Articles – Page 63 – Orange Amps

An Appreciation of Orange (by Orange ambassadors)

Since the birth of Orange in the late sixties, musicians all over the world have fallen for the indistinguishable brightly coloured Orange amps, who in themselves have become a symbol of rock ‘n’ roll. I spoke to four talented musicians who all hold Orange close to their hearts, about their first encounter with Orange, and why they decided to spend their hard-earned money on the most colourful amps on the market.

Thom, God Damn (https://www.facebook.com/goddamntheband)

Hello, My name is Thomas Edward and I’m a guitar tone and decibel addict.
I play in a noisy fuzz rock band called God Damn. I used to be a Fender twin and Vox Ac30 guy and then I tried some grown-up high power Orange heads and cabs and was a convert, rigs of doom territory.
We’re a two-piece band as it stands, so covering as many frequencies as possible with one guitar is the name of the game. My drummer is the loudest drummer I’ve ever heard so volume from a backline is a must too.

I’ll run you through the rig.
Orange 1972 Or120 with matching 4×12- 120w of vintage power and has a whole bunch of clean headroom and volume till about 5, I have this on 1 and it’s the loudest thing going. It deals well with my loops and layers of Fuzz.

Orange 1997 OTR 120 with matching 4×12- This is the master knob version of the OR120 and has this really full sounding and honest crunch tone to it, very responsive, straight up no nonsense power, this is my main sound and is on constantly for clarity, you can happy run some really subby sounds through it and it doesn’t bat an eye lid.

Orange OB1-500 with 2×15 cabs – This covers all my bass and low-mid sounds, good ole doughnut in that thing for some real power and tone. I’ve blown so many SVT’s and other bass heads… this thing seems to be taking the battering night after night. I prefer 15inch speakers for my bass end as I’m running guitar through them.
My whole shtick now is using large amps and a few of them so that I’ve got headroom for my effects, the worst thing is a farting out amp.

Fernando, New Candys (https://www.facebook.com/newcandys)

I remember well the first time I saw an Orange amp, the bright colour really stood out amongst all the black, and as I tend to describe music using colours and pictures instead of words it just caught my eye instantly. Back in 2013 I was in the studio recording with my band New Candys, and they had an AD30TC available. We all really liked the sound, and we actually ended up using it in every single song. One of the main characteristics is the thick sound, which both myself and all of my bandmates find crucial. I bought my first Orange amp two years ago and ended up with an AC30TC. In the past I always played amps without switch, but now that’s my main pedal I don’t use screamers of overdrives as much as I used to, instead I just push with the second channel.

Apart from the switch, I use an effect (which sadly is now out of production) called Back Talk by Danelectro, I use that for solos all the time. I’ve always loved customizing my instruments aesthetically to make them look a bit older and worn, and more personal, and I’ve done that to my amp. I’ve added the skull logo of Pete International Airport, which is the side project of The Dandy Warhol’s guitarist Peter Holmstrom as he’s my favourite guitarist, I’ve also added the title of a song by The Warlocks, just because I found it absolutely hilarious, and I love The Warlocks. Even with the Pete International Skull where the Orange logo is meant to be, everyone can obviously still tell that it’s an Orange amp.

We’re currently in the process of writing our next album, which hopefully will be released next year. Next month we’ll be playing our last shows of 2015, starting in the UK, with Friday the 13th (yikes!) at Fuzz Club Festival in London Fields Brewery, Sunday the 15th at The Hope and Ruin in Brighton, before heading back home to Italy for a gig right outside Venice in a place called Spazio Aereo, and we’re really looking forward to them all!

Reno, Derelics (https://www.facebook.com/Derelics)

I had the pleasure of playing an Orange cab and head for the first time in Paris about three years ago (I think it was a Rockerverb 50), when I was playing in a stoner project influenced by non-stoner bands such as BRMC and Mars Volta. (This was what made me go in the direction I’m going now with my current band Derelics) The sound was the creamiest of the cream, the oozy boogie-woogie… Too good! I was playing a Gibson Les Paul Special 55-77 through an old Russian big muff, and it was the tits. I had just seen the Led Zeppelin reunion show with Page playing through stacks of Orange, so having the opportunity to play it myself was a bit of a fan boy fantasy!

I ended up buying a Rockerverb 50 off a nice French guy (yet another) that was running out of money like the rest of London. I’ve got it going through a 1960A Marshall cab, and it sounds great! I’m going out through two heads that are way better than anything I’ll ever be able to play on for gigs unless I get my driver’s license so I can bring them along with me, a Marshall JTM from the 70’s and another straight cut Marshall cab. They compliment each other really well as one is pretty sharp, and the Orange is really creamy and thick. I swap between my three guitars, the first one being an old Gibson LP that I spent about six months wages on (After 15 years of playing I’m allowed to spend a fortune on a guitar, despite the fact I’m not Steve Vai). I’ve also got a pink paisley Japanese Strat and a Warmoth 12 strings.

I think my favourite effects to run through it are this old big muff PI, a ZVEX Fuzz Factory, a Wampler Black 69′ (very) transparent OD that never leaves my board (because it costs a nut and is just as good as it’s expensive), an old TS9 (the 4 knobs version with mids adjustment, the best feature of this pedal!) and a Way Huge Swollen Pickle, which is a bit too heavy for what we play with Derelics but which is so satisfying to crank up (thus erasing the drums, the bass, and the vocals… worth it) and any wah pedal that will truly make it cream and cry.

