Different Technique With Orange Amps?
Moderator: bclaire
Different Technique With Orange Amps?
I've never paid so much attention to (and thought about) playing technique as I have since I've been using my one and only tube amp; an Orange Dark Terror. I'm of the opinion that the simpler the chords and intervals I choose, the better the tone from this amp. I set the gain and volume to produce a somewhat gritty tone where each note I play has a sort of “aura” of grittiness or fuzz to it, yet individual strings can be heard easily.
Hence, the simpler the chord, interval, or triad I choose is important. Barred chords do not sound good and the more notes in a chord tends to covers up the amp's character. In looking at a few videos of Orange amps in use , I see similar playing technique used, one of them being 2-string simple octaves. I have to admit that I like the Dark Terror's tone so much that I have not even considered adding any OD pedals to it.
How do you approach your own Orange amp with respect to keeping the Orange character intact?
adkguy07
Hence, the simpler the chord, interval, or triad I choose is important. Barred chords do not sound good and the more notes in a chord tends to covers up the amp's character. In looking at a few videos of Orange amps in use , I see similar playing technique used, one of them being 2-string simple octaves. I have to admit that I like the Dark Terror's tone so much that I have not even considered adding any OD pedals to it.
How do you approach your own Orange amp with respect to keeping the Orange character intact?
adkguy07
-
- Tiny Terror
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:27 pm
- Location: NY, USA
- Contact:
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
I love my 5 Orange Terror amps, warm vintage tone with a hint of modern when you need it. If "fuzzy" or "fizzy" comes with an Orange then more power to us, you can learn how to make it part of your sound and there are ways to dial it out. I've tried many brands of tube amps, around 4 yrs ago, after I decided to move away from nearly 30 yrs of solid state, digital, rack mounted gear, and even some modeling stuff. From the Marshall DSL15, a Peavey 6505MH, a Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36, EVH 5150 III LBX v2, and a Blackstar, it was Orange that sold me and it was a no contest. Vintage voiced with a warm tone and lots of crunch, well built, easy to dial in your own tone, buffered FX Loop with its own dedicated tube in it, they take pedals nicely in front and thru the Loop, and powerful, so loud even for a 15W lunchbox head. They match up perfectly with many speakers, especially the ones I use, Celestion Vintage 30s and 70th Anniversary.
You just cannot go wrong with an Orange and I do believe they are not just a one trick pony, they have plenty of versatility to them, if you know how to work the EQ and gain, you'll be in tone nirvana. I truly feel that moving to these Orange all tube amps has made me reconsider some of my playing techniques and wanting to clean up some of my style and be less sloppy. Never thought about any of this before my Orange Terrors. I think they have made me a better player and that says a lot as I am very critical of my guitar skills, in fact, I have none.
You just cannot go wrong with an Orange and I do believe they are not just a one trick pony, they have plenty of versatility to them, if you know how to work the EQ and gain, you'll be in tone nirvana. I truly feel that moving to these Orange all tube amps has made me reconsider some of my playing techniques and wanting to clean up some of my style and be less sloppy. Never thought about any of this before my Orange Terrors. I think they have made me a better player and that says a lot as I am very critical of my guitar skills, in fact, I have none.
Last edited by stargazer747 on Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Orange Rocker 15 Terror-EVH5150III-Hughes&Kettner-Marshall-Celestion-Jackson-Fender-Gibson-PRS-Laguna-AnalogAlien-Earthquaker-Walrus-CryBaby-MXR-BOSS-EHX-Ibanez-TCE-ZOOM-DiMarzio-ErnieBall-Tortex-Pedaltrain
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
Five Oranges and no ”guitar skills”!? Don't believe it, Ha! But, you are correct, in that I really found myself changing my playing style. No more banging out chords and such. I just found myself being more deliberate and economical with what notes and chords I play....at least with the Dark Terror.stargazer747 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:53 amYou just cannot go wrong with an Orange and I do believe they are not just a one trick pony, they have plenty of versatility to them, if you know how to work the EQ and gain, you'll be in tone nirvana. I truly feel that moving to these Orange all tube amps has made me reconsider some of my playing techniques and wanting to clean up some of my style and be less sloppy. Never thought about any of this before my Orange Terrors. I think they have made me a better player and that says a lot as I am very critical of my guitar skills, in fact, I have none.
