MGR/Laklander « Orange AD200 B Bass Head »
Published on 12/11/09 at 15:00As the name suggests, this head is covered in orange Tolex. It's back-to-basics, 200W tube head that is about as close as you can come to plugging your bass straight into a power amp. Active and passive inputs, Master Volume and gain, Treble Middle and Bass, standby and power switches, all front mounted. 53 pounds. About me:
I've played bass professionally for 44 years. I currently play in a praise band in a local church and also do studio work. I favor rock but have played just about every style, even -- shame -- disco. Favorite players include Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Tony Levin, Chris Squire, Joe Osborn, Bob Glaub and Sting.
Tried it at a local dealer, coupled with an Orange 410 cab with Eminence speakers.
The AD200 B is loud -- plenty loud enough for most small club situations -- and delivers a very nice, warm, old-school tube bass amp sound. Despite having only three tone controls, it puts out a surprising variety of tones. Think of it as a Fender Bassman on steroids.
It's pricey -- $2200 street. Add in an Orange 410 cabinet at $900 and you're talking prohibitively expensive for most players.
Solidly constructed with quality materials. My only caveat is to handle it with more care than a solid-state amp because, after all, tubes are made of glass and more susceptible to being tossed into a truck or car trunk.
The Orange Orange AD200 B Bass Head delivers old-school tube bass sound, but at a cost -- $2200 for the head alone -- that probably puts it out of the range of all but professional players or those with lots of credit. 5 stars for quality, 3 stars for realistic pricing.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I've played bass professionally for 44 years. I currently play in a praise band in a local church and also do studio work. I favor rock but have played just about every style, even -- shame -- disco. Favorite players include Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Tony Levin, Chris Squire, Joe Osborn, Bob Glaub and Sting.
Tried it at a local dealer, coupled with an Orange 410 cab with Eminence speakers.
The AD200 B is loud -- plenty loud enough for most small club situations -- and delivers a very nice, warm, old-school tube bass amp sound. Despite having only three tone controls, it puts out a surprising variety of tones. Think of it as a Fender Bassman on steroids.
It's pricey -- $2200 street. Add in an Orange 410 cabinet at $900 and you're talking prohibitively expensive for most players.
Solidly constructed with quality materials. My only caveat is to handle it with more care than a solid-state amp because, after all, tubes are made of glass and more susceptible to being tossed into a truck or car trunk.
The Orange Orange AD200 B Bass Head delivers old-school tube bass sound, but at a cost -- $2200 for the head alone -- that probably puts it out of the range of all but professional players or those with lots of credit. 5 stars for quality, 3 stars for realistic pricing.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com