The good thing about this head is that it has character, and you can recognize an Orange very easily, and as with Derelics we’re going in a lot of different directions and it keeps our sound personal. We can do a Black Angels inspired sexy heavy blues and go back to a Kyuss tainted fuzz jerkoff, through a poppy Stone Temple Pilots sunny vibe, without losing the plot too much… just enough for it to sound strange.

Jamie, Psyence (https://www.facebook.com/psyenceuk)

I’m Jamie Bellingham (Jay) from a band called Psyence, we’re a 4 piece alternative rock band from Stoke-On-Trent and I’m the lanky one lurking at the back with 4 strings! I think the first time I saw a band use an Orange amp, it was possibly The Wombats or The Enemy (don’t judge me, I was young!) they were on the same bill at the NME Rock n Roll Riot tour back in 2006, with Lethal Bizzle haha! Other than that it was just the local bands who’d occasionally have a bright orange beacon on stage. Oh, and obviously Jimmy Page, Geddy Lee and John McVie, legends!

The set up I’m currently using is an Orange OBC212 and a 500w Orange Tiny Terror Bass, I’m also looking at getting a second OBC212 to link them up because they sound so good! I’d had a really bad run with amps, I kept blowing them and one even set on fire in the studio! That’s when I turned to Orange for something sturdy and reliable, and it happens to be the best sound I’ve ever had!

I’m running my basses through a Boss GT-6B Multi-Effects Bass Processor, and it sounds monsterous! Like seriously, it could dislodge vertebra! I swap my basses around too, I use a Hofner Violin, a Hofner Galaxie and a Fender Jaguar, but I’ve settled on an Epiphone Jack Casady Signature at the moment, and I’ve never been happier with my sound! All the equipment seems to go so well together!

I decided to use Orange because I was getting sick of getting my equipment repaired and continually looking for new stuff. I’d been recommended it and just decided to go for it one day. Also, one of my mates uses a Tiny Terror in his set up and it sounds phenomenal, that’s what made my mind up I think.

I love Orange because they look cool as f**k, and sound even better! There’s a whole vintage air to them and they’re right workhorses, I’ve never had a problem with any of it! And that’s coming from a destroyer of amps! Orange is the best equipment I’ve ever owned, and that’s a fact!

by Ella Stormark

Real World

Tools of the Trade

It takes a lot of things to keep a band going…and we’re not just talking about commitment, determination and hard work. As well as the obvious things like guitars, amps and pedals, any gigging musician should have a box of tricks that goes everywhere with them and contains just about everything needed to keep the wagon a’ rolling (it’s basically the guitarist’s equivalent to a woman’s handbag).

In this edition of the blog we’ll be taking a look at the bits and pieces that we should be carrying around with us to ensure that the show goes on no matter what. They may not be as pretty or as fun to talk about (or drool over) as the aforementioned but they are equally as vital and no serious musician should leave home without them.

Cables
You should carry at least one spare of every type of lead that you use e.g. guitar lead, patch cable, speaker lead, mains plug. If the one and only lead you carry fails on you mid-set there isn’t going to be any encore.

Picks
Most guitarists carry at least one of these around with them at all times…but one might not be enough. They can break, be easily lost, worn away or even given away (your fans can be pretty demanding) so make sure you’ve always got another on standby.

Pick one…

Multi-plug / Extension Lead
We’ve all played the venue where the power comes from one solitary plug point which is located a mile away from the stage. Don’t be caught short.

Batteries
If you’re running a guitar with an active bit of circuitry, not running pedals from the mains or running around the stage like a loon thanks to a wireless kit then you need to make sure you have some batteries spare. There’s nothing worse than getting cut off in the middle of the solo that you’ve been waiting to play all night.

They’ve got the power…and so should you…

Valves / Fuses
There’s nothing quite like the sound of a fully cranked tube amp. Unfortunately valves only have a finite life that can expire at any time and sometimes without any warning. Carrying spare valves is a must, as is carrying an assortment of spare fuses.

They’re so purdy…

Tape
No show would be a show without the need for some tape. Not only is Gaffer good for holding together just about anything (including the universe probably) it can also come in handy if you need to subdue a member of the audience who’s misbehaving.

So many uses…

Pen & Paper
If your band is anything like the band I play in we never turn up to a gig with a set list prepared so pen and paper is always needed.

Tools
It’s all well and good carrying spares but if you haven’t got the necessary tools, those bits and pieces you carry around with you are as good as useless. A multi-tool is a good option if space and weight are at a premium.

The original multi-tool…

Strings
Total no-brainer this one…enough said!

Capo
Unless you’re a transposing wizard one of these maybe a life saver and means that your singer may not need to be castrated after all.

Cloth
You should carry one of these as standard to wipe your guitar down every time you use it. That sweat will cause issues in the future. But that aside you never know when an accident might occur which needs a cloth to remedy it…we’ve all kicked over bottles of beer on stage or had an appreciative audience member drown us in their favourite tipple.

