Solid State is making a comeback. And it sounds like they're learning from the mistakes of the past. Tubes will always be tubes and there will always be those who swear by them, but these newer SS amps are sounding great!
I agree that for the longest time, tube tone was so much better than SS it was never a competition. But now, I think I am going to go with my CR 120, it is just so much more versatile and usable. And I love the tone, so I am not really giving anything up. And it takes pedals like a god damned champ!
I tried this head at a local music shop and was very impressed! sounds and feels like a orange but with all the ss benefits. I think I like it more than any of the terror heads.
Nope I have both and the tube head absolutely blow this thing away especially with the attenuator not saying that the solid-state isn’t good but there is a difference
I noticed if I use really Bright speakers like Celestion G12-80 the Orange cr 120 head sounds just like the tube amp Orange Rockerverb ! You just need brighter speakers that may sound harsh with high dollar tube amps but sounds perfect for the orange cr120
@@AuntAlnico4 It’s actually the complete opposite! The Orange Crush amps (and all SS amps) have that high end spike/harshness, with high gain settings. This is why their SS Combo’s come with “Voice Of The World” speakers, as these are much darker sounding, with none of that treble you’ll find with a Vintage 30 🔈 Same with the new Super Crush 100 amps, the Combo comes with a high powered Red Back speaker, and that’s even darker sounding. The only way to get these amps to sound great is through a darker sounding speaker, with a lot of low-end or using the Head with a closed back cab. Then you can use a brighter speaker like the Vintage 30’s , because the closed back cab gives you more low-end 🥊. I had a CR120 with an Orange open back 2x12 cab loaded with Vintage 30’s and it sounded very harsh and thin when playing single note lines. Even my Micro Dark sounded much thicker and better. But these Orange Solid-state amps sound awesome with a dark speaker or a closed back cab. It’s a must imo.
+MadDogReed97 I bought one of these for my progressive indie rock band and it rocks for that, but a couple of my friends and I just started a super not serious doom metal band and holy hell does this nail it! Especially with a Dr. Freakenstein fuzz, its the heaviest shit I've ever heard
sounds like a damn good tone to me...i am a tube man not a tube snob and i'm really liking this amp. great Video man....Great guitar too...that thing looks great....
Really digging it. May consider either the cr60 or cr120 combo but what I really like about this amp, is the fact that it doesn't have that tight modern metal tone. Honestly, it sounds like it could easily do Mastodon and The Sword type riffing, and we're I to invest in the Crush Pro series, maybe I wouldn't lust after the Black Arts Toneworks Coven fuzz pedal. I'm also digging that clean channel and how smooth the breakup is. Good job on a good demo!
I know this is an old comment , but im getting the cr120c pro BK Monday . With a vox tonelab SE , playing a 1993 gibson les Paul ...... Hoping I can get some good doom out of this set up.
try maxing out the dirty volume, turning the gain to about 10 o'clock and controlling overall volume with the master control. you should be able to achieve tube sound distortion.
Perhaps not yet , but in the next few years , I think even all the touring bands will start to use solid state analog amps . They get closer to tube quality every day it seems . Blackstar's ID 100W Head , ID 260 combo , Fender's Mustang III and IV and now the analog Orange Amplifier CR120 Head . Great sounding , reliable and light !
Guy Marzello Thay get closer to tubes all the time . There was a time when almost everybody said PC's would never be in the majority of homes . CD sound is better than MP3 yet many people (not me) prefer MP3's .
HUTCHfromBA they prefer mp3's for the simplicity and the fact they take up no space,not that they're better sounding,albums sound better than c.d's but are a pain in the ass.
trillriff-axegrinder What you say is all true but my original point was that Solid State Amplifiers and PA Systems are getting much better all the time . They can be powerful , analog and tube like to the point that you almost can't tell them apart . I try to play Blues guitar well and I myself am a bit of a tube snob , but even I admit that analog solid state and even some high quality modeling Amps sound good . In the not to distant future they will have solid state amps that are as good as tubes .
Man TTK wasn't kidding when he said it was affordable. I like solid state, not necessarily over tube, they both have their place. One isn't "better" than the other, just different. In this case, if you want a high quality product for a reasonable price, you may have found it. Would almost guarantee this becomes one of Orange' s best sellers.
Got the orange cr120c combo and later got Orange crpro 4x12 extension cab to run a 3/4 stack, most punchy insane tone I have had in a long time (with pedals in front), used it for a m pro gig in NYC and delivered like heck
Came here out of curiosity after seeing a CR 120 in the background of an interview with Body Popper Boogaloo Shrimp of the movie Breakin' (Breakdance). I'm not a guitarist but enjoyed the review. Thanks.
Great job here TTK! Any chance we can get a quick A/B of this and the Rockerverb. Maybe a blind sound test would be nice and maybe use a variety of tones (mid-humped, scooped, flat, bass heavy, maybe throw in a pedal or two etc). Yeah, we don't ask for much do we? ;)
Tube amp misery is not just a phrase, it's a reality. Even tube snobs will keep their ears tuned in to the latest developments in solid state tone and reliability if they're smart.
I like the idea of these amps, and I play through the cr60 every week at band. I'm sure these sound really good in person but idk if it was his guitar or just the environment but the gain channel didn't sound too good imo. Maybe pedals would fix that. Do these respond well to active pickups?
