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Grand Opening of Strawberry Field Bandstand, Liverpool

The official grand opening of the Strawberry Field Forever Bandstand took place in Liverpool on 2nd May 2023. The Bandstand has been donated by Honorary Patron, Cliff Cooper, CEO of Orange Amplification.

It sits in the original Strawberry Field garden in Liverpool where John Lennon, as a child, used to jump over the wall into the grounds of the children’s home and listen to the Salvation Army band play. Written by Lennon, the song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ featured on the double A-side single with Penny Lane.

Designed to be one of the most technologically advanced bandstands in the world it features cutting edge computer lighting and sound equipment with facilities for broadcasting, multi-track recording, streaming and full internet use. It also incorporates Bluetooth technology which allows visitors to enjoy performances via wireless headphones.

The new Strawberry Field Forever Bandstand is based on the drum featured on Peter Blake and Jann Haworth cover of the iconic Sgt. Pepper album sleeve – a concept conceived and developed by Mick Dines. The interior is decorated with artwork by famous Paintpop artist James Wilkinson https://www.paintpop.com/ . The Bandstand floor features a black and white mosaic similar to the John Lennon Imagine memorial laid in Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York but three times larger. The mosaic is made from more than 390,000 carefully selected and cut pieces of marble imported from the USA, specially hand made for the floor of the bandstand.

Strawberry Fields has been in the care of the Salvation Army since the 1930’s and today is a centre where young people can join the organisation’s Steps to Work programme. The Salvation Army is a cause close to Cooper as a result of the help the organisation gave his late father when he returned from the First World War helping him find work.

All money raised for events on the bandstand helps support the Salvation Army’s ‘Steps at Strawberry Field’, a series of programmes which provide employability skills training and valuable work placements for adults with learning difficulties and other barriers to employment.

Cooper was at the official opening of the new Strawberry Field Bandstand along with Vice Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Robert Owen, High Sheriff of Merseyside, Dr Ruth Hussey, CB OBE and other dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Liverpool cllr Roy Gladden, Julia Baird, John Lennon’s sister and Major David Taylor, the Salvation Army’s divisional leader for the North West. Performing on stage were Ruby J, Brooke Combe and Logan Paul Murphy.

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How To Pick A Guitar Amplifier

Guitar amplifiers are an essential component of any guitarist’s setup. They help shape the tone and provide the necessary volume to make your guitar sound great. However, with so many options available in the market, choosing the right amplifier can be a daunting task. In this blog post, we will guide you through the important factors you should consider when choosing to purchase a guitar amplifier.

Type of Amplifier


The first thing you need to consider when buying a guitar amplifier is the type of amplifier you want. There are two main types of guitar amplifiers: tube amps and solid-state amps. Tube amps use vacuum tubes to amplify the guitar’s signal, producing a warm and natural tone. Solid-state amps, on the other hand, use transistors to amplify the signal, producing a more crisp and clean sound. Each type of amp has its own unique tone, and the one you choose will depend on your personal preferences and the genre of music you play.

Wattage

The wattage of an amplifier determines how loud it can get. A higher wattage amplifier will produce more volume than a lower wattage amp. However, it’s important to note that higher wattage amps are not always necessary. If you’re just playing at home or in a small venue, a lower wattage amp will do just fine. On the other hand, if you’re playing in a large venue or with a loud band, you’ll need a higher wattage amp to cut through the mix. Solid-state amps tend to have a uniform sound/tone quality throughout their volume range. A tube amp however will change tonal characteristics as the volume is increased and the output tubes driven harder. It is often said that tube amps have a sweet-spot. Therefore, choosing too much wattage will mean you can’t turn up loud enough to achieve the sweet-spot in small venues or during home use and too little power means you will be constantly overshooting this point in an attempt to hear yourself in large or loud settings.

Features

Amplifiers come with a variety of features that can affect your playing experience. Some amplifiers come with built-in effects such as reverb, delay, and distortion, while others are more straightforward and focus solely on amplification. If you’re a beginner, a simpler amplifier may be more suitable for you, while more experienced players may want an amp with more features.