IMHO, it's the best way to bring out the tone in this particular Orange. I have yet to play other Terrors and then make comparisons, but I'm sure all the Terrors offer the player that familiar “Orange” style tone.
adkguy07
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
That's a very complex topic, but I'll try to approach it as simple as possible.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:09 pmI've never paid so much attention to (and thought about) playing technique as I have since I've been using my one and only tube amp; an Orange Dark Terror. I'm of the opinion that the simpler the chords and intervals I choose, the better the tone from this amp. I set the gain and volume to produce a somewhat gritty tone where each note I play has a sort of “aura” of grittiness or fuzz to it, yet individual strings can be heard easily.
Hence, the simpler the chord, interval, or triad I choose is important. Barred chords do not sound good and the more notes in a chord tends to covers up the amp's character. In looking at a few videos of Orange amps in use , I see similar playing technique used, one of them being 2-string simple octaves. I have to admit that I like the Dark Terror's tone so much that I have not even considered adding any OD pedals to it.
How do you approach your own Orange amp with respect to keeping the Orange character intact?
adkguy07
First, to give some background - I've playing for around 5 years in total, but 4 years electric guitar exclusively. Mostly everything from dirty blues and classic rock to 70/80s metal and 90s grunge. I'd place myself in a position of decent intermediate rhythm guitarist and slightly worse in solo/lead (yeah, still struggling with phrasing, techniques and so on).
With that being said, in every band I play I take care of rhythm guitar and I think this is where Orange amps shine. Of course I'm not saying they can't do beautiful lead work, but rhythm stuff is their strongest side due to full, thick and heavy tone. For a long time I was a "must have tubescreamer in front to get that extra bite from my amp" but as soon as I got Orange (Rockerverb MK1, and now Tiny Terror in addition) I learnt my lesson and discovered that literally every single Orange amps sound best on its own, because anything put in front just kills their character.
As for playing technique i love the sound of classic, rock open chords on Rockerverb set to fairly dirty, overdriven tone. Just pure heaven. With a proper guitar and gain around 2-3 o'clock I can even get a heavy, palm muted chugs (think Alice in Chains Facelift album). Funny thing is that I prefer RV to rhytm work, because it throws flames like crazy on classic riffing.
Now Tiny Terror: gain around 12 o'clock, burning power amp section (over 3 o'clock) and a strat is pure blues rock madness. Nothing more needed, just some easy, simple, cliche I might say licks and every face around is smiling. I barely go with gain knob above 1 o'clock here.
Last, but not least, I find Orange amps pretty easy to dial in - and I don't mean "one EQ knobbers" here, rather classic three-band like RV. When I got my RV I found desired settings in literally five minutes - treble and middle at 2:00, bass at 10:00 - I haven't touch this ever since. Although I had three Marshalls (DSL5C, JCM900 MK3 and VS 8080) I could not get a satisfying tone without using a boost, overdrive or EQ.
Ok, so that would be my point of view. I hope I made myself clear, since I'm not a native English speaker
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
mici88, for a non-English speaker, you write and probably speak better than many of my own friends who are English speaking.
I do agree with what you write above. I'm only using a reverb pedal in the Dark Terror's loop and it is barely on...just enough to add some depth to the tone. For soloing, I primarily use the bridge pickup on my Les Paul; only once in awhile, the neck for some soloing things. I have lower output Seth Lovers for pickups.....and using them I find that I am able to take advantage of more of the range of gain on my Dark Terror.
adkguy07
I do agree with what you write above. I'm only using a reverb pedal in the Dark Terror's loop and it is barely on...just enough to add some depth to the tone. For soloing, I primarily use the bridge pickup on my Les Paul; only once in awhile, the neck for some soloing things. I have lower output Seth Lovers for pickups.....and using them I find that I am able to take advantage of more of the range of gain on my Dark Terror.
