- Thread starter Spudmurphy
- Start date
robelinda2
Well-known member
Yep I played the Heartbreaker a few times over the years, every time I only bothered to plug it in it was only because it was on sale and the salesman was pushing it, but i never liked anything about it.
Spudmurphy
Well-known member
^
I have never tried it either.
Infact I wasn't sold on Mesa amps for what I wanted.
I came across the F50 second hand in the shop I bought my BCB AL and really liked it, - never regretted getting it and will stick with it.
Going back to the Orange - what I couldn't bleeb was that you had no control of the clean channel whatsoever.
An ex bass player and great friend of mine has had his Orange head for 30 years and that is a really great amp. He's gigged it solidly over the 30 years and it has never ever let him down.
I have never tried it either.
Infact I wasn't sold on Mesa amps for what I wanted.
I came across the F50 second hand in the shop I bought my BCB AL and really liked it, - never regretted getting it and will stick with it.
Going back to the Orange - what I couldn't bleeb was that you had no control of the clean channel whatsoever.
An ex bass player and great friend of mine has had his Orange head for 30 years and that is a really great amp. He's gigged it solidly over the 30 years and it has never ever let him down.
Norrin Radd
Well-known member
Okay - them's fightin' words!!!!!
[SOAPBOX]
I'm a very very happy owner of an Orange RV50 (the bigger brother to the Rocker 30 that Spud played) and it sounds superb with my AL!!!
Now, the R30 runs on eL34s - not exactly known for their stellar clean tones, but kickin' for distortion. It does lack any EQ on the clean channel so what you are getting is your guitar through pre-amp tubes to power-amp tubes to the speakers. You either like that or you don't. No fiddling. Personally, not a big fan of no EQ on the clean channel or the clean tone with EL34s. That's why I have an RV50.
NOW, with the 50, you've got 4 6V6s going - ever hear of anyone placing those in a classically "clean" sounding amp? Right. Also - you've got a two band EQ on the clean channel that is very dynamic. The clean tones I get out of it with my AL are stellar - throw them into a cab with an Alnico Gold or 2 and you'd be in heaven, trust me. And as for the distortion - well, it's an Orange - this is where the amp really excels - everything available from very mild OD tones to blistering distortion - all with a turn of the gain knob.
My advice - if you want to try an Orange with the best clean tones they offer - you've got to play the RV50 - it really does excel at cleans where ALL the Other Orange amps fall short. I've played the whole line - Oranges are great - but usually very limited in variety of tones. All, that is, but the RV50.
[/SOAPBOX]
robelinda2
Well-known member
I was waiting for you to say something Norrin!!!!!! I havent tried the RV50, will keep a look out.
Norrin Radd
Well-known member
Do so and you will be doing yourself a favor! I think the combo (it's a 2x12) lends itself even better to single coily sounds than the head and cab. I bet a combo with one Alnico Gold and one G12H30 (or V30 - if you happen to like those - like I do!
) might just make you drool some, Rob. 
Slingy
Well-known member
Okay - them's fightin' words!!!!!
[SOAPBOX]
I'm a very very happy owner of an Orange RV50 (the bigger brother to the Rocker 30 that Spud played) and it sounds superb with my AL!!!
Now, the R30 runs on eL34s - not exactly known for their stellar clean tones, but kickin' for distortion. It does lack any EQ on the clean channel so what you are getting is your guitar through pre-amp tubes to power-amp tubes to the speakers. You either like that or you don't. No fiddling. Personally, not a big fan of no EQ on the clean channel or the clean tone with EL34s. That's why I have an RV50.
NOW, with the 50, you've got 4 6V6s going - ever hear of anyone placing those in a classically "clean" sounding amp? Right. Also - you've got a two band EQ on the clean channel that is very dynamic. The clean tones I get out of it with my AL are stellar - throw them into a cab with an Alnico Gold or 2 and you'd be in heaven, trust me. And as for the distortion - well, it's an Orange - this is where the amp really excels - everything available from very mild OD tones to blistering distortion - all with a turn of the gain knob.
My advice - if you want to try an Orange with the best clean tones they offer - you've got to play the RV50 - it really does excel at cleans where ALL the Other Orange amps fall short. I've played the whole line - Oranges are great - but usually very limited in variety of tones. All, that is, but the RV50.
[/SOAPBOX]
I put some JJ6V6's in my HRD against recomendation and the sound breaks up quite a bit earlier than the 6L6s. It sounded awesome but put the 6L6s back in for fear of ruining something.
Spudmurphy
Well-known member
^
Hey Norrin what took ya so long ??? I was waiting all along for you to come in on this one ha!
I think you have explained the situation perfectly re the difference between the 30 and the 50 - I didn't know that?
I just can't understand why Orange did it that way - what with no control over the EQ. Must have been designed by one of those HI FI annoracks who only believe in having one knob on their amp!!
I gotta say that I was really disappointed with the 30 and didn't get a good clean at all.
I have very fond memories of Orange and have liked the amps - especially my ex bass player who still has his after 30 years - I also bought my Les Paul from Orange in London back in the 70's. (I wish Kossoff had been working there then !)
Anyways - off to Liverpool for a week now and come Mon/Tues I'll hear if my interview for promotion was successful.
Hey Norrin what took ya so long ???
I was waiting all along for you to come in on this one ha!I think you have explained the situation perfectly re the difference between the 30 and the 50 - I didn't know that?
I just can't understand why Orange did it that way - what with no control over the EQ. Must have been designed by one of those HI FI annoracks who only believe in having one knob on their amp!!
I gotta say that I was really disappointed with the 30 and didn't get a good clean at all.