Multi-Meter
Electronics may not be your thing and if you’re even slightly nervous about it then don’t…but a multi-meter may come in handy when diagnosing a problem if something decides not to work.

On the left a multi-meter…on the right Spock’s Tricorder…we can’t tell the difference either…

Torch
Ever tried looking for something on a blacked out stage or around the back of your amp? It’s not much fun…especially if it’s mid-set. So do yourself a favour and have a torch to hand. If you’re loathed to carry another bit of kit check if your smart phone can support a torch app…you can usually download them for free.

This might look the part but might be slightly OTT…

The important thing to remember is that anything can happen, anytime or any place (more often than not when you least want it to) so being prepared is always an advantage. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked if I’ve got ‘one of these…’ or a ‘spare this’ but I’m the organised one in the band so it goes with the territory…it does mean that the show goes on though and after all that’s what it’s all about!

2 Comments/by Darren Carless

Real World

5 mistakes guitarists make when choosing their next amp

You know when the time is right. You’ve been plugging away on your trusty practice amp, with its tinny distortion and crackly reverb pot, but now the big leagues beckon! You’re ready to graduate into the world of big boy’s amps, and need some help deciding which is right for you. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all made the mistakes. Learn from us as we try and guide you through the minefield that is choosing your next amp.

There are certain mistakes which keep cropping up. Here we’ll outline five of the most common, in the hope that when it comes to choosing your next amp you’ll avoid making them and ending up with something you regret in six months.

Choosing an oversized volume monster you’ll never use properly

Look at the ‘for sale’ sites on Facebook, or on your favourite online auction portal, and you’ll see hundreds upon hundreds of top-of-the-range, cutting edge amps which the current owners absolutely had to have as if their lives depended on it. Nearly all, you’ll notice, will feature the immortal phrases ‘never gigged’ or ‘studio use only’. More often than not, this is down to one very simple fact. Unless you’re headlining the local stadium, or live in the middle of nowhere without neighbours to worry about, you simply aren’t likely to need 100 watts of raging amplifier behind you.

You see, without getting too technical, a good chunk of your tone will come from the power amp valves/tubes, and these only really get going when there’s some volume being pushed through the amp. And realistically, you’re not likely to be able to enjoy a 100 watt amp to its fullest glory without making your ears bleed.

For the vast majority of players, a good quality 30 watt amp will provide more than enough juice to fill all but the very largest of rooms, all the while pushing those power valves/tubes to realise their glorious harmonic potential. So, in conclusion, the advice here is to be realistic about what situations you’re likely to find yourself in performance-wise, and choose an amp which will meet those needs without going completely over the top.

Choosing an amp you’ll ‘grow’ into

Another fairly common mistake often linked to the previous point. Ask yourself whether you’re buying an amp you can use immediately in the way you envisaged, or if you’re buying something you can look longingly at knowing one day you’ll check into the armchair-blues hotel. Sure, a vintage flavoured piece of amp history will look great in your living room, and one day you probably will enjoy nerding out over the types of transformers used, but if you’re playing in a heavier band now then there is literally no point buying an amp that doesn’t serve your immediate needs.

Same goes for buying that stadium filling 100w head in lieu of actually playing the stadiums. If you’re ever booked to play a stadium, we’d wager you’ll be flush enough to buy a new amp then for the occasion.

Being swayed by a big artist’s tone

Ever wondered why you can buy the signature guitar and amp, run the pedals in the exact same chain, even wear the same clothes as your hero yet never quite sound as good? It’s because tone is in the fingers, as the old guitar cliché goes. When going by a recorded tone the waters are even further muddied by virtue of the fact that no end of production and processing will have gone into achieving what you’re listening to. So, unless you’re a bone fide super-fan and are buying as some form of musical pilgrimage to your hero, aim to get a rig that sounds how you want it to sound. Be bold! There are no right answers in the quest for tone, so forge your own path. Chances are that no matter how much money you wax on identical gear, you’ll never quite sound as good as the artist and that, my friend, will chip away at your soul until the final pennies have left your bank account.

Falling for a brand

Yeah, we get it. We know Orange amps are like catnip to guitarists, and we wouldn’t want to discourage that. But, playing devil’s advocate for a second, we’re also keen to point out that our reputation isn’t solely built on fancy branding, winning personalities and a good sense of humour. People like our amps because we have built a heritage based on quality, craftsmanship and good old fashioned tone. So when you’re looking for your next amp, be radical and make your decision based on the features, functionality and sounds you can actually hear, rather than the logo on the front. You’ll be glad of it in the long run.

Bad research

Kids of today have it so easy. The internet has made it so simple for people to carry out rudimentary research into their next purchase. Literally anything you can think of has been video reviewed up on YouTube, or written about on a blog. The trap to fall into here is making a purchasing decision based on some 14 year old kid and his 20 minute ‘cam audio only’ monologue about how a particular amp has changed his life. He’s just spent his entire year’s pocket money on it; of course he’s going to say it’s good. It’s hardly objective, right? While these first-hand user experience accounts are worthwhile for building a general overview of a product, you should always (where possible) try and physically go and look at the gear on your shortlist in person. Poke it, play with it, whatever you need to do. Just don’t shell out hundreds or thousands of pounds/dollars/Euros on an amp only to find it doesn’t sound like our 14 year old friend ‘promised’ it would.

