Solid State NAD

[Phantasmagoria]

I wanted one of these (Orange CR120) for years and even bought the head twice before only to have my order cancelled/money refunded 'cause they just sold out the last one..

But third times the charm :bigthumb:

Got the big 2x12 combo 'cuz a) I don't have a combo and b) I thought it sounded pretty sweet with the stock Orange-branded speakers.

It was delivered yesterday while I was at our big gig....(which went really great!!!)

.....I went nuts when Pestilence came on and played their set! Lots of old favourites intersperced with newer stuff Also got to hang out with Patrick Mameli & the other/newer guitar player who were super cool guys. I think our drummer took a pic or two which I'll post up if/when he sends them to me . I'm not really into much black metal but Mayhem was pretty f'n awesome as well. They played a killer one & half hour set & it was ****ing brilliant....cold, grim & flawless

Anyway, backtothe amp: I unpacked it this afternoon when I finally got up nursing a massive hangover hehhe...

Plugged it in and tried out a few tones....it's everything and more that I hoped it would be. Fantastic amp!!

Mega thick with that massive fuzzy gain that their tube heads are famous for. To play, It feels somewhere between tube & SS for rhythm (definitely has a tubey feel to it) and is actually extremely responsive/touch sensitive & a whole bunch of fun to play. I really wanted this one over the newer Super Crush 100 'cuz this has the fat dark Orange tone I'm after. The lead tones are very Vintage-like & sweet despite the massive gain on tap..

The Super Crush while a pretty sweet amp in it's own right, did'nt impress me as much when I played it at the store. It's a lot more modern sounding & lacks the huge deep lows and kinda loose fuzzy thump of this amp...it might have been a bit more tube-like (who cares lol) but just sounded less Orange-y & more Marshall-y or something to me...

Yeah, This was always the one I was going to get :bigthumb:



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[Rex_Rocker]

If you want to fix that waviness/dents in the front grill, you just gotta take a damp cloth to it, and wetten it a little, and then let it sun dry... unless you're in like Arizona or some of those places where temperatures under the sun gets intense.

I did that to my PPC112 and that fixed it like a charm.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Sweet! I'll give that a go...though I'm not really too bothered with the dents tbh...

As long as everything works fine (it does!) and it sounds killer (it does!) ..I'm good :bigthumb:

 

[Securb]

Typically, people look to SS for their amazing cleans but those Orange SS amps have amazing gain. I am finding great gain settings with each new generation of SS amps.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Oh definitely, Even the old SS Randall's and Ampeg's etc had killer gain for metal..

I used my 50W AMT Stonehead at the gig yesterday, which is solid state & it sounded pretty awesome :bigthumb:

Don't think you can see it but It's sitting on top of the Marshall behind me..

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Some pics from our set that day ^^ , which incidently, was also our last gig with Dying Embrace, the band that we've kept going pretty much since 1991. There were a few short breaks in between due to line-up changes, fights, health issues etc....the usual band stuff ..but things stayed largely on track through the years & it's been a fun ride :beerchug:

Anyway it was a kickass gig & great turnout. The venue was packed/sold out. Obviously, it was a great billing & we got to play at the same gig as a lot of great bands. We played a great set & folks loved it . Things went really well....sound, crowd etc....all perfect. Could'nt have hoped for a better send-off. :bigthumb:

We're still keeping the band going & will hopefully continue recording etc, but just won't be playing live anymore for a bunch of reasons...30+ years is long enough anyway

 

[DankStar]

Congrats, I think I’d be happy to have a SS orange. I’ve tested several that had me intrigued.

that’s awesome you saw pestilence!

 

[Phantasmagoria]

It's a fantastic sounding amp. The only reason I have'nt flooded this thread w/ clips (yet) is 'cuz I'm waiting for my Two Notes Captor X to arrive to do that

It does'nt have a line out (I think) and I'll need the speaker out for a DI recording. The alternative is micing the cab, but It's a PIA. All I have is a cheap Chinese condenser mic and a couple of knock off SM57's..

And a clip is worth a thousand words ...all I can say is it's an absolutely awesome sounding amp in every way.. I don't even notice it's SS ..it's so thick and fat & tubey :bigthumb:

The Pestilence guys green room was just below ours (and we had Mayhem next door ), They were all really chill, down-to-earth & friendly dudes..


Their (Pestilence's) set was by far the highlight of the gig for me..they played a bunch of my favourite songs from Consuming & Testimony ..Out of the Body, Secrecies of Horror, Twisted Truth etc....it was an insane set!!

Watched all the local/Indian bands. Everyone played great...

