Graphic 120 Head - dating and info?
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:18 pm
Hi,
I wonder if anyone has any info or opinions on this head?
I bought it about 16-17 years ago in Edinburgh, and used it for some time when I was playing in pretty loud rock bands. The last 10 years it hasn't had much use, just because it's too loud for the kind of thing I'm doing now - but I'm considering dusting it off and investigating any mods to help bring the volume down a tad and make it more practical to use, because it just sounds so darn nice!
Serial no. is 120349, and the cab no. is OA 2974. Looking on the field guide website, that seems to date it to '72 - but I'm confused by the writing on the front panel, especially the 'Out of the blue' logo. All the letters 'appear' to be original to the amp - i.e., they look about the same age as the panel pictures - and it seems like a lot of trouble for someone to go to, putting transfers on just to mark the controls (when a bit of tape and a felt-tip pen would do...). But I thought all early Orange amps were pictures only?
The 2 large (capacitors?), components on the left of the chassis (looking from the rear), are dated Nov '68.
At the moment it has mismatched power tubes - the two on the left are original to the amp when I acquired it, so are pretty old, but in good shape. The ones on the right are Electro Harmonix replacements put in by a local tech just to get it running safely - he checked it over pretty thoroughly and everything else seemed OK.
I've read you can pull two of the power tubes on these amps fairly safely, so I might get rid of the EH tubes anyway, and knock it back to 80W - I'm thinking of rigging it up as a half stack, with an Eminence Legend 15". I've already tried it (tentatively!), through a Legend 15" in a combo I have, and it sounded like it might be a good match.
I'd love to get it going again, and use it as a gigging amp - my only hesitation is the memory of how loud it was! Which makes me think it may not be practical for me to use - but it is one of the nicest sounding amps I've ever had; fat and clear, with no harshness to it all, and the most beautiful rich, 'brown' sound when you get it overdriven.
Any thoughts?
I wonder if anyone has any info or opinions on this head?
I bought it about 16-17 years ago in Edinburgh, and used it for some time when I was playing in pretty loud rock bands. The last 10 years it hasn't had much use, just because it's too loud for the kind of thing I'm doing now - but I'm considering dusting it off and investigating any mods to help bring the volume down a tad and make it more practical to use, because it just sounds so darn nice!
Serial no. is 120349, and the cab no. is OA 2974. Looking on the field guide website, that seems to date it to '72 - but I'm confused by the writing on the front panel, especially the 'Out of the blue' logo. All the letters 'appear' to be original to the amp - i.e., they look about the same age as the panel pictures - and it seems like a lot of trouble for someone to go to, putting transfers on just to mark the controls (when a bit of tape and a felt-tip pen would do...). But I thought all early Orange amps were pictures only?
The 2 large (capacitors?), components on the left of the chassis (looking from the rear), are dated Nov '68.
At the moment it has mismatched power tubes - the two on the left are original to the amp when I acquired it, so are pretty old, but in good shape. The ones on the right are Electro Harmonix replacements put in by a local tech just to get it running safely - he checked it over pretty thoroughly and everything else seemed OK.
I've read you can pull two of the power tubes on these amps fairly safely, so I might get rid of the EH tubes anyway, and knock it back to 80W - I'm thinking of rigging it up as a half stack, with an Eminence Legend 15". I've already tried it (tentatively!), through a Legend 15" in a combo I have, and it sounded like it might be a good match.
I'd love to get it going again, and use it as a gigging amp - my only hesitation is the memory of how loud it was! Which makes me think it may not be practical for me to use - but it is one of the nicest sounding amps I've ever had; fat and clear, with no harshness to it all, and the most beautiful rich, 'brown' sound when you get it overdriven.
Any thoughts?