Portability

If you’re going to be gigging or traveling with your amplifier, portability is an important factor to consider. A smaller, lightweight amplifier may be easier to transport, while a larger, heavier amplifier may provide better sound quality. If you’re not planning on moving your amplifier around, then this factor may not be as important to you.

Price

Finally, you should consider the price of the amplifier. Amplifiers can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. While it’s important to choose an amplifier that fits your budget, it’s also important to remember that you get what you pay for. Cheaper amplifiers may not have the same sound quality or durability as more expensive amplifiers. A tube amp will require additional maintance over a solid-state amplifier – at some point or another there is likely to be a time when the tubes need replacing. Like car tyres, the more aggressively they are used the quicker they will wear. Sometimes they fail prematurely like a tyre puncture.

In conclusion, choosing the right guitar amplifier can be a difficult task, but by considering the type of amplifier, wattage, features, portability, and price, you’ll be able to make an informed decision. At Orange Amps, we offer a wide variety of amplifiers to suit all types of players, so be sure to check out our selection and find the amplifier that’s right for you.

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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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Orange Launch Marcus King MK Ultra Signature Amp

Orange Amplification is proud to announce the launch of the Limited Edition Marcus King MK Ultra signature amp. Created in conjunction with the guitar phenomenon and Grammy Award nominated singer, songwriter, this is the first Orange Amp to be collectively designed and built with Orange USA.

GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, performer, and songwriter Marcus King was downright destined to play music. Logging thousands of miles on the road as “The Marcus King Band,” he established himself with unparalleled performance prowess and a dynamic live show. During 2020, he cut his solo debut El Dorado, garnering a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Americana Album.” King has used Orange amps for years and working together with Orange has created a signature amp with the sound to achieve his dream.

Representing the perfect marriage of classic vintage American and British tonal sensibilities, the Marcus King MK Ultra is a completely unique design which offers a new approach to the definitive Orange sound. The tonal subtlety of the new amp offers plenty of expressive rock crunch and powerful, sumptuous soul sounds.

The 30 watt all-valve MK Ultra is the first Orange Amp to be collectively designed and built with Orange USA. The carefully tuned circuitry of the new amp responds amazingly to different volume and tone settings on a guitar and works with pedals to shape rather than sit on top of the tone. It uses the highest quality components including custom Heyboer transformers and a pair of 12AX7 preamp valves which drive into a power amp section made of a duo of cathode based 6L6GC power valves. This first for Orange brings out all the harmonics and touch sensitivity King demands.

The range of this simple three knob design has to be heard to be believed. Increase the urgent, responsive VOLUME control for more saturation with the 6L6’s starting to break up giving an almost spongy attack. Dial in the SING (treble) control to form atmosphere with precise variations to tone brightness and add ‘thickness’ by increasing the DEEP (Bass) control.

‘For me to have a signature amp with Orange is just like a childhood dream that’s come true. It’s a uniquely crafted American amplifier by a British company for a uniquely crafted American Man,’ Marcus King. He is expected to announce new music soon and has a full worldwide tour schedule this year, see the latest show dates at https://marcuskingband.com/tour.


Available now, find out more about Orange Amplification Marcus King MK Ultra signature amp go to https://orangeamps.com/marcus-king-mk-ultra/

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Orange History

[Scroll down to see the video trailer for Orange History]

Over 10 years ago, my Dad (Orange’s Founder and CEO) introduced me to Martin Celmins. Martin, had written the biography of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and in doing so was very familiar with very early Orange Amplifiers. Peter was one of our very first endorers who helped launch the company into fame using very early Orange Amplifiers such as the OR200 (aka the Orange Matamp). Over the next few years, we shifted through boxes and boxes of old photos, negatives that had never seen the light of day for decades and started work on what is now known as The Book of Orange. Doing this we found images of my Cliff’s CTI Pixy MK V – a headphone amplifier he designed before he founded Orange in September 1968. Each image had a story behind it and working closely with Dad and Martin, brought me closer and closer to understanding the amount of work, love and dedication had been put into the company far before I was born.

