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International Women’s Month: Trine Grimm

Name: Trine Grimm

Profession and place of work: Tattoo artist at Lucky 7 in Oslo, and artist 

How old were you when you started tattooing?
I had just turned 19 when I moved to Oslo to start tattooing, but the interest for the art came way earlier than that.

Being a successful female in a very male dominated industry, have you ever faced any challenges, experienced harassment or had any other issues based on gender?
This is a hard topic to get into, but as every other male dominant occupation, there will be a struggle being a woman. I was very young when I came in to the scene, and you often had to prove yourself just because of that. I was called names all the time by coworkers, my bosses and even customers. I think the hardest part was trusting people you looked up to. I was always afraid of speaking up, because it was a very small scene back then. It has  definitely changed for the past 15 years, and it is nice to see all the talented women coming into the scene and absolutely killing it in the game now. That being said, even to this day there are customers asking me if the boss is around or how long I have been tattooing. I am pretty sure they would never ask a 33 year old man the same question. I was never really a girly girl either, don’t take me wrong, I love dressing up and all that, but my main interests were metal music, snowboarding and skateboarding. I hung out with the guys and were a part of the scene, but I guess they had a hard time treating me as an equal. I don’t know how many times I’ve been called a groupie, something that still happens today just because I am around the music scene.  

Besides tattooing you’ve also done gig posters, artwork, DJing etc – what kind of music are you into?
Tattooing takes up most of my time, simply because I love it. Except for snowboarding, it has been the only constant thing in my life for so long, and even if I have tried to tattoo less to do other projects, I keep coming back to it full time. I also take on small projects for bands, mostly gig posters, shirt designs and festival posters, it is time consuming, but absolutely something I wanna do more of because music is so close to my heart. Nothing beats seeing your artwork on a band you really love listening to. I grew up with classical music from my grandmother who was a pianist. My mother got me into rock like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, but as a kid from the west coast of Norway, it didn’t take long before me and my best friend got into the black metal scene. My music taste is all over the place now, ranging from jazz to extreme metal, but heavy riffs are a main topic in my play list. DJing is fun, but it has to be for a special event. Playing music in a bar is just to get people to buy a beer is really not my thing anymore. Would rather listen to my vinyls at home. Haha…  But it’s fun, and I will probably change my mind one day and do it all over again. 

Would you say your taste in music inspires your art?
Music is my main inspiration to my art, I think art and music goes hand in hand. I love listening to music and just draw for hours. I also listen to music all day while tattooing. My head is way too busy without it. It is some form of meditation I guess. Most of my astronaut paintings was made when Sleep came out with The Sciences in 2018, I guess the theme fits. Haha…

When we asked Trine about this interview, she asked if she could create some fan art to go with it and sent us the incredible design below – which completely blew our minds:

What’s the inspiration behind the incredible Orange drawing you did?
If you have been into heavy music for a while, nothing beats the classic sight of an orange amp. I had this joke with my friends that if we were seeing new bands, we knew they would be good if there was an Orange on stage. I took some inspiration from the classic logo because I really liked the story behind it. The orange tree as a branch, the Pan inspired horns. The rig of doom in the back is kinda how it looks to me when I think about it. Sometimes I just draw whatever comes to mind, it usually never makes sense, but most of the music and the art I like is inspired by the psychedelic area of the 60s and 70s. I guess that is what inspired this one. 

What’s been a career highlight so far?
That is a hard question. I meet so many amazing people because of my job. Meeting Lemmy and hanging out with him and talking tattoos is definitely one of the most fun memories, but if I have to mention one thing directly affecting me I guess selling one of my astronaut paintings to an engineer in NASA was a big highlight. I’ve always been a nerd when it comes to science, and wanted to become an astrophysicist when I was a kid. I guess at least I have some kind of connection to NASA now. 

What would 2023 Trine say to 2013 Trine?
I had my first solo art show in 2013, I was so scared and had no idea what I was doing. I guess I would have told her that it will be easier, and in 10 years you will still love what you are doing. Because some days are hard and you wake up and have no idea why you chose a job you can never take a break from.

Which artist / song are you currently playing on repeat?
I’ve been really nostalgic lately so Pentagram (U.S.) is on repeat. But my playlist of only 60s and 70s are on loop at the studio everyday. Can never go wrong with the classics.

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Orange Sponsor Rally Driver James Williams

Orange Amplification is delighted to announce its re-entry into motorsports and its sponsorship of up and coming rally driver, James Williams, for the Motorsport UK British Rally 2023 Championship. In the 2022 championship, his debut season, James was placed third overall and first rookie.