adkguy07
-
- Tiny Terror
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:27 pm
- Location: NY, USA
- Contact:
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
You're in it for 5 years you say and feel like you're struggling with phrasing and leads? Try 40+ years and still feeling that way, in fact for me almost everyday I give myself anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to practice, I am a self employed IT consultant about half the workday I'm on the road and half supporting my contract clients remotely from home, so that gives me enough time for it. Yet, there are days I feel like at the moment I pick up and start something, its like beginners level all over again. I do feel confident of my playing and can hold my own when we jam which is about twice a month, no talk about gigging again yet, maybe soon enough. I too am a 70/80s classic & hard rock fan, both listening and playing influences. But I guess what I lack in confidence with my playing I certainly make up for it with all this gear and how well it sounds. I get so many complements about my tone and its thanks to my Orange Terror amps, cabs of Celestion Vintage 30s & 70th Anniversary speakers, and 2 fairly sizable pedalboards.mici88 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:32 amThat's a very complex topic, but I'll try to approach it as simple as possible.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:09 pmI've never paid so much attention to (and thought about) playing technique as I have since I've been using my one and only tube amp; an Orange Dark Terror. I'm of the opinion that the simpler the chords and intervals I choose, the better the tone from this amp. I set the gain and volume to produce a somewhat gritty tone where each note I play has a sort of “aura” of grittiness or fuzz to it, yet individual strings can be heard easily.
Hence, the simpler the chord, interval, or triad I choose is important. Barred chords do not sound good and the more notes in a chord tends to covers up the amp's character. In looking at a few videos of Orange amps in use , I see similar playing technique used, one of them being 2-string simple octaves. I have to admit that I like the Dark Terror's tone so much that I have not even considered adding any OD pedals to it.
How do you approach your own Orange amp with respect to keeping the Orange character intact?
adkguy07
First, to give some background - I've playing for around 5 years in total, but 4 years electric guitar exclusively. Mostly everything from dirty blues and classic rock to 70/80s metal and 90s grunge. I'd place myself in a position of decent intermediate rhythm guitarist and slightly worse in solo/lead (yeah, still struggling with phrasing, techniques and so on).
With that being said, in every band I play I take care of rhythm guitar and I think this is where Orange amps shine. Of course I'm not saying they can't do beautiful lead work, but rhythm stuff is their strongest side due to full, thick and heavy tone. For a long time I was a "must have tubescreamer in front to get that extra bite from my amp" but as soon as I got Orange (Rockerverb MK1, and now Tiny Terror in addition) I learnt my lesson and discovered that literally every single Orange amps sound best on its own, because anything put in front just kills their character.
As for playing technique i love the sound of classic, rock open chords on Rockerverb set to fairly dirty, overdriven tone. Just pure heaven. With a proper guitar and gain around 2-3 o'clock I can even get a heavy, palm muted chugs (think Alice in Chains Facelift album). Funny thing is that I prefer RV to rhytm work, because it throws flames like crazy on classic riffing.
Now Tiny Terror: gain around 12 o'clock, burning power amp section (over 3 o'clock) and a strat is pure blues rock madness. Nothing more needed, just some easy, simple, cliche I might say licks and every face around is smiling. I barely go with gain knob above 1 o'clock here.
Last, but not least, I find Orange amps pretty easy to dial in - and I don't mean "one EQ knobbers" here, rather classic three-band like RV. When I got my RV I found desired settings in literally five minutes - treble and middle at 2:00, bass at 10:00 - I haven't touch this ever since. Although I had three Marshalls (DSL5C, JCM900 MK3 and VS 8080) I could not get a satisfying tone without using a boost, overdrive or EQ.
Ok, so that would be my point of view. I hope I made myself clear, since I'm not a native English speaker![]()
I will give you an example, one Sat evening 2 years ago I headed out to rehearsal, as I got there I discovered I forgot my pedalboard! I live on Staten Island, and the practice is in Queens by my drummer's, so there is no going back to get it as here in NYC that can take over an hr on a Sat night. I was like OMG what am I going to do? I am so dependent on my FX for tone, flavor, effects parts in songs, etc...I feel they help me in some way maintain confidence (and no, they don't make your playing any better, of that I know), called the wife to confirm I didn't just leave it in front of the house. When that concern was relieved, I proceeded to plug in, all I had was my guitar, gig bag of cables, my Orange Jim Root Terror and a Blackstar 112 cab (Celestion Vintage 30). We started jamming and you know something, I truly did not need the pedalboard to carry on that evening. This amp sounded incredible all on its own thru the riffs, rhythms, and solos. And to boot, I somehow maintained my confidence all thru.Yes I missed having the FX that I feature for the parts of songs we do but it was hardly noticeable by the rest of the band and the guests that were there hanging out.