So there we go. We hope this list helps you when it comes to making your next big purchase. Stick to first-hand research, based on a rough idea of what you want to sound like, and you can’t really go wrong.

17 Comments/by Chris Corfield

Interviews

Tim Sult of Clutch Interview

What’s been your relationship with Orange? What is your first memory of the amps?
I found my first orange head in the mid 90’s in a used music store in Colorado. And I bought that for 600 bucks. I played that for a long time, it was a 70’s OR120 I believe. Over the years I have tried out a bunch of different Orange stuff and I think the new stuff they have out now is probably my favorite amps I’ve played of all time. They sound absolutely incredible when I plug them in and start playing I have no complaints about anything as far this Rockerverb and the OR100, absolutely amazing sounding heads and I’m very happy to playing Orange again!

What’s been your first impressions of the Rockerverb MKIII
My first impression of the new Rockerverb 100 MKIII, as soon as I plugged in and turned it up. I thought it sounded absolutely incredible. I love the dirty channels on these new Oranges, I think they sound very natural and warm. As opposed to a lot of distorted channels on other amps that don’t sound natural and warm to me. I love the built in attenuator that it also has in it, it’s a feature I have not seen on an Orange amp, that I know of. The tone is incredible as well, I’m loving the tone of the new Oranges!

What’s your impression of the Bax?
You guys just call it the Bax?

Yep, the Bax Bangeetar!!!
Ok! I’m personally not a huge overdrive or distortion pedal kind of guy but my first impression of the Bax Bangeetar. Wait, what? Its actually a guitar pre EQ? Oh ok wow! I should have looked at it before I played it! At this point I’m pretty sure I need one in my life, as soon as possible. I usually don’t use stompboxes for leads or anything like that but I think I might start!

Order Clutch’s New Album “Psychic Warfare” Here

by Alex Auxier

Orange Embassy

Louder Than Life Festival

Saturday was a pretty crappy day in Louisville, Kentucky, USA for Louder than Life Fest. It was the first cold day of the year and it rained. The people who flew in from LA were decked out in snow shoes. The locals had waders. I had canvas sneakers.

I failed.

Our interviews went well though. Orange teamed up with Alternative Press to do interviews in the artist lounge, giving me a lot of time to meet new guitarists. You can view what’s been published here. There’s lots more to come.

Starting off the day was Beartooth. Its cliche to say they are friendly but its true. They also dug the Orange Dark Edition Headphones enough to trade some pics for them. That makes them even friendlier.

Kamron Bradbury – Beartooth

I have huge respect for Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust. He is a great vocalist and singer. He’s a machine on stage as well. But when I found out how much he loves Orange my respect jumped by a solid 2.35 points. He’s now a 102.35% respectable dude. Lajon tried out the Micro Dark amp and thought it was one of the best recording amps he’d ever heard. For that quote we also threw in a pair of headphones :-)

Lajon – Sevendust

For the most part everybody loved the headphones. The feedback was strong enough that we’re working on upgrades now!

Mark Tremonti

Porter McKnight – Atreyu

Travis Miguel – Atreyu

Tyler Carter – Issues

Corey and Paulo – Trivium

Snake Sabo is the guitarist from Skid Row. He also manages one of our favorite Orange Ambassadors: DOWN. Skid Row absolutely ruled Louder than Life Fest but the Micro Dark absolutely ruled Snake Sabo. He wanted one immediately after giving it a test run. We’re starting to see a pattern where everyone loves this amp.

Snake Sabo – Skidrow

So yeah, that’s good.

Overall Louder than Life was a great festival. The artists were all very open to talking about Orange with me. I find that every new festival brings more and more people telling me their stories about past or present Orange ownership. It’s a reminder that we have affected our little corner of the music world in a positive way.

by Alex Auxier

Articles, Opinion, Orange Embassy

The A to Z of Orange

Orange Amps is known for not taking itself too seriously (just look at the colour of their amps). But they do pride themselves on their history and helping musicians do what they do. So here’s a bit of a tongue in cheek look at everything Orange is. Please sit back and enjoy the A to Z of Orange…

A is for…Alex and Ade
Alex Auxier is Orange’s Artist Relations Manager and Ade Emsley is Orange’s Technical Director AKA the mad genius behind that wonderful tone.

B is for…British
Orange amps are undeniably British and it’s a fact that Orange are keen to reinforce at any opportunity…even one of their slogans reads ‘Orange: The legendary British Guitar Amplifier’. It’s a heritage that the company is very proud of and is displayed in Orange’s crest that adorns every amp and cab.

C is for…Clifford Cooper
Musician and electronics designer Cliff is the founding father of Orange Amplification and started the whole thing way back in 1968 when he opened the very first Orange Shop in London’s West End.

D is for…Dual Dark Series
The Dual Dark series was launched in 2014 with the Dual Dark 50 and 100 watt heads. They are Orange’s highest gain amps to date and fittingly are only available in black. So prolific was their arrival that the Dual Dark 50 scooped the ‘Amp Of The Year’ award at the MIA Awards in 2014.