Just bought this Amp head, its killer with my les paul,,but works great with my vintage Strats,,in fact i keep in on dirty channel with my strats, gets that clean but awesome breakup for Great Blues Tones..best Solid State Amp EVER
HUTCHfromBA I’m waaaaaayyy to late but if anyone else is wondering about this, it’s 120 watts RMS. Would recommend playing through a cab with 120 watts rms or more.
AxeFXII I would say is one hell of not only a SS system but so is my Rack HD POD Pro. People have to realize yes tube amps are nice but are very limited compared to where everything is going. I will go with new technology so if its tube or solid state who cares im so sick of this argument !! Gear is gear to many hate on SS because in the back of there mind they think tubes will be obsolete one day. Which I doubt will happen.
***** Yeah, this and the Blackstar ID series have blown my mind in terms of what's capable with SS these days. There are a lot of great sounding distortion pedals out now that sound very warm and amp-like as well. This is an interesting time to live in if you play guitar.
Great point Daniel Urry like Bugera people were complaining that they sucked and never played I bought one 333xl and will never sell it.Some people like Ford Some Like Chevy but then some like Mercedes Benz. But Great point.
***** I use a Line6 POD HD Pro Rack Buy one. Its the best money ever spent. I run mine thru a Samson XP 150 I also when I want that over the top Tube Sound with a Solid State preamp so fourth will run this thrue the return of my Bugera 333xl using just the power section of tubes and whats nice about the Bugera you have send and return volume levels on your loop. Or I just send it right thrue the clean channel either way I can get what I really love a combination of the 2. If it came down to it I would take my Line6 POD Pro HD Rack over everything because every effect and every sound i have ever wanted is in that unit. I love Solid State also by the way i have an Old Randall USA Made RG200ES. Randall was the first ss amps that sounded great because they use huge Darlington Transistors. They look like UFOs nickel plated top hats you might say. I like The interface on the PC with the Line6 also. I will make this statement I wish I had not sold my Peavey Vypyr 100 2x12 man I loved that and it was my practice amp i would take along with me to jam. A friend who got me into guitars quit playing then he started back up and he came over old Peavey fan saw that amp and one of my Jacksons and lets say he made me an offer i could not refuse. Im sure if TK gives his approval of this amp it is perfect. I really hate retubing amps its very expensive.We have a number of companies who have stepped up and have made insanely sounding SS amps. I never thought Prange would do it, Im g;lad they did because here in the US they are not affordable the tube amps that is. But at 499 in a year I will get one for 300 off of Craigslist.
I tried the Combo version (the 60) at GC the other day. I was impressed. Cleans are great, and Drive is freaking killer sounding. This is actually a great amp for metal. \m/ I was also able to dial it back and get some nice versatile tones for Rock and Blues. Definitely a great amp for gigging and recording.
I now own one of these, I really like the tone and the reverbs. It does scare me that it smells like hot paint when its played awhile, but not burnt. I also am not sure if its the cab set up or the amp, but after awhile it starts to lose its gain. I'll do some more research, but as of right now for the price this thing is pretty awesome,. I use it ABY and it keeps up great with my 100 watt tube head and blends great. I'll check on the cab and write back.
I think its great for the giging musician who goes out and needs reliable good tone! This cr120 sounds good! Love to see the Tone king push it with a OD pedal in front maybe a tube screamer on next video. ...
I got to play one of these a couple months back, and I will say they play very nicely. Orange has hit a home run with it. Just too high gain for what I was needing :P
hey tone king.thank you. i have several amps that are tube and a randall rg100es. just different tools for different fools. so much out there these days. how would you compare this to an old randall rg100? just picked up that rg13 you demo'ed. but was torn between that isp theta pre-amp pedal.that sounds sweet also ttk,are you a dealer. you got my attention w/this little guy.cheers,mjs-
just bought one...too cheap not to...it got the better of me...ha ha ha!!! Louis, do you have a Demo of the EVH 5150 III cuase i haven't seen one from you?
This review was EXACTLY what i was looking for. Bedroom player. Tubes are proving to be to expensive for what little I play. Was looking at the Peavey Vypers after your reviews. BUT this is exactly what I was looking For. THANKS TTK! Ordering NOW! Excellent review
its weird,i played the hell out of my jcm800-100 watt and never retubed it in 15 years.i honestly dont get this necessity of retubing a head monthly.its really fucking stupid to be honest and ridiculously redundant(burn money if you like,i dont have enough to do this)too many people listening with their eyes instead of ears or following bullshit advice. change your tubes when they break,act up or sound bad which essentially is NEVER in my opinion.this amp sounds ok but it sure as hell doesn't hold a candle to my Marshall ,Traynor,peavy,fender or mesa amps.(that ive spent zero on re tubing) solid state is good for low volume bedroom practice stuff IMO,or cleans like certain fenders or a roland jazz chorus 120 (love these amps for cleans)i have a mustang and i really like it when i cant crank the tube amps up.but its usefulness is limited.
For giging there is nothing not to love about solid state IMO. They are lighter and you don't have to worry about tubes blowing etc. But for the studio I could never bring myself to record with one.