Skipped Born Of Osiris (not my sort of thing)

My bandmate Vik is a huge Mayhem/Black metal fan so he dragged me up front when Mayhem came on. They were pretty sick & relentless. Their drummer was nuts.. .I could'nt get through the whole 1 1/2 hours though so I went at the back after about an hour to tank up on more beer. By the time they were done I'd almost passed out heheh... Great gig!!

 

[GuitarDoc]

I wanted one of these (Orange CR120) for years and even bought the head twice before only to have my order cancelled/money refunded 'cause they just sold out the last one..

But third times the charm :bigthumb:

Got the big 2x12 combo 'cuz a) I don't have a combo and b) I thought it sounded pretty sweet with the stock Orange-branded speakers.

It was delivered yesterday while I was at our big gig....(which went really great!!!)

.....I went nuts when Pestilence came on and played their set! Lots of old favourites intersperced with newer stuff Also got to hang out with Patrick Mameli & the other/newer guitar player who were super cool guys. I think our drummer took a pic or two which I'll post up if/when he sends them to me . I'm not really into much black metal but Mayhem was pretty f'n awesome as well. They played a killer one & half hour set & it was ****ing brilliant....cold, grim & flawless

Anyway, backtothe amp: I unpacked it this afternoon when I finally got up nursing a massive hangover hehhe...

Plugged it in and tried out a few tones....it's everything and more that I hoped it would be. Fantastic amp!!

Mega thick with that massive fuzzy gain that their tube heads are famous for. To play, It feels somewhere between tube & SS for rhythm (definitely has a tubey feel to it) and is actually extremely responsive/touch sensitive & a whole bunch of fun to play. I really wanted this one over the newer Super Crush 100 'cuz this has the fat dark Orange tone I'm after. The lead tones are very Vintage-like & sweet despite the massive gain on tap..

The Super Crush while a pretty sweet amp in it's own right, did'nt impress me as much when I played it at the store. It's a lot more modern sounding & lacks the huge deep lows and kinda loose fuzzy thump of this amp...it might have been a bit more tube-like (who cares lol) but just sounded less Orange-y & more Marshall-y or something to me...

Yeah, This was always the one I was going to get :bigthumb:



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Well......I can ALMOST hear a band playing behind all of the crowd talk and noise.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Great final gig. Congrats on a long gigging career and on the new amp. I've always wanted to try some Orange amps but never got around to it.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Thanks for the good wishes Guitardoc. It may not nessesarily be the end of all gigging for me. Just won't be doing any more of them with Dying Embrace (unless we do a KISS thing and have a bunch more "final gigs" :lmao

This is'nt the only Orange amp I've played but I do like it as much/more than a lot of their tube amps I've tried...though those have mostly been lunchboxes.

I do way prefer this to the TH100 tube head they had in the store though...over scooped and fizzy (at lower volumes....could'nt crank it up). This just had a way warmer/middier/thicker more vintage/70's sound that I liked a lot more..

 

[Mononoaware]

Sweet! I'll give that a go...though I'm not really too bothered with the dents tbh...

As long as everything works fine (it does!) and it sounds killer (it does!) ..I'm good :bigthumb:

Just think of them as "Dimples of Venus" and--voila!--they go from unsightly to sexy!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I do way prefer this to the TH100 tube head they had in the store though...over scooped and fizzy (at lower volumes....could'nt crank it up). This just had a way warmer/middier/thicker more vintage/70's sound that I liked a lot more..

I actually really like the TH/Dark family of Orange amps.

Yes, they are scooped. Or at least, they sound best when you turn the shape knob past 12:00, which starts getting them into scooped territory. But I play metal, and I'm inspired by 90's and 2000's metal tones myself. My dream amp is a Rectifier. And I absolutely loathe when people try to turn the mid knob on 5150's past like 3 or 4.

I used have a Dark Terror which at the time, I didn't really appreciate. But listening back to the few tests I did with it mic'ed, it actually sounded cool. I did mod mine to be less fizzy, though. Stock, they get REALLY fizzy. Like unusably so. And it also absolutely needed a boost. Otherwise, it just sounded kinda like plugging into a Big Muff or one of those borderline distortion-y fuzz pedals.

But once you look past the idiosincracies, it's actually a very unique and usable tone. I kinda want one again.

I also like how straightforward they are to dial in, but at the same time, I don't, LOL. I wish they had presence and resonance controls. But I wished every amp had those, TBH.

Here's mine boosted with my trusty Wylde OD: https://www.dropbox.com/s/df4xpbpwuam7o3m/Dark Terror.mp3?dl=0

 

[Demanic]

Oh definitely, Even the old SS Randall's and Ampeg's etc had killer gain for metal..

I used my 50W AMT Stonehead at the gig yesterday, which is solid state & it sounded pretty awesome :bigthumb:

Don't think you can see it but It's sitting on top of the Marshall behind me..

