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Orange had the best distortion and Fender had the best clean sound. Vox and Marshall were versatile and sounded great dirty and clean. Honestly can’t go wrong with any of these.
I liked all of them, but I think the Marshall and the Orange were the most lively of the bunch. Great warm clean tones and both had solid overdrive channels to boot!
1. Orange 2. Marshall (almost a tie) 3. Vox. 4. Fender, mostly bcz the gain is so horrific and it also has just about the worst reverb I've heard in my life.
Please never stop making these! This is the most thorough and coherent comparison of amps I have ever seen, and as a bonus you were playing beautifully (without boomer blues riffing lol)
Very good indeed. Thanks for the time and it was very thoughtful. My two cents: Orange is a masterpiece. Clean and driven. Vox has a pristine, divine clean sound, and its eq works miracles. Marshall deliver that punch bass under driven mode: now we know why Iron Maiden has carved their riffs! So, my choice would be, considering all factors: 1. Orange 2. Marshall 3. Vox 4. Fender
@@jaycee30865 I thought I was the only one. My dad bought for himself but never used it lol, 15W tube is way too loud. Tried to crank it past 2 and get overdrive, it's impossible lol
I have a BJIII sitting for years collecting dust… sounded like someone was sticking an ice pick in my ears. I eventually swapped the speaker to an Eminence Texas Heat and it made a huge difference. I’ve also found a compressor pedal really helps with these amps and makes them sound much less shrill.
In my opinion, the Marshall sounded the most “balanced” in terms of clean and distortion. Nonetheless, I prefer the Orange because I love the “darker” tone it gives, as well as the mids they naturally have in it. It doesn’t hurt that, at the moment, my definition of “perfect tone” is my Rocker 15 cranked up 100% ;) Always enjoy your reviews, no talking, actually demonstrating the amp’s variables, etc,. Keep it up!
I just started messing around with the Rocker 15. I haven't tried with any pedals yet, but the distortion gets a bit over the top past 1 o'clock, and a bit synthetic sounding. Mind you, I've been mostly in the 'bedroom' setting.
If I were buying a lower watt combo I'd have trouble choosing between the Orange and the Marshall they both sounded fantastic. The Vox was pretty good, and this demo really didn't do anything for the Blues Junior.
This is superbly done. The Marshall is probably the most versatile, followed by the orange which sounds a little fuller and bassier. Vox has spectacular clean but starts to flub as you crank it. The fender didn’t impress me at all.
One of THE BEST shootout style videos I have seen! They all sounded great for different reasons, and, for my ear and style, I would either choose the Vox (which I’ve owned) or the Marshall, but the real star here is your video! You’ve made it very easy to tell the differences in the amps… and you’ve won a new subscriber!!
Excellent, thorough comparison review - and thanks for not talking over it: the sounds speak for themselves. I was surprised to find that I preferred the Orange. It hasn't been a brand I've favoured in the past. The Vox would be my second choice, the Marshall my third: but the top three are all quite close, only separated by features that i personally would find useful. The Fender was a disappointment on everything but cleans: it sounded muffled, or compressed. Then I looked at the prices. Best value for money: the Marshall, which seems to do most things well. Worst: the Fender, but one has to allow for it being an imported American product.
Amazing work! Thanks! I liked all amps for different things. Vox for great cleans with sparkles, but not for dirty tones. Marshall for higher gain. Orange seems to be great for everything (was pleasantly surprised by its cleans), and Fender for smoother jazzy cleans, but not for dirty.
They all sound great! I personally have the Marshall Origin 50H and vertical 2x12 cab, and it is an amazing amp! VERY versatile and takes pedals wonderfully. I love your demos, they make me want to feed my GAS; unfortunately, space in my jam room is a limitation.
I recently bought two amps for a home usage - Vox AC10 and Orange Rocker 15. I ended playing only a rocker - it is absolutelly fantastic. Ant that comes from someone who had been playing Rockerverb 50 mkII head with a 2x12 cab. Most important function on a rocker is the Bedroom mode, which is priceless for a flat usage. Also it has a perfect tube driven fx loop, so you just buy a great reverb and there you go.)
Moral of the story: They all sound good. I do think that for passive tone controls flat eq is all tones dialed all the way up. They only cut the assigned frequency range within the basic tone of the amp, they don't boost it. At full up, no tones are being boosted or cut. For active eq, I think of all tone controls at 0 as flat eq, since no tones are being boosted or cut.
im waiting on a Marshall Origin 20c right now from Sweetwater. This video definitely solidified my choice. I was torn between the Fender Blues Junior IV and the marshall but dang that marshall sounds so good comparatively. the attenuator built in helps a ton too. This video is way better than any of the other marshall/blues junior reviews out there. straight to the point and easy comparisons
I am with you all the way with the Marshall and I dont generally like them. I have the Orange but no reverb, I intended to downdsize from my FBD and buy a Blues Junior in the belief I would get 90% of the sounds I want and help my back but I am getting the Marshall, the Vox is heavier ( weight) than my FBD
I've been gigging with an Origin 20c for about a year and like it a lot. I also own a Blues Jr IV but it's a heavier amp and doesn't have power scaling so I'll be selling it soon. The other guitarist in my band has the Rocker 15 combo which is very similar in features, having a 10 inch speaker, same weight (29 lbs) and power scaling. What essentially sets the 2 amps apart is the use of EL84s in the power section of the Orange and EL34s in the Marshall. I prefer the 'girthier' sound of EL34 tubes. Ironically it's the tube that made both Marshall and Orange famous famous. EL84s sound a bit tame, creamier at times. In fact three out of the four amps compared here are powered by EL84s, which is why the Marshall stands out to me, with its bigger-sounding EL34s. I'm not sure how Marshall got a pair of EL34s down to just 20w when they're rated at a potential 25w *each*. I assume it has to do with output transformer design. Also the Marshall is the least expensive of the four, I believe.
Can’t beat the power scaling on the orange and the overall versatility! Also, if you have some pedals and play with eq you can get some vox tones with it too!
The power scaling is what swung me to the orange, love the ability to be able to scale the volume down for home practice while maintaining the tone I want.
They only thing this has done is made me realize that no amp is a “pure guitar sound” and they all have characteristics and now I’m struggling even more to find an amp I like 😂😂
I have a G10 Greenback in my Origin 20c plus changed all the tubes for Harma Retro Premium which are based on original 60s/70s Mullards. The amp sounds like it really should do giving classic Marshall tones from the 60s/70s.
I ended up getting the blues jr with the celestion a type 12” speaker. Such a great blues amp. I love the fat boost and that you can get sound from perfect cleans to pretty dirty within the amps settings. Great buy and thanks for the video again.
This opened my ears to the orange sounds, i have marshalls and voxes and have used them exclusively since 68. I think i might need to add an orange to my amp arsenal in the future. Thanks for your comprehensive comparison, best one ive heard to date.
I was contemplating swapping out my Origin for a Blues Jr but I think I'll spare myself the effort and keep my Origin. Thank you for the stellar comparison.
@@Tone-OzYes, Sir! I'm actually pairing my Origin with a DSL40 combo and I love it. The DSL adds bottom end to the Origin for my cleans, and the Origin adds color and sub EQs to the DSL for the heavy tones. The Origin is great for strat tones which is what brought me to this video. I've heard some great demos of the Blues Jr, but it's better to have a side by side comparison like this to distinguish whether it's worth the hassle of trading for a