Well done solid state, but is it really going for roughly half a grand? I hope I just got the model number wrong or something. I mean c'mon you gotta throw something a little extra for that price. SS is flexible, I feel like there should be a nice XLR or something out for recording. If that was there I'd probably snatch this up right away and live happily ever after.
Man I love the Tone King BC Rich MockingBird !!! Abouttime Orange puts a solid state amp out. There Tube amps are too expensive in The US. For SS it sounds pretty good acts like a Tube. How much doe s it cost??
First of all, great review! My question regarding the amp, how does the CR120 handle the pedals, specially those more "tube-oriented" such as TS-808?? Thanks!
Excellent review. I'm looking for a portable and reliable head with nice cleans and distorted sounds and that CR120 might do it for me. Any suggestion for a lightweight cabinet that would fit those 120W? The Orange 2x12 open back weights in 23.6kg: not too heavy but everything counts when you are your own roady ;o)
Its a great amp for the price, but i feel it sounds better on the dirty chanel. Ive been running mine with the gain down and slightly dirty to get some break up. The clean chanel only has a treble and bass with no mid adjustment. I personally feel its missing the warmth you get from tubes. Also i feel it isnt really that loud for a 120w, i have a 40w fender that is just as loud. Reverb is ok but not outstanding. Overall for the price its worth every penny.
Got mine plugged into a PPC 1x12 with a vintage 30 driver. Playing with a Les Paul (Gothic), Fender plus deluxe (lace sensor pups) and a Gretsch electromatic (blacktop filtron pups) and it sounds great with all of them. The clean channel is as good as any Fender and goes into a nice break up around 1'oclock From 70's driven sound eg: Zep/Free to hard driven stoner tones are easily dialled in. Heavier sounds (AC/DC - GnR) are on tap, just push the gain and tweak the mid/treble. Higher gain sounds are there but probably need the right guitar/pups and cab. Reliable, well built, versatile. Just an all round great amp. If you're not sure go check one out.
Not if he's using the Orange PPC 112 Cab. It's 16ohm cab and the Amp will not blow it!! In fact according to Orange, to use the FULL 120w you have to be running 8ohms. At 16ohms your only running the Amp at 60w!!! That's according to Orange! Thant's why they have 2x16ohm Speaker Jacks!
TR do you believe this Amp stands up against tube Amps at the lower end of the scale or even at the higher end of the scale?? I'm presuming it probably doesnt sound as good as the actual Rockerverb but I suppose if it sounds anything close to that it is probably pretty awesome??
thank you for the great review and the talk after the demo, that was really great. For a future video idea, can you run two of the micro terrors together? I was looking for a budget rig and that seems to be a great idea. I just have not seen a demo of those two run together at once, plus it would be a great instructional video for anyone who doesnt know how to run two amps at the same time!
Hey TK, love your videos I'm a subscriber. I was just wondering if you can possibly do a comparison between the Orange PPC212-OB and the Orange PPC212-C. It would truly be a big help for me in choosing between the two. Thanks Best Regards.
Yes yes yes,this amp will smoke a marshall,Marshall, have 11 amps including a Marshall dsl amp and a huge and kettner whice was my favorite until I got the orange.
I have this amp, and depending on what you play, an Overdrive and a noise gate will be needed. The amp does well for punk, but the dirty channel by itself doesn't seem to do well for modern metal.
Jukle0 Doesnt do well for modern metal. I believe this amp sounds similar to a rockerverb mark II and Jim Root uses a Rockerverb in Slipknot and Stone Sour. If you lower the volume to 1 or 2 then crank up the gain to the max and max out the volume on the channel you can get a Slipknot tone easy. One thing, it would also help if you equip high output pickups or even use a gain boost would help achieve a metal tone.
This amp sounds so much better in person, I was a marshall then huges and kettner guy this will smoke both of them plus you can go from bedroom to stage and they take most pedels really well. I can plug in my dsl 20 and it sounds like a turd compared to the Orange.
Hey I love your videos! Could you do a video playing this with a guitar that has active pickups? I think you'll get a great sound on the dirty channel. I bought mine on friday!
Is it any problem for me to use this head to plug a bass? I looking for a head which i can use for gig playing my bass and practice guitar at home. I really love the orange amps for both guitar and bass.
. . . . . holey mosie messa boogie !! . . thisissa demo to killoff all other demos TTK you just made me feel like i gotta rush down the street and get one of these orange squash ampli things and i dont even have a guitar ! orange gotta pay you a percentage on their sales man [ btw . . is the vid done in your bedroom ? ]
Is this head roughly sound modeled after the CR line of practice amps? I really enjoy those little practice amp and they pedal up wonderfully with a fuzz pedal or a tubescreamer.
This amp is a whole different beast entirely really. If anything its modeled after the rockerverb. Oranges whole goal with this was to capture the sound of the rocker verb in an SS head.
lovin the fuzzed out low end on there, not tight and sterile like I expected it to be. I bet pimp slapping the front of this with a Tubescreamer would be tone nirvana.
I use high gain for my bands style of music, and at gigging volumes, the feedback is almost unbearable. Any recommendations for an affordable noise gate pedal that does not suck the tone and cut off your notes?
