Orange Guitar Amp Heads

The Orange Rockerverb 50 Mark II is the second (or updated) version of the original Rockerverb. The original model was loaded with 6V6 power tubes which is certainly not standard fare for most higher gain amplifiers. In addition, it featured a very simple EQ for its clean channel, and the reverb was known to be extremely wet and cavernous even at low levels - rendering it unusable for many players. The Mark II version changed the 6V6s over to the more conventional EL34s found in Marshalls or other British amps, which brought on a more typical sounding amp tone. The clean channel was also given an expanded EQ setup, and the reverb was modified to be more - or rather, less crazy. Otherwise, the features of this amp are pretty standard. It's a dual channel 50w amplifier with clean and drive channels. Each channel has its own EQ with bass, middle and treble controls. There is also a master reverb. On the back are speaker outputs, the effects loop jacks and footswitch jacks. Pretty standard. The amp is available in orange tolex or black. UTILIZATION Getting a decent sound out of this amp is more difficult than I'd like it to be. It doesn't have a complex interface per se, and much like my old Rockerverb 50 Mark I, it does have good tones lurking within, but they're just harder to coax out of the amp than I'd like. The clean channel is definitely an improvement to tweak compared to the Mark I version which is a plus. However, I firmly believe that the 6V6 tubes actually work BETTER in this amp than the EL34s do. The EL34s in this amp cause it to go from a really thick and viscous sort of raw tone that is a cross between Brit and American, but the new version is a lot like a Marshall without the kick to it. I kept waiting to hear that magical tone when I'd twist the knobs and never got it... SOUNDS I've tried this amp with various Gibson and Ibanez guitars and the results are basically the same. The clean channel has improved functionality, but I don't like the tone of the EL34s clean in this circuit. It just sounds anemic and weaker. I didn't care for the functionality of the original, but the clean tones were much fuller and had a nice VOX-y chime to them. This one sounds more like a Marshall clean which was never my thing anyway. The drive tones are decent, but underwhelming. Plugged into an Orange 4x12 even, I was waiting for the punch and classic EL34 roar to kick in... but what I got was just a fairly bland and fizzy tone. It didn't sound BAD at higher volumes, but it lacked the in your face quality of a good EL34 loaded amp like a Splawn where the sound is really harmonically rich and pleasing. I don't think the EL34 vibe really works for this amp. I loved the tones of the original, just had gripes with the functionality. This one seems to be the opposite unfortunately. OVERALL OPINION All in all I think the Orange Rockerverb 50 Mark II is not a bad amp, and the improved functionality of the controls is nice. However I didn't care for the tones as much out of this amp, and as a result I wouldn't touch it. At $2,299 new they're extremely high priced for what you get and to me really aren't worth looking into unless you're a devoted fan of Orange. People looking for an EL34 loaded firebreather should stay away though.

Features: -Controls: Gain/Tone/Volume -1.5 mm Zintec Chassis w/ Steel Vented Top Case -Padded Gig Bag Included -15 Watts 'Class A' / 7 Watts 'Class A' switchable -Tubes: Preamp - 2 x 12AX7, Output 2 x EL84 Specifications: Type - Tube Number of Channels - 1 Power - 15W Class A EQ - Tone Amp Modeling - No Number of Models - 0 Number of Tubes - 4 Preamp Tubes - 2 x 12AX7 Power Tubes - 2 x EL84 Inputs - 1 x Instrument Outputs - 3 x TS Height - 7" Width - 11" Depth - 5.5" Weight - 15 lbs. UTILIZATION It is very easy to get great tone from this amp. The settings are simple enough: volume, tone, and gain. It seems pretty sturdy and comes with a carrying case to cape it safe while traveling. SOUNDS I play a SG, Les Paul, Rick 360, Strat, and Tele through this amp depending on what tone I want. The amp sounds fantastic. Many people have said it is a one trick pony and it is. This pony does its trick VERY WELL. When this amp starts to break up it sounds fantastic. Awesome British crunch. It doesn't have much headroom so live cleans isn't really an option. I prefer fender cleans anyway. Because of this I run it A/B with a clean amp live. OVERALL OPINION For British crunch, this amp has fantastic tone. For the price, it's a (relatively) cheap way to get a grade A tube sound. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to use it as a clean amp. If I were given the choice I might look into the Dark Terror now for its two channels but that wasn't out when I bought the Tiny Terror.