They are simple amps with less controls than most other brands out there but they are very sensitive controls for you to work out a tone and that at times may require a bit of going back at forth with but that for me makes it even more challenging, enjoyable, and fulfilling as sometimes you discover at lot of new tones you would never have guessed you had because you didn't think the amp was capable of it. The EQ whether the 3-band or just the "Shape" knobs are not just extremes for one end of the spectrum to the other, every location in between has something, even with the slightest little movements of them, whatever it is they use for the electronics inside, I don't know, but am damn glad for it.
And as for my confidence and skills or lack of, no matter what level they may be, my passion for the guitar remains at its highest, of that I am sure and that amount of passion will only make me do it more and try harder each and every time.
Last edited by stargazer747 on Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Orange Rocker 15 Terror-EVH5150III-Hughes&Kettner-Marshall-Celestion-Jackson-Fender-Gibson-PRS-Laguna-AnalogAlien-Earthquaker-Walrus-CryBaby-MXR-BOSS-EHX-Ibanez-TCE-ZOOM-DiMarzio-ErnieBall-Tortex-Pedaltrain
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 6821
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
- Location: Derby, England
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
Eeerrrr straight in with no FX?
Seriously, I try to not over think it.
I use FX, OD, Boosts, fuzz, and sometimes my goal is to change what the amp does significantly, sometimes not.
What you're learning now is that an amp is as much an instrument as your guitar is.
The way you will interact with some amps can be very significantly different. Case in point, my AD15, R30 and RV50. Each of them really excels in different ways.
My AD15 really shines at slightly dirty cleans and crunch, and it's so goodat that I won't set into heavy crunch. The way the notes bloom with that slightly Dirty tone is fantastic, and hit the strings harder and you're into crunch.
The RV50 does both wonderful clean and great blues/hard rock. I love it for dirty blues, and it's lead tone is very impressive too. And because it sounds so good there, thats what i tend to play with it when on my own.
The R30 is a beast..... it's dirty tone is so heavy and fuzzy..... it really begs for big fat power chords and stoner riffs....
These 3 amps can all do the same songs really well, but will inspire what you create with them very differently.
USER WARNING: buying amps can be addictive. Very addictive.
Ant
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
-
- Rocker
- Posts: 241
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:17 pm
- Location: South Dakota
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
It is hard to say what one considers to sound great and what another does not but I don’t find any issues with clarity of chords with any orange gear unless there is too much gain dialed in. On a dark terror, I would say that happens around 1 o’clock on the gain dial for my ear but I would likely play around 11:30-12 for gain.
It’s also possible that pickups aren’t reacting to your amp in your liking. I play primarily Gibson guitars and some of them came with 490/498 pickups. Those to my ear sound horrendous through an orange. Nothing but mud. I usualky throw in burst bucker pros (seems to be Gibson’s least loved pickup) and the guitar then sounds flawless through the amp. Any lower output pickup with Alnico V magnets seems to do well for me anyway.
Everyone can enjoy as they see fit but I wouldn’t be crazy about an amp that forces me to simplify chords because it can’t handle what is being thrown at it.
It’s also possible that pickups aren’t reacting to your amp in your liking. I play primarily Gibson guitars and some of them came with 490/498 pickups. Those to my ear sound horrendous through an orange. Nothing but mud. I usualky throw in burst bucker pros (seems to be Gibson’s least loved pickup) and the guitar then sounds flawless through the amp. Any lower output pickup with Alnico V magnets seems to do well for me anyway.
Everyone can enjoy as they see fit but I wouldn’t be crazy about an amp that forces me to simplify chords because it can’t handle what is being thrown at it.
