Orange Amps Forum

I reckon I’m on the lookout for a rocker 30.

I wondered - I know the circuits are the same , but I wondered if the head and cab would be better than the combo ?!

And also , I need to get a lead boost , anyone getting a solo boost out of their rocker 30’s ?!

I use to gig with one for years (now prefer an AD30HTC) and have owned 2 R30 heads and 2 R30 combos over the years. Getting a boost was dependent on how loud I was playing and how much gain. It's a typical Orange amp in that it can be difficult to get a solo boost. My best solution to the problem is to get a fulltone OCD ....they work excellent with Orange amps.

Set it up to work with the dirty channel gain about 8am and volume at 3pm, does that work? If not set the OCD up with the gain about 1pm and volume at 11am to work with the clean channel.

I had tried the Mxr micro amp also and this can work well in conjunction with the dirty channel.

Don't know if you've used a Rocker 30 before but you'll be blown away with the dirty channel. I'd recommend the the combo ...it's just got that something extra .......

The R30 is a great amp, with some limitations.

The clean channel is OK, and really shines with some reverb. A bit bland without it though. With only 1 gain stage, it isn't that loud. Not sure it reaches the advertised 30w. It certainly can't follow with the dirty channel volume, by a long way. A clean boost can fix that though.

The clean channel maxed out becomes pure power amp overdrive. Really nice, old school, low/mid gain crunch, great fun.


The dirty channel is EPIC!!!! Great thick fuzzy filth. The gain is pretty abrupt in the way it comes, it's not a great channel for edge of break up tones, as the gain goes clean.... clean..... crunch.
But what a crunch.......

As for lead boost, as always, it very much depends on where your volume and gain are set.

no experience with the combo. I have a rocker 30 head with a custom oval open back 2x12 with v30's. I have shelves full of pedals and with this amp I keep coming back to the boss blues driver. crisp and transparent overdrive, good articulation and compliments the r30's thick dark tone. keep the gain low and it's an excellent boost.

i'm gonna send the BD-2 in for a keeley mod. although I haven't figured out why.

Haven’t got much to add. But I like posting on Rocker 30 threads.

Jondog wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:39 pm

Haven’t got much to add. But I like posting on Rocker 30 threads.

I say combo. It has a bit of magic the head/cab version does not. Plus if you ever want you can always hook it up to a larger cab. Nice to have the more portable option if you ever need it.