Orange with the biggest low end punch?

[fiveightandten]

Thanks but I traded my R30 for a RV50 MKI. I have seen a demo with a guy who had a TH30 (i think) with the MV all the way up and he was using the gain to control things and it sounded awesome. Doesn't cranking the MV really put some wear on the power tubes though? I dont want to be re-tubing my amp twice a year.

Glad you got things sorted out.

The louder you turn the amp up; the more wear you put on the tubes. The more you turn the amp on and off; the more wear you put on the tubes. The more you transport the amp around; the more wear you put on the tubes. The higher the bias setting...well, you get the picture.

Tubes were made to be used. I generally use my amps at full volume and I get a few solid years out of a set of EL34s. I don't remember the last time I've had one fail on me, but I replace them for good measure after 3, 4, 5 years...it depends on how often I use the amp.

Turning the MV all the way up essentially removes it from the circuit, at which point it functions similar to how most old high power amps did, which is to say, loud and almost unusable at normal volumes because they had to be cranked to sound good and there was no master volume to knock it down. For example, the old OR series that you've talked about in the past had no MV control. They also cooked tubes like a frying pan.

Starting in 1976, OR amps were offered with a master volume. And the entire production run of the 90's reissues also had master volume models offered. I own one of them. That being said, the master they have isn't a very good master volume circuit. I leave it on 10 all the time.

It sounds like your OR amp(s) may not have been biased correctly. I've never had an issue with tube life in any of mine. I'm on my 3rd, and even my '71 head (running 520V on the plates) runs tubes for years before I have to think about replacing them. I've worked on many of these and never had any issues with them eating tubes up. If you still have yours, make sure the bias isn't set too high. This goes for any amp, but amps with high plate voltage in particular. I can recommend some bias range if you'd like.

-Nick

[Dexter211275]

Thanks but I traded my R30 for a RV50 MKI. I have seen a demo with a guy who had a TH30 (i think) with the MV all the way up and he was using the gain to control things and it sounded awesome. Doesn't cranking the MV really put some wear on the power tubes though? I dont want to be re-tubing my amp twice a year.

Glad you got things sorted out.

The louder you turn the amp up; the more wear you put on the tubes. The more you turn the amp on and off; the more wear you put on the tubes. The more you transport the amp around; the more wear you put on the tubes. The higher the bias setting...well, you get the picture.

Tubes were made to be used. I generally use my amps at full volume and I get a few solid years out of a set of EL34s. I don't remember the last time I've had one fail on me, but I replace them for good measure after 3, 4, 5 years...it depends on how often I use the amp.

Turning the MV all the way up essentially removes it from the circuit, at which point it functions similar to how most old high power amps did, which is to say, loud and almost unusable at normal volumes because they had to be cranked to sound good and there was no master volume to knock it down. For example, the old OR series that you've talked about in the past had no MV control. They also cooked tubes like a frying pan.

Starting in 1976, OR amps were offered with a master volume. And the entire production run of the 90's reissues also had master volume models offered. I own one of them. That being said, the master they have isn't a very good master volume circuit. I leave it on 10 all the time.

It sounds like your OR amp(s) may not have been biased correctly. I've never had an issue with tube life in any of mine. I'm on my 3rd, and even my '71 head (running 520V on the plates) runs tubes for years before I have to think about replacing them. I've worked on many of these and never had any issues with them eating tubes up. If you still have yours, make sure the bias isn't set too high. This goes for any amp, but amps with high plate voltage in particular. I can recommend some bias range if you'd like.

-Nick

Great info, thanks!

[Gray]

Starting in 1976, OR amps were offered with a master volume. And the entire production run of the 90's reissues also had master volume models offered. I own one of them. That being said, the master they have isn't a very good master volume circuit. I leave it on 10 all the time.

