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OR120 Reissued Production ended at Bexleyheath in 1979 when OMI was forced to close. This was a direct consequence of two major overseas distributors going into liquidation within a short space of time. However, Cliff Cooper continued to build and sell Orange amplifiers in small quantities throughout the 1980s. Then in 1993, Gibson licensed the […]
Mick Dines – Production Manager In the late 1970s the music world had moved on from the psychedelic, hippy 1960s. It was my feeling that our amplifiers and cabinets looked a bit dated and were in need of a facelift. I changed all the classic Orange livery. The psychedelic logo was changed to a modern […]
Born out of the advanced technology and design of the OMEC Digital Programmable Amplifier, OMEC introduced an entire range of 150 watt transistor instrument and public address amplifiers. ORIGIN OF THE OMEC RANGE John James – Designer “In the mid-1970s solid state power amplifiers were beginning to overcome their reputation for unreliability and distortion which […]
The world’s first digitally programmable amplifier. Peter Hamilton – OMEC Digital Designer “I designed the OMEC amp in 1974/75. Before that, I spent a few months as a student fixing amps part-time in the Orange Shop’s basement, and then worked with them full-time for about one year – my first job. The brief was to […]
Mick Dines – Production Manager Jimmy Bean was Cliff’s idea – to create a guitar stack in denim and leather… “At the time, everyone was wearing jeans, so we thought the Jimmy Bean idea might start a new trend in amplifier styling. I recall that trying to source the denim jean material and leather for […]
Cliff Cooper – Founder and CEO “OMEC stands for Orange Music Electronic Company. We chose the word ‘electronic’ to suggest digital and transistorised amplifiers, as opposed to the valve amps that had established the Orange brand in the early 1970s. OMEC’s main products in the mid-1970s were the programmable digital amp, the Jimmy Bean solid […]
1974 – The Pics and Text Adrian Emsley – Technical Director “The big difference between the Pics & Text and what came before was that the Pics & Text had a DC- coupling concertina phase splitter, which improved the sound.” 1975 – The Custom Reverb Twin Mick Dines – Production Manager “The Reverb Twin was […]
Cliff Cooper, Orange Founder and CEO “I got the idea for graphic symbols on our amplifiers when I noticed the new road signs which suddenly appeared in the late 1960s. Instead of words, the signs used graphic symbols. In 1971, I suggested to the team that instead of using words we should use our own […]
Mick Dines, Bexleyheath Factory Manager: In 1973, as we looked to move from Short’s Gardens, we found a place near James How Industries in Upland Road, Bexleyheath in Kent. James How was our UK distributor at the time, and the firm also manufactured Rotosound strings. During one of our visits to buy strings, we saw […]
Mick Dines: “I can remember those early days before Cooper Mathias closed, Mat would drive down from the Cowcliffe factory in his new Ford Cortina 1600E with about five or six amps in the back. As soon as he arrived, the amps would get fitted into the Rexine-covered wooden sleeves, boxed and dispatched. I’d never […]