Advanced Transformer Design (2006)

Orange’s exclusive transformer designs, including the Dual Snake Eight, deliver unmatched tone and performance across our 50-Watt and flagship amps.

It was while we were designing the Retro 50 that we started taking transformers apart to understand what made the really good ones so effective. We wanted something that captured the magic of the original Pics-Only Woden transformer.

“The original Woden was stick-wound, with no bobbin,” remembers Ade Emsley, Orange Technical Director. “Every layer of winding was done on waxed paper. It was a robust design. Eventually, we found the only company in the UK still using a stick-winder, and started prototyping.”

The Dual Snake Eight

After extensive testing, we developed transformers with five-section and even eight-section windings, far beyond the usual three, and more refined than the original Woden’s four. These are more expensive to make, but the tonal improvement is immediate and unmistakable.

Using different combinations of copper wire, metal laminations, and insulation materials, we spent two years refining what became the Dual Snake Eight transformer. It’s now standard in all Orange amps rated at 50 Watts and above. The Tiny Terror, AD30, and Rocker 32 feature the five-section version. All of these designs are exclusive to Orange.

It’s the sort of detail that makes all the difference, and gives us the edge over everyone else.