Suggestions wanted - Rockerverb?

[Dropped stitch]

Sorry probably should have been clearer about gain levels - I'm using pedals now but am really after amp gain, in the clean to medium gain range.
I tend to use quite a bit of gain and then keep the guitar volume between say 4-7, so I can go cleaner or dirtier if I want to. So I guess volume knob cleanup is important too - but most valve amps are pretty good at this anyway.

[Jondog]

Badcat unleash might be a good suggestion - I've been wondering about one of these for a while. Just seems to take away the whole headroom/volume problem in a single stroke. I'd been considering buying an active PA to use as a monitor, so I could just get eg an OR15, but the loop on the badcat might be a good shout.

The Unleash is good, I had one, but you do lose some fidelity of the amps original tone.

[fiveightandten]

It definitely sounds like the AD30 is right for you. If you *really* need an effects loop and Reverb, you can find a good tech to add a loop to the amp. You could try the amp out first, and see if it works for you. Buy a used one so you don’t loose any money. Get a newer amp (2006 or newer).

Instead of modding, You could also buy a re-amping unit like the Fryette Power Station or BadCat Unleash, which have effects loops that would allow you to place effects post-amp. You could also use these to run a wet/dry setup if you wanted, which would probably sound better than any loop based chain.

Only thing with the AD30, is if you get the twin channel the loop can only be installed on one channel.

It should be possible to wire it to both and set it up with a relay circuit so it switches with whatever channel is active. I'm not good with relays, but I'd think a good tech would be able to wire this up.

The Unleash is good, I had one, but you do lose some fidelity of the amps original tone.

Agreed. The Unleash zaps a notable amount of top end clarity off the amp. The Power Station sounds nearly perfect, and has powerful EQ on board if you choose to use it, but it's costly, bigger, heavier, and has tubes (for better or worse).

That being said, if the Unleash was used for a wet/dry setup, the loss of fidelity would probably be imperceptible. You could even wire it up with the AD-30 to work in a single cab if you just separated the speakers (and they were adequately powered). That's how I'd do it at least.

[fiveightandten]

Sorry probably should have been clearer about gain levels - I'm using pedals now but am really after amp gain, in the clean to medium gain range.
I tend to use quite a bit of gain and then keep the guitar volume between say 4-7, so I can go cleaner or dirtier if I want to. So I guess volume knob cleanup is important too - but most valve amps are pretty good at this anyway.

You're describing what the AD30 is built for. A lot of the other Oranges have a lot more gain stages and more gain on tap, and don't clean up as well when you roll the volume back. The AD30 does this very well, and the compressed nature of the amp lends itself to riding the volume knob.

If I were you, I'd pick up a used AD30 head and play it for a while. If it works out, get a BadCat Unleash to run post-amp effects in a wet dry setup and rewire your cab so you can do it all in one box. That's my 2 cents.

[Les Paul Lover]

It definitely sounds like the AD30 is right for you. If you *really* need an effects loop and Reverb, you can find a good tech to add a loop to the amp. You could try the amp out first, and see if it works for you. Buy a used one so you don’t loose any money. Get a newer amp (2006 or newer).

Instead of modding, You could also buy a re-amping unit like the Fryette Power Station or BadCat Unleash, which have effects loops that would allow you to place effects post-amp. You could also use these to run a wet/dry setup if you wanted, which would probably sound better than any loop based chain.

Only thing with the AD30, is if you get the twin channel the loop can only be installed on one channel.

I was gonna say that. With each channel having it's own phase inverter, you'd need to be creative to fit an FX loop somewhere.

[Les Paul Lover]

Sorry probably should have been clearer about gain levels - I'm using pedals now but am really after amp gain, in the clean to medium gain range.
I tend to use quite a bit of gain and then keep the guitar volume between say 4-7, so I can go cleaner or dirtier if I want to. So I guess volume knob cleanup is important too - but most valve amps are pretty good at this anyway.

You're describing what the AD30 is built for. A lot of the other Oranges have a lot more gain stages and more gain on tap, and don't clean up as well when you roll the volume back. The AD30 does this very well, and the compressed nature of the amp lends itself to riding the volume knob.

If I were you, I'd pick up a used AD30 head and play it for a while. If it works out, get a BadCat Unleash to run post-amp effects in a wet dry setup and rewire your cab so you can do it all in one box. That's my 2 cents.

Got to admit the AD30 seems to fit the bill best.

Both the RV50 and AD30 are fairly compressed amps, but the RV50 MKI (I believe they have improved the gain sweep on the MKIII?) Is fiddly to set on low gain settings. At higher gain settings, it becomes difficult for it to clean up.

It makes sense - the AD30 has 2 gain stages, the RV50 has 4 gain stages. Both have one single potentiometer to control the gain level, so fine tuning lower gain is dead easy on the AD30, whereas on the RV50 it comes on quite fast.

