC-IRT120H boasts an improved tight-end response at high gain levels, ensuring clarity and punch in the most saturated settings. You have an FX loop with series/switchable level, and XLR DI out with switchable cabinet emulation to expand your sound or go cabinet-less onstage. The enhanced pre-boost circuitry and dynamics control, along with push-pull EQ pots, allow for nuanced tone shaping which is great for tone snobs like us. And again, each purchase also includes a free Ironheart-PLUGIN, so you can get the same tone at your home studio.
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Like I said – some of these amps are great for multiple settings and the Laney IRF-LOUDPEDAL is no exception as it’s one of the best small amps for gigs. You have 60 watts, a DI out for direct-to-PA gigging and it can fit snugly on your pedalboard which is especially useful for flyrig setups.
For the recording artist, these Ironheart amps tick all the boxes. I’ve rounded up all the best Laney Ironheart amps for home recording, and studio recording.
The Laney IRT-Studio also makes it into the best Ironheart amps for studio – the clue’s in the anime, because it’s designed for home and commercial recording studios. Specifically designed for studio work, this rack-mounted tube amp offers PC/MAC/iPad/Android compatibility a USB interface and re-amping capabilities, making it a studio staple. Best of all, you can drive it at the full 15 watts or notch it down to less than 1-watt RMS to enjoy pure valve tone at lower volumes.
Ok, we boosting the power here BIG time.
The Laney Ironheart IRT-SLS is one of the best studio tube amps and best rack-mounted studio tube amps on the market today thanks to its massive connectivity features and wattage. This compact powerhouse is equipped with three distinct Ironheart channels—clean, rhythm, and lead—complete with separate EQs and a foot-switchable boost, so your crystal cleans and aggressive distortion.
What sets the IRT-SLS apart is its innovative power scaling, as the high power mode delivers 3 – 300 watts RMS and the standard power mode which delivers 1 – 60 watts RMS so you can enjoy high gain crunch at any volume. This feature, combined with the amp’s USB Audio I/O and RE-AMP send jack, means you can record silently and tweak your tones post-recording, making it a dream for studio guitarists who want to record well into the night without disturbing your neighbours. The inclusion of two real ECC83 tubes ensures that the amp delivers the warmth and dynamic response Laney Ironheart amps are known for.
You’ve also got a speaker-emulated record out, studio-quality digital reverb, MP3/Aux In, and an included FS4-IRT footswitch, making the IRT-SLS your all-in-one recording amp that’s rack-mountable.
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The Laney Ironheart-Plugin brings the Laney Ironheart tones you know and love into the digital domain, offering a meticulously modeled representation of the high-gain powerhouse that the series is known for. In fact, it’s actually the first time any amp company has released both the physical amp and the virtual version at the same time. So we’re pretty excited about it! Developed in collaboration with AURORA DSP, this Ironheart amp plugin captures the essence of the UK handcrafted Black Country Customs Ironheart amps, featuring a full 3-channel pre-amp with clean, rhythm, and lead channels, alongside the dynamic, tone, reverb, and wattage controls that define the Ironheart range of tube amps – you get the tube amp sound in a DAW! We threw in fully functioning pedal emulations, such as the BCC-Monolith and BCC-STEELPARK, so you get even more control over distortion and clean boost, enhancing the plugin’s versatility for studio and live musicians who use a laptop live.
The cab section offers a choice of two outstanding Laney cabinets, along with a selection of mics for precise sound capture, so you’re essentially carrying a studio’s worth of gear with you everywhere. Additionally, the FX rack includes four studio-quality effects for comprehensive post-amp processing, so you don’t need to spend thousands on getting it mixed. Designed to integrate seamlessly with any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), the Ironheart-Plugin is a versatile tool for recording guitarists, providing the flexibility to record “wherever and whenever you want,” with the ability to make quick, all-round changes to the sound through its easy to use interface.
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I’ve covered the Laney BCC-IRT-IRT120H as one of the best gigging tube amps for metal players and high-gain lovers, here, but this tube amp head is actually perfect for those seeking a wide tonal palette and high-gain capabilities in the studio too!
In fact, the Laney BCC-IRT120H excels in the studio, as you’ve got 3 channels for clean, rhythm, and lead setups, as well as your foot-switchable pre-boost for that additional tone sculpting that can give you subtle drive to heavy rock, to absolute death metal tones when you need them. Its vari-watt control is great for studio applications as you can drop the wattage in stages yet still enjoy the cranked tube amp sounds in the studio. The dynamic response is all there thanks to the inclusion of premium hand-selected ECC83 & 6L6 tubes. But it’s the inclusion of the FX loop series/switchable level and XLR DI out with level & switchable cabinet emulation as well as free Ironheart-PLUGIN with every BCC-IRT amp purchased that studio owners will love!
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In case you didn’t guess, I’m a huge fan of the Laney Ironheart series’ quality of sound at high levels, versatility, and innovative connectivity for all applications. With amps suited for every playing environment, from the quiet corners of your home to the raw energy of live venues and the precision of the recording studio, the Ironheart amplifier series ensures that your quest for the perfect tone is always within reach wherever you are – best of all, all these amps will work in any environment no matter WHAT you choose!
Shopping from the USA? Experience the power and versatility of the Laney Ironheart series for yourself and shop directly on Laney’s website (right here) or your nearest music retailer to explore these amps in person and find the perfect model to get the sound YOU want from an Ironheart amplifier!