Trying To Pick Out An Orange

[pedecamp]

I’ve looked at a lot of Orange models and they all seem to be very unique from one another with unique features and tones and I’m trying to pick one out for myself. These are the things I like in an amp: I like classic tones over modern (I’m not a metal player but do enjoy high gain once in a while for fun). If it’s a 1 channel amp its gotta have an fx loop for lead boost. If it’s a 2 channel amp its gotta be able to get some grit on the clean channel, I never play totally clean, and an fx loop for lead boost. I prefer a full EQ and on 2 channel amps separate EQ for each channel. I don’t have a need for high watt amps or low watt amps, 30-50 watts is what I’m looking for. Reverb is nice but it’s not a must. This is my take on the amps I checked out and they all sounded great in their own right:

Tiny Terror line – watts are too low and the 30 watter doesn’t have a full EQ or fx loop.
AD line – too loose sounding and no fx loop.
Dual Dark line – too modern sounding, doesn’t have a full EQ on 2nd channel.
TH line – too modern sounding, no gain on clean channel.
OR line – no fx loop.
Rockerverb line – no gain on clean channel.
Thunderverb line – doesn’t have a full EQ on 2nd channel. (didn’t try this one yet, listened to videos)

The amps that I gravitated to the most were the Rockerverb 50, Thunderverb 50 and the OR 50. They all had great tone that I liked but they all came short in features. If I were to choose one of these amps it would be the Thunderverb, needless to say this is the only amp I haven’t had a chance to try. If I can live with the shape knob on the 2nd channel then this would be the amp. I didn’t like the shape knob on other models I tried but those were all dirty channels, the Thunderverb shape knob is on the 2nd channel that can be dialed in as a clean channel so maybe I’ll be able to get along with it. So my last point of business will be to find a Thunderverb to try and hopefully it will be the one. Please let me know if there’s anything I might have overlooked in my research. Thanks

[bclaire]

No fx loop shouldn't hold you back. Plenty of people (myself included) go straight into the front of our amps with perfectly good tones...

[Ronnie Robinson]

I totally agree with Billy I think using the Fx loop to provide a lead boost imo doesn't work very well a pedal in the front works better
Good luck in your search, maybe Orange does not have what your looking for.... The Or 100 has an effects loop

[Boy_Narf]

Howdy,

I haven't used an effects loop for years. I found it over complicated my setup quite a bit. My favorite Orange amps by far are the Rocker 30, and the Tiny Terror. Out of the three you listed? I would say the OR50 is the most interesting to me. I haven't had a chance to try one out, but I really the sound of that one. On the other hand, if you are just getting into Orange, I would recommend checking out the dual terror.

[Les Paul Lover]

How loud do you play live? The RV50 clean channel, whilst called a clean channel, is an old school non master volume 2 gain stages amp.

It means that with humbuckers, at the halfway point on the volume, you get quite a bit of grit and crunch. The only thing being that when set like that, it's already bloody loud!!!!

And crank the clean channel full tilt, and you're in led zep whole lotta love type crunch. With single coils, it stays clean a lot longer on the dial, you might need to Crank 3/4 of the way to get some grit, but it's probably about the same volume then than with humbuckers at the halfway mark.

[Bensnake]

OR100. Classic tone, great high gain possibiliies, switchable down to 30 watts, two channels, full eq, effects loop, internal gain and global boost features. If you want some grit on the clean channel without cranking it, just add a boost or OD pedal in front. Lacks reverb though.

You'll love it.

[a.hun]

Hi pedecamp. Maybe you don't want to hear it again, but I'm another one here who doesn't worry in the least about FX loops. Only situation I would have problems would be with running reverb before the amp drive as that mushes things up. But then I don't tend to want any reverb with drive sounds anyway so no problem. And in fact live I'd tend to use fairly minimal reverb even clean - natural room acoustics plus reverb can also get mushy. (I do like reverb though - don't get me wrong on that! )

Personally I see guitar amps as the core of your sounds, so I'd tend to go for the amp which sounds best to me and arrange anything else around that. If you can get away with one channel then do - keeping it simple and using the controls on your guitar effectively means this isn't a limited option, quite the opposite.
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So my own suggestion if the TV.50 doesn't happen to grab you would be the OR50. My own view is that for most people - myself included - there is no one perfect guitar amp. You can either go the 'switch for everything' route setting up pre-set switchable sounds which may or may not work in all situations. Or you can keep things simpler going for the best core amp tones you can find and adjusting your guitar controls and use of effects you really need for different sounds around that.

One thing you'll find quite a few people here saying is that after moving to Orange amps effects became much less important to them - especially different drive sounds. It is also true that Oranges tend to work differently with many effects than other amps do. This is largely down to their unique tonalities with much more emphasis on the lows and low mids than most other amps have. So don't expect your current effects rig just to slot in and work exactly as it does with other amps - almost certainly won't happen!

Food for thought...


Andy.

[Moon]

This was exactly the same dilemma that I faced when I switched to Orange this year. Like you I carried out loads of research based on what my needs were and what each model could offer me.

If I could've had my pick and finance wasn't a consideration I'd have gone for the OR100. But…just to confuse the issue even more I plumped for a TH30.

