OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

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sixstringstrangler
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by sixstringstrangler » Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:42 am

jojo68 wrote:Never heard that, check with the dudes on the matamp forum.

i have owned 3 GT120's and I still currently own two, I'm not a gigging musician, but I haven't had any problems like that as of yet. I own a 1990 Green and 2010 Black and they work fine. My old 2006 Green gave me no problem either....

a.hun
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by a.hun » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:21 am

MJH wrote:Here is what he told me in the email.

"If you plan on using the amp at full volume, i suggest you get the GT1 or the GT200 instead. the GT120 is an old design and you will go through tubes every couple of months."
Doesn't surprise me. You could say EXACTLY the same about the old OR120, as I have in the past...
Andy H. wrote:(http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26789" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Worth getting those amps checked over, working right, and putting really strong power valves in. The payback is one fantastic sounding (and very loud) amp. Which will eat cheap EL34s for breakfast and spit them back at you BTW. These amps have attitude! ;)
Not to mention Ade Emsley...
Ade Emsley wrote:(http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=7296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
OR120`s need to be biased on the hot side to sound right because of the type of phase inverter used in those amps. The crossover notch will not clear up untill the output tubes are taken to around 70%. You need a really great set of tubes to make the amp reliable!
So if The GT120 is anything like the OR120 that was just plain honest advice from the Matamp man! :o :idea:

sixstringstrangler wrote:i have owned 3 GT120's and I still currently own two, I'm not a gigging musician, but I haven't had any problems like that as of yet.
Well you probably answered your own point there. If you aren't pushing them for hours at gig levels (or are using decent quality valves!!! :wink: ) than you'll not notice the power valves going so fast. But indeed when run loud these amps with really high plate voltages do need strong valves or they'll go through them like, er... a mouse through your wiring...(OUCH!)


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

jojo68
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by jojo68 » Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:50 pm

I crank my OR 120 all the way up and gig with it. Same with my matamp gto 120, no issues at all.Yet.haha

sixstringstrangler
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by sixstringstrangler » Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:57 pm

sixstringstrangler wrote:i have owned 3 GT120's and I still currently own two, I'm not a gigging musician, but I haven't had any problems like that as of yet.
Well you probably answered your own point there. If you aren't pushing them for hours at gig levels (or are using decent quality valves!!! :wink: ) than you'll not notice the power valves going so fast. But indeed when run loud these amps with really high plate voltages do need strong valves or they'll go through them like, er... a mouse through your wiring...(OUCH!)


Andy.[/quote]


just cause i don't gig does not mean i don't play my amps full tilt :/

so gigging musicians push their amps for HOURS at gig levels? hahahhahahahaha yeah ok.

a.hun
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by a.hun » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:20 pm

sixstringstrangler wrote:just cause i don't gig does not mean i don't play my amps full tilt :/
Fair enough. Thats pretty unusual (shall we say) with that powerful an amp, but if you've got the room and opportunity - fine! I used to be able to do that too... :wink:
so gigging musicians push their amps for HOURS at gig levels? hahahhahahahaha yeah ok.
Well we bass players generally do, yeah. My OR120 has spent more than a couple of hours pushing it out of an evening. Of course the bigger the band the shorter the sets often become...


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

fibersnake
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by fibersnake » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:22 pm

I have an ORM-120 and it is one of the reissued from the mid 90's. Pretty much built from old parts and to specs of the 70's before Orange went to the OTR and newer amps. So far after many years, it has held up well. Good tubes are a requirement if you plan to use it as designed.

You can not IMHO get the same vibe with any of the newer ones as the old type, though they newer ones do have some excellent qualities and sound.

On the Electric, know a few people that have had them made and all have been very happy with theirs.

I would keep looking for a good used one and if found, take it in to a reputable tech thats knows what they are doing and have it gone through, tuned up and the play the hell out of it.
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TESLA_EL34
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by TESLA_EL34 » Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:22 pm

Tthe GT1 and GTL/GTO matamps also eat EL34's. so you need a really good quad!
What plate voltage is going on on the OR120's and Mat 120's?
The GT1 has 425 B+ but these amps are also reliable with really good tubes...

On the other hand you get a really nice sound that no modern amp can or could touch,
even if the newer oranges sound really good, they don't feel the same and they aren't as super dynamic
as the old designs. but i think the newer oranges are far more reliable... you don't read much about
reliability issues with the newer oranges...nice!
accept darkness.

MJH
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by MJH » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:03 pm

a.hun wrote:(http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=7296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
GT120 is anything like the OR120 that was just plain honest advice from the Matamp man! :o :idea:



Yeah, it seems like he was being honest with me. I wasn't saying that the Matamp guy didn't know what he was talking about. I have just never heard that yet about the GT120's or the OR120's. He also told me to post some questions or ask people about these amps blowing tubes on the forums.

