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

'Lyndon Laney shaped the sound of a generation of musicians'6 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleVanessa PearceWest MidlandsTony Iommi/InstagramTony Iommi said he was devastated to lose a dear friendTributes 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. Getty ImagesHis Black Country business was first set up in 1967The 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. Getty ImagesThe innovator has died aged 77, his company announcedThe 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 g...