Marshall vs. Orange

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JakeAC5253

JakeAC5253

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Just a convo thread, sort of looking for where you guys stand. From reading other topics I can see that there are a lot of die hard Marshall enthusiasts here. These two brands seem to come out with some very high powered EL-34 based tube heads which have very similar sounds. In my own personal opinion based on what limited knowledge I have of these brand's higher end models, the Orange amps have a fatter more bass-heavy sound and the gain is a little more buzzsaw like with a tad more 'sag' than a Marshall, but cleans up nicely when rolled back. The downside to Orange though is that they really need to be cranked, IMO even moreso than a Marshall needs to be cranked to get its signature tone. In the end both are good amps with their share of ups and downs.

What are your thoughts?
 
I like the Orange's, but.... I will be buried with Marshalls :lol: :LOL: :rock:
 
You know... now that you mention it I don't think I've ever gotten to play an orange amp haha... I've never been interested in them because they always have more of a "fuzz" sound to me and are a bit looser if that makes sense? I've always totally associated them with older british rock in my head, whether that is justified or not I'm not sure ha.
 
Dallas Marlow":n9atbmxe said:
You know... now that you mention it I don't think I've ever gotten to play an orange amp haha... I've never been interested in them because they always have more of a "fuzz" sound to me and are a bit looser if that makes sense? I've always totally associated them with older british rock in my head, whether that is justified or not I'm not sure ha.
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makes perfect sense. I'm the same never played one or been interested because I have the same mindset...
 
The comparison becomes really interesting if you compare the 50w models, because now you're talking el34 vs. 6V6.

I like them both. Orange has sort of a thick middy crunchy grind, Marshall is brighter and crisp. I'd take either one.
 
I too dissed the Orange amps......
that was until I plugged into a Rockerverb 100.
It had GREAT GAIN! I was playing heavy riffs with ease.
I know that you wouldnt think that they are more than some vintage amp that does classic rock if you didnt check it out(I know that was my thought) but I was proven wrong.
They have a great voice and great response.
Not sure if I would own one since there are other amps I would rather have but the one Orange I played was SLAMMING! :rock:
 
Yeah I would definitely choose a Marshall for old school thrash or something because it's bright and tight, but for that fuzzy saggy heavy sound I'd take an Orange over Marshall anyday. I have gotten into doom metal as of late so I suppose that I have been looking into Orange amps much more. The Rockerverb 100 kicks serious ass, definitely my favorite amp by them. The Thunderverb seems to lose a little bit of flavor, it's a bit more scooped in the mids with a little more gain I think. I'd still take the Rockerverb over it. I think that many people underestimate Orange amps before they ever give them a chance. They are not vintage amps, they are boutique amps lol :D
 
Orange Amps look like a battery charger. Never have played one or even considered one. Was surprised to see Orange Amps in Jim Root's Slipknot and Stone Sour line up though.


Steve
 
IMHO, the Orange Rockerverb100 slays anything that Marshall is putting out right now.
 
steve_k":m72i78ik said:
Orange Amps look like a battery charger. Never have played one or even considered one. Was surprised to see Orange Amps in Jim Root's Slipknot and Stone Sour line up though.


Steve
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Thats what got me curious about them was Jim Root's ad.
I was SHOCKED! That amp RIPS!!!
The Rockerverb 100.....check it out. Seriously. :rock:
 
I had an orange Rockerverb 50 (only orange amp I have played). I am not sure how the Rockerverbs compare to the old orange amps, but I will describe that I heard. When I got the head folks on TGP said it would blow my Marshall silver jubilee out of the water.

To me the Orange RV50 sounded like a dark compressed Vox. The clean channel was okay, a bit flat and a bit too compressed. It was a little easier to get clean than on the 2553 (which starts to breakup if you have the input gain too high and are using humbuckers). The gain channel on the RV50 was where the amp shined. It too a Maxon OD-808 as a boost like a champ. I loved the range of the distortion knob, it seemed to do something throughout the entire range. I actually think the RV50 works very well at lower volumes, better than the Marshall 2553. The Marshall 2553 just has the distortion sound I heard in my head, but needs some decent volume to get there.

My biggest issue with the Orange RV50, was that through V30's the gain sounded great, it cut better, but the clean suffered. Through a Classic Lead 80, the gain was not as good, it could get buried easier, but the clean was much better. I typically ran a 2 112's, one with a V30 and 1 with a CL80. The other guitarist's Mesa Mark IVB was the amp that did the burying. Never had trouble cutting with my Marshall 2553, though I never used the Orange and Marshall in the same band to do a direct comparison.

I do miss the Orange RV50, for its gain channel. But I had a few issues with the reverb and a bad batch of alpha pots.
 
I've owned several Marshalls and the Orange RV50 and RV100. IMO the RV50 has a much better tone. Really unique, thick gain and dialed back was killer for Hendrix and stuff like that. Otherwise it sounded alot like a Marshall to me in general. Would like to have an RV50 again someday, but someday far away. I'll take the Marshalls for now! :rock:
 
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