Orange Amps Forum

I have been seriously considering the Rocker 15 combo. However, a friend of mine picked a new one up lately and I’m now reconsidering. To me, his sounded very different from the two I tried in stores a few weeks ago. Those were much smoother sounding. My friend’s was rather harsh, with a grittier fizz on top. I’m talking on top of the classic orange crunch.

What’s the deal here? Is it possible it’s just because his wasn’t broken in yet?

The only 'break in' period I'm aware of is for the speaker(s). A shop model most likely has more time played on the speaker and therefore it has smoothed out a bit, which is what speakers do over time.

AFAIK, an amp doesn't 'break in'.

The speakers break in does change the sound quite a bit.

Another very variable parts, to a degree, are the valves. That's another argument though.


Best thing, if you can, is to try one, and buy it if you like the sound of it.

Perhaps another example of best to try something before you buy.

Speakers can take months to break in depending on use and a set of good quality pre amp tubes may also help but maybe it's the place they were played in ......plus identical things don't always sounds the same .

Believe it or not, capacitors break in too. I'm not saying that is what you're hearing. I've modded amps and built amps where at start up, there's harshness or squealing for a short period. The sound gets smoother the more it gets played.

Thanks everyone for the responses. It makes a lot of sense that the speakers and possibly other internals will need to break in. If I pull the trigger, I will definitely make sure i can try the one I buy.

I hope for my buddy’s sake that his smoothes out. Is the QC good enough with the Made in PRC amps so that these should all sound the same over time? I hope it’s not like Gibson’s where two Les Pauls of the same model can sound like two completely different guitars when played back to back.

I’d say it’s consistent on the QC.

Have you considered the head version instead of the combo?
Personally, I don't care for 10" speakers. Orange makes great cabs and the 12" Celestion speakers make a big difference in the sound.

rock4blaqkhearts wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:45 am

Have you considered the head version instead of the combo?
Personally, I don't care for 10" speakers. Orange makes great cabs and the 12" Celestion speakers make a big difference in the sound.

Good point on the speaker size. Normally I would not think twice on the 12” speaker. I am actually holding out on the purchase until I can compare to a R15 Terror head in the store.

I also have a Rockerverb MKII 50 watt which I play through the 212CB. So the appeal with the R15 combo is keeping the volume low for late night playing and also having something that is more grab and go when I don’t want to be bothered with the head and cab setup. So even if I went with the R15 Terror head I would probably want to grab a smaller cab (e.g. 112) for volume reasons. I guess it will all come down whether it sounds significantly better or not. I guess one of the benefits is that I will get to see how my friend’s amp breaks in while I wait.

FWIW, The R15 combo didn’t impress me when I played it. I think it’s neat being a small portable combo and I like the features they added a loop and the headroom/bedroom switch. But knowing the Rocker 30 so well I was disappointed in the sound of the 15 combo. Thats just my personal opinion. But, that was a new amp in store. I remember the first time I plugged into the R30 in a store and thinkng “WOW”, that was next to a Rockerverb and I went with the Rockerverb only because I wanted an effects loop and reverb. Haven’t played the new head yet, but what I hear in the demos online through a nice cab sound great, a bit different from the original but great! Still has the headroom/bedroom seitch for practice. I think I’d rather have the head and a good 1x12 cab or good 2x10 cab(because I had a good one). The terror chassis/gig bag is very portable.

The R15 terror head is head is more appealing to me too.

Being able to plug it in whichever cab you choose is a big plus.

I have a R15 combo and I love it. A little background...

First off, I'm a home player only. Been playing around with guitar for decades but never applied myself to learning the finer points required to be considered a good player. But I love playing along to songs.

I had a TTHW head and a PPC112. It was awesome rig. I took the head down to GC and plugged it into a PPC112 next to a R15. My opinion, at that time, was that the TTHW was a far better amp.

Life ensued and I sold the TTHW and PPC112. I had a Marshall Offset 1w amp/cab that was great for what it was. What it wasn't was an Orange amp and I found myself missing the TTHW.

So I drove down to GC one day, walked in, said "Gimme an Orange R15." They brought out the box, I paid my money and brought the amp home. I figured if I didn't like it, I could return it.

Well... it took about 5 minutes for me to fall in love with it. You know the features, so I won't belabor them here. I will say that if you want a real grab and go, the R15 combo will put a smile on your face. I think Al Rose posts here... he's a gigging guitarist and has said of the R15: "It punches above its weight." The speaker's rated at, idk, 101, 102db?

For me, it's the perfect home amp. Great cleans and dirt at low volumes and fully capable of handling live work, within reason, of course. (It might have a hard time keeping up with a loud drummer using tree limbs for sticks.)

After all that... to sort of answer your question, lol, it sounded awesome right out of the box. No harshness or fizzyness. I usually roll tubes right away when I get a 'new' amp, but I haven't touched the stock tubes. Maybe one day I'll crack it open and try some different pre-amp tubes. Which reminds me... I need to buy a backup set of EL-84's. I like the Reflektor 6n14n's. Hmm...

Anyway... hope your friend's R15 settles down.

My two cents:

What kind of guitar is your friend using? Pedals, etc. in front of the amp?

Have YOU played through it yet? (How to tactfully say this?) Just as the tone is in the fingers of great guitarists, sometimes the 'suck' is in the fingertips of others. Try his yourself and see how it sounds...