It's not the most popular model but it does everything I could ask of it. As our needs seem to be pretty similar here's how I run it…

1. I run a boost last in my chain into the loop to give me that little bit extra for lead lines…works like a dream
2. Ok it’s a high gain amp…doesn't have to be used for metal…I certainly don't use it for that. Using the drive channel…put the gain and shape control about 11 o'clock…pure rock bliss
3. Light crunch / OD on the clean channel…run an OD pedal into the front and the worlds your oyster (I use a Mooer Blues Crab…it’s a Marhsall Bluesbreaker copy)

[pedecamp]

Thanks everybody for your responses. I play through a Marshall 2204 which is a 1 channel amp with no fx loop, with a boost in front it pushes more gain to my tone but no volume boost, I dont know if an Orange operates the same but I would think so. I figure an fx loop or an attenuator would be the easiest way to be able to boost volume and alot of the Oranges have these features built in. I did play the Dual Dark 100 which has the same features as the OR100, but switched down to 30 watts didnt sound very good, I want this amp to perform double duty for band and quiet play at home. I loved the OR15, it had all the features and tone I'm looking for except for it being low watt. So I was really interested in the OR50 hoping it would offer the same as the 15 but no. If the OR50 had a switchable attenuator or fx loop that would be one versatile amp! I did speak to a couple guys that own the OR50 and they said the amp really needs a seperate master volume and attenuator for that foot switchable feature to work, if you read the amp description they say "foot defeatable master volume" and they also refer the volume knob as an attenuator, so which is it a master volume or attenuator? These are two different things. I wish I could find one to try so I can see myself. So any way, the amp in my sights right now is the Thunderverb 50, it seems to have the majorty of things that are important to me, it even has both an fx loop and footswitchable attenuator! With a footswitchable attenuator I wouldnt even need the fx loop, I like that. I was hoping somebody here was gonna say "Dude the Thunderverb is exactly what you need!", so I hope we get some Thunderverb owners to comment here soon. Meanwhile I'm a few hundred shy to get a used TV50 so I got some time still. Cheers!

[Randy Bass]

Just to add to your confusion, the Attenuator function on the Thunderverbs is a Global PPIMV. It is not a speaker-level attenuator like the HotPlate and other external devices on the market. Potentiometers attenuate signals, so it's not inaccurate to refer to a Master Volume control as an Attenuator. It is obviously misleading, though, within the context of the guitar amp market. The thing is - Orange's Master Volume circuits are very effective. As long as you're not cranking the Gain all the way with the MV at 9:00 and expecting it to sound like a cranked Plexi, you can get very good distorted tones at reasonable volumes. My OR50 is a better bedroom amp than many low-wattage tube amps because the MV is so good. The Footswitch-Defeatable Master Volume feature is totally useless though.

[Les Paul Lover]

Just to add to your confusion, the Attenuator function on the Thunderverbs is a Global PPIMV. It is not a speaker-level attenuator like the HotPlate and other external devices on the market. Potentiometers attenuate signals, so it's not inaccurate to refer to a Master Volume control as an Attenuator. It is obviously misleading, though, within the context of the guitar amp market. The thing is - Orange's Master Volume circuits are very effective. As long as you're not cranking the Gain all the way with the MV at 9:00 and expecting it to sound like a cranked Plexi, you can get very good distorted tones at reasonable volumes. My OR50 is a better bedroom amp than many low-wattage tube amps because the MV is so good. The Footswitch-Defeatable Master Volume feature is totally useless though.

Some Forumite, with the help of jondog, built a footswitch and volume pedal in one for his Or50, i think so that he could crank the gain, but when playing with the master volume engaged it would roll the volume off too, so as not to have too much gain. Then he would step on the master defeat, and would get volume boost and gain boost. I believe I remember that correctly?

I think he might have been playing pretty loud anyway, otherwise the volume jump would be too much.

Mind you, he might have been using it the other way around? Either way would work.

And yes, most Oranges have excellent master volumes. Both my RV50 and AD15 are very good for.home practice, so long as it's singing along volume. Won't do whisper quiet, but for that I just play unplugged myself.

[snickerpuss]

Compromise and get an OR50. You won't be sorry. Great amp with one of the best and most versatile vintage voiced single channels ever designed.

Even if you don't go for it, find the amp you like, THEN find the boost that works with it. I wouldn't amp shop around your specific boost pedal, especially with the capital you're considering dropping. Amps before pedals.

[Ronnie Robinson]

Thanks everybody for your responses. I play through a Marshall 2204 which is a 1 channel amp with no fx loop, with a boost in front it pushes more gain to my tone but no volume boost, I dont know if an Orange operates the same but I would think so.

You are right to a point but it depends on how big the Amp is (the wattage) and how much Pre Amp gain is being used on the dirty channel

I would really urge you to try using the FX loop with a pedal to get the boost before you commit yourself and buy....it may not be what you expect.

Compromise and get an OR50. You won't be sorry. Great amp with one of the best and most versatile vintage voiced single channels ever designed.

Even if you don't go for it, find the amp you like, THEN find the boost that works with it. I wouldn't amp shop around your specific boost pedal, especially with the capital you're considering dropping. Amps before pedals.

+1

[pedecamp]

I'll definitely order a used one from Guitar Center and try it there before I take it home, just need to save up a few more bucks first. That's what I did with the AD30 the other week, glad I didn't buy one sight unseen off ebay, it was too loose sounding for my likes with that tube rectifier so I got a refund and walked out the door.

If the TV50 isn't right for me an OR50 will be next on my list to try. I got a good feeling about the TV50 though as long as I can get the right clean tone on the shape knob channel.

[bclaire]

Thanks everybody for your responses. I play through a Marshall 2204 which is a 1 channel amp with no fx loop, with a boost in front it pushes more gain to my tone but no volume boost, I dont know if an Orange operates the same but I would think so.

Oranges totally do not operate the same way. You'll find with the majority of Oranges that that boost does nothing - to the point that you question whether the pedal is even working - until you hook it up to a Marshall and it makes a difference....