From the posts it kind of seems like it's hit or miss with these amps.
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jason41224
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by jason41224 » Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:13 pm

sixstringstrangler wrote:But indeed when run loud these amps with really high plate voltages do need strong valves or they'll go through them like, er... a mouse through your wiring...(OUCH!)
that's happened to me before! my first tube amp, a Carvin X100B. i got it secondhand from a neighbor of mine, who hadn't played in years. it had been sitting around his garage, and it would feedback like crazy on the dirty channel, and the clean channel had a huge volume drop. a mouse had got stuck in there and tried to gnaw its way out (but failed...thank god, no big damages). the little guy even brought some acorns in for a snack! :D
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a.hun
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by a.hun » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:11 am

TESLA_EL34 wrote:Tthe GT1 and GTL/GTO matamps also eat EL34's. so you need a really good quad!
What plate voltage is going on on the OR120's and Mat 120's?
The GT1 has 425 B+ but these amps are also reliable with really good tubes...
480VDC is typical for OR120s, but they can be higher.
Ade Emsley wrote:(http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=7296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
The KT77 differs from an EL34 and 6CA7 in that it can handle much higher screen voltages making it great in amps like old OR 120`s and JTM 45/100`s with both plate and screen in excess of 500v. EL34/6CA7`s were only designed to take 450v on the screens! because of this, the AD140 has 550v on the plates but only 380v on the screens and is well suited to the 6CA7 because of its larger plates but may well be great with KT77`s.
TESLA_EL34 wrote:On the other hand you get a really nice sound that no modern amp can or could touch,
even if the newer oranges sound really good, they don't feel the same and they aren't as super dynamic
as the old designs. but i think the newer oranges are far more reliable... you don't read much about
reliability issues with the newer oranges...
Errrr...
With good valves the old amps were actually about as near as you'll get to bombproof reliable. Definitely up there with old Marshalls and Hiwatts! :o

Someone who disagrees that old Oranges / Matamps were unreliable, and can back it up with rather more evidence than I can with just my one amp, is DAVESOUNDS. He used to post here and ran / ? still runs a PA company specialising in old Oranges and Matamps. He had many thousands of hours with many of these amps with exactly zero failures in service! 8)
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... 91#p369591" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The older Oranges were simpler designs than the current ones. They were also better built. I like the modern Oranges a lot of course, but sorry, on reliability its a no contest - given good valves and routine maintainence the old ones have it every time!
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... 18#p306818" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

sixstringstrangler
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by sixstringstrangler » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:50 pm

a.hun wrote:
TESLA_EL34 wrote:Tthe GT1 and GTL/GTO matamps also eat EL34's. so you need a really good quad!
What plate voltage is going on on the OR120's and Mat 120's?
The GT1 has 425 B+ but these amps are also reliable with really good tubes...
480VDC is typical for OR120s, but they can be higher.
Ade Emsley wrote:(http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=7296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
The KT77 differs from an EL34 and 6CA7 in that it can handle much higher screen voltages making it great in amps like old OR 120`s and JTM 45/100`s with both plate and screen in excess of 500v. EL34/6CA7`s were only designed to take 450v on the screens! because of this, the AD140 has 550v on the plates but only 380v on the screens and is well suited to the 6CA7 because of its larger plates but may well be great with KT77`s.
TESLA_EL34 wrote:On the other hand you get a really nice sound that no modern amp can or could touch,
even if the newer oranges sound really good, they don't feel the same and they aren't as super dynamic
as the old designs. but i think the newer oranges are far more reliable... you don't read much about
reliability issues with the newer oranges...
Errrr...
With good valves the old amps were actually about as near as you'll get to bombproof reliable. Definitely up there with old Marshalls and Hiwatts! :o

Someone who disagrees that old Oranges / Matamps were unreliable, and can back it up with rather more evidence than I can with just my one amp, is DAVESOUNDS. He used to post here and ran / ? still runs a PA company specialising in old Oranges and Matamps. He had many thousands of hours with many of these amps with exactly zero failures in service! 8)
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... 91#p369591" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The older Oranges were simpler designs than the current ones. They were also better built. I like the modern Oranges a lot of course, but sorry, on reliability its a no contest - given good valves and routine maintainence the old ones have it every time!
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... 18#p306818" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Andy.

i know davesound from the matamp forum, he is a good guy with tons of helpful knowledge

a.hun
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by a.hun » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:38 am

sixstringstrangler wrote:i know davesound from the matamp forum, he is a good guy with tons of helpful knowledge
8)

Yeah he was a great contributor here. Is he still running the hire firm? Say hi from his old mates on the Orange forum! :D


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

TESLA_EL34
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Re: OR120 or New Head with similiar tone?

Post by TESLA_EL34 » Wed Sep 08, 2010 12:43 pm

well matamp had some reliability issues, but it's more a problem of the EL34's trust me.
like you said if you find a good quad they run forever.

every other matamp runs great, but most of the modern EL34's aren't that reliable.
most of the EL34's you can buy are junk. not to mention we have another matamp
which had zero errors and runs 6v6.
accept darkness.

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