Rockerverb 100 MKIII
Rockerverb 50 MKIII combo
AD30TC combo
TH30c
Fender Bassman
Fender Princeton
gibson explorer custom
gibson es355
gibson es359
gibson sg custom
gibson les paul custom
gibson les paul standard
gibson les paul studio
gibson melody maker
Rockerverb 50 MKIII combo
AD30TC combo
TH30c
Fender Bassman
Fender Princeton
gibson explorer custom
gibson es355
gibson es359
gibson sg custom
gibson les paul custom
gibson les paul standard
gibson les paul studio
gibson melody maker
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
Stargazer747,
It seems that forgetting that pedal,board turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You freed yourself
from Dumbo's “Magic Feather”. I use only a reverb pedal to put a bit of depth to the Dark Terror's tone. If I entered into a jam or performance venue I have enough confidence to not use pedals and probably could survive without that reverb because I respect and have confidence in the Orange Dark Terror's gain design. I'd probably draw some fire from others because I don't keep up with latest and greatest gizmos. What I'd like (but don't really right now) is a higher wattage Orange and with more headroom because that to me, is crucial in keeping my tone clear while playing at volume. The Dark Terror is fine for me right now. I'm the home type player and volume has to be reasonable and under control.
adkguy07
It seems that forgetting that pedal,board turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You freed yourself
from Dumbo's “Magic Feather”. I use only a reverb pedal to put a bit of depth to the Dark Terror's tone. If I entered into a jam or performance venue I have enough confidence to not use pedals and probably could survive without that reverb because I respect and have confidence in the Orange Dark Terror's gain design. I'd probably draw some fire from others because I don't keep up with latest and greatest gizmos. What I'd like (but don't really right now) is a higher wattage Orange and with more headroom because that to me, is crucial in keeping my tone clear while playing at volume. The Dark Terror is fine for me right now. I'm the home type player and volume has to be reasonable and under control.
adkguy07
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
Adkguy07 I get what you are saying. I think some of what you are talking about is technique based though. I'm not saying my technique is good enough to play around this stuff but I think I know what's going on.
I have a Rocker 15, I'm not sure I think the natural channel is effected by this stuff as much as the dirty channel, but I definitely run into it. I am also not sure this is unique to Orange amps.. it seems like maybe it goes with the territory as amp gain goes up.
If you've got gain up and are playing rhythm there is a hierarchy of chords that go from easy to make sound good to harder to make sound good.
- Two note power chord, double stop
- Three note power chord, three note triad
- 6-string Bar Chords
- 5/4 - string Bar chords
- Open Chords
I think what's going on particularly with the open chords is if you're hitting a string you should have muted the gain on the amp and specifically on an Orange amp just punishes you for that mistake.
E.x. Open C, or 5-string barre C.. if you hit that 6th string without it being properly muted the gain is just punishing you for that in a way a clean amp or most notably an acoustic guitar doesn't.
I don't think this is rocket science, my guitar teacher has mentioned this kind of thing to me many times, without it being about Orange amps.
When you look at great players there is a balance between:
- They've got the technique to make the various types of chords work with their setup
- They select chord voicings that make it easier to get a good sound with that setup
Probably why you're not hearing that many Open chords in high gain metal, etc..
I have a Rocker 15, I'm not sure I think the natural channel is effected by this stuff as much as the dirty channel, but I definitely run into it. I am also not sure this is unique to Orange amps.. it seems like maybe it goes with the territory as amp gain goes up.
If you've got gain up and are playing rhythm there is a hierarchy of chords that go from easy to make sound good to harder to make sound good.
- Two note power chord, double stop
- Three note power chord, three note triad
- 6-string Bar Chords
- 5/4 - string Bar chords
- Open Chords
I think what's going on particularly with the open chords is if you're hitting a string you should have muted the gain on the amp and specifically on an Orange amp just punishes you for that mistake.
E.x. Open C, or 5-string barre C.. if you hit that 6th string without it being properly muted the gain is just punishing you for that in a way a clean amp or most notably an acoustic guitar doesn't.
I don't think this is rocket science, my guitar teacher has mentioned this kind of thing to me many times, without it being about Orange amps.
When you look at great players there is a balance between:
- They've got the technique to make the various types of chords work with their setup
- They select chord voicings that make it easier to get a good sound with that setup
Probably why you're not hearing that many Open chords in high gain metal, etc..