Black is the new Orange…

E is for…Eminence Speakers
A number of Orange’s current bass cabinets come fitted with Eminence speakers as standard for optimum performance.

F is for…Fortieth Anniversary
2008 saw Orange’s 40th birthday. To celebrate 40 hand-made Custom Shop amps were produced each bearing a girl’s name.

G is for…Gibson
In 1993 Gibson licensed the name to manufacture Orange Amplification. To keep the identity of the brand they continued to have the amps made in England (there’s that British thing again). In 1994 the first Gibson era Orange amps were released namely the Graphic 120 and 80, and the Overdrive 120 and 80.

H is for…Hardwired
Orange’s now legendary best-selling Tiny Terror is available in a special limited ‘Hardwired Edition’ (they’re very hard to find these days). Manufactured in the United Kingdom, it’s completely point to point, hand wired and features high specification transformers, ‘carbon comp resistors’ and ‘mustard capacitors’.

I is for…Isobaric
Since 2009 Orange has been employing Isobaric technology in the construction of its ‘Smart Power’ Bass cabinets. The speakers enclosed in the ‘Smart Power’ bass cabinets are placed one behind the other. In practical terms, this increases the linearity of the speaker movement, which lowers the bass frequency handling, as well as boosting the output.

J is for…John McVie
John McVie, bass player with the legendary Fleetwood Mac, is the latest big name to become an Orange Ambassador.

One half of the greatest rhythm section ever? Maybe…

K is for…Kvelertak
Orange Amps are proud to be associated with several artists from all walks of live. Hailing from Stavanger in Norway, Kvelertak is a six piece heavy metal band formed in 2007. Their name comes from the Norwegian for ‘stranglehold’ or ‘chokehold’. In 2010 the band released their self-titled debut album. The film ‘Troll Hunter’ features the Kvelertak song ‘Mjød’.

They’re a lovely bunch of lads…

L is for…Limited Edition
Orange has been known to come up with the odd limited edition version of some of its amplifiers for good causes. One such creation was Orange’s one of a kind ‘pink edition’ Crush 20 LDX which was auctioned to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Campaign in 2013. Another was a blue OR50 and matching cab donated to Andertons Music and auctioned in support of the charity Music For All.

It’s definitely different…

M is for…Matamp
Matamp is Orange’s green cousin and was founded in the 1960’s by Mat Mathias and Tony Emerson. When Emerson decided to leave the company, Mathias formed a partnership with Orange’s founder Cliff Cooper that lasted for several years before going their separate ways.

N is for…Noel Gallagher
Believe it or not, Noel Gallagher of Oasis played a major part in the revival of Orange during the band’s heydays of the 1990’s. He almost exclusively used Orange amps on early Oasis albums and his suggested modifications to the Overdrive amp formed the basis of the OTR amp.

O is for…OB1 Series
There was a lot of choice for this letter but we decided to go with the most up to date. The latest addition to the Orange bass range is the OB1 series (is it a deliberate ‘Star Wars’ reference? Who knows?). Available as a 300 or 500 watt head, the OB1’s unique sound is based on the principle of bi-amping i.e. using 2 amps to achieve your sound. The magic is that the OB1 series does it all on its own.

P is for…Pics Only
Besides the colour, Orange amps are probably best known for their ‘Pics Only’ appearance. The first ‘Pics Only’ amp was introduced way back in 1972. They were commonly referred to as ‘Plexi’s’ due to the plastic reverse printed Perspex panel secured to the chassis.

Q is for…Q Control
We ain’t talking snooker here. In 2015 Orange introduced its first pedal since the 1960’s…the Custom Shop ‘Bax Banjeetar’ Guitar Pre EQ. Its full parametric mid controls include Frequency, Mid Cut / Boost and a Q Control.

R is for…Rockerverb Series
First released in 2003 (where does the time go?), the Rockerverb series has come to be for many the backbone of the Orange lineup. Its popularity has meant it’s now considered to be one of the go to amps for rock and metal guitarists. 2015 saw the release of the third generation of Rockerverbs in the MkIII version with new features (i.e. foot controllable attenuator) and a pics only visage.

S is for…Signature Amp
2012 saw the release of Slipknot and Stone Sour guitarist Jim Root’s signature amp. It’s the first time Orange have ever released a signature piece of equipment. Dubbed the ‘#4’ and dressed in black, it is a 15 watt terror style amp based on the dirty channel of Jim’s own Rockerverb 100.

It’s so cute and cuddly…

T is for…Terror Series
The Terror series began in 2006 with the release of the now infamous ‘Tiny Terror’. It was a world first for Orange and is now considered the industry standard when it comes to ‘lunchbox style’ amps. Since its initial launch the series has expanded and includes the ‘Micro Terror’, ‘Dual Terror’, ‘Dark Terror’ and ‘Terror Bass’.

U is for…United Kingdom & United States of America
Since 2009 Orange’s headquarters in the UK have been based at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire in England. Orange has also spread further afield and has an office in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and in Beijing, China.

V is for…VT1000 Valve Tester
Designed to help ‘every guitarist, rental-company, valve amp manufacturer, guitar tech and guitar / hi-fi store across the planet’, the VT1000 was the world’s first fully automatic, portable digital valve tester. It allows users to quickly and simply match and test valves, as well as give valves a reliable health check.