James Williams (Right), Dai Roberts (Co-Driver Left)


James is a young Welsh rally driver who has rapidly made a name for himself in British rallying. Whilst competing in the Junior Feeder series, he notched up three wins and six further podium appearances. Williams’ move to senior competition got off to a flying start in 2022 and he plans to be even more successful in the coming season in his new Ford Fiesta Rally2, prepared by NPL Motorsport in conjunction with MSPORT.

When Williams met Cliff Cooper, Orange Amps Founder and CEO, it became clear they shared a common ethos. Williams commented, ‘It is an absolute honour to be representing such an iconic brand and if one thing is for sure, the livery will definitely catch everyone’s attention in 2023.’

BBC DJ Johnnie Walker with Orange Stockcar and Orange Staff

‘Orange’s collaboration with cars started in 1969 when they produced their iconic Orange Buggies and then progressed to sponsoring the famous BBC DJ Johnnie Walker in an Orange stock car in the early 70’s. We are very excited to be working with James on his challenge in the 2023 Rally Championships’, commented Cliff Cooper.

Orange Buggy Circa 1969 (Left) Johnnie Walker (Right)


Spot the ‘Orange’ rally car and its driver throughout the 2023 Motorsport UK British Rally Championship Calendar:

Round 1 – Malcolm Wilson Rally – Cockermouth – 11 March
Round 2 – Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally – Duns – 26/27 May
Round 3 – Ardeca Ypres Rally – Ypres, Belgium – 23/24 June
Round 4 – Modern Tyres Ulster Rally – Newry – 18/19 August
Round 5 – Get Connected Rali Ceredigion – Aberystwyth – 2/3 September
Round 6 – Trackrod Rally Yorkshire – Filey – 22/23 September
Round 7 – Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally – Llandudno – 27/28 October

To find out more about the British Rally Championships and James Williams please visit britishrallychampionship.co.uk and facebook.com/jameswilliamsrally. To find out more about Orange Amps please go to orangeamps.com/.

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International Women’s Month: Liz Scarlett

To celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s Month, we’ve spoken to a couple of female industry professionals to get their story on building a career in a predominantly male-dominated industry. First one up is music journalist and writer Liz Scarlett.

Name: Liz Scarlett.
Profession and place of work: Staff writer (music journalist) at Future Publishing with Louder, home of Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine.
How long have you been in your current role? Just over two years.

What can you tell us about the journey that got you where you are today?
So I studied music journalism at university, the degree of which wasn’t actually my first choice. I didn’t know such courses existed – I was going to do English, simply because I found I was good at it and wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, but then during my university interview, I ended up speaking to the professor about my favourite bands the whole time and my love of journalism. They then told me there was such a course and hey presto, a couple years of education, and I graduated into a marketing assistant role at a music college, where I got to review student work, help out with a bunch of creative projects, all whilst running my own music blog.
Then, during the pandemic, Future Publishing were looking for trainee roles. I completely forgot that the company was home to Louder and the magazines I grew up on, so I applied to it on a whim, as I was made redundant from my previous job. After going through the interview process I realised that I accidentally applied for my dream role, working for Metal Hammer and Classic Rock, which is kinda spooky…and seriously crazy. Manifestation and all that! After studying for an NCTJ diploma with Future to help out with my role as Trainee News Writer, (and slogging through many hours of media law study), I got to stay on working for Louder as a full time staff writer. Although I’m still mostly on news duties, I also do features and interviews, for online and print.

Being a female in a very male dominated industry, have you ever faced any challenges / experienced harassment / felt the need to work harder to prove yourself / etc, basically any issues based on being female? How did you experience the industry when you first started?
At my current job, not at all. My team is really mindful of these issues and are mega supportive. At previous places of work however (naming no names), very
much so. I found that male colleagues really were intimidated by you if you shared similar skills. I was patronised and insulted ALOT, and felt like I was in a
competition I simply did not want to be in, all for being a woman. Things got pretty bad at times, and I found myself not wanting to come into work. It was all
the more irritating seeing how overwhelmingly respectful they were to other colleagues, only if they were male. This has happened on multiple occasions.
As for where I am now, I feel incredibly supported, although I find that I’m perhaps not as confident in my work as males in the industry. Plus, imposter
syndrome is always looming. I’m also not always confident in my ideas, which is something I need to change. I think it’s part of growing up as a woman though,
when other ideas (proposed by men) have usually always been taken more seriously than yours. Did your love for music and writing always go hand in hand?
It didn’t, actually. I grew up playing the bass guitar, so for me, music was always about the instrumental side. Even when listening to songs my brain would
naturally focus on the riff, rather than the lyrics or any other component. I think the writing side came when I realised how much I loved talking about music and
analysing it, and then discovering how much I loved reading autobiographies, and learning about the lives of the musicians who have inspired me. In recent
years, my love of music has encompassed more parts than just writing too, such as my obsession with art and design. Music finds its way in about every part of my
life.