Did you say "old Randall"?

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

https://youtu.be/AOSe8DaRi_M

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Q RexRocker

The TH100 is definitely more a metal amp than a rock amp imo and that's absolutely fine except that it does'nt really sound that Orange-y to me. It has a ton of thick punchy deep bass (as in actual low bass vs the typical orange mids/lower mids thing). and it's pretty raw/edgy/grindy sounding...I suspect it will sound pretty sweet for metal cranked up a bit to get rid of the fizz or even at lower volumes on the 1/2 power setting..

Having said that I loved the sound of the CR120 from the moment I first heard one. And as I mentioned up there this is actually the third time I've bought one. But it's the only one that actually got delivered to me. It is tailer made for doom rock/metal & sounds absolutely amazing for that. I've never played a Rockerverb but it's apparently pretty close sounding to that one. Personally, I actually prefer it's sound to the Rockerverb in almost all the clips/comparisons I've heard...it seems as fat, darker & even more organic sounding if you'll pardon the cliche which in this case really applies :bigthumb:

The 15 W dark terror is an excellent amp and easily my favourite orange lunckbox out of the ones I'v tried. Sounds great in your clip as well. I've heard heard folks complain that they're fizzy etc, but I've always been able to dial in great hi-gain tones on them at any volume...

 

[Mincer]

I am happy that the opinion on the newer Orange amps is generally pretty good. In the 70s, they didn't have as good of a reputation.

 

[maug2122]

This old set up gives me any amp sound I want, Fender cleans, Marshall or Mesa Boogie sound, Rectified gain .

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The ancient Digitech 2112 has great dialed in various amps Sims with two 12ax7 tubes going out in stereo into two VHT Valvulator 1's with each having a 12ax7 tube each.

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I set the gain level of the Crate Power Blocks at 2 o'clock, so I could back the guitar volume knob down for clean parts or when I use my Acoustic simulator.

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[Rex_Rocker]

Q RexRocker

The TH100 is definitely more a metal amp than a rock amp imo and that's absolutely fine except that it does'nt really sound that Orange-y to me. It has a ton of thick punchy deep bass (as in actual low bass vs the typical orange mids/lower mids thing). and it's pretty raw/edgy/grindy sounding...I suspect it will sound pretty sweet for metal cranked up a bit to get rid of the fizz or even at lower volumes on the 1/2 power setting..

Having said that I loved the sound of the CR120 from the moment I first heard one. And as I mentioned up there this is actually the third time I've bought one. But it's the only one that actually got delivered to me. It is tailer made for doom rock/metal & sounds absolutely amazing for that. I've never played a Rockerverb but it's apparently pretty close sounding to that one. Personally, I actually prefer it's sound to the Rockerverb in almost all the clips/comparisons I've heard...it seems as fat, darker & even more organic sounding if you'll pardon the cliche which in this case really applies :bigthumb:

The 15 W dark terror is an excellent amp and easily my favourite orange lunckbox out of the ones I'v tried. Sounds great in your clip as well. I've heard heard folks complain that they're fizzy etc, but I've always been able to dial in great hi-gain tones on them at any volume...

I used to play with a friend who has a Rockerverb 50 Mk. II and a PPC412.

The Rockerverb was cool. Expensive for what it was, though.

I hated the PPC412 with a passion. I never could get anything I liked out of it under the mic. And it was like REALLY heavy, and it didn't have casters.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I've tried a bunch of the smaller heads through PPC212's w/ V30's and they sounded pretty cool through those. They are heavy though ..even the 2x12's..

I'd like to try a Rockerverb sometime...but I would'nt spring for one..I'd rather get a Mesa Dual rec for (almost) the same money. Don't get me wrong the Rockerverb sounds great in clips (and very close to the CR120) but for that sort of money I'd get a Recto..

In fact Ty Tabor from King's X used a Dual Rec on Dogman...But has been using SS CR120's pretty much since they came out & raves about them ,,,makes them sound fantastic in his demo's. Dude knows his way around great sludgy sounds..

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I don't have direct experience with the 2x12's.

The 4x12 sounded horrible under the mic. Like there's some serious phase cancellation/comb filtering going on inside the cab. Like a Phaser pedal stuck in the middle. It doesn't surprise me, TBH. The way they're constructed with the thick plywood and the completely parallel baffle/back, and then the mega thick grill cloth.

My PPC112 was the same. I overall don't like mic'ing up 1x12's, but that one was completely unusable under the mic. It's weird, though, because in the room, they sound fine.

You can hear what I mean in here. I think it's pretty obvious in this clip. Like a certain boxiness/nasaliness to the mids: