Thoughts on the OR100

[FleshOnGear]

So, I finally got to play this thing with the band, and I love it.

The power scaling is really useful. I started on the 30 watt mode, and after a song I decided to kick it up to 50 watts for more punch. With my drummer this worked out perfectly! Just the right amount of power amp drive. In the past I've been used to 100 watt heads that just don't sound good in their low power modes, but the OR100 does it well.

The gain on the drive channel is perfect for me. It's punchy, thick, and dynamic. When you play softly the tone softens, and when you hit the strings hard the harmonics jump out. The high gain settings don't seem to pile on much more sustain, rather it sounds like it just makes your hardest playing more harmonically rich. In the band mix the amp seems to retain a certain punch, even at higher gain settings. The drive doesn't have the fluidity that makes soloing feel effortless. It's not a shredder tone. It does reward sure handed picking, though. I don't have the footswitch to engage the gain boost yet, so i will have to comment on that later.

I do wish it had a presence control. No big deal, but I'm considering some G12-65's to soften the upper mids and bring out more air on the upper treble. The quality of this amp's feel and texture makes a speaker swap worthwhile.

[thejay]

Nice recap. I really enjoy the power scaling too I do not find you lose anything running different modes, seems to thicken up but lower settings are very usable.

I find myself with the gain around 1 o'clock, think it breaks up great at that point but going to 3-4 is just filthy fun

[crankyrayhanky]

Great analysis!
I seem to stay around 2 o'clock- I throw a clean boost OD for the high gain mayhem and can easily roll it back for some great lo/mid dirty tones
Loud in at band practice I liek the OR gain boost, but at home I've been digging the Maxons 808x and TOD9. What's everybody else using for OD (if any)?

[FleshOnGear]

I'm glad you brought that up, because I've been thinking I might need an overdrive of some sort to help get that fluid sustaining lead tone. I was eyeing the soul food because a lot of people rave about it, but I've never played one. I hope to find something I can use on both channels, something that adds sustain to the dirty channel but also sounds pretty natural through the clean channel.

[thejay]

Finally got a chance to play this head at practice. Started with the 50w setting and that was perfect much like you had said... Sounded really great with the other guitarists marshall half stack. I was using my custom bulit 212OB with greenbacks. On top of it I couldn't hear that well but few feet and front of it I was getting what I needed to hear. Curious to know how this would sound with an orange 412. Though not really into getting one I lugged around a 412 for years and would get soundmen turning the can around and blah blah blah. If a cheap one comes up I might grab used if I "need" it. Anyway...
Very dynamic sounding in the band setting not necessarily standing out given our setup but more complimentary and with sweet overtones. Overall just a really great sound... Tell you what I would love if there was another channel I could add gain too if it was channel one. An OD pedal could be nice but not where to start there...

[FleshOnGear]

I just pulled the trigger on a pair of WGS ET65's. Hopefully they'll have the top-end response I want. I took some time playing some dirt boxes at the store today, and none of the ones in stock impressed me. The quest continues!

[a.hun]

Power scaling? Nope!
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... 2&#p598492" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just so you know...


Andy.

[FleshOnGear]

Yeah, I know. I noticed a few folks here using that phrase here as shorthand, so I went with it. I own three of Kevin O'Connor's books. I suppose I wouldn't want people throwing a name around if I owned the trademark.

You know, there are parts of the US where people say "coke" to refer to all soft drinks.

[thejay]

.... And some say soda is pop ??

Yea the power scaling easier to say but guilty

[SPFALLA]

I'm in a metal type band and usually I play with the gain around 3 o clock or so, don't like to go much higher than that, just personal preference. I will say it still sounds amazing with the gain up. I just saw Electric Wizard the other day and after hearing their first album I was expecting fuzz mayhem but their tone was actually quite clean, which surprised me, still fuzzy though. Came home and messed around with the OR100 trying to get that tone and I was surprised when I found I can more or less get their live tone with the gain right at 1 o clock maybe pushing that just a wee bit but no more than that. Then I make sure the master is at least at 9 o clock and it was sounding nasty. Super vintage vibe and really had that classic Orange sound in my opinion. My only worry is that because my guitar was detuned, I won't get that thump I do at the same settings when tuned to standard.

[FleshOnGear]

Nice, SPFALLA! What amps were Electric Wizard using?

I'm running my OR's gain around 2 o'clock most of the time. In 50 watt mode I'm running volume about 1 o'clock with the band. I just love the way the tone sits in the mix at those settings. We tune down to D. I realize that's not super low, but the amp handles that tuning well. It still has a nice thump, not too flubby.

[SPFALLA]

Nice, SPFALLA! What amps were Electric Wizard using?

I'm running my OR's gain around 2 o'clock most of the time. In 50 watt mode I'm running volume about 1 o'clock with the band. I just love the way the tone sits in the mix at those settings. We tune down to D. I realize that's not super low, but the amp handles that tuning well. It still has a nice thump, not too flubby.

Was hoping I they would play with some crazy amps but both guitarist were using Marshall JCM 800s. Must have had some fuzz pedals going on. But yeah I love setting the gain to where it is starting to get fuzzy but not too excessive and then let the power amp do the rest of the work. That thump I get when I play, whew...always need to make sure I have an extra pair of pants when I play that loud@

[FleshOnGear]

I played the Orange through my cabinet fitted with the ET65's last night. They didn't sound quite as I expected. The mids sounded too rounded to me. Granted, they aren't broken in yet, but I loved my Weber speakers as soon as I fired them up. They only got better.

I think I just prefer heavy magnet speakers. I have a pair of Weber C1230 55Hz speakers that I adore, but they started crackling a few months ago. Time for a recone, I suppose. Keep rocking, everyone.