I would also try out other guitars in the same conditions if you can and see if the problem lies with your guitar. I've played my Schecter guitar with high output EMGs thru this amp at loud volumes, and the feedback was not unmanagable - meaning it was totally fine unless you stand there not muting the strings in which case anything would feed back.
Seen a comparison between this and the rockeverb and honestly I can't see much of a difference. Difference being the PRICE . Not gigging around and worrying about it being stolen and beat up. It's one of the better solid state heads I've heard
tone..my ?? continues to be..okay it sounds good..great..but why would you not get a peavy..valveking..100..you can get many tube heads just as loud..and people's first question is..does it sound like tube?? just get a tube amp..retubing isn't bad..anymore w self biasing..my tubes last a long while...i just don't get it???do you?
No. The amps do not come with the pedal. Orange makes both a one and two channel pedal. If you think it sucks to buy the pedal, just save $200 and purchase the amp used, trust me the used ones are killer deals.
Well ... Kevin Skaff (ADTR) does use a RockerVerb on quite a few songs , mainly the more Punk influenced songs . If you like the tone from songs like "Homesick" and "All I Want" that's the sorta tone he has (with his RockerVerb) The Heavvvyyy sound is a 6505+ or a Duel Rectifier . Memphis May Fire .... 6505+ or a Duel Rectifier For the Heavy stuff . (sleepless nights) You CAN get a uber heavy sound out of the RockerVerb amp BUT Orange is less "cutting" then a 6505+ , it is sludgy and very "heavy" in the way that it is big and fat . But seriously , this Amp can get you there , slap on an OD , tighten it up , and you're ready to rock .
Over Drive . Like a tube Screamer or something . A lot of bands use an Over Drive to tighten up their sound or get a little more "cut" to the sound . Jon Forbes
Solid State is making a comeback. And it sounds like they're learning from the mistakes of the past. Tubes will always be tubes and there will always be those who swear by them, but these newer SS amps are sounding great!
I use a crush 35Rt and a Crush 120 head for 5 years now live shows. Perfect amp for me and cuts through any mix.
I agree that for the longest time, tube tone was so much better than SS it was never a competition. But now, I think I am going to go with my CR 120, it is just so much more versatile and usable. And I love the tone, so I am not really giving anything up. And it takes pedals like a god damned champ!
I tried this head at a local music shop and was very impressed! sounds and feels like a orange but with all the ss benefits. I think I like it more than any of the terror heads.
Spot on ! Blindfolded you would not notice the difference between a rockerverb and this amp .
Nope I have both and the tube head absolutely blow this thing away especially with the attenuator not saying that the solid-state isn’t good but there is a difference
I noticed if I use really Bright speakers like Celestion G12-80 the Orange cr 120 head sounds just like the tube amp Orange Rockerverb !
You just need brighter speakers that may sound harsh with high dollar tube amps but sounds perfect for the orange cr120
@@AuntAlnico4 It’s actually the complete opposite! The Orange Crush amps (and all SS amps) have that high end spike/harshness, with high gain settings.
This is why their SS Combo’s come with “Voice Of The World” speakers, as these are much darker sounding, with none of that treble you’ll find with a Vintage 30 🔈
Same with the new Super Crush 100 amps, the Combo comes with a high powered Red Back speaker, and that’s even darker sounding.
The only way to get these amps to sound great is through a darker sounding speaker, with a lot of low-end or using the Head with a closed back cab.
Then you can use a brighter speaker like the Vintage 30’s , because the closed back cab gives you more low-end 🥊.
I had a CR120 with an Orange open back 2x12 cab loaded with Vintage 30’s and it sounded very harsh and thin when playing single note lines.
Even my Micro Dark sounded much thicker and better. But these Orange Solid-state amps sound awesome with a dark speaker or a closed back cab.
It’s a must imo.
this is like the stoner metal dream amp, God damn that tone is just sexy.
+MadDogReed97 I bought one of these for my progressive indie rock band and it rocks for that, but a couple of my friends and I just started a super not serious doom metal band and holy hell does this nail it! Especially with a Dr. Freakenstein fuzz, its the heaviest shit I've ever heard
+GuitarFreak1901 badass nice to hear man
+GuitarFreak1901 what channel do you use the pedal on?
+Tyberius64 Both, it depends on my mood. But typically I'll run it through the dirty channel with enough, but not too much gain
sounds like a damn good tone to me...i am a tube man not a tube snob and i'm really liking this amp. great Video man....Great guitar too...that thing looks great....
Sounds great love orange Jimi started to experiment with these before he passed away in 1970
Really digging it. May consider either the cr60 or cr120 combo but what I really like about this amp, is the fact that it doesn't have that tight modern metal tone. Honestly, it sounds like it could easily do Mastodon and The Sword type riffing, and we're I to invest in the Crush Pro series, maybe I wouldn't lust after the Black Arts Toneworks Coven fuzz pedal. I'm also digging that clean channel and how smooth the breakup is. Good job on a good demo!
I know this is an old comment , but im getting the cr120c pro BK Monday .
With a vox tonelab SE , playing a 1993 gibson les Paul ...... Hoping I can get some good doom out of this set up.
try maxing out the dirty volume, turning the gain to about 10 o'clock and controlling overall volume with the master control. you should be able to achieve tube sound distortion.