When it comes to music journalism, was there anyone in particular that inspired
your writing? (Feel free to recommend books, authors, journalists etc)
When it comes to things like this my mind always goes blank, however music documentaries were always a big inspiration. Some of my favourites are Super
Duper Alice Cooper (the whole visual design of it is also to die for), as well as Such Hawks, Such Hounds, which explores the underground American hard rock scene
from the 70s until the late 2000s. It also looks at psychedelic artwork and album covers. Recently, Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream blew my mind. It was very much
like the ultimate union of art and visual music journalism, with a soundtrack that felt almost overwhelming. There’s probably plenty more, but those are definitely a
few of my favourites. As for books, Zoë Howe, the author of Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams and Rumours, was a great inspiration. On top of being a totally cool lady,
and self-professed rock’n’roll witch, Howe has a wonderful writing style that’s really descriptive, powerful, and just a pleasure to read. In any of her books, you
can instantly hear that it’s her voice, and that’s the sort of writer I admire. The type where you can recognise it’s their work straight away.

What’s been a career highlight so far?
Really, just getting to spend each day doing what I love and being creative. Although…meeting Tony Iommi was pretty cool too haahaha.


What would 2023 Liz say to 2013 Liz?
Keep going, things do get better, don’t be afraid to aim high and if boys seem weird, it’s because we live in a patriarchy and everything is fucked – they’re not
better than you. Also see Fleetwood Mac in concert because one day some of the members won’t be here and it’ll be too late. (It is now too late).


Which artist / song are you currently playing on repeat?
I currently can’t get enough of Sleep Token. If you’re not totally sure of the frontman’s vocals (they do sound a bit James Arthur-ey), see them in concert, it’ll
convert you. They’re totally ripping up the rule-book of modern metalcore, and the riffs will knock you to the floor. Plus, they look creepy, which is always good.

Follow Lizzie on Instagram, or visit her website here.

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Press Release: Exciting new release from Orange Amplifiers

You just got Rick Rolled – bet you didn’t see that one coming.

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The Orange A&R guide to endorsements

We’re regularly asked about our endorsements and what we look for in qualifying artists. Although there’s no right answer to this question, we’re going to run through a few key points that are taken into account when looking at applications, as this can be a confusing concept. In a perfect world, being an awesome guitarist/bassist would be enough, but it’s unfortunately more complicated than that when you take the business perspective into consideration. So, before you spend hours crafting your ambassador application, please give the following a read for some Orange A&R inside info:

