The Shorts Gardens Era (1972)

As demand grew, Orange outgrew Huddersfield and moved amp production to Covent Garden, hand-building amps with trademark care and character.

Orange veteran Mick Dines recalls: “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 five or six amps in the back. As soon as he arrived, the amps would get fitted into the rexine-covered wooden sleeves, boxed up and dispatched.

“I’d never seen a Cortina 1600E before. I was 19 and had only just passed my driving test. I remember Mat handing me the keys and letting me take it for a spin around the block, unsupervised! I put my foot down, and it frightened the life out of me… the thing was so fast. It was amazing.”

Building in Covent Garden

After amp production stopped in Huddersfield, Orange began building an updated version of the Orange Graphic amp in the basement at Shorts Gardens. The building was a run-down old shop on the corner of Neal’s Yard and Shorts Gardens in Covent Garden. The idea was to increase productivity and make space for cabinet-building, amp testing, and storage.

Cabinets were made on the ground floor, while amps were assembled downstairs in the basement. In all honesty, the place would never have passed any modern health and safety checks, but it did the job!

Making an Orange Cab

John James, Orange’s R&D engineer, never compromised on quality. Every amp and cab was soak-tested thoroughly before it left the building. Orders just kept coming, and soon the Short’s Gardens space was overflowing.

By the end of 1972, it was clear Orange needed more room. A proper factory setup was urgently required.