Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

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Belabor
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Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Belabor » Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:04 pm

Hello there, Orange amp owners and enthusiasts!

I'm a 20 year old student that has been playing electric guitar for around 3 years now. I've been using a Fender Mustang II modeling amp since day 1, but I'm really looking to replace it with a tube amp that's easier to dial in great blues to hard rock tones with. I'll be using it at home, but am also looking to use it in small gigs, so I'd prefer an amp that has some sort of output switch or master volume. I currently own a Yamaha Pacifica 611HFM with Seymour Duncan equipped pickups (P90 in the neck and splittable humbucker in the bridge)

What I'm really looking for is getting a great low to medium gain (blues)rock tone. I've recently become a huge Graveyard fan and I've become addicted to the tone they get from their Orange and Marshall heads, especially on the studio albums. Other great influences of mine are QotSA, Muse and Kyuss. I basically like to play everything from clean-ish blues to indie to fuzzy stoner rock. Getting all those tones with my Fender Mustang II is just too bothersome. Im also looking to get a Big Muff or similar fuzz pedal in the future.

I've had my eyes on the OR15 for a few weeks now. Going by the YouTube demos I've seen (unfortunately there is no store near me that has the OR15 in stock) it would do everything I want pretty well. I did try a Fender Blues Junior III in a local store, and while I thought it sounded decent enough, it never really wow'ed me. I've also been looking at some lower watt Laney's (the Tony Iommi 15 watt sig and Cub 12R) and the Orange Terror range. I'm absolutely dead set on that british tonal character. For instance, when I was researching Orange amps, I came across this Dark Terror and Tiny Terror comparison. I much prefer the Tiny Terror in that particular video, especially on the medium gain settings.

Would you wholeheartedly recommend the OR15 for my needs?

alanbama
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by alanbama » Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:10 pm

Welcome to the board! And good luck on your decision. I don't like modeling amps either. The OR15 seems like a good choice. But there are others here who know a lot more about them than I do. You'll get some good info.
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Belabor
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Belabor » Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:18 pm

alanbama wrote:Welcome to the board! And good luck on your decision. I don't like modeling amps either. The OR15 seems like a good choice. But there are others here who know a lot more about them than I do. You'll get some good info.
Thank you!

I also forgot to mention that I also like the Dual Terror, but I don't *really* need the two channels. 30 watts might be nice to have for the occassional gig, though.

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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Companyman » Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:39 pm

I cannot recommend the OR15 highly enough, love mine!
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Borderline Productions » Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:56 pm

I would make the road trip and try the amp with YOUR guitar. Orange amps bring out the character of the individual guitar. Play the OR15 next to the Tiny Terror. The Tiny Terror can also run at 7 watts, so that might be a consideration.
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by irish_admiral » Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:03 pm

Think you'll find the OR has more gain (and fuzz) than you'll need, though i'm sure you could get some sounds you like out of it. Try an AD15 or 30.

As far as modelling boards go, the POD HD boards are very very good for what they cost. I can dial in tones that are close to my Orange amp such that even I have to listen hard to spot the difference, and i'm looking for it.
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Randy Bass » Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:59 pm

I would consider the OR15 to be more versatile than the Tiny Terror, but I would rather have the more gradual gain control of the TT for dialing-in the right edge-of-breakup tones to sound like Graveyard. The OR15 jumps to higher gain territory pretty quickly on the dial, especially if the Master Volume is relatively low for practicing at home. That extra gain would be good for some of the other bands you mentioned though.
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by msmith4432 » Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:43 am

Really liked my or15 while I had it, it's touted by some as a small rockerverb but I personally liked it better than I liked my rockerverb. But it does not have much clean headroom
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Belabor » Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:31 am

Actually, after looking around a bit more I'm convinced the OR15 will be perfect for what I want to use it for. That leaves me with the cab. I was thinking of grabbing the PPC112, because I expect a 212 is too loud for home use. It also means I could always grab a second 112 if I need/want one.

What do you think about pairing this with a 112? Or should I grab a larger cabinet?

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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Jabberwocky » Mon Aug 26, 2013 12:23 pm

Not an OR user myself, but have used the PPC112, the 212 closed back, and the 212 open back. I gigged the 112 for years with my R30 and it sounded fabulous. The 212 closed back was fantastic but weighed a ton and took 2 band members to carry it, so when they brought out the 212 OB I picked one up instantly, as the dimensions are not that much different to the 112, it weighs about half what the 212 CB weighs, is well made, sounds great and is pretty affordable.

Sound wise, the 112 was great, the 212 CB was awesome but very directional and difficult to hear sometime on small stages as the sound went right past my legs. For best of the bunch for tone, spread of sound, weight, size and cost, the 212 OB gets my vote, and it is no 'louder' than a 112. Better bass response, and better sound spread than the 112 (which is closed back) so it can seem louder, but that is easily controllable.

Your 112 option, adding a further 112 later to make a mini stack will also work, but if I did that I would recommend modifying the back of one of the cabs to make it open back, or at least semi open back. Again for me, the 112 was pretty directional.
Not sure two 112's equals a 212 as I have never done a direct comparison, but I am sure it would be close.

Finally, I hear a lot of recommendations here and elsewhere that replacing one of the V30s in a 212 (or indeed one of your proposed 112s) with something like a greenback makes a world of difference to the tone, so that's worth considering also, as the V30s that come stock with the PPC range are quite middly and have a bit of an ice pick high mid spike to them. For blues and rock, swapping out a driver for something a little smoother might be a good idea. I intend trying that one of these days but just never get round to it!