  1. Are you an established band or artist?
    As much as we’d love to support aspiring musicians on their road to stardom, that is unfortunately not something we can do via endorsements. While we don’t expect you to have a long year career behind you, we need to see evidence that you/your band are serious about what you do and have built something that exists outside your rehearsal space. Ambitions are great, but we can’t consider a band based on their ambitions and plans if there’s little happening in the present.
  1. Have you released any music?
    You have to have released some actual music. If your reaction to that is “hell yeah I just released my debut single last month” or “not a problem I released an entire album in 2013”, the chances are that that’s not enough. We need to see that you’re actively working, writing and creating, and one song or an old album followed by silence isn’t going to cut it.
  1. Are you touring and playing shows?
    Playing to a full house at your local pub on the third Friday of every month is great, but have you ever tried non-local shows, touring overseas and expanding your audience beyond your family and friends? No? Then we recommend you do that for a bit and re-visit this idea at a later date.
  1. Are you signed, working with a manager, PR rep or agent?
    We have so much respect for DIY artists, so kudos to all bands and artists doing everything themselves—and don’t let this one put you off. It’s not a must, but evidence that a label has shown interest and is willing to spend time (and maybe even money) on you, or that you’ve got someone onboard to help out with the admin side of things might also be an indication that this is something you’re serious about taking to the next level, and not just a hobby.
  1. Are you promoting yourself?
    Being an artist in the digital age is hard: you’re expected to master your instrument, kill it at marketing, social media, photography, copy-writing and content creation, and create something of an image or social approach. We totally understand that this isn’t for everyone. Hell, social media can be the devil at times, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s something we unfortunately have to take into account as it plays a vital role in the modern industry. If you’re not a touring/gigging artist but have a huge social media following or online presence, we still might be able to work together, as at the end of the day, our goal is to have our amps be played in front of as many people as possible. That might be on a festival stage, but it could also be in a viral TikTok video. The industry is changing, along with its requirements.
  1. Can you actually play?
    This one brings us back to point 1—as much as we’d love to offer our support to every Orange-playing artist out there (and would actively encourage aspiring ones to pick up an instrument via Orange Learn), being able to actually play is a must. If you’ve just picked up the bass or guitar and have been playing for a couple of weeks, you’re still a while away from industry endorsement. But, if you keep at it, you might be the pride and joy of our roster in the future. We’d be so lucky! That being said, although technical abilities and virtuoso vibes are definitely our cup of tea, they’re not a necessity. If you can’t play along to Rush’s La Villa Strangiato, we won’t hold that against you; different types of music require different abilities, and you need to play well enough to master your music.
  1. Are you here with a genuine wish to work together and a hope to be a part of our global artist roster, or just hoping for freebies or discounted gear?
    Artist pricing is one of the awesome perks of being an Orange ambassador, even more so in this current financial climate with the ever-increasing cost of living. But if the main selling point in your application is wanting a free Rockerverb, which you “promise to promote the hell out of” to your social following of 112 people, that’s not gonna work—we are looking for artists with whom to build mutually beneficial relationships. So, instead of focusing on all the amps you want to add to your collection and trying to convince us these should be yours for free, focus on working hard, and getting yourself or your band to a place where we’d be proud and honoured to have you representing Orange.

Now that we’ve laid this all out here, you should hopefully have a clearer image of what we’re after, and if you or your band might qualify. If you think you do, then awesome. To send in your application, please visit our ambassador page here.

You might feel tempted to resubmit your application three times a week for the foreseeable future and follow up by phone to make sure we’ve seen it, and as much as we love the excitement, we can assure you that’s not necessary. Ambassador applications are reviewed regularly, and successful applicants are contacted. Due to a high number of applications, we are unfortunately unable to respond to them all, but we sincerely appreciate each and every one, and want to thank you for your support.

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Black History Month

BB King in 1969

In honour of Black History Month, let’s take a moment to remember where guitar music as we know it today came from, the origins of rock, and the early days of blues. Although the industry is changing and becoming more inclusive, mainstream guitar music is very much dominated by white males. But where would rock ‘n’ roll be in 2023 if it weren’t for the Black artists that paved the way? It’s vital to acknowledge not just the important but crucial role their heritage and legacy played in influencing such a wide variety of genres and sounds. 

Lemmy cited Little Richard as the king, which means the road from “Tutti Frutti” to “Motörhead” is surprisingly short. The 1960s were the heyday of British blues, celebrating artists such as Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Free with Paul Kossoff and The Rolling Stones. All were incredible artists worthy of recognition for their work and contributions to music, even decades later, and also artists who owe everything to Black musicians and the early days of the Delta blues. Let’s face it: people singing the blues were feeling pretty blue, sometimes because their baby left them, but also because the artist and their community were oppressed and had to face prejudice, discrimination and racism on a daily basis.

Jimi Hendrix by Michael Ochs

White people embracing Black music was a step in the right direction, as it allowed people to enjoy something simply for what it was, not based on who was doing it. That was a special moment, and a nod to the power and beauty of music in creating a community and building bridges. However, that doesn’t change the fact that ultimately, the blues, which led to rock ‘n’ roll, were created by oppressed people, who, despite everything, managed to find inspiration in the little things of everyday life, and the courage to share their art with the world.

So let’s take a moment to remember where it all came from. If you’re not familiar with the early days of American blues, take a deep dive into the archives and let yourself be amazed. This one’s for Elmore James, Son House and Robert Johnson. For Ma Rainey, Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith. For everyone that came later, Little Richard, B.B. King, The Supremes and Jimi Hendrix. Stevie Wonder, Betty Davis, 2Pac and Tom Morello.

Rock, and music as we know it today, would be nothing without the Black artists who paved the way.