Another world first for Orange…

W is for…White
In 2014 Orange launched limited edition versions of the Rockerverb (heads and combos), Thunderverb 200 and 50 heads, and the PPC412 and 212 speaker cabs. All were finished in a ‘prestigious’ white Levant covering, trimmed with traditional gold piping and fitted with gold capped handles.

As pure as the driven snow…

X is for…Xcellent People
So we had to use a bit of poetic license for this one but it’s true. Orange wouldn’t be able to do what it does without the people who work for it. If you’d like to meet some of them and see what makes them tick check out.

Team Orange; damn they’re good!!!

Y is for…Young Guns
Another of Orange’s artist Ambassadors is Young Guns, an English rock band from Buckinghamshire and London who formed in 2009. In 2014 the band signed to Virgin EMI. They have toured with the likes of Yellowcard, All Time Low and Enter Shikari. The band’s third album ‘Ones and Zeros’ was released in June 2015.

They’re too pretty to be a rock band surely…

Z is for…Zeppelin
The ‘Led’ variety obviously and of course Jimmy Page who’s been known to dabble with the odd Orange amp over the years.

Here’s the man himself…

So there you go…the A to Z of Orange. Of course there were other alternatives to some of the things we chose for certain letters…for instance we could have done a whole blog article on just the letter ‘O’ (perhaps it’s one for the future). Either way hopefully you will have learned a bit more about Orange Amps; other than the fact that they do their best to make the best amps that they can for you!!!

1 Comment/by Alex Auxier

Articles, Opinion

15 BANDS & ARTISTS WORTH YOUR WHILE

There are few things that excite me more than coming across new, good music, so I figured I’d share some of my favourites. Who knows, you might just find your new favourite band! They are listed in a completely random order, as ranking my favourites would be the hardest thing anyone have ever done since Sophie had to make her choice in, you guessed it, “Sophie’s choice”.

1. PSYENCE

I lied when I said I didn’t have a favourite, because I totally do – it’s Psyence, the best thing to come out of Stoke-On-Trent since Lemmy. God knows what they put in the water up there, but get me some of it. The four boys play heavy alternative rock ‘n’ roll, with a hint of psychedelia. It’s not often one comes across bands such as Psyence, as they show exquisite craftsmanship and love for the music they’re playing. They’re totally having the time of their life while on stage, and the only one having an even better time than them, is whoever’s lucky enough to be in the crowd watching them. Check them out on Facebook and Soundcloud, and don’t miss their newest video “Hyde”.

2. DERELICS

Derelics by Marianne Pink

Derelics – Probably the best band you’ve ever heard if you’ve just been born. Their words, not mine. The truth is though that Derelics and their never-ending songs are pretty freakin’ good, a crazy mix of heavy stoner rock, psychedelia and grunge. “Ride the Fuckin’ Snake to Valhalla” is eight and a half minutes long, but that’s eight and a half minute very well spent in my opinion. Reno, the brain behind the operation, could probably sail this ship on his own, but I guess gigging on your own as a three piece band would be quite challenging, so he’s got himself a drummer and a bassist..

3. BAD FOR LAZARUS

If you ask Bad For Lazarus to pick a genre for their music, it’d be “Garage motown hell punk rock ‘n’ roll action” – “What’s that?” you might say, so instead of trying to explain the unexplainable, check out their newest album “Life’s a Carnival, Bang! Bang! Bang” who’s produced by none other than the almighty Chris Goss.

4. BLACK HONEY

Female fronted Brighton band Black Honey sounds like Nancy Sinatra on speed in the Wild West, making a soundtrack for a new Tarantino film. Check out their song “Spinning Wheel” and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

5. NEW DESERT BLUES

Before the release of their debut album early next year, which from what I’ve heard so far will be amazing, New Desert Blues are headlining London’s Hoxton Square bar and Kitchen, before flying over to Germany for a few shows, one of them being Rolling Stone Weekender. Having seen them play live before I can guarantee that you should grab any opportunity you get to experience them while they’re still playing small-ish venues, as they’re absolutely mind-blowing live. Until then, you’ve got soundcloud and Facebook to keep you going.

6. SAINT AGNES

Saint Agnes, yet another band that has got a bit of a Tarantinoesque vibe to them, which in my book, is never wrong. Their newest release “Live under London” features an amazing cover of The Doors – Roadhouse Blues, plus three of their own songs. If you’re into heavy bluesy riffs combined with some organ and harmonica, then Saint Agnes is the band for you.

7. ST. TROPEZ

St. Tropez – four guys making music in a former gay sauna by the canals of Amsterdam, and they’re awesome. If you’re a fan of The Datsuns and Bass Drum of Death, you’ll like St. Tropez. Check them out on Facebook and Soundcloud.

8. PINK LIZARDS

A couple of months ago I found myself in awe watching Pink Lizards play, not knowing what had hit me. The three-piece fronted by Miss Daisy Coburn (who’s also in Bad for Lazarus mentioned above), plays heavy 70’s rock that brings to mind bands such as Black Sabbath and Pentagram, and surely that on its own is enough reason to give them a listen! You can find them on Facebook and Soundcloud.