If Peter Griffin recommends it, im buying.
Martin Jensen 😂😂
Lol
Lmao
Thank you for clearly showing the breakup points on both the clean and lead channels! That helped me make my mind on it.
My orange crush pro 120 is my favorite head and I have a few of them, the
Sustain ..................... is unbelievable..... 🎶❤️❤️❤️🎼🎵
Have mine now. I love it
Great video Tone King. Liked the amp so much, i bought 2. Liked the video so much, i subscribed. This amp does not disappoint!
Perhaps not yet , but in the next few years , I think even all the touring bands will start to use solid state analog amps . They get closer to tube quality every day it seems . Blackstar's ID 100W Head , ID 260 combo , Fender's Mustang III and IV and now the analog Orange Amplifier CR120 Head . Great sounding , reliable and light !
Guy Marzello Thay get closer to tubes all the time . There was a time when almost everybody said PC's would never be in the majority of homes . CD sound is better than MP3 yet many people (not me) prefer MP3's .
HUTCHfromBA
they prefer mp3's for the simplicity and the fact they take up no space,not that they're better sounding,albums sound better than c.d's but are a pain in the ass.
trillriff-axegrinder What you say is all true but my original point was that Solid State Amplifiers and PA Systems are getting much better all the time . They can be powerful , analog and tube like to the point that you almost can't tell them apart . I try to play Blues guitar well and I myself am a bit of a tube snob , but even I admit that analog solid state and even some high quality modeling Amps sound good . In the not to distant future they will have solid state amps that are as good as tubes .
Wrong. Modeling won. Every single big band that tours uses modeling. And I personally understand why they do
Guy Marzello yup they are, it's either ax fx, Kemper, or a power amp with an fx rack
I like good solid state amps.
Agreed. There is something to be said for having a good SS amp in the arsenal.
*****
My VYPYR is solid-state, and I've never had anybody come up to me after a show and complain about it. ;-)
I've also got a lil' Crate G10XL from the 80's (that I upgraded the wiring in) that also gets damn-loud for a solid state'r.
***** 100%...analog amps "push air" like tubes...the Orange SS amps push serious air.
This amp sounds a lot like the EMC heads from the 70s that I've played. Great sounding amp!
Man TTK wasn't kidding when he said it was affordable. I like solid state, not necessarily over tube, they both have their place. One isn't "better" than the other, just different. In this case, if you want a high quality product for a reasonable price, you may have found it. Would almost guarantee this becomes one of Orange' s best sellers.
Congratulations on getting featured on the Orange website!
Great review man! But please cut those eye poking string ends off! Made me nervous! lol
Sounds killer. Thinking on the 60w combo version for practice and smaller venues.
Best solid state ever! I'll take 6 of them. I want the 60 combo, the 120 combo and the heads in both colors.
Got the orange cr120c combo and later got Orange crpro 4x12 extension cab to run a 3/4 stack, most punchy insane tone I have had in a long time (with pedals in front), used it for a m pro gig in NYC and delivered like heck
Came here out of curiosity after seeing a CR 120 in the background of an interview with Body Popper Boogaloo Shrimp of the movie Breakin' (Breakdance). I'm not a guitarist but enjoyed the review. Thanks.
Own one of these, very happy with it!
Great job here TTK! Any chance we can get a quick A/B of this and the Rockerverb. Maybe a blind sound test would be nice and maybe use a variety of tones (mid-humped, scooped, flat, bass heavy, maybe throw in a pedal or two etc). Yeah, we don't ask for much do we? ;)
Tube amp misery is not just a phrase, it's a reality. Even tube snobs will keep their ears tuned in to the latest developments in solid state tone and reliability if they're smart.
Jay, you are crazy!
I like the idea of these amps, and I play through the cr60 every week at band. I'm sure these sound really good in person but idk if it was his guitar or just the environment but the gain channel didn't sound too good imo. Maybe pedals would fix that. Do these respond well to active pickups?
Just bought this Amp head, its killer with my les paul,,but works great with my vintage Strats,,in fact i keep in on dirty channel with my strats, gets that clean but awesome breakup for Great Blues Tones..best Solid State Amp EVER
I'm really loving the sound on this Amp but What wattage speaker can you put on it without blowing the Speaker ? Thanks Louis !
HUTCHfromBA I’m waaaaaayyy to late but if anyone else is wondering about this, it’s 120 watts RMS. Would recommend playing through a cab with 120 watts rms or more.
that actually sounds amazing
AxeFXII I would say is one hell of not only a SS system but so is my Rack HD POD Pro. People have to realize yes tube amps are nice but are very limited compared to where everything is going. I will go with new technology so if its tube or solid state who cares im so sick of this argument !! Gear is gear to many hate on SS because in the back of there mind they think tubes will be obsolete one day. Which I doubt will happen.
*****
Yeah, this and the Blackstar ID series have blown my mind in terms of what's capable with SS these days. There are a lot of great sounding distortion pedals out now that sound very warm and amp-like as well. This is an interesting time to live in if you play guitar.
Great point Daniel Urry like Bugera people were complaining that they sucked and never played I bought one 333xl and will never sell it.Some people like Ford Some Like Chevy but then some like Mercedes Benz. But Great point.
