Orange Amps

FAC

FAC

New member
Folks,

Can someone explain to me why I find myself searching the internet for info on Orange Amps?

I think I am looking for something "dirty" to pair with my Reeves Custom 50 (Hiwatt-style amp...been using it clean with pedals for dirt). I trend towards classic rock tones, which could be interpreted as "Marshall", but I think I am looking for something different. If anyone has experience with the Tiny Terror, Rocker 30, Rockerverb 50, or Thunderverb 50, OR50, etc., feel free to chime in/talk me down.

Thanks!
 
Re: Orange Amps

I owned a Tiny Terror. I ran it through an Orange 1x12 cab. Awesome little amp, just not very versatile.
 
Re: Orange Amps

FAC said:
Folks,

Can someone explain to me why I find myself searching the internet for info on Orange Amps?

I think I am looking for something "dirty" to pair with my Reeves Custom 50 (Hiwatt-style amp...been using it clean with pedals for dirt). I trend towards classic rock tones, which could be interpreted as "Marshall", but I think I am looking for something different. If anyone has experience with the Tiny Terror, Rocker 30, Rockerverb 50, or Thunderverb 50, OR50, etc., feel free to chime in/talk me down.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I usually describe the Rocker30 as AC/DC in a box. Channel 1 gave me classic AC/DC crunch, and channel 2 gave me Razors Edge sizzle (and then some).
 
Re: Orange Amps

FAC said:
Past-tense...did you sell it?
Click to expand...

Yes. It didn't have enough headroom for me. It balanced a drummer nicely, but it had no clean tone and didn't have any room left to manoeuvre. If you're A/Bing with a Hiwatt, then this shouldn't be an issue for you.

The only thing I'd be concerned about is the clean Hiwatt sounding thicker than the Rocker30 distorted. If I was doing what you're doing I'd probably look at the Thunderverb 50... but I have no real experience with one so I can't really comment on it.
 
Re: Orange Amps

some_dude said:
The only thing I'd be concerned about is the clean Hiwatt sounding thicker than the Rocker30 distorted. If I was doing what you're doing I'd probably look at the Thunderverb 50... but I have no real experience with one so I can't really comment on it.
Click to expand...

You've hit the nail on the head. This has been my concern, exactly. I'm looking for something that can keep up with the Hiwatt clean sound, and I figured the Orange amps are known for their thickness (true? myth?).

It may seem silly (a clean sound having to keep up with a dirty sound???), but if you've had the pleasure to play a Hiwatt/Reeves/Harry Joyce, you know what I mean.
 
Re: Orange Amps

I have a Rockerverb 100H, and I have a hard time imagining it not keeping up with anything... Especially considering that with the flick of a switch you can have it running a quad of KT88s at a max output of around 180+ watts..

I'm running EL34s It's almost too thick.

I have to be conscious not to eat the tone of the other guitarist's VHT Deliverance 120 with the gigantic midrange it thumps out. I've actually had to EQ the OD channel with a bit more of a scoop just so I don't stomp all over the frequency spectrum.

It's cool too because the gain knob controls two gain stages... Up to 12:00 on the dial it's pure rock tone from just the 1st gain stage. Very Angus. Then between 12 - 1 you can hear the 2nd stage kick in and the OD gets smoother and thicker.

The volume pot runs out of headroom around 3:00 or so, which is great as well, since you can use the rest of the sweep to dial in some poweramp saturation.
 
Re: Orange Amps

I may be in the minority here, but I jammed with a friend of mine recently who has a Rockerverb 50 and I didn't think it sounded all that great. Granted he didn't have it EQ'd too well at first (bass dimed, mids set way low and treble around noon on the dirty side) but even after I spent some time fiddling with it I didn't really find anything I was too impressed with. It was running through an Orange 4x12" cab, and was cranked up plenty loud.

Then again I'm more a fan of Fender/Boogie tones, so take that into consideration.
 
Re: Orange Amps

SlowGroove said:
Off all the current Orange amps, i prefer the Thunderverb50 in every aspect :

More gain than the AD series, but less than the Rockerverb series !

Utoob for you :

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDckcr_5Iu4 - Pt I

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESIarEUATZs - Pt II

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PHqs4zBAc



Maybe one day i will have a Thunderverb head !

James
Click to expand...

I just tried those and they seem to be "private" on youtube now. I think I watched them last week, however.

Anyone here made any clips?
 
Re: Orange Amps

FAC said:
Awesome! Is the boost pretty much clean, or is it providing some dirt of its own? I've tried the throback stonebender, but not the overdrive/boost.
Click to expand...

Some dirt of it's own. The amp is set to ~2.5 with the master volume around 7, then my guitar is backed down to about 7.5.

The ODB has it's gain maxed, but with the guitar backed off like it is it gives an edge to the tone that isn't there without it.
 
Re: Orange Amps

I like the rockerverb 50. Not as much as other 4x6V6 amps out there but it's pretty cool and has a bit of it's own thing going on, and it'd probably be my first choice if I wanted to grab something easily available that could cover my gigs. I've gigged the AD140 a few times and I can't really get excited about it. I Don't dig the smaller oranges.

My friend has a circa-1970 pics only head. That sounds amazing. The older Oranges really had their own thing going on when cranked, and it's not really there in the new designs, which sound more generic to me.

I've also seen a number of output transformer failures on modern Oranges, which makes me think twice about owning one.
 
Re: Orange Amps

My experience with Orange amplifiers is that they're kind of a one trick pony. They have an absolutely GORGEOUS grind to them and a very nice frequency response down to about 100 Hz, so through the right cabinet, they'll flap your pant legs (which is fun!). But I haven't found them to be very versatile and their cleanest of settings isn't very clean, which for me makes them rather useless. But, they are a BRUTE of an amp and if all you're wanting to do is play heavy all night, boy, nothing does it better.

There's an old video of Black Sabbath playing "Paranoid" in the studio, it was one of their early promo videos. I think Iommi usually preferred Laney, but they're playing through Orange amps in this video and it looks and sounds live to me, and is pretty close to what I remember of my experience with Orange.
 
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