Orange has been building high quality amps now since the 60's. they claim that they are the Marshall killer. They certainly do have a great tone to their amps and you don't have to get the thing modified. So maybe they are a Marshall killer but any company that uses another company to claim what they are is still only second fiddle. This amp has two channels and a basic Eq sweeping control section. You get the basic setup like an old Fender amp. You will be be missing the middle control knob like you would see on many Fender amps. You also don't get a presence control knob which many amps do have to allow you to shape the tone depending on the room that you are in. UTILIZATION Features Clean/Dirty channels Switchable 7W, 15W, 30W outputs Clean channel controls: Volume, Bass, Treble Dirty channel controls: Volume, Shape, Gain 4 ECC83 preamp tubes 4 EL84 power amp tubes ECC81 FX-loop tube SOUNDS The tone of this amp is very good. It defiantly has a vintage feel to it. You get the controls set up much like a vintage amp where they didn't have a midrange control knob a lot of times. So the clean channel does not have that but the gain channel has a shape knob that changes the midrange a little bit. So you don't really need it in the clean channel but the gain does make up for it. This amp is really a vintage style amp through and through. You get many of the features and the basic overall tone is very vintage feeling. OVERALL OPINION You can find these amps pretty easily online or in many shops where you would buy other similar products like Mesa Boogie or Marshall. These amps come in new right at around $1200, which is a great price for this kind of quality amplifier. I would recommedn this to any player that needs a great sounding and high quality vintage style amp that is 30 watts and two channels. this is good players amp and will serve its owner quite well night after night of gigging. You get a solid tone and very usable front panel to dial in the perfect blend of channels.

This is Orange's vintage or classic series amplifier. It is two channel but shared EQ which is different than the class A amp they have such as the AD series. This amp does have a pre amp tube distortion, but minimal so you have to crank up the volume to get the break up. This is going to be more like the ways of old. Much like a Marshall JTM45 or a Plexi you have to get most of your grind from the power section of the amp. So this is not going to be a high gain amp, but will lend itself to the classic rock crowd of old school amplifiers. These amps have been discontinued and I believe replaced with the TH series amp from Orange. So finding one on the used market is the only way to get your hands on one of these amps. UTILIZATION This is not a class A. It will also not have a tube rectifier in it either. The power tubes are military spec El34. These sound almost identical to El34 and will get that volume empowered distortion breakup found in amps from the 60's. So you will have to turn it up pretty loud to get nice grind to it. Specifications * Power 30 watts - * Channel Configuration Natural / Dirty * Footswitch Function Channel * Preamp Tubes 3 X 12AX7 * Power Tubes 2 X 6CA7 * Natural Channel Controls Volume * Dirty Channel Controls Gain / Volume / Bass / Middle / Treble SOUNDS When you crank up the gain its get s natural distortion similar to a Vox Ac30. It has a unique sustain that I only hear from the Vox amps but this one has it as well. This is great amp for the classic rock tone. It has a singing sustain that makes playing guitar so much fun and enjoyable. You need to crank the volume up more on this amp to get the sustain you need for gigging. The Gain control knob does add a great sustain and drive but I feel the volume is the most important part of the dialing in a great tone from this amp. Put a Les Paul in front of this amp and you will be cranking out Jimmy Paige riffs all day long. I'm not sure but I think I saw him use this amp or maybe the Rocker 50 or 100 when on stage with the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium a couple years back. It has a great tone to it that I don't think sounds like a Marshall. The flavor of the British distortion and tone is there but is tastes much different than a Marshall or a Hiwatt OVERALL OPINION This is a great sounding amplifier. Anyone who gets a chance or opportunity to play this amp will be impressed. The tone is outstanding and couple that with a nice delay pedal and you be good to go. I recommend this amp to anyone looking for a vintage but classic sounding amplifier. They are a little harder to find now that they are discontinued. So the used market is the only way to go now.

