Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

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goldenaxe
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Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by goldenaxe » Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:22 pm

Thanks for any info about this. I've searched online and only found one other pic but with zero info about it.

Image

If anyone here owns one of these, has any experience of them, or just knows anything about them (how to date them, even just what they're called other than Matamp!) that would be amazing.

Cheers for any help!

bclaire
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by bclaire » Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:32 pm

Looks like a PA200. I've seen these before, but not with reverb like this one has.

Take a look in the serial numbers section at the 1971 catalog scans. You'll find close to what you're looking for there. The mixer pictured has six channels while yours has five, which is much earlier.

Do you have (or can get) close-up pictures of the back?

Image

Jondog
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by Jondog » Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:36 pm

Image

goldenaxe
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by goldenaxe » Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:41 pm

bclaire wrote:
Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:32 pm
Looks like a PA200. I've seen these before, but not with reverb like this one has.

Take a look in the serial numbers section at the 1971 catalog scans. You'll find close to what you're looking for there. The mixer pictured has six channels while yours has five, which is much earlier.

Do you have (or can get) close-up pictures of the back?

Image
Thank you so, so much! I had been searching for this info but found it so hard to find.

Here is a picture of the back:

Image

Pedaldave
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by Pedaldave » Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:26 pm

That's a great looking amp. I have seen them with 6 channels but not 5. It would really be interesting to see the preamp internals by unscrewing that front panel. Is it a transistor based circuit like the 6 channel ones? Also, the reverb intrigues me. There must be a spring unit in there somewhere, and is it valve driven? The plate on the back with Orange London would suggest it was about 72 but that's no true guide. I've seen a 4 channel version which was an aluminium prototype and possibly built at the time of the Fleetwood Mac tour of the USA. That was a 100 watt version with KT 88 valves and a valve rectifier. It was in a poor state and owned by Mick Penny who worked for Orange in the early 70s. We all would love to see some inside pics of a very rare amp. There's now a group on Facebook for Orange gear of this period, you may get some more info from there. Dave.

bclaire
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by bclaire » Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:11 pm

Interesting. I was expecting a model number on the back. I've seen similar amps with 6 channels, but not a five channel with reverb like this one. It's rare.... and very cool. However, rare does not necessarily mean valuable for the record....

bclaire
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by bclaire » Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:14 pm

Pedaldave wrote:
Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:26 pm
There's now a group on Facebook for Orange gear of this period, you may get some more info from there. Dave.
Yeah, but we're all on there so it won't exactly be new info!

steamboat
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Re: Anyone know anything / have any info on this Orange Matamp?

Post by steamboat » Sat Aug 31, 2019 5:02 pm

Beautiful PA Amp!

I will probably be saying mostly whats already been said but...
I have never seen a 5 channel in person but knew they existed. The 6 channel is a little more common to see. They made the 6 channel in a 200 watt or 120 watt versions.
They also made a 4 channel version.
What makes this really awesome is the built in reverb! Very cool.
Definitely an early orange amp 1968-1971 If i had to guess I would say 1969/1970, but that's a best guess. It's easy to date the vintage orange guitar heads but the Orange/matamp stuff and vintage orange Cabinets/PA/DJ gear is a lot harder to date.
Not sure if your looking for any other information?
We like to call these Ormat amps. (Orange/matamp)
It's definitely worth something and is valuable. It's an Ormat, anything mat mathis touched or put his name to is worth something! But there is a realistic value to it.

There is a vintage facebook group that you could post this up in as mentioned before and maybe you will get some new info out of it, Or at the very least get to show the group this amazing amp! Plus you can sell gear on the facebook page if you need to and it's easier to post pictures and get faster responses sometimes. Both the facebook group and the orange forums are great places for info. We would love to have you join the group if you want to.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/331897577479370/
Rollin with a fat sack of Oranges

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