Good luck with your OR15 and finding the right cab.
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Belabor » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:42 am

I'm just going to bump this thread one more time, because I'm still really stuck between the OR15 and Dual Terror.

I've been playing amps, reading threads and watching videos all over the internet, but what makes the choice difficult for me is how the Dual Terror's fat channel sounds in comparison to the OR15. There's not a single store near me that stocks both of these amps, so that's why I still haven't made my decision. What I DO know, is that I didn't like the TH30 or Dark Terror. Those were both to middy and aggressive for my tastes. The same goes for the Jim Root Terror. I've also stopped looking at the Tiny Terror because I just don't like the Tiny Terror channel as much as I like the Fat channel, both for cleans as for driven sounds. It sounds a bit "brittle", for the lack of better words.

So what's left for me is the Dual Terror (predominantly for it's Fat channel) and the OR15. I'm mainly a rhythm player. The chord harmonics that I heard on YouTube were what really attracted me to the OR15 and as far as I've heard, the Dual Terror doesn't quite do that. I'm also convinced the OR15 will do a better stoner rock type of sound because of it's extra gain stage, but I'm a bit concerned by how easy it is to clean up to cleaner blues and blues-rock levels.

Can anyone that has owned or tried both the Dual Terror or OR15 chime in on this? I would really appreciate it!

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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by msmith4432 » Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:30 pm

Belabor wrote:I'm just going to bump this thread one more time, because I'm still really stuck between the OR15 and Dual Terror.

I've been playing amps, reading threads and watching videos all over the internet, but what makes the choice difficult for me is how the Dual Terror's fat channel sounds in comparison to the OR15. There's not a single store near me that stocks both of these amps, so that's why I still haven't made my decision. What I DO know, is that I didn't like the TH30 or Dark Terror. Those were both to middy and aggressive for my tastes. The same goes for the Jim Root Terror. I've also stopped looking at the Tiny Terror because I just don't like the Tiny Terror channel as much as I like the Fat channel, both for cleans as for driven sounds. It sounds a bit "brittle", for the lack of better words.

So what's left for me is the Dual Terror (predominantly for it's Fat channel) and the OR15. I'm mainly a rhythm player. The chord harmonics that I heard on YouTube were what really attracted me to the OR15 and as far as I've heard, the Dual Terror doesn't quite do that. I'm also convinced the OR15 will do a better stoner rock type of sound because of it's extra gain stage, but I'm a bit concerned by how easy it is to clean up to cleaner blues and blues-rock levels.

Can anyone that has owned or tried both the Dual Terror or OR15 chime in on this? I would really appreciate it!

I have owned an or15 and I really like them but if you are talking Bout your main amp I would go DT.. More watts and it flips down to 15 watts.. I think it does, and you have 2 channels. You are a rythm player now but in 4-5 years you may be playing more lead and doing solos, 2 channels will be handy for that and just useful overall
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by RickenBangler » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:36 am

Hi Belabor... thought I'd jump in as I used to have a TT but replaced it with my current OR15. Although it's ultimately going to be down to how an amp sounds to your ears with your guitar, I can appreciate that you are going to have to make a decision buying blind. Here's a few observations from a fellow rhythm player...

First up, the OR15 is a very loud amp - especially with a relatively efficient speaker hooked up (like the V30). I don't think you would struggle in a gig situation - the difference between 15/30 watts aint that much - but you may well notice reduced clean headroom. Like the TT, you can flip the OR15 down to 7 watts.

The OR15 is indeed a gainy beast and like Randy said, it jumps into that area quite quickly - you'll need to be gentle on the gain control. Careful use of that in conjunction with the EQ section will get you pretty close to TT territory. I have heard of a few owners who have replaced the 12AX7 preamp tube(s) with a 5751, which I believe is a lower gain version and this has apparently helped to tame the gain very succesfully, though I have no personal experience of that. The chord harmonics really do shine through on the OR15 compared to my TT - so as a strummer that might make a difference to you.

When it comes to the cab - I used 2 x PPC112's. While a single PPC112 is absolutely fine, the addition of a second adds a lot more depth and bottom end (and the mini-stack also looks way cool). Playing at home/recording etc? just use the one - want to shift a bit more air on stage? - then drag the other one along. The vertical stack also helps to get your sound close to your ears as opposed to your boots while maintaining a solid contact with the stage floor. Less back breaking than a 212CB as well. The stock V30's did take a lot of breaking in - I was concerned they were very 'ice picky' when new but having given them a good workout over time they are now more mellow.

I've also found the OR15 sounds great at lower levels - although that is very subjective. Very warm and controllable at 'substantial' bedroom levels, which is how I tend to use for recording.

While I loved the TT (and understand your interest in the DT), I find the flexibility of the EQ section indispensable and the effects loop is a sweet bonus if delays or a splash of reverb are your bag. I bought my OR15 blind and I've owned it since the day it was first released in the UK. Sure, I get GAS like everyone else around here but this amp is not going anywhere - ever.

Hope some of this rambling helps!
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by Bensnake » Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:01 am

Borderline Productions wrote:The Tiny Terror can also run at 7 watts
So can the OR15.
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Re: Modeling amp needs to go. OR15 to take it's place?

Post by a.hun » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:47 pm

Bensnake wrote:
Borderline Productions wrote:The Tiny Terror can also run at 7 watts
So can the OR15.
I think that is what 'also' means! :lol:


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