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New Job: Marketing Assistant

About Orange Amps

Orange Amplifiers is a British company that designs and manufactures guitar amplifiers. Founded in 1968 by Clifford Cooper, Orange has become known for its distinctive “orange” tolex covering on its amplifiers and for its signature “British” sound. The company offers a wide range of amplifiers for various playing styles and skill levels, from practice amps to professional touring amplifiers.

Job description summary

Orange Amps is seeking a highly motivated Marketing Assistant to join our team. The Marketing Assistant will be responsible for supporting our tightly knitted marketing team in all aspects of marketing a global brand. The ideal candidate should be naturally creative with existing skills and experience in some or many creative fields, but most importantly, the motivation to grow their creative skills inline with our marketing teams’ ever changing needs as we adapt with new technology and continue to innovate within the music industry.

Desirable skills

It is not required that you have all these skills but you should have some and be willing and enthusiastic to learn the others if required.

Experience with Adobe suite software including:

– Photoshop (editing photos, graphic design of social media and web assets).
– Illustrator (product packaging and graphic design).
– Premier pro (video editing).
– Indesign (catalogs, brochures and product guides).

Experience with photography/filming using DSLR cameras

– Photographing still life product photos.
– Lifestyle photography with people and products.
– Filming live concerts and artist interviews.

Web Design

– Familiar with WordPress.
– Web page layout design.
– Website banner, image and asset creation.

Admin

– Abide by our strict file management system based on Google Workspace.
– Be able to communicate competently via email, instant messages and phone.
– Understanding and familiarity with social media platforms.

Characteristics

– Familiar with Orange amps and guitar based music and equipment.
– Creative with the ability to solve problems.
– Strong attention to detail.
– Positive and enthusiastic when confronted by new challenges.
– Works well under pressure and meets deadlines.
– Cooperates well in a team with honesty and integrity.

Recommended Qualifications

Higher education, degree or 3+ years experience in at least on of the following subjects or something similar:
– Graphic design
– Marketing
– Media studies
– Photography
– Film making

Extra tasks:

You may be required from time to time to assit the team with:
– Marketing campaigns & events
– Website maintance
– Supporting our sales team with assets as required

Your eligibility for this role will be primarily judged on the contents of your portfolio, and our confidence in your future ability to fit well within our team and bring value to our brand and company. Good luck, we look forward to hearing from you.

Please send your application to [email protected]

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Isaiah Mitchell & the Vintage Orange Pedals

We sent Earthless and Black Crowes guitarist Isaiah Mitchell all of our newly released Vintage Orange pedals to see how he got along with them. The result? Find out for yourself in the below video, where you’ll see them make their way from box to board before they are demonstrated both individually and together. Enjoy!

For more information on our Vintage Pedals, visit their product pages: Phaser // Distortion // Sustain.

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THE OR120 FROM 1974 — HISTORY, LEGACY AND MAINTENANCE, PART 3

Over the past month, we’ve been taking care of an original Orange OR120 head from 1974 that was sent in by its owner for a tune-up before being passed down to their son. In the previous entries, we’ve had a look at the unit’s history and legacy, as well as how we’ve fixed it up for use in the modern age. Now, it’s time for the ultimate proof of the pudding — plugging in a guitar. All guitar sound samples in this post were recorded on a PJD Carey guitar with a single-coil pickup at the neck and humbucker pickup at the bridge.

Power chords played clean, all settings at halfway
Arpeggios played clean, all settings at halfway
Dyads played clean, all settings at halfway

NO PRISONERS

The first thing to say about this amp is that it’s LOUD. Like, incredibly loud — louder than any modern Orange amp by quite some margin, to the extent that it is perhaps even less of a mystery now why so many 1960s and 70s rockers are suffering hearing loss in their dotage. We ran it through an Orange PPC412 speaker cabinet at about one-third volume in a space about the size of an average rehearsal room, and it was already dishing out instant bouts of tinnitus, and demanding ear defenders all round. Given that the amp’s sockets allow for the connection of two speaker cabinets, too, the potential of this beast is massive.

Actual footage from Orange HQ of chief tech Jon playing through the OR120 for the first time

That sheer muscle is perhaps an indication of the era in which the amp was designed and built, before the age of complex, high-powered PA systems in the early 80s but shortly after the arrival of stadium rock and the outdoor music festivals of the early 70s (the original Woodstock was August 1969 and the first Glastonbury June 1970, for example). During that time, bands were largely expected to bring their own noise, and not to expect much in the way of a boost from a PA system. And with that in mind, the OR120 rigged up to a couple of 4×12 speaker cabinets would have no problem in filling huge spaces.