-
- Tiny Terror
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:27 pm
- Location: NY, USA
- Contact:
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
To some degree, yes it did. I was able to convince myself that just a guitar and the right amp is all that is needed at times. But I am sure it can be the same with other amp brands as well. But it all comes down to what you play and how well you and the amp bond. I mean, in some of the stuff I do, lacking the right FX at the right time will not bring to song to its rightful place. I never doubted for a minute that any of my Orange Terror could not perform without the use of FX, it was much more that I doubted my own abilities and play confidently without them, after all, I am a pedal junkie for sure, however, I am glad to have experienced it once a full evening with only me, guitar, and the right amp.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:44 pmStargazer747,
It seems that forgetting that pedal,board turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You freed yourself
from Dumbo's “Magic Feather”. I use only a reverb pedal to put a bit of depth to the Dark Terror's tone. If I entered into a jam or performance venue I have enough confidence to not use pedals and probably could survive without that reverb because I respect and have confidence in the Orange Dark Terror's gain design. I'd probably draw some fire from others because I don't keep up with latest and greatest gizmos. What I'd like (but don't really right now) is a higher wattage Orange and with more headroom because that to me, is crucial in keeping my tone clear while playing at volume. The Dark Terror is fine for me right now. I'm the home type player and volume has to be reasonable and under control.
adkguy07
Orange Rocker 15 Terror-EVH5150III-Hughes&Kettner-Marshall-Celestion-Jackson-Fender-Gibson-PRS-Laguna-AnalogAlien-Earthquaker-Walrus-CryBaby-MXR-BOSS-EHX-Ibanez-TCE-ZOOM-DiMarzio-ErnieBall-Tortex-Pedaltrain
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
beninma,
Totally agree with your statements. It's not amp-specific, but as Orange is more or less here our
preferred amp of choice, I brought the topic up. Where I was really a new Orange user, I referred to Orange's modern take on gain and comprssion specifically.
This past weekend I spent more time playing than usual; concentrating on using more gain than I normally would..no pedals except a bit of reverb. I concentrated on constructing easy riffs using only the bottom three strings in combinations and then moving to easy solos on the higher 3 strings using a Les Paul bridge pickup. The Dark Terror responded by giving back just about what I wanted. Gain was set about 10:30 o'clock, volume about half way and 7 watt setting. The “trick” will be for me to nudge the gain up in increments and adjust volume....to see what my threshold will be before it all starts to sound foolish.
I left out all barred chords and used only single bottom string notes, double stops, and octaves. Upper three strings in triads, double stops and single notes. I suspect as the gain inches up, my chords will become skinnier, as well as playing fewer double stops.
adkguy07
Totally agree with your statements. It's not amp-specific, but as Orange is more or less here our
preferred amp of choice, I brought the topic up. Where I was really a new Orange user, I referred to Orange's modern take on gain and comprssion specifically.
This past weekend I spent more time playing than usual; concentrating on using more gain than I normally would..no pedals except a bit of reverb. I concentrated on constructing easy riffs using only the bottom three strings in combinations and then moving to easy solos on the higher 3 strings using a Les Paul bridge pickup. The Dark Terror responded by giving back just about what I wanted. Gain was set about 10:30 o'clock, volume about half way and 7 watt setting. The “trick” will be for me to nudge the gain up in increments and adjust volume....to see what my threshold will be before it all starts to sound foolish.
I left out all barred chords and used only single bottom string notes, double stops, and octaves. Upper three strings in triads, double stops and single notes. I suspect as the gain inches up, my chords will become skinnier, as well as playing fewer double stops.
adkguy07
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
I didn't mean for you to abandon your pedals because I know that you relish using them.stargazer747 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:55 pmTo some degree, yes it did. I was able to convince myself that just a guitar and the right amp is all that is needed at times. But I am sure it can be the same with other amp brands as well. But it all comes down to what you play and how well you and the amp bond. I mean, in some of the stuff I do, lacking the right FX at the right time will not bring to song to its rightful place. I never doubted for a minute that any of my Orange Terror could not perform without the use of FX, it was much more that I doubted my own abilities and play confidently without them, after all, I am a pedal junkie for sure, however, I am glad to have experienced it once a full evening with only me, guitar, and the right amp.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:44 pmStargazer747,
It seems that forgetting that pedal,board turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You freed yourself
from Dumbo's “Magic Feather”. I use only a reverb pedal to put a bit of depth to the Dark Terror's tone. If I entered into a jam or performance venue I have enough confidence to not use pedals and probably could survive without that reverb because I respect and have confidence in the Orange Dark Terror's gain design. I'd probably draw some fire from others because I don't keep up with latest and greatest gizmos. What I'd like (but don't really right now) is a higher wattage Orange and with more headroom because that to me, is crucial in keeping my tone clear while playing at volume. The Dark Terror is fine for me right now. I'm the home type player and volume has to be reasonable and under control.