9. KID KARATE

According to their Facebook page, Kid Karate sounds like “Mike Tyson serenading his wife with a heavy metal cover of Abba’s ‘Waterloo”, and to be honest that’s all I need to know to consider myself a fan. Also their music is great.

10. SHANNON WARDROP

I’m pretty sure Shannon Wardrop has got one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard – I’ve seen her perform so many times over the years that I’ve lost count, but she keeps mesmerizing me and everyone else there, whether she’s playing with a full band or just doing an acoustic solo set. She just released her newest EP “Cloud Nine”, which you can check out on Spotify, “Supernova” is my personal favourite – I mean, that bass…

11. NEW CANDYS

Italian band New Candys are based in Venice, and lucky as I am, I happened to come across them in a North London pub earlier this year while they were touring the UK. Their newest album “New Candys as Medicine” is absolutely brilliant, sounding like a mix of Tame Impala and a Temples if they were to cross over to the dark side. Check out their Facebook page for more info and tour dates.

12. LOVE BUZZARD

Love Buzzard is the kind of band your mother doesn’t want you to listen to – they are loud, noisy and absolutely brilliant. The filthy garage rock duo have just released their debut album “Antifistamines” – you can expect fuzzy guitar, energetic drums and screaming vocals. It’s like The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster with Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s drunk cousin on vocals.

13. JACK + ELIZA

Childhood friends now turned musical collaborators Jack + Eliza, makes music that even Brian Wilson would be proud of, a stripped back take on 60’s pop music where their two voices beautifully compliment each other in lovely harmonies. As well as a Brian Wilson/Beach Boys vibe, you get some Mamas and the Papas and The Shins in there as well, and surely you can’t go wrong with that? Check out their debut album “Gentle Warnings” on Spotify, it sounds like summer.

14. HIDDEN CHARMS

Hidden Charms plays upbeat 60’s music that makes you want to get up and dance, and their combination of California surf rock and British attitude works very well. Get ready to pull some shapes and have a listen, you’ll find them on Soundcloud.

15. BLACK MOTH

I first heard Black Moth when they played support for Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats in London last year, and I had their song “Blackbirds Fall” on repeat for about a month after that. They just announced a new “lady moth” joining the band, and they’re currently getting ready to hit the road with Sisters of Mercy next month.

Hopefully you’ve got some new music to listen to while commuting to work, strutting down the street, dancing around the house or whatever it is you do, and maybe you even know of some bands deserving some extra attention and fifteen minutes of fame – if so, please share them with us in the comment section below, let’s spread the good word!

3 Comments/by Ella Stormark

Opinion

Blinded by Science

By Darren Carless

Technology these days allows us to do all kinds of weird and wonderful things. We can put the kettle to boil before getting out of bed or control the heating in our homes whilst out and about via our mobile phone (no idea why you would really need to do either personally but each to their own). Technology it seems has worked its way into every corner of our lives and the world of the guitar player hasn’t escaped its influence either.

As guitar players we can now alter the characteristics of our guitars without doing anything physical to the guitar itself (e.g. Fender’s American Deluxe Stratocaster Plus with sound card). We can even change the voice of our pedals by downloading a new one (e.g. TC Electronics Toneprint) without too much hassle but is it all as fantastic as it seems or have we just been blinded by science?

This question does not apply to cell phones. We should never wish for the return of old cell phones

Travel back even only a few decades and your average guitarist had zero or very little access to anything that could be deemed hi-tech (by today’s standards anyway) but they were still able to conjure up tones and sounds that modern guitar players use as the benchmark for everything else and deem to be ‘classic’. So why is it that in our pursuit of our dream sound or perfect setup we place so much importance on what a bit of kit can do in addition to what its predecessors were able to do?

Don’t get me wrong…technology allows us to do some great things when it comes to music. Without advances in technology solid state amplifiers wouldn’t be as available which could’ve meant that a lot of guitarists would be without an amplifier (and the world is a sadder place with even one less guitar player). Modeling Amplifiers (which give many people access to sounds / tones and possibilities that otherwise they would never have had) wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have access to the wide range of effects that many of us employ so easily today (delay / echo pedals used to be a hell of a lot bigger and very expensive). Even the world of recording has been turned on its head with the invention of software such as Pro-tools and Logic, and with technology becoming ever more affordable recording no longer needs to be a massive expense and can be done from the comfort of your own home. You can even check your own valves at home now with devices such as Orange’s VT1000 valve tester which would have been un-thought of even only 10 or so years ago.

VT1000 Valve Tester

But bearing all of this in mind, if technology is now the ‘norm’ and a very important consideration when it comes to choosing a new guitar or amplifier; how come we still crave the inventions of yesteryear more? A whole host of effects pedals pride themselves on being analogue (hell some manufacturers even produce full tape delays such as those used in the 60’s). The holy-grail as far as many guitar players are concerned when it comes to amplifiers is a valve amplifier and not a modern solid-state technological wonder. If you buy a guitar, in general terms, the older it gets the more expensive it gets but it’s only a block of wood (we’re only saying this for emphasis) and it can’t even tune itself. Even many of the professionals seek the glory of the past and insist on vintage parts being used in their signature products in an attempt to emulate their heroes.