***** I use a Line6 POD HD Pro Rack Buy one. Its the best money ever spent. I run mine thru a Samson XP 150 I also when I want that over the top Tube Sound with a Solid State preamp so fourth will run this thrue the return of my Bugera 333xl using just the power section of tubes and whats nice about the Bugera you have send and return volume levels on your loop. Or I just send it right thrue the clean channel either way I can get what I really love a combination of the 2. If it came down to it I would take my Line6 POD Pro HD Rack over everything because every effect and every sound i have ever wanted is in that unit. I love Solid State also by the way i have an Old Randall USA Made RG200ES. Randall was the first ss amps that sounded great because they use huge Darlington Transistors. They look like UFOs nickel plated top hats you might say. I like The interface on the PC with the Line6 also. I will make this statement I wish I had not sold my Peavey Vypyr 100 2x12 man I loved that and it was my practice amp i would take along with me to jam. A friend who got me into guitars quit playing then he started back up and he came over old Peavey fan saw that amp and one of my Jacksons and lets say he made me an offer i could not refuse. Im sure if TK gives his approval of this amp it is perfect. I really hate retubing amps its very expensive.We have a number of companies who have stepped up and have made insanely sounding SS amps. I never thought Prange would do it, Im g;lad they did because here in the US they are not affordable the tube amps that is. But at 499 in a year I will get one for 300 off of Craigslist.
Drinking game! Take a shot every time TTK says "let's face it."
I tried the Combo version (the 60) at GC the other day. I was impressed. Cleans are great, and Drive is freaking killer sounding. This is actually a great amp for metal. \m/
I was also able to dial it back and get some nice versatile tones for Rock and Blues. Definitely a great amp for gigging and recording.
I now own one of these, I really like the tone and the reverbs. It does scare me that it smells like hot paint when its played awhile, but not burnt. I also am not sure if its the cab set up or the amp, but after awhile it starts to lose its gain. I'll do some more research, but as of right now for the price this thing is pretty awesome,. I use it ABY and it keeps up great with my 100 watt tube head and blends great. I'll check on the cab and write back.
Heard these catch on fire!
Love Orange amps. Love solid-state heads. This definitely works for me!
I think its great for the giging musician who goes out and needs reliable good tone! This cr120 sounds good! Love to see the Tone king push it with a OD pedal in front maybe a tube screamer on next video. ...
I’m listening on my Vizio tv sound bar and man does it sound great 👍
I got to play one of these a couple months back, and I will say they play very nicely. Orange has hit a home run with it. Just too high gain for what I was needing :P
At this price point - I agree - it's a home run!
Honestly, it is among the best heads I've played for under $1000
hey tone king.thank you. i have several amps that are tube and a randall rg100es. just different tools for different fools. so much out there these days. how would you compare this to an old randall rg100? just picked up that rg13 you demo'ed. but was torn between that isp theta pre-amp pedal.that sounds sweet also ttk,are you a dealer. you got my attention w/this little guy.cheers,mjs-
just bought one...too cheap not to...it got the better of me...ha ha ha!!! Louis, do you have a Demo of the EVH 5150 III cuase i haven't seen one from you?
This review was EXACTLY what i was looking for. Bedroom player. Tubes are proving to be to expensive for what little I play. Was looking at the Peavey Vypers after your reviews. BUT this is exactly what I was looking For. THANKS TTK! Ordering NOW! Excellent review
wow - Thank you Chrome Warrior! Glad it helped you out!
its weird,i played the hell out of my jcm800-100 watt and never retubed it in 15 years.i honestly dont get this necessity of retubing a head monthly.its really fucking stupid to be honest and ridiculously redundant(burn money if you like,i dont have enough to do this)too many people listening with their eyes instead of ears or following bullshit advice.
change your tubes when they break,act up or sound bad which essentially is NEVER in my opinion.this amp sounds ok but it sure as hell doesn't hold a candle to my Marshall ,Traynor,peavy,fender or mesa amps.(that ive spent zero on re tubing)
solid state is good for low volume bedroom practice stuff IMO,or cleans like certain fenders or a roland jazz chorus 120 (love these amps for cleans)i have a mustang and i really like it when i cant crank the tube amps up.but its usefulness is limited.
Always like the sound Orange gives you. Good vid.
Not a fan of orange amps but this one rocked!! I'd get one if I was in the market to get a new amp
For giging there is nothing not to love about solid state IMO. They are lighter and you don't have to worry about tubes blowing etc. But for the studio I could never bring myself to record with one.
Queens of the Stone Age..... Red Fang......
Well done solid state, but is it really going for roughly half a grand? I hope I just got the model number wrong or something.
I mean c'mon you gotta throw something a little extra for that price. SS is flexible, I feel like there should be a nice XLR or something out for recording. If that was there I'd probably snatch this up right away and live happily ever after.
Great Sounding From a Solid State Amp !
and a Great New Year For You Louis Keep Up The Good Demos !
Thank you Yves! Appreciate the kind word! Rock ON!
my new favourite amp!!
Those cleans
Man I love the Tone King BC Rich MockingBird !!! Abouttime Orange puts a solid state amp out. There Tube amps are too expensive in The US. For SS it sounds pretty good acts like a Tube. How much doe s it cost??
