What is it?
Billy Corgan’s Big Muff-drenched wall of sound in the Smashing Pumpkins helped define a generation, a sound countless players have tried to mimic, but never quite matched. Back in the early days of the Pumpkins, he was known for running everything from a KT88-modded Marshall to Mega Boogies and the occasional Orange, turning up the volume and fuzz for those iconic grunge riffs. Fast forward to today, and Corgan’s live rig is a high-gain fortress built around Grace heads, crafted by Brian Carstens, and a Laney Supergroup reissue for those glassier, lighter tones.
If you’ve ever dreamed of recreating Corgan’s current setup, you’d better have deep pockets; it’ll cost you about as much as a small apartment. Even if you somehow snagged all his amps, good luck playing through them anywhere short of a stadium. Luckily, Laney has come to the rescue for us mere mortals with the new Laney Supergrace Loudpedal.
Don’t let its small stomp appearance fool you, the Loudpedal isn’t just another amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal. It’s a full-blown, all-analog 60-watt amplifier, squeezed into a stompbox format. You can drop it straight onto your board and go from bedroom jams to stage volume, no head or cab needed, though it’ll happily drive a cab if you want it to.
As the name suggests, the Supergrace is split into two distinct sections. One side is based on Laney’s Supergroup, which offers both Clean and Dimed modes, while the other delivers the high-gain saturation of a Grace head. Onboard, you get a flexible three-band EQ shared between both sides of the pedal, plus Gain and Volume controls for each section, and a global tone knob for further dialing in your high-end. There’s also an on-board Reverb, which is based on Laney’s award-winning Secret Path pedal – and handily, the Reverb can be activated/deactivated via footswitch.
Inside, it’s all analog signal path, so there’s no digital modeling here
Now, for a pedal to actually work for modern touring musicians, it needs to slot seamlessly into any rig. On the back, you’ll find a balanced XLR DI out, with cab sim, naturally, so you can go direct to front-of-house or your recording interface. There’s also a standard speaker out, at 8 or 16 ohms, an effects loop, and a headphone jack for those late-night practice sessions. And, as you’d expect, all footswitchable functions are MIDI-controllable.
Inside, it’s all analog signal path, so there’s no digital modeling here. The amp section uses a sturdy Class D power stage, so you get genuine amp punch without the weight and size of a tube amp. The footswitchable boost circuit serves up instant volume and gain for solos, and the rugged metal housing means it’s more than road-ready – I mean, if Billy Corgan can take one on tour, then you can sure take it to your local bar gig without worrying about it not keeping up.
Specs
- Launch price: $629 | £449
- Type: Pedalboard amp
- Controls: Grace: Volume, Gain, Bright, Supergroup: Gain, Volume, Dimed/Clean Shared: 3-band EQ (Bass, Middle, Treble), Tone, Reverb, Boost
- Features: Two footswitchable channels (Grace and Supergroup), digital reverb, boost, USB-C audio interface, DI output, headphone output, and MIDI control
- Connectivity: USB-C audio interface, XLR DI out, 1/4" line out, effects loop (send/return), MIDI in/out, headphone out, speaker out (8-16 ohms)
- Bypass: True bypass
- Power: 60-watt Class D power amp, external 24V DC power supply included
- Dimensions: 67mm x 199mm x 143mm
- Weight: 1.2Kg
- Contact: Laney
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Okay, the first thing I appreciate is how well this pedal is presented. Laney clearly wanted to make you feel like you’re unboxing a high-end product, and I think they’ve nailed it. The Supergrace arrives swaddled in a premium black box, with silver lettering flashing Brian Carstens and Billy Corgan’s names, letting you know this is a pretty special collaboration and one the team at Black Country Customs is very proud of – and rightly so.
Now, once I get my hands on the pedal tucked away inside, I am not disappointed. It’s a tank. Solid, weighty, and so well put together, I half expect it to come with a certificate of indestructibility. Every jack, switch, and knob feels smooth and expertly crafted. Not that I should be surprised. I’ve had my hands on a number of Laney’s Loudpedals now, from the tamer Lionheart and the metal-ready Ironheart, and it’s a format I really like. I love the rugged, no-nonsense design, and better yet, they feel built to survive pedalboard pileups and the occasional beer spill with equal poise.