It sounds like your OR amp(s) may not have been biased correctly. I've never had an issue with tube life in any of mine. I'm on my 3rd, and even my '71 head (running 520V on the plates) runs tubes for years before I have to think about replacing them. I've worked on many of these and never had any issues with them eating tubes up. If you still have yours, make sure the bias isn't set too high. This goes for any amp, but amps with high plate voltage in particular. I can recommend some bias range if you'd like.

-Nick

It's my understanding that the MV only appeared on the "Overdrive" branded OR amps, which I always though of as seperate to the original (unlabeled on the faceplate) OR 80/120 series.

It's my friend that owns it, a 120. I only know what i've heard from him and have seen repeated elsewhere. Last time I saw it he had a fan pointed at the back but barely uses the thing because it's just too loud. I'm content with my AD30.

[Gorgar]

Which vintage Oranges have a nice thick low end punch?

The OR-120 has stupid amounts of low end on tap. With the FAC knob to the left, you can use it as a bass amp if you wanted to.

I have a 12AY7 in V1 in my OR-120 so I can keep it fairly clean, and I use it this way. Also makes a good guitar amp with tons of low end available. It's plenty usable as a clean platform, but I use pedals for distortion, and I keep the input volume fairly low and never use a boost.

[lunchbox]

Most bass-y Orange amp I've heard is the TH100.

[fiveightandten]

It's my understanding that the MV only appeared on the "Overdrive" branded OR amps, which I always though of as seperate to the original (unlabeled on the faceplate) OR 80/120 series.

It's my friend that owns it, a 120. I only know what i've heard from him and have seen repeated elsewhere. Last time I saw it he had a fan pointed at the back but barely uses the thing because it's just too loud. I'm content with my AD30.

"Overdrive" amps are the same exact amp as the "Graphic" amps, just with the master volume added. Models for both were "OR", with the exception of some late 70's models that had were labelled OR-80M/OR-120M on the back. They use the same transformers and even the same circuit board. The holes where MV PCB components went in the Overdrive models are just filled with a jumper on the Graphic amps.

AD30 is a great amp too. I have 2 of those (1 head, 1 combo). Stick with that...it sounds good without peeling paint off the walls and shattering car windows outside the venue.

And yeah OR-120s are extremely loud. Any 4 EL-34 amp is. Your friend should have it check out by a good tech if he he's having issues with it eating tubes and needs to point a fan at it. It sounds like his amp has issues and/or isn't biased correctly. If it's a post 74 or 90's model, I'd set them to 13W or so. The early 70's circuits unfortunately tend to sound best biased a little hotter. But he can set an early 70's amp to 15W or so and it will sound pretty good.

I have a 12AY7 in V1 in my OR-120 so I can keep it fairly clean, and I use it this way. Also makes a good guitar amp with tons of low end available. It's plenty usable as a clean platform, but I use pedals for distortion, and I keep the input volume fairly low and never use a boost.

Unfortunately, I'm not a pedal guy. But if that works for you, you can also try a 12DW-7, which is 1/2 a 12AX-7 and half a lower gain side. The problem is, 1970s Orange was completely inconsistent with which triode was wired up to be the first stage...so you can't guarantee that the lower gain half will be the front end...not without looking inside the amp.

-Nick

[OU818]

Most bass-y Orange amp I've heard is the TH100.

Mine would be the AD200B but yeah, you know

[Hubaxe]

Most bass-y Orange amp I've heard is the TH100.

Don't know if it's the most bassy, but I confirm a TH100 with a good 4X12 delivers some grand piano like bass response.

[lunchbox]

Mine would be the AD200B but yeah, you know

I've only ever heard/played a AD30. I would imagine that the 200 would have a lot more bass response, but I've never heard one.

[Gorgar]

I played an AD200 at a shop a few years ago. It sounded pretty much like I expected, only somehow beefier. Sounded kind of muddy the way it was set, but I think I was playing a Flying V bass into it, too, and I didn't play with the controls much. Anyway, tons of low end available, and it sounded pretty good.