Early iterations of the book was worked on by Richard Crediton-Hughes at Orange, who passed on his content and photos which helped with the creation. However, all said and done, it took around 3 years to complete the book. We launched the book in 2010 and it’s been out of print for a while now which promted us to upload the entire book to our website while adding a timeline feature to make it easy to browse and discover more. Recently having the entire website and the book translated into Spanish for a wider audience to read about our company history.

While working on the book, I did dream of being able to meet some of the original staff at the company in the 1970s that I had only learned about while working on the book. Mick Dines joined Orange in 1968 and is still close friend of my Dad and still works with him to this day. Mick was able to reach out to John James, the man who designed the early Orange Amplifiers including the ‘Pics Only’ amplifier – that amp defined our Orange tone. John agreed to visit us at our office in Borehamwood, England and Mick reached out to and Martin came back to host the interviews! Mick was still in contact with Colin Norfield who ran Orange Hire and he agreed to visit us for a talk about Orange in the 70s. We finally managed to finally convince Mick to appear on camera to talk about how he worked with Cliff on the Orange Cabinet and design – with the distinctive picture frame and tough speaker grill which we still use today.

Mick Dines, John James, Colin Norfield – Then and Now

We’ll continue filming new content about the history of the company and add them to our YouTube channel and this website when oppertunities arise but I wanted to take this moment to invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel (here) and our Newsletter so you can see these videos as and when we launch them. I look forward to reading your comments and I hope you find them interesting and a pleasure to watch!

Orange Interviews – Our Teaser Trailer

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Orange en español

Hello !!

I’m Danny Gómez, I work at Orange Amplifiers as a Sales, Marketing and Artist Relations consultant, and I want to invite you to discover Orange in Spanish!!

We want to be in communication with our Spanish-speaking audience, so we have created new exclusive social networks in Spanish on FB, IG, YT and, of course, we have also translated our website!

Inicio

(Click on the flag at the top of the page you are visiting to see the translated content)

Forget self-translated websites, with neutral and unattractive Spanish. We have manually translated and revised each page, respecting the magic of the original posts and keeping all the information so that you can, for the first time in your language and with a fidelity that you will not find in any other brand.

I have also personally translated the Orange Book and you have at your disposal all its legendary information in Spanish.

The Man Behind the Brand

Also, join me every Sunday at 03:30 pm Madrid time to learn all the news and answer your questions live on Instagram!!

https://www.instagram.com/orangeamplifiers_es/

Never a legendary brand accompanied its audience at a native level of Spanish, from person to person and with all the magic of more than 50 years of history.

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New Job at Orange England (Electronics Technician)

This is a full time position, we would consider either a Job Share or Part Time application. Working from 108 Ripon Way, Borehamwood, WD6 2JA.

Key duties:
– Fault finding and repair to component level on both Valve and transistor Amplifiers.
– Managing the returns process from start to finish.
– Ensuring stock levels in the workshop are managed efficiently.
– Ensuring loan stock is maintained and ready to go when required.
– Assist the product team with Q.C. and product testing.
– Assist the admin team with technical enquiries.
– Any other duties as requested by your line manager.

Essential requirements:
– Electronics fault finding and repair knowledge.
– Electrical safety knowledge – working with dangerous voltages.
– Experience in a similar role.
– Guitar or Bass player

Preferred but non-essential requirements:
– Educated to degree level.
– Brand awareness.
– Knowledge of MI.
– SMD Rework experience.

Personal Qualities:
– Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills
– Excellent team and relationship-building abilities, with both internal and external parties
– Ability to work well under pressure, multitask, and maintain keen attention to detail
– Natural tendency to be positive, creative, and curious 
– Team player who enjoys collaborating with others
– Genuine empathy toward customers and commitment to diving into the weeds on their
challenges

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John Miles has passed away

The UK has lost one of its most talented musicians. John, famous for his worldwide hit “Music (was my first love and it will be my last)” died peacefully in his sleep with his family at his bedside. John played alongside a plethora of artists from Tina Turner, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker to Andrea Bocelli amongst many others. As Johns manager and friend for over 50 years, John was not only so kind and gentle but a brilliant musician and songwriter on the world stage.