What’s more, with stage monitoring technology still very primitive back in the early 1970s, there was an expectation that you needed to be able to hear your playing directly from your amp on stage, even if it was 50 feet away and there was a rhythm section smashing away in between you and it. The OR120’s power could deliver all that with confidence, and was clearly designed specifically for that.

How the amp achieves this volume is mainly down to the huge 500 V voltage in its circuit, which is far greater than modern amps and will offer miles more clean headroom. Four power valves and a simple pre-amp circuit that doesn’t subtract too much gain from the signal also helps. There are also fewer tone stacks in the OR120 than a lot of its successors in the Orange range, which would account for less gain loss through the signal chain.

The amp’s tone is also an interesting indicator of its age. With all dials set to the middle, it’s remarkably clean and chiming, with plenty of heft and three-dimensionality, if not quite the character of Orange amps of the new millennium.

TONE-SHAPING

However, the unusual F.A.C. control, a six-point notched dial that subtracts increasing amounts of low end from the tone, has a huge impact in shaping the tone, making the sound increasingly brittle and bright as it’s introduced. At its farthest extreme, this sounds piercingly trebly to modern ears, but revisiting the records of the second half of the 60s and early 70s by the likes of the Beatles and the Byrds, for example, reveal this to be the sound of contemporary guitar music, suggesting Orange to be on the cutting edge, as ever.

When the F.A.C. is combined with higher gain and into overdrive territory, however, it adds a definition to the tone that counterbalances the slightly muddiness of the basic overdriven sound, and proves to be an invaluable component of the amp’s tone-shaping toolbox.

Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 1 out of 5
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 2 out of 5
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 3 out of 5
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 4 out of 5
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 5 out of 5
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 1 out of 5
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 2 out of 5
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 3 out of 5
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 4 out of 5
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, and the F.A.C. set to 5 out of 5

The two-band EQ is also surprisingly powerful, with the range of both knobs allowing considerable variety to the shape of the sound and consequent versatility, presumably another feature included with the idea of helping the guitarist onstage with a noisy band around him. Similarly, the HF. Gain knob has slightly more subtle control, moulding the mid–high tones in much the same way as a modern-day presence control would, but its interaction with the gain knob is still well incorporated.

Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to a quarter
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to a half
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to three quarters
Arpeggios with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to full
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to a quarter
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to a half
Chords with gain and EQ set at halfway, the F.A.C. set to zero and the HF. Gain set to three quarters

OVERDRIVE

Another interesting sign of the times, tonally, comes in the form of the OR120’s only modest overdrive capabilities: the amp’s noticeably clean chime only starts to break up as the gain is pushed up beyond about three-quarters, and there’s a lot of “edge-of-breakup” territory where the tone’s fuzz is largely dictated by the player’s technique. Furthermore, the absence of a master volume knob means that you have to be playing through the amp at an exceptionally loud volume before any semblance of break-up or overdrive emerges. Even at full gain, though, it’s a long way from the fully saturated tube screamers of the 1990s and beyond, and retains more of a British punk/Sex Pistols sound, with grit and ferocity, but also quite crisp (although whether the likes of the Steve Jones, who famously stole his early instruments, ever got his mitts on an OR120, is a moot point).

This marks the OR120 as an interesting artefact of rock music history: even in 1974, when this amp was made, three years after Led Zep IV and Paranoid had ushered in the dawn of heavy metal and huge-sounding rock music, guitar tones remained fairly polite, and the appetite for extreme howling overdrive was still clearly in its early infancy. Understanding that somewhat recontextualises those classic albums as real sonic boundary-pushers, and also serves as a reminder that the bloom from crunch into thrash and total saturation would take another few years — and perhaps the introduction of a master volume control. And we’ll have to wait for another Orange relic to arrive on the bench before we dig into that.

Chords played with gain on edge of breakup, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Arpeggios played with gain on edge of breakup, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Dyads played with gain on edge of breakup, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Chords played with gain turned up to full, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Arpeggios played with gain turned up to full, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Dyads played with gain turned up to full, flat EQ and HF. Gain and F.A.C. set to 0/5
Everything up full! 🤘
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Zach Person – Orange Jams with Jam in the Van

Orange Jams is a series of live sessions hosted by Orange & Jam in the Van which features Orange ambassadors from across the globe. This session features Orange Ambassador Zach Person, live in Jam in the Van’s, well, van.

Zach Person Orange Artist profile // Website // Instagram // Youtube

Jam in the Van: Youtube // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

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