“We didn’t just make another speaker. We created solutions tailored to what guitarists actually need”: How Laney went above and beyond with its LFR range to create the ultimate speaker solution for guitarists with digital rigs

Guitarists are living through an unprecedented digital boom at the moment. More players than ever before are leveraging cutting-edge technology to transform their traditional tube amp rigs in favor of something far more intelligent, swapping orthodox guitar amps for modernistic amp modelers.

But the move to a modeler comes with a potential compromise. Though units such as the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Line 6 Helix or Fender Tone Master Pro all promise consistent tonal excellence and convenience from the safety of studio headphones, the lack of a companion speaker in live settings can often lead to stale stage sounds and a less-than-ideal playing experience.

That’s where the Full Range Flat Response (FRFR) speaker comes in, and with its own collection of LFR cabs, Laney has built what it has described as “the first real solution for players using a digital rig”.

“Digital rigs are incredibly powerful, but the missing piece was always the 'amp in the room' feel,” explains Laney’s Lee Wrathe. “FRFR monitors existed, but they were mostly designed for PA or studio use, not for guitarists who are used to the punch, projection, and physicality of a guitar cab. The LFR range solves that problem by combining true FRFR accuracy with the look, feel, and dynamic response of a backline cabinet.”

It sounds simple on paper, and Laney’s advances sound game-changing, but a lot of leg work went into perfecting the art of the ideal FRFR speaker. Indeed, before its launch, the LFR family had been in the works for quite some time. That all came down Laney’s desire to shake up the market.

“The LFR series was in development for several years,” Wrathe reveals. “A big part of the process wasn’t just about designing a loudspeaker – there were already plenty of players and companies that simply took PA speakers and added a badge to them without any real thought behind the design or desire to actually solve the real issue players were facing.

“It was about understanding how digital players wanted to interact with their rigs and then engineering a cabinet that felt as natural and inspiring as a traditional amp, while still being completely transparent to the source tone.”

Expanding on what makes the LFR collection truly stand out from others on the market, Wrathe adds, “Many alternatives are essentially repurposed PA speakers. The LFR range was designed from the ground up for guitar players. They deliver full-range clarity, but they’re voiced, built, and powered in a way that feels natural under the fingers.

“Plus, with our impulse response tech built-in (Laney Advanced Impulse Response, LAIR) you can load your own impulse responses into the cab, to save valuable processing power of your digital rig.”

Devin Townsend and his Laney LFR full range cabinets - LFR-412 LFR-212 LFR-112 - YouTube

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There were some challenges that came with designing such an optimized piece of gear. Balancing absolute transparency with the need for a ‘musical’ feel was one consideration. Another was concerned with ensuring there was enough power and headroom to handle highly polished tones without breaking up.

In other words, “They needed to deliver a consistent sound on any stage, at any volume, without colouring the tone that the modeller or profiler was already shaping. At the same time, they had to retain the physicality and immediacy of a guitar amp – something a wedge monitor or PA top just doesn’t replicate for a guitarist standing in front of their rig.”

The result is a lineup that not only features the world’s first-ever 4x12” FRFR speaker cab, but also the brand-new LFR-110. The LFR-412 is, in its own right, “iconic” and was worked on with the help of Devin Townsend, bringing the authority and scale of a traditional half-stack with the accuracy and versatility of modern FRFR solutions.

The 250W LFR-110, meanwhile, caters to a different crop of players, one that prioritizes portability and practicality. It also adds in Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming and speaker chaining, with XLR/jack combi inputs, MP3/Aux In and HF trim control to boot.

“Not every player needs – or can carry – a 2x12 or 4x12,” Wrathe says. “That was something Sophie Burrell commented on when she saw the prototype back in 2024. The 110 is compact, affordable, and still delivers all the detail and punch needed for smaller gigs, rehearsals, and home use, while retaining the same design philosophy as the larger models.”

For players using modelers, the benefits of incorporating an LFR speaker into their rig is immediately apparent. As Wrathe puts it, LFR cabs feel “more familiar” under players’ fingers, and are voiced with guitarists in mind. Furthermore, the LAIR tech allows for third party IRs to be added, making for a more versatile and efficient monitoring system – a huge advantage that LFR cabs boast in the FRFR market.

Not only that, they can make for a far more satisfying playing experience, one that preserves the clarity of your carefully dialed tones, and that simultaneously generates the intangible “pushing air” phenomenon that many players crave.

Wrathe observes, “Running straight to FOH with in-ears is efficient, but it can feel sterile and isolating. An FRFR cab gives you the physicality of air moving on stage, which makes playing more inspiring and engaging. It also helps bandmates hear you naturally in the mix without always relying on monitors.”

It’s no surprise that Laney’s LFR family has become so wildly popular among players and pros alike. Feedback from guitarists has been, unsurprisingly, intensely positive, with many feeling comfortable to finally take the plunge into a digital rig thanks to the reliability of LFRs.

A huge roster of big-name players are turning to Laney for its LFR speakers, too. The aforementioned Sophie Burrell and Devin Townsend are but two examples, with Jack Gardiner, Guthrie Govan and Malevolence’s Konan Hall also among the firm’s artists.

While Burrell appreciates the portability of the LFR-110 and Hall leverages the firepower of the LFR-412, Govan utilizes the unique LAIR tech by loading violin body Impulse Responses to create super-realistic and otherworldly violin tones.

And, at the end of the day, they sound and perform exceptionally well – something that also tempted Govan: “The other thing is that the audience in the front few rows often can’t hear your guitar at all if you’re simply being pumped out by the FOH,” Wrathe says of the LFR application.

“This was something that Guthrie was experiencing. He tried so many generic FRFR cabs and options and after a lot of testing, he chose and continues to rely on the Laney LFRs.”

“Laney has decades of experience making world-class guitar amplifiers, and we brought that same attention to tone, feel, and player experience into the digital age,” Wrathe says of Laney's LFR collection. “We didn’t just make another speaker – we created solutions tailored to what guitarists actually need.”

• Find out more at Laney.