I have very fond memories of Orange and have liked the amps - especially my ex bass player who still has his after 30 years - I also bought my Les Paul from Orange in London back in the 70's. (I wish Kossoff had been working there then !)
Anyways - off to Liverpool for a week now and come Mon/Tues I'll hear if my interview for promotion was successful
.
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Norrin Radd
Well-known member
^
Hey Norrin what took ya so long ???
Pffffftttt!!!
If you think this raises my hackles, try putting a black PG on your AL!
jamminjim
Well-known member
clean sounds preference
my preference is a F____ Deluxe Reverb for clean sounds off the ole singles....
my preference is a F____ Deluxe Reverb for clean sounds off the ole singles....
robelinda2
Well-known member
Pffffftttt!!!
If you think this raises my hackles, try putting a black PG on your AL!
well one of my students who is on this forum changed his tort guard on his sunburst AL to a plain black one...show your face Graham.....
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robelinda2
Well-known member
one at a time.....i did convert one of out other teachers too, he got rid of his tele and got a MM90 Super Sport.
Nulph
Active member
Going back to the original topic of this thread, I have played through a few of the Orange combos and the same model Valveking.
The Valveking does have decent overdrive/distortion and the clean does suck. The amp didn't really impress me. It was just ok.
The Orange amps that I have played through were a friends. He only plays through Orange amps and mainly stoner rock styled music. These amps fit his style very well. Dirty and thick. No clean sounds come from his amps. I don't radically change settings on friends amps when I plug in unless given permission. I don't have any clean sound experience with these amps.
I have yet to play through an amp that I was impressed with both the clean and overdrive/distortion channels. Most of the time, I have to use pedals to color one or both of the channels to get the sounds to work well together.
I keep hearing that if you have the same equipment as another guitarist, you'll automatically have the same sound. How is this possible? The fingers are not the same.
The Valveking does have decent overdrive/distortion and the clean does suck. The amp didn't really impress me. It was just ok.
The Orange amps that I have played through were a friends. He only plays through Orange amps and mainly stoner rock styled music. These amps fit his style very well. Dirty and thick. No clean sounds come from his amps. I don't radically change settings on friends amps when I plug in unless given permission. I don't have any clean sound experience with these amps.
I have yet to play through an amp that I was impressed with both the clean and overdrive/distortion channels. Most of the time, I have to use pedals to color one or both of the channels to get the sounds to work well together.
I keep hearing that if you have the same equipment as another guitarist, you'll automatically have the same sound. How is this possible? The fingers are not the same.
mesavox
Well-known member
I have a Mesa DC3 and it has a stellar clean sound, and a lot of gain... the EL84s give it a voxlike character while retaining the Mesa sound. That through my Avatar 212 with GT75ts... scrumdiddlyumptious. LOL I've played a lot of Mesas and pretty much loved every one of them, and while I can get the JP thing happening, a lot of people have that Mesa high gain sound besides JP, and I have to play specific JP type licks to sound anything like him through any Mesa or any other amp. I do a pretty mean impersonation when I want to, but sounding like JP with a Mesa is not even almost a defacto going to happen thing. It's VERY unlikely unless you try very hard.
I'm more than happy with my Mesa, and the one's on my list (Some sort of recto.. I love the Roadster, MKIV, Lonestar), but I totally love Orange amps. I've never really played one to know about the clean sound, but the distortions in the EL84 version and EL34 versions are stellar. I'm really curious to try the 6L6 one. To me, it was a very nice cross between Vox, Mesa, and Marshall tones that was pretty unique. I loved the mids on the 84 version in particular. I would NEVER put Peavey and Orange in the same sort of class. I think Peavey comes out with some great stuff from time to time, but as already mentioned, when they miss... they MISS. I don't think of Peavey in the same breath as Orange, Marshall, Mesa, H&K, ENGLE, VHT, HIWATT, or any of the boutique guys... It's more like Carvin having a great amp in the Legacy, than an amp company having a dud from time to time. So, I don't rule out Peavey... I'd check out anything they release, and consider one of their hits as a lower cost parallel to something else I'm really after until I can afford a 2K amp... and they have the occasional hit that is just woth having anyway.
I do know that the EL84 Orange has typical 84 type Voxy cleans. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
I'm more than happy with my Mesa, and the one's on my list (Some sort of recto.. I love the Roadster, MKIV, Lonestar), but I totally love Orange amps. I've never really played one to know about the clean sound, but the distortions in the EL84 version and EL34 versions are stellar. I'm really curious to try the 6L6 one. To me, it was a very nice cross between Vox, Mesa, and Marshall tones that was pretty unique. I loved the mids on the 84 version in particular. I would NEVER put Peavey and Orange in the same sort of class. I think Peavey comes out with some great stuff from time to time, but as already mentioned, when they miss... they MISS. I don't think of Peavey in the same breath as Orange, Marshall, Mesa, H&K, ENGLE, VHT, HIWATT, or any of the boutique guys... It's more like Carvin having a great amp in the Legacy, than an amp company having a dud from time to time. So, I don't rule out Peavey... I'd check out anything they release, and consider one of their hits as a lower cost parallel to something else I'm really after until I can afford a 2K amp... and they have the occasional hit that is just woth having anyway.
I do know that the EL84 Orange has typical 84 type Voxy cleans. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
mesavox
Well-known member
oh... my pretty mean impersonation comment isn't to suggest I can even almost touch JP's abilities... just that I can mimick his pick attack and the way he hammers and bends notes and get those jumpy sounds he gets.
Jimmyb
Well-known member
1) Buy a Hiwatt
2) Buy some pedals
Job done
2) Buy some pedals
Job done