John leaves behind his wife Eileen married 50 years, two children and two grandchildren. Grief is the price we pay for love. He will be greatly missed, but his music will live on forever.

Cliff Cooper
John Miles’ Manager, Orange Records

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Orange Learn has a new home

In September 2014 Orange added the LEARN button to its website. It provided guided lessons to anyone who wanted to play guitar AND get an official government qualification. We wanted to increase the chances of customers keeping up their love of playing guitar by helping them get measured results and get paid in a job environment from their new quals.

The course was split into 3 levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. After a year we had a few thousand guitarists logging into the website Learn area a month. Since Cliff founded Orange in the 60s, he’s always wanted to try different things but he was mainly spurred by the love of music and knowing he’s making a positive impact and so was very happy with what we had created.

In the following years, the amount of students subscribing to the course kept increasing. The course was updated and split into smaller and more manageable segments of lessons and we made it easy to run on any mobile device and not just desktop computers. All this was done with resources, we had it linked to our main website here at orangeamps.com.

Recently, the UK has changed how tax works with European online learning services such as Orange Learn. This means we no longer can maintain Orange Learn on orangeamps.com while running a merchandise store at the same time. So to resolve this, we have cloned our website over to orangelearn.com. Students can continue their studies while giving Orange Learn the ability to expand beyond what our website infrastructure at orangeamps.com was limited to.

On paper, orangelearn.com is a different company but the same team who managed orangeamps.com/learn are behind it and they’re excited to continue Orange Learn. We cloned our website over to orangelearn.com where you’ll find your progress, user, purchased lessons and courses as you left it – although if you progressed in the past week, you might find our copy a bit behind so you will have to cheat and skip a few lessons to get back to where you were.

We are also launching a more bite sized course with the same qualifications as the last one was pretty massive!

When you’re ready to resume your lessons, head over to orangelearn.com. Email us at [email protected] for any issues you find.

Here’s how the website looked back in 2014 when we first launched Orange Learn.

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The Sound of the Sound

Ever since he founded Orange back in 1968, Cliff Cooper has always believed that no other company could have cared more than us about innovation in guitar valve amplifier design and sound technology. However, it’s not just about design, it’s about how the sound is perceived – something that Cliff has always thought of as ‘the sound of the sound‘… it’s about the physical pleasure that the sound of an amp gives a guitarist as he plays. That is what really matters.

I’ll share some of my favourite ‘Orange Sound‘ devices that I use in my studio, live shows, demos, etc.

For example, let’s talk about the Kongpressor pedal, an analogue Class A compression pedal with an organic three dimensional quality.

Credit: Musicradar

Kongpressor’s effect is transparent at lower compression levels, but somehow fattening, adding mojo and a glossy sheen to your core tone that you’ll truly miss when it’s bypassed. Even at extreme settings, the tone always remains musical with great feel under the fingers. Outstanding for crystal clean country pickin’, but maintaining the bottom end that seems to get lost in many compression pedals, behaving impeccably with overdrive pedals or the lead channel of your amplifier, adding fullness and sustain.

Oooooooor, what about the PPC212, a closed-back 2×12″ featuring two Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, the PPC212 is in essence our classic 4×12 slashed in half, ideal for players looking for the the fattest possible tone when a 4×12″ would be too large.

Finished in our legendary 1968 livery, basket weave vinyl, woven speaker grille cloth, signature ‘picture frame’ edging and 18mm Birch ply construction… what a cab !! As Devon Allman described it “This ain’t your Daddy’s blues. It’s the next generation. It gets airborne. It’s fueled by Orange.”

I’ll keep picking favourites and bringing them to you, to maybe give you a new idea for your rig, an obscure gadget you should discover or the next classic to be Orange product.

“… we can always learn new skills and improve, we will also continue with our search for perfection.” – Cliff Cooper

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