adkguy07
I'm glad it worked out for your purposes, though. Where Orange amp gain appeals to me, I've decided to not clutter the gain up with boosts and OD devices. Of course, if I were playing out that would soon change, but I suspect more to use time based effects and minimize boosts and drives.
adkguy07
-
- New Member
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:05 pm
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
this is a very interesting thread. I have had my own sort of "revelation" playing Orange amps. First, they do not forgive sloppy playing with ghost notes. More importantly, I observed that playing some open chords, a D in particular always sounded out of tune if letting it ring. Same chord, same guitar, different amp and it was better/ok. This opened up an entire dialog on tuning and guitar imperfections. Ended up that for it to sound correct, I tuned my guitar to the notes on the 3rd fret instead of open tuning. I had noticed that the 3 notes in the D chord were all slightly sharp, by varying amounts when tuned open. The only conclusion I could draw is that the Orange amps produce such rich and plentiful harmonics that once these are all unleashed simultaneously on a hard strummed D chord for example, they could impact what your ear will hear if one or more notes is sharp, even by little. So this led me to be mindful of tuning for certain songs or, even to watch the strumming intensity to minimize the harmonics effect. My conclusion then is that these amps really authenticate what you feed them, kind of garbage in garbage out. So definitely an experience having switched from Marshall/Blackstar to Orange.
I play through a RV 50 MKIII by the way with a custom shop telecaster, set neck , 2 SD Antiquity Humbuckers, configured exactly like a lespaul. If I switch to my Godin with Loller El Rayo pickups, the effect is even more pronounced.
tony
I play through a RV 50 MKIII by the way with a custom shop telecaster, set neck , 2 SD Antiquity Humbuckers, configured exactly like a lespaul. If I switch to my Godin with Loller El Rayo pickups, the effect is even more pronounced.
tony
-
- Tiny Terror
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 1:27 pm
- Location: NY, USA
- Contact:
Re: Different Technique With Orange Amps?
No of course not, I got what you meant. I tell you, with these Orange amps, I can spend endless hours every day in front of one my Terrors and not be bored. They inspire me to play more and improve my techniques.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:42 pmI didn't mean for you to abandon your pedals because I know that you relish using them.stargazer747 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:55 pmTo some degree, yes it did. I was able to convince myself that just a guitar and the right amp is all that is needed at times. But I am sure it can be the same with other amp brands as well. But it all comes down to what you play and how well you and the amp bond. I mean, in some of the stuff I do, lacking the right FX at the right time will not bring to song to its rightful place. I never doubted for a minute that any of my Orange Terror could not perform without the use of FX, it was much more that I doubted my own abilities and play confidently without them, after all, I am a pedal junkie for sure, however, I am glad to have experienced it once a full evening with only me, guitar, and the right amp.adkguy07 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:44 pmStargazer747,
It seems that forgetting that pedal,board turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You freed yourself
from Dumbo's “Magic Feather”. I use only a reverb pedal to put a bit of depth to the Dark Terror's tone. If I entered into a jam or performance venue I have enough confidence to not use pedals and probably could survive without that reverb because I respect and have confidence in the Orange Dark Terror's gain design. I'd probably draw some fire from others because I don't keep up with latest and greatest gizmos. What I'd like (but don't really right now) is a higher wattage Orange and with more headroom because that to me, is crucial in keeping my tone clear while playing at volume. The Dark Terror is fine for me right now. I'm the home type player and volume has to be reasonable and under control.
adkguy07
I'm glad it worked out for your purposes, though. Where Orange amp gain appeals to me, I've decided to not clutter the gain up with boosts and OD devices. Of course, if I were playing out that would soon change, but I suspect more to use time based effects and minimize boosts and drives.
adkguy07
Orange Rocker 15 Terror-EVH5150III-Hughes&Kettner-Marshall-Celestion-Jackson-Fender-Gibson-PRS-Laguna-AnalogAlien-Earthquaker-Walrus-CryBaby-MXR-BOSS-EHX-Ibanez-TCE-ZOOM-DiMarzio-ErnieBall-Tortex-Pedaltrain
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 426 guests