This is a 2-channel tube amp head in the British tradition, as Orange is known to make. It has one 1/4" input as well as a speaker cable output and an effects loop. In my opinion Orange Amps sound best with Orange cabinets but I'd say overall that you could also use a Marshall cabinet too. There are 50 watts in this amp, which doesn't sound like much but trust me, it's plenty. There are no effects other than reverb which is on both channels. There are volume and EQ controls for both channels, though the dirty channel has a gain knob as well. UTILIZATION Getting a good sound out of this is easy assuming you like the sound of this amp. It's different from most sounds but it has a phenomenal tone. The controls are so simple that dialing in a good sound is pretty basic. I like the EQs because they don't alter the tone too drastically, they must be designed in order to complement, rather than distract from, the sound of the amplifier. In fact, with no EQ at all the amp still sounds great. But anyway, the reverb is also really easy to use. There isn't a master level which is strange but it's nothing I can't get used to. SOUNDS This amp sounds absolutely phenomenal with my Tele, my Jazzmaster, and a Les Paul. Basically it's great for rocking out, and not in the metal sense. The clean channel is ok, it's not anywhere near as good as a Vox AC30 or a Fender Twin, it's really not anywhere in the ballpark of either of those companies' greatest amps, but I will say that it has a nice character of its own. It's not particularly bright enough for me usually but sometimes it works. The dirty channel, however, is phenomenal. I have a hard time getting dirty tones that are as good as this with almost any other amp. Pedals and Fender Twins just aren't the same. It's got a bright, punchy, singing tone that works great with most rock music, especially the stuff that's not TOO heavy, though with some nasty modern humbuckers like in an ESP you can really crunch this thing to death. And let's not forget the stellar spring reverb which rivals Fender at it's best! It's basically a great addition to the already stellar Orange lineup. Granted, it's older, but it's new to me. OVERALL OPINION I really liked the dirty channel on this amp. The clean channel was good but not as amazing as the dirty. Overall I'd say if you'd like a pristine, British-style distorted guitar amp, then this is probably your best bet overall. It's certainly expensive but it's pretty reasonable considering the others in its price range from Marshall and Fender and other competitors. The sound is great and it's probably going to work for any rock player who isn't trying to get really really heavy (though again, that is possible). Highly recommended.

This is a tube amp made by Orange, one of my favorite amp manufacturers. The amp only has one channel, but it is versatile enough that it will work for most rock situations. There are two inputs, for low and high sensitivity. There are knobs that control Master volume, gain, treble, bass, and middle. There are 30 watts of power, which doesn't seem like much, but you don't really need that much wattage anyway. UTILIZATION Getting a good sound with this amp is easy. Some players might be put off by the single-channel, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. If you have an overdrive/distortion pedal that you really like, you can simply dial in a clean sound that you really like, and use the pedal. If you are really into the distortion that the amp provides (which is fantastic, by the way), then you could simply dial in a great distorted sound and use your volume knob to roll back some of the gain (this works great on my Strat, I'm not so sure that every guitar will work this way). There's no need for a manual unless you run into trouble with the tubes, something breaks, etc. but even then you'd probably have to take it in to fix it. SOUNDS I really like the sound of this amp with my Stratocaster, as well as my Les Paul. I've heard guys like Stephen Malkmus (Pavement) use a Jazzmaster with this amp to great effect as well. I really think that there are great clean sounds as well as great distorted ones to be had with this amp. It's got great clarity but also can rock really hard when you need it to. The clean tones have a nice edge to them as well. OVERALL OPINION I like the versatility that this amp has for only being one channel. It runs a large gamut in terms of tone. It's a little pricey but most good things are nowadays. It's totally worth it if you are sure that it's the sound you want. A lot of great indie rock bands have used these amps to great effect, and alternative/rock bands tend to do the same. I wouldn't recommend it to blues/jazz/R&B guys as much, given it's tendency to be dirtier. Overall a fantastic product.