Fulltone’s Tube Tape Echo: a modern take on a vintage classic

So is it just a case that technology can sometimes go too far and in fact makes things more complicated than they need to be? Many people are old fashioned when it comes to their gear and like things to do what it says on the tin. For instance if you buy a Gibson Les Paul surely you want it to sound like a Gibson Les Paul, so does it need to have coil splitting pickups or a boost switch? For some they may be a really useful addition but are they a necessity?

If Gibson made a Guitar Hero controller…

The question is do we really need all of the things that technology can offer us when it comes to music (and we’re not talking about manufacturing processes or materials). When a lot of the music that we love today was created they didn’t have any of the technology we have today but they were still able to craft some of the most breathtaking and endearing music ever heard…and it’s still listened to today and held in as high a regard. So next time you’re thinking of picking up a new piece of gear that has the latest technological improvements ask yourself do you really need it to have that extra knob or switch or do you just need it to do its job?

by Alex Auxier

Opinion

Deftones @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood (Atlanta, GA)

On Wednesday, August 12, Incubus, Deftones, Death From Above 1979, and The Bots played Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood in Atlanta, GA. I was there with the Artist Relations Manager/Guru of Orange Amps, showing artists a yet-to-be-unveiled new product, making connections, and hanging out with one of my favorite bands of all time. My first-ever backstage experience included excellent catering, meeting Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor of Mastodon, watching the Deftones set next to Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead, and chilling with Stephen Carpenter in the back of Deftones’ tour bus. I guess you could say it was an alright night.

Deftones opened up their 80-minute set with the classic “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” from their 1997 album Around the Fur. The view from the VIP section was pretty radical.
The set spanned the group’s catalog, including songs from 1995’s Adrenaline all the way through Deftones’ last release, Koi No Yokan, although many songs were fan favorites from White Pony and Diamond Eyes.

In this shot, Norman Reedus is clearly soaking up the aural bliss of “Digital Bath.” The sound throughout the night was incredible, thanks to the crew of talented sound engineers and the bands’ drool-worthy gear. Deftones’ choice makes a lot of sense to us!

Stephen Carpenter’s guitar rig isn’t joking around one bit. 4 Axe-FX preamp/processors, 2 ENGL tube poweramps, and 4 Orange PPC412C cabinets covered in black tolex. The guitar tone was incredibly clear and monstrously thick!

The entire show was great, with Incubus closing out the night after Deftones. We went back to Deftones’ tour bus and hung out with Stephen, their guitar tech, and a couple of people from their tour crew before calling it a night and heading out. Although nights like these are probably a pretty frequent occurrence for Orange, I will never forget my first “backstage” experience, and I’m glad Orange Amplification was involved.

-Kendrick Lemke, intern #47

by Alex Auxier

Articles, Interviews

Interview: Zach Dawes from Mini Mansions

By Ella Marie Stormark

Before Mini Mansions’ gig at Oslo in London, bassist extraordinaire Zach Dawes took the time to talk about touring, his first encounter with Orange and the music he’s currently listening to. Oh – and he ran us through his gear, obviously.

How has The Great Pretenders tour been so far?
Really great! And really long, there’s been a lot of dates. I’d actually like to know how many dates exactly, we’ve been really busy.

When did you start using Orange?
In the UK I’ve been using it since the first time we came over, I’m not quite sure when that was but it’s been a few years now. In the US I’ve only been using it for about a year an a half.

So what amp have you got, and what cab are you using?
Here I use a 115 cab with AD200B Bass Head. In the states I have a 4×10 cab, and sometimes I use the AD200 or the Terror Bass 500.

Do you use any specific pedals that works well with the amp?
Well yeah, they all do.

Because Orange is amazing…?
Of course!

Do you remember the first time you saw an Orange amp?
I think maybe that was Mars Volta, when I was around 18 or something.

So how old were you when you started playing the bass?
11 or 12, but then I took a break for a little bit.

Was it someone or something in specific that inspired you to start playing?
Well, I just got sick of playing the piano. I played that when I was a kid, and then bass just seemed like a logical step after that. I was starting a band with some friends and bass was the only thing missing, so, you know…

What bands are you currently listening to?
I like the new Mac DeMarco record a lot… Will Butler, and I like the new Father John Misty.

You played some shows with him, didnt you?
Yeah, or we only played one. I really like his new album.

Do you have a favourite Mini Mansions song?
……I don’t know. I’m excited to start playing ”Fantasy” live though, as we don’t do that yet. That’ll be fun.

So when can we expect that to happen?
Pretty soon. We’re back in the UK in a month or so to play some festivals – it’ll probably be on the set list by then.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
Maybe Abbey Road, maybe…

Have you been to Abbey Road?
No, I haven’t actually. Have you? Is it far?

After trying to explain how he could easily get to Abbey Road and discussing which Beatle isn’t wearing shoes on the cover (It’s obviously Paul McCartney – how could we forget?!), I snapped some pictures of his gear, before leaving the venue only to return a couple of hours later for their gig – which by the way was incredible, and had a surprise cameo from Alex Turner. All in all a very good day, and night.

1 Comment/by Ella Stormark

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Deftones @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood (Atlanta, GA)

Interview: Zach Dawes from Mini Mansions

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