Orange ad30, thoughts?

MIKA-the-better-one

I am maybe getting a Orange ad30, trying to get my sound a bit different for the coming shows and recording.
Anyone used an orange ad30 and want to tell me what they thought???

Vick

Liks:
Excels at playing on the edge of breakup and being driven hard.
Amp drive has a pleasing vintage-fuzzyness to it.
Gets along really well with most gain pedals and pedal in general if set up appropriately.
2 channels.
Looks cool.
Tube sag.
Dark.

Dislikes:
Being played below 3 on the master.
Sometimes a bit to dark(only at "low" volume, less then 3).
When on for more then about an our and a half, it gets noticeably "musshy", this was mostly resolved when I replaced the factory fitted tubes.
Heavy.

Note: i replaced one of the V30 with a greenback(a bit brighter(believe it or not), a bit less volume, a bit less speaker breakup) and retubed according to this kit: Orange AD30TC Low Output Personal Fave( http://ssl.eurotubes.com/cart/index.php?page=view_products&category_id=144&sub_category_id=212 )

All in all, I love mine.

MIKA-the-better-one

hmm, that sounds rather nice....
the mushy part is a bit scary, I don't have cash for a retube before nay of my larger shows.

They do look damn cool, and the edge of breakup sound is what I am going for, I am not one for playing quiet so I guess it will not be below 3.

I need ot find one and try it now :/

Vick

yea, don't worry about the "musshy" thing to much, when i noticed it i did some google-ing, i could only fine one other example of such a situation, so when you consider the amount of AD30s out there and only 2 guys complained about it, I'm guessing it was just a case of substandard tubes that slipped thru quality control.

The speaker was to compensate for the extra saturation caused by the tubes and to drop the output a bit.

But yea, find one and try it.

For intrest sake, combo or head and cab?

MIKA-the-better-one

Combo, 212. I just have not been liking my ghia enough live, a bit to much compression. So I found the ad30 and thought that might be more my thing.

Like always when talking about a guitar one thinks in absolutes, therefore "dark" to me is me imagining a total lack of high end treble (which I know is not the case), or "musshy" is a guitar devoid of any solid sound, which again I know it is not that bad.

Warren

I played one of these when I was shopping a couple months back, and I very nearly bought it. At the time, it sounded too similar to the Night Train which I was trying to replace, which is why I didn't go for it.

Cleans are in that Vox ballpark, and the crunchier tones are just lovely. I don't think you can really go wrong if you're looking for that EL84 sound, and I personally think Orange amps are about the coolest looking things out there, short of some of the more boutique stuff.

MIKA-the-better-one

yeh it looks to be a great amp, I am also being offered a mesa boogie maverick 1 12. I dont know much about those either

Vick

MIKA the better one wrote: Combo, 212. I just have not been liking my ghia enough live, a bit to much compression. So I found the ad30 and thought that might be more my thing.

Like always when talking about a guitar one thinks in absolutes, therefore "dark" to me is me imagining a total lack of high end treble (which I know is not the case), or "musshy" is a guitar devoid of any solid sound, which again I know it is not that bad.

Haha, jup, getting a new amp is serious business, I also get paranoid.
Just find one and try it out.

I have played a giha, a rinsible time ago, into a 1X12, but that thing was a long way from being cranked. Totally different amp, cant even begin to compare them. Thought it was a cool amp, I can understand why it's almost a staple for those TGPs.

MIKA-the-better-one

There aint much chance I am going to get to try one, I looked all over locally and nada!!!
I might just go into it blind :/

I dont know its all stupid when it comes to amp trades, I cant think straight for weeks.