First of all, great review!
My question regarding the amp, how does the CR120 handle the pedals, specially those more "tube-oriented" such as TS-808?? Thanks!
A Maxon OD808 paired with this sounds great.
kel townsend I use as ts9 reissue with this and it works amazing!
Absolutely right, gentlemen. My modded Boss SD1 works awesome. Many thanks!!!
Excellent review. I'm looking for a portable and reliable head with nice cleans and distorted sounds and that CR120 might do it for me. Any suggestion for a lightweight cabinet that would fit those 120W? The Orange 2x12 open back weights in 23.6kg: not too heavy but everything counts when you are your own roady ;o)
This just sold me 👍🏼
Its a great amp for the price, but i feel it sounds better on the dirty chanel. Ive been running mine with the gain down and slightly dirty to get some break up. The clean chanel only has a treble and bass with no mid adjustment. I personally feel its missing the warmth you get from tubes. Also i feel it isnt really that loud for a 120w, i have a 40w fender that is just as loud. Reverb is ok but not outstanding. Overall for the price its worth every penny.
Man I love your playing on this vid.
Rock On!
Got mine plugged into a PPC 1x12 with a vintage 30 driver. Playing with a Les Paul (Gothic), Fender plus deluxe (lace sensor pups) and a Gretsch electromatic (blacktop filtron pups) and it sounds great with all of them. The clean channel is as good as any Fender and goes into a nice break up around 1'oclock From 70's driven sound eg: Zep/Free to hard driven stoner tones are easily dialled in. Heavier sounds (AC/DC - GnR) are on tap, just push the gain and tweak the mid/treble. Higher gain sounds are there but probably need the right guitar/pups and cab. Reliable, well built, versatile. Just an all round great amp. If you're not sure go check one out.
Severinate dudeeee your speakers gonna blow. Since you commented 4 months ago, I think your 1x12 bas already blown xD
Not if he's using the Orange PPC 112 Cab. It's 16ohm cab and the Amp will not blow it!! In fact according to Orange, to use the FULL 120w you have to be running 8ohms. At 16ohms your only running the Amp at 60w!!! That's according to Orange! Thant's why they have 2x16ohm Speaker Jacks!
TR do you believe this Amp stands up against tube Amps at the lower end of the scale or even at the higher end of the scale??
I'm presuming it probably doesnt sound as good as the actual Rockerverb but I suppose if it sounds anything close to that it is probably pretty awesome??
thank you for the great review and the talk after the demo, that was really great.
For a future video idea, can you run two of the micro terrors together? I was looking for a budget rig and that seems to be a great idea. I just have not seen a demo of those two run together at once, plus it would be a great instructional video for anyone who doesnt know how to run two amps at the same time!
Some advice for you Bro: Save your money and GO BIG!
Hey TK, love your videos I'm a subscriber. I was just wondering if you can possibly do a comparison between the Orange PPC212-OB and the Orange PPC212-C. It would truly be a big help for me in choosing between the two. Thanks Best Regards.
Nice would anyone prefer this over some thing like a marshal dsl40 or 15
I do
Yes yes yes,this amp will smoke a marshall,Marshall, have 11 amps including a Marshall dsl amp and a huge and kettner whice was my favorite until I got the orange.
I have this amp, and depending on what you play, an Overdrive and a noise gate will be needed. The amp does well for punk, but the dirty channel by itself doesn't seem to do well for modern metal.
Jukle0 Doesnt do well for modern metal. I believe this amp sounds similar to a rockerverb mark II and Jim Root uses a Rockerverb in Slipknot and Stone Sour. If you lower the volume to 1 or 2 then crank up the gain to the max and max out the volume on the channel you can get a Slipknot tone easy. One thing, it would also help if you equip high output pickups or even use a gain boost would help achieve a metal tone.
If the volume isnt loud enough crank up the volume. \m/
+Jukle0 it wasn't built for metal man, so don't compare it to metal, look for mesa boogie if your wanting some metal. or a orange tiny terror
+Jukle0 play classic metal instead then :)
Jukle0 Paired with my Gibson Les Paul this amp is perfect for a thick classic metal sound. Think 80's Judas Priest but thicker tone
Great review 👍- fantastic playing my friend
There are very good SS amp.
Does this come with 12ax7. Some soildstate amp have one or two.
But, there's a fuse on back that would need changed besides the 12ax7.
This amp sounds so much better in person, I was a marshall then huges and kettner guy this will smoke both of them plus you can go from bedroom to stage and they take most pedels really well. I can plug in my dsl 20 and it sounds like a turd compared to the Orange.
Hey I love your videos! Could you do a video playing this with a guitar that has active pickups? I think you'll get a great sound on the dirty channel. I bought mine on friday!
Is it pedal friendly? Or is the best distortion you'll get come from the amp itself?
Whodat ! i use the dirty channel set to about 6 on the gain, boosted with a maxon od808, and it sounds brutal
For home practising, should i get the jim root terror or this one? Grtz from belgium
Hey tone king, i bought this head and a ppc 2x12 cab. which side of the outputs do i plug into?. im not familiar with omhs
What cab are you playing out of?? I'm looking into possibly purchasing a Jet City USA 4x12 cab with this amp head.
