'Lyndon Laney shaped the sound of a generation of musicians'

Tributes have been paid to a musician and business innovator described as "one of the true pioneers of British musical equipment", who has died aged 77.

Lyndon Laney designed and built amplifiers which "helped shape the sound of generations of musicians," his company said, most notably that of his long-time friend Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.

Laney founded West Midlands-based Laney Amplification in the 1960s and equipment it produced helped "define the sound of metal guitar".

Iommi said he was "absolutely devastated" to have lost "a very dear friend".

Laney was playing bass in local band The Band of Joy with John Bonham on drums and Robert Plant on vocals when he built his first amplifier in his father's garage.

Setting up the business in 1967 he sought to design and build amplifiers with key "tonal" characteristics that were unheard of at the time, namely distortion.

The following year he made Plant a PA system for Led Zeppelin to tour the United States and in 1970, Black Sabbath used Laney amplifiers during the recording of their eponymous debut.

"An album which defined the new sound of heavy metal," said the company.

The 1970s saw the business rapidly expand, with Laney setting up a large-scale manufacturing unit in Digbeth, Birmingham, eventually relocating to its current Halesowen home in 2004.

The Laney "family" of musicians includes Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, bass guitarist Nathan East and Brazilian artist Lari Basilio who said she was "heartbroken".

"What an incredible legacy he built," she added.

"We go back to the late 60s when I first met him," added Iommi.

"We'd sit talking about ideas and what to build into my amplifiers. I am so honoured to have known him and his family.

"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."

"Lyndon's influence extended far beyond business success; he was admired for his warmth, integrity, humour and quiet determination," said Laney Amplification.

"Lyndon was not only a founder, but also a creator, innovator and trusted figure whose passion for industry was at the heart of his working life.

"His legacy continues through the business he built and through his son, James Laney, who proudly carries that vision forward.

"He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and the wider music community."

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