New to Orange amps..

Maybe someone can help you date your Orange Amplifier?

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northern_dirt
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Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:43 pm

I picked up these two guys in the past 2 months.

Image

1975 OR120
Not sure of year AD140

Looking to track down a 90's OD120,
Seem to not pop up too often, at least
here in Canada
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

bclaire
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Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by bclaire » Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:56 pm

Welcome to the forum!

Nice amps! The AD140TC should be able to be dated by the serial number... for example, if it ends in -401 that would be April 2001.

northern_dirt
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:48 pm

Thanks!
Ill take a look tonight after work
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

northern_dirt
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:13 pm

09-04

Now I need one more 410, one more 412
And some kinda head.. I'm more into the classic
Sounding heads.. But I was lucky to even find the AD140
Locally.. From what I've read on here, I'd prolly be most
Interested in a Gibson Orange OD120 or OD80..but I think
I'm SOL in finding one.

I see a lot of Rocker 30 love on here, and they pop up cheap
Up here (relatively) and the Retro and new custom shop kinda
Interest me.. What are your takes on the tonality and gain between
The reissue OD120 and the R30, R50, CS50?

I've seen the R30 list as low as $650, wondering if I should go this route
Until I can find an OD120.. How will it balance out level wise against my
AD140(lead) and OR120(being used for bass) with the matching 412?
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

northern_dirt
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:17 pm

Playing old schoolish chugga chugga punk rock, with some post punk and post rock influences..
Also how do the R30, R50 and CS50 take pedals? Clean and dirty.. Mostly talking delay, wah, flange
Not to interested in colouring the gain sound of the amp..
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

northern_dirt
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:26 pm

I should add, I quit music about 5 years ago.. Sold everything.. I'm getting back in, but trying to only get the exact stuff I need want for my new project.. I'm also a band tyrant.. So picking up all the gear for the entire band.. Got a 1964 Rogers 4 piece with paiste cymbals for the drummer, and the pedals I've so far picked up have mostly been vintage.. (When I sold my gear I had over 100 pedals, about 10 amps (mostly lil recording ones, cept my JCM900, Roland JC120 head, 70s ampeg V4b and peavy mark IV)

Old orange and Gibson just sound like what I like.. Though I'm really considering getting a vintage fender jaguar.. I had a MIJ and AVRI before I quit, the AVRI was amazing for noise, ambient weirdness..
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

a.hun
Duke of Orange
Posts: 9765
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2002 1:05 am
Location: Amsterdam, Hollandland.nl

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by a.hun » Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:24 am

Hi northern_dirt. You've got a couple of very nice amps there. The AD140 is from September '04.

I'm a long term OR120M Overdrive user, got my '78 one newish s/h in '80. That was my only Orange amp until I grabbed a Rocker 30 combo in '07.

The main thing to know about the Overdrive (either '70s or '90s, same circuits) is that the master volume isn't great. You can use it to shave a bit of volume off, but below about 7-8 / 10 it starts to sound pretty weak and weedy. Like all the vintage Oranges it needs to be run pretty hard to sound really good. Not a problem for me as I use mine almost exclusively for bass where the problem is (ironically) lack of clean headroom rather than having to deal with the deafening volumes for guitar! So it you are expecting this MV version to be like your '75 OR120 but more tameable you'll be disappointed. Crank the MV though and they roar, but you've already got that with your pics & graphic model. Won't be much difference.

Yeah, lots of R.30 love here, myself included. Like the old ORs it is a simple but massively effective amp. It really reminds me of my OR in ways that none of the other modern Oranges I've played (and that's most of them) do. Mainly in the amp's dynamics. Like the old ORs the R.30 is a VERY uncompressed style of amp, meaning that as you hit it harder not only will it get more distorted but it'll also get a lot louder. The AD30 is the opposite, as you hit it with more signal it'll compress, getting more distorted but beyond a certain point not markedly louder. That is great for many players, especially for soulful electric blues etc. where you can control the degree of overdrive very nicely with your picking while maintaining a fairly even volume level. The R.30 is much more direct: more in = more out. You can liken the difference to a nice comfy touring car vs. a fast handling sports car. The R.30 isn't relaxing to play and any sloppy technique will be obvious. But if you can handle it the rewards are like a great adrenaline rush...

The Rockerverbs, despite the similar name, are different amps. Very good all rounders, but they are all a fair bit more compressed - as are most amps out there to be honest. The R.30 is very loud and punchy for a 30 watter and will effectively keep up with most 50 watters.

Natural channel = LOW gain. Any overdrive here is purely from the power amp section. It is a classic Orange sound, perhaps a little flat on its own clean but it takes pedals well and gives you a handy fixed starting point. With a little light reverb from an outboard spring or pedal it shines. Many people use drive pedals (or a clean boost) to make this their main dirty channel.
Dirty channel isn't just that. Cleans are lovely and the EQ is smooth and nice to use. Around the crunch point you'll really notice the dynamics. When it dirties up it does so fairly abruptly just like the old ORs. No smooth transition from clean to dirty as with an AD30 say. The sounds and dynamics at all gain levels remain very good indeed. The maximum gain levels are fairly high, enough for most things. And even up there the dynamics are way better than any other amp I've played at similar gain levels.

Outstanding amp. Remains a mystery to many of us why Orange discontinued it.


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

northern_dirt
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by northern_dirt » Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:33 am

Thanks for the info!
I'm still curious about the custom shop and retro.. Or does MV mean modern retro?
Orange OR120
Orange OD120
Orange AD140HTC
OBC 410
PPC 412
SG special p90s
SG special Faded
Epiphone Wilshire
Hofner Contemporary

a.hun
Duke of Orange
Posts: 9765
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2002 1:05 am
Location: Amsterdam, Hollandland.nl

Re: New to Orange amps..

Post by a.hun » Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:26 pm

northern_dirt wrote:Thanks for the info!
I'm still curious about the custom shop and retro.. Or does MV mean modern retro?
By 'MV' I meant 'master volume', the only big difference between the Overdrive and previous OR120 models. Basically what I'm saying is that they are (truly) amazing amps you'll still need to run them loud to sound good with guitar. Too loud for almost any normal gigging situation... :(

Custom Shop 50 sounds like it is a an amazing amp. Pretty new so not many have tried it. (I haven't!)
http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.p ... stom+retro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the Custom Shop amps are seriously well built by hand. Much better than any production Oranges (or almost anything else out there.) You'll pay for the quality but you'll definitely GET the quality! 8)


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

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