Now, it is worth noting that, as this is an amplifier, it requires a fairly large power supply. The unit itself runs on 24V, 2.5A, so you won’t be powering this with your standard pedalboard power supply. If you have a fairly large pedalboard, then you’ll most likely be able to tuck it under to keep things neat and tidy, but for those with modest ‘boards, it may be more of an issue.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★★☆
I honestly love how immediate and tactile it feels to use
If you’ve ever twisted an amp knob, you’ll feel right at home here. The Supergrace is every bit as straightforward to dial in as any more traditional amp, and with it sitting directly on your board, I’d say it's more practical, too.
I honestly love how immediate and tactile it feels to use. With so much going on, it could easily get a little overwhelming, but Laney has gone to great lengths to lay out the unit in an intuitive way, with everything being well labelled and exactly where you’d expect it to be.
Of course, nothing’s perfect, and if I’m going to nitpick, I’d love to see a separate EQ for both the Supergroup and Grace channels. For me, these sides have wildly different personalities, and they deserve their own fine-tuning. Now, I totally understand why this isn’t the case for the Supergrace, not least because it would increase its footprint, but still, I think it would be worth it to have more control over each side separately.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
If I were to describe the Supergrace in a word, it would be versatile. Starting with the Laney side, armed with a Gibson Explorer and running the DI output into an audio interface with Corgan’s LA412 G12H IR loaded, I’m greeted with a sound that’s very British in its makeup. On the Clean setting, the tone is bright and responsive, and it gets a little hairy as you increase the gain. Flicking the Dimed switch introduces more gain to the party and makes the whole thing sound fatter and more in your face. There’s plenty of body to the sound, and it's undeniably Laney. From classic rock riffage to raw lead parts, I’d be perfectly satisfied if this were the only setting in this pedal.
Now, I would love to be able to switch between the Dimed and Clean modes with a footswitch. As it stands, you can’t switch this function with MIDI, either, which is a shame, as it would make the unit even more versatile than it already is.
Next, I stomp on the Grace side, and the gloves come off. It’s face-meltingly fierce, with thick, relentless gain that chews up your riffs and spits them out a whole lot meaner. There’s a sharpness to the top-end too. It’s right on the edge of being a wasp in a jar, but there’s enough note definition in the mid-range that it retains its weight and punch. It’s incredibly fun to play through. Riffs seem to have way more attitude than they probably deserve, and there’s almost infinite sustain for leads.
These two amps are very different beasts
Now, back to my earlier point about the shared EQ. These two amps are very different beasts, and personally, I find myself wanting to shape their tones differently to get the best out of them. I want more bass and top-end in my clean sound, and I find myself rolling off some of the highs and tweaking the mid-range when I switch over to the Grace side. As it stands, I feel like I’m having to compromise with the EQ to get something that works for both sides, but it's not really giving me 100% of what I need.
The onboard boost is a valuable addition, and even performs well when the Grace side is fully gunned, and you think there's nowhere else your tone can go. I like the reverb, too. Like most players, I find myself too self-conscious to play without a touch of verb, and this one is a top-quality spring reverb that perfectly adds a touch of dimension without getting in the way.
Overall, I love the sound of this unit. There’s clarity where you want it, and a glorious wall of noise when you need it. Whether you’re chasing glassy cleans, classic rock punch, or full-on doom-lord saturation, the Supergrace more than delivers.
Verdict
Whether you’re a Smashing Pumpkins fan or not, I think most players would find a sound in the Supergrace to fall in love with
From the moment you crack open its slick packaging, it’s clear Laney has gone all out with its newest member of the Loudpedal family. This is a feature-packed, well-made, and seriously fun unit backed by one of alt-rock's most prolific tone chasers.
Whether you’re a Smashing Pumpkins fan or not, I think most players would find a sound in the Supergrace to fall in love with. For me, it’s a sonic shape-shifter. The Laney side delivers everything from clean sparkle to crunchy riffage, while the Grace channel unleashes a torrent of gain that’ll make your solos scream. Add in a killer boost and lush reverb, and you’ve got a pedal that’s ready to conquer stadium stages or bedrooms alike. Sure, I wish each channel had its own EQ, but I suppose the shared controls mean you spend less time tweaking and more time playing.
Ultimately, this is a fantastic little unit that has enough useful features to disarm even the most die-hard tube amp fanatic and as a formidable amount of gain to help grunge rats break out of their sonic cages with plenty of rage.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
Very well put together, superbly built. The power supply is rather large, so it may not fit under your pedalboard. |
★★★★½ |
Usability |
Simple to dial in and easy to use even with complex rigs. That said, we'd rather separate EQs for each side. |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
Extremely versatile and plenty of fierce gain on tap. |
★★★★½ |
Overall |
A very well made, easy to use pedal that nails every era of Pumpkins tones. |
★★★★½ |
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