However..... the RV50 has a clean channel, so you can switch from clean to dirty tones easily.... and the RV50 dirty has a heavenly blues lead tone, better IMO than what the AD30 can pull off. The AD30 has a delicious edge of break up too....

Something else to consider.... the RV50 clean channel isn't a clean channel. It's an old school 2 gain stages non master volume channel. As you set the volume (could also be called a gain control for that purpose) it will break up similarly to the AD30.... but it's super loud then.

The new RV50 MKIII have an overall master volume, so you may be able to set the clean channel to edge of break up, clean up by rolling the volume down, and use the dirty channel for dirtier tones/lead.

Can you get to a shop and try them?

[Dropped stitch]

Dilemmas dilemmas.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

There's a Fryette power station on eBay for £489 at the moment. I'm thinking that might fit the bill with an AD30 head + a 2x12 cab. Quite a lot of £...

It's easier and cheaper to just get a RV50 mkii combo off eBay, but I can't really test an RV at a shop beforehand. I don't mind a bit of compression, just want a rich fizzy tone.

Maybe just see what prices I can get stuff for and see what works.

[Dark Helmet]

Does the OR100 have a loop????

[Dropped stitch]

Aha, so it does... Will have to do some reading about it

[fiveightandten]

Dilemmas dilemmas.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

There's a Fryette power station on eBay for £489 at the moment. I'm thinking that might fit the bill with an AD30 head + a 2x12 cab. Quite a lot of £...

It's easier and cheaper to just get a RV50 mkii combo off eBay, but I can't really test an RV at a shop beforehand. I don't mind a bit of compression, just want a rich fizzy tone.

Maybe just see what prices I can get stuff for and see what works.

I don’t know what the PS sells for new over there, but that sounds like it’s much too high for a used unit. Also, there is a Version 1, and Version 2. I bought my V2 for $500US, with the carrying case. V1 units usually sell for cheaper. They’re slightly inferior to V2.

[Gray]

However..... the RV50 has a clean channel, so you can switch from clean to dirty tones easily.... and the RV50 dirty has a heavenly blues lead tone, better IMO than what the AD30 can pull off. The AD30 has a delicious edge of break up too....

The AD30 definitely has a clean channel, just not in the traditional sense. C1 has much less gain, espically if you roll the right tubes in it. You can absolutely flip between the two channels in a dirty/clean setup.

[Les Paul Lover]

However..... the RV50 has a clean channel, so you can switch from clean to dirty tones easily.... and the RV50 dirty has a heavenly blues lead tone, better IMO than what the AD30 can pull off. The AD30 has a delicious edge of break up too....

The AD30 definitely has a clean channel, just not in the traditional sense. C1 has much less gain, espically if you roll the right tubes in it. You can absolutely flip between the two channels in a dirty/clean setup.

I know, I own an AD15 (channel 1 of the AD30 but with just 2 el84) and have owned an AD30tc combo. Both the AD30 channels can be set clean or dirty. The cleans are the AD15/30 might even be nicer than the cleans on the RV50- and god knows (If there's one anyway) that i love the RV50 cleans!!!!

[Les Paul Lover]

Dilemmas dilemmas.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

There's a Fryette power station on eBay for £489 at the moment. I'm thinking that might fit the bill with an AD30 head + a 2x12 cab. Quite a lot of £...

It's easier and cheaper to just get a RV50 mkii combo off eBay, but I can't really test an RV at a shop beforehand. I don't mind a bit of compression, just want a rich fizzy tone.

Maybe just see what prices I can get stuff for and see what works.

Where about do you leave?

If you're in the Midlands, you could possibly try mine.

[Dropped stitch]

Hi again all. Apologies for not being around!

What I've done is bought a used AD30. I tried both an OR100 and an RV50 mkii in a shop, and didn't like either of them. I just found there was something in the midrange of both that was quite unpleasant. The RV50 had a slightly more scooped Fenderish tone, and the clean channel was lovely. The cleans on the OR100 weren't as nice to my ears.
So I bought an AD30 combo.
What I've now found is that I'm not hugely keen on the AD30 either. However it occurred to me that the common denominator between all these amps is that they were using V30 speakers. So I tried the AD30 through a cab I have with an eminence cannabis rex, and it came to life. It isn't the perfect speaker for the amp, but it sounded smooth and rich, with beautiful crunchy highs and none of the honky horribleness from the V30s. I'm sure the RV50 and the OR100 would have sounded great with different speakers too.

The problem with the AD30 is that it has almost no low end. It's very Vox-like in that regard. As a result I don't think the cleans are that great - both channels are definitely OD channels.
So now I'm back where I started... thinking of a Fender twin + pedals. Or maybe a RV again...

[Dropped stitch]

The other option is different speakers in the AD30 - I'm thinking G12h30 - and a badcat unleash. I could then put a EQ pedal in the loop to add some low end.
Argh