Is it any problem for me to use this head to plug a bass? I looking for a head which i can use for gig playing my bass and practice guitar at home. I really love the orange amps for both guitar and bass.
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. . . holey mosie messa boogie !! . . thisissa demo to killoff all other demos TTK you just made me feel like i gotta rush down the street and get one of these orange squash ampli things and i dont even have a guitar ! orange gotta pay you a percentage on their sales man [ btw . . is the vid done in your bedroom ? ]
I like you're wallpaper.
Is this head roughly sound modeled after the CR line of practice amps? I really enjoy those little practice amp and they pedal up wonderfully with a fuzz pedal or a tubescreamer.
This amp is a whole different beast entirely really. If anything its modeled after the rockerverb. Oranges whole goal with this was to capture the sound of the rocker verb in an SS head.
always nice reviews TTK!
I changed my profile and forgot to re-subscribe, and i missed your reviews! ahaha
I would definitely buy this, but my framus 2x12 cab is 8ohms, and this amp has only 16 ohm outputs...
I am running my Orange CR120H into a Randal RG412 Cab that is 8ohms and it sounds great.
I know I am way too late but if anyone else reads this; The amp does offer outputs for 8 ohm and 16 ohm cabs.
beautiful guitar sir!
I think I heard him say it can be ran through an 8 ohm cab. it says 8 ohm minimum on the back of the amp.
Great demo!
whats a cheap cab you recommend for this head?
What cab are you running it through?
lovin the fuzzed out low end on there, not tight and sterile like I expected it to be. I bet pimp slapping the front of this with a Tubescreamer would be tone nirvana.
Do you have to plug in 2 cabs in order not to damage the amp ?
HUTCHfromBA nigga what
I was really waiting for a saturated high gain tone...
Something so many people miss out :/
Yea I'm trying to decide if I want this amp but if it won't do high gain stuff I don't.
Hey TTK, dont you want to give me one of those orange micro terrors in the background? lol, great review as always.
I use high gain for my bands style of music, and at gigging volumes, the feedback is almost unbearable. Any recommendations for an affordable noise gate pedal that does not suck the tone and cut off your notes?
mxr's noise clamp is pretty great
if you play high gain, i would go for a decent noise gate, don't go for cheap, save money a little longer and buy an ISP Decimator or Boss NS2 :) IMHO
I would also try out other guitars in the same conditions if you can and see if the problem lies with your guitar. I've played my Schecter guitar with high output EMGs thru this amp at loud volumes, and the feedback was not unmanagable - meaning it was totally fine unless you stand there not muting the strings in which case anything would feed back.
Seen a comparison between this and the rockeverb and honestly I can't see much of a difference. Difference being the PRICE . Not gigging around and worrying about it being stolen and beat up. It's one of the better solid state heads I've heard
Pretty sure I will get 1 of these.
What guitar is it? I like it so much
Marc Domínguez bc rich mockingbird
Can i run this with a 112 Orange Cab? And if that's possible, do i plug it in the two jacks or just in the left on the cab.
Thanks.
cabs are rated for tube amps, not SS. 120 SS watts is only equal to a 40 watt tube amp. a 60 watt cab will be fine.
@@michaelbell75 really?
great review
any idea on using this for metlacore or beatdown type stuff
tone..my ?? continues to be..okay it sounds good..great..but why would you not get a peavy..valveking..100..you can get many tube heads just as loud..and people's first question is..does it sound like tube?? just get a tube amp..retubing isn't bad..anymore w self biasing..my tubes last a long while...i just don't get it???do you?
dude what is the tuning you're in? xD
great review btw
Drop C#
I got one coming in the mail
Can you add a 2x12 cab to the 2x12 combo?
Yes, absolutely...can even add a 4x12!
Thats just evil for the neighbors lmao
can i run this into my 60w orange ppc112 cab? or will i blow the speakers?
I have same question. Have you tried to hook this with ur cab? What happen?
This. Amp. Rules.
what Cab is this being played through?
Q: Is there a pedal that comes with the head to go from dirty to clean?
No. The amps do not come with the pedal. Orange makes both a one and two channel pedal. If you think it sucks to buy the pedal, just save $200 and purchase the amp used, trust me the used ones are killer deals.
Excellent!
is it any good for music like A Day to Remember or Memphis May Fire?
Well ... Kevin Skaff (ADTR) does use a RockerVerb on quite a few songs , mainly the more Punk influenced songs . If you like the tone from songs like "Homesick" and "All I Want" that's the sorta tone he has (with his RockerVerb)
The Heavvvyyy sound is a 6505+ or a Duel Rectifier .
Memphis May Fire .... 6505+ or a Duel Rectifier For the Heavy stuff .
(sleepless nights) You CAN get a uber heavy sound out of the RockerVerb amp
BUT Orange is less "cutting" then a 6505+ , it is sludgy and very "heavy" in the way that it is big and fat .
But seriously , this Amp can get you there , slap on an OD , tighten it up , and you're ready to rock .
Over Drive . Like a tube Screamer or something . A lot of bands use an Over Drive to tighten up their sound or get a little more "cut" to the sound . Jon Forbes
Cool amp