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Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 3:32 am
by svanmaanen
Hey all,

Need some advice. I have a small home studio and occasionally jam / aspire to have small gigs. For no good reasons I love the Orange brand, the people who use them and of course the colour.

Can you tell me which one to buy and how I can justify it to my mates?

ps - I do really care about this, I love Pavement, J Mascis / Dino Jr, Pixies through to bands like Fleet Foxes et al.

Cheese!!!

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 3:49 am
by Mudfuzz
I have no opinion about their cabs but I will suggest my favorite:Thunderverb 200 :thumb: I love this amp, I can use it for bass and guitar :thumb: It's cleans are so shimmery :thumb: Then you start to up the gain to dirt :love: I mean what other amp can pull off surf and Metal, and be a killer bass amp?

As for the cab I use with it... I use a late 60's Sunn 1X15.

Edit... where's that picture....

Ah... here it is :thumb:
Image

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 6:14 am
by svanmaanen
Wow - any comment on the AD30? Rocker50 thing?

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 6:36 am
by fuzzmax
I owned a rockerverb 50 and though it sounds very good on its own, It didn't take well pedals. I finally sold it. You're right about the color, there was a little bit of that when I bought it. Check the or50 40th anniversary, they seem pretty cool and I read that it takes pedals better, unless you don't want to use them....

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 8:17 am
by svanmaanen
Will check out Melband for sure.

Any other options I should look at, a friend has suggested a Fender Twin? Supposed to have great clean sound and takes to pedals well... I am a bit new to all of this!

Read some other threads and there is concern about some Orange amps and pedals (as above)...

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 8:44 am
by Monkeyboard
Orange amps are great amps if you dig simplicity. They have one good sound and they do that very well.

However. They do not take well to pedals at all. Which was a big put off for me. Also very few Orange amps have a master volume. Whilst nearly all have very high wattages. So if you're not playing medium to big gigs you'll never get the best out of them.

A Fender Twin is a whole different story. You'll never get it to break-up without molesting your ears. It delivers more clean headroom than most other tube amps can even dream of. Unlike the Orange the Twin isn't really that interesting on it's own but takes very well to pedals so it can be spiced up (so to speak).

So all in all. If you're a real pedal geek. Go with the Twin. If you don't mind the lack of possible variety for a great sound go with the Orange.

Also if you still want the look of Orange there are people who will do the whole Orange tolex thing. I know Avatar cabinets can be made with orange tolex and I'm sure many others will do the same. (Heck you might even find someone who will re-tolex a Twin for you)

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:02 pm
by Mudfuzz
I disagree.

My TV200 takes pedals better then a lot of other amps [marshall for one] you just have to know how to set the gain control. Most people that say a amp doesn't take FX don't understand that sometimes YOU HAVE TO TURN DOWN THE GAIN CONTROL!

Take Boris.... You are going to tell me Wata doesn't get good sounds with all the FX she uses? give me a break :mad: :grumpy:

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:32 pm
by Jero
Mudfuzz wrote:I disagree. Most people that say a amp doesn't take FX don't understand that sometimes YOU HAVE TO TURN DOWN THE GAIN CONTROL!
Take Boris.... You are going to tell me Wata doesn't get good sounds with all the FX she uses? give me a break :mad: :grumpy:

With this I agree (though I have no ownership experience with orange). I remember people talking about the b200h (acoustic) sounding bad by itself/with effects but it cause they had the gain 3/4 up or something...turn the gain up 1/4 way, sounds excellent with everything. The b200h has an effects loop though so :p (which I nvr use).

I've been really interested in the thunderverb200 (thanks to you, Mud), and the ad200 mk3. Have you compared the thunder to any of their bass specific amps?

Other amps I'm considering are Verellens. The meatsmoke specifically. About the same price range unless buying used (oranges).

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:37 pm
by Mudfuzz
No I haven't :cry:
I want a AD200 :thumb: But at this point I don't "need" one as I have a mesa 400+ and a SVTCL...
The TV200 is not as thunderous as those two amps though in less you have a bass with a active EQ or a EQ or bassboost pedal inless you crank the amp. It excels at oldschool tones though :thumb:

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 4:44 pm
by tuffteef
forget them all and buy a vox :lol: :cool:

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:26 pm
by Monkeyboard
Mudfuzz wrote:I disagree.

My TV200 takes pedals better then a lot of other amps [marshall for one] you just have to know how to set the gain control. Most people that say a amp doesn't take FX don't understand that sometimes YOU HAVE TO TURN DOWN THE GAIN CONTROL!

Take Boris.... You are going to tell me Wata doesn't get good sounds with all the FX she uses? give me a break :mad: :grumpy:


^Take his word over mine.

I only got to try the AD30 and Rocker 30 with pedals.

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:15 pm
by dorfmeister

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 5:26 am
by svanmaanen
I live a stones throw from music swap shop, might head down at 11:07 on Saturday (funniest opening time ever!!!)

I am open to any type of amp, but after this thread I want a blank canvas for my pedals to sing! They all sound like good options :drool:

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:17 am
by Monkeyboard
svanmaanen wrote:I live a stones throw from music swap shop, might head down at 11:07 on Saturday (funniest opening time ever!!!)

I am open to any type of amp, but after this thread I want a blank canvas for my pedals to sing! They all sound like good options :drool:


Get yourself a JC-120!!!

It's what I have so it must be good! ;)

Re: Which Orange Amp/Speaker to buy?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 6:45 am
by svanmaanen
Whoah!!

Thanks guys, got a shortlist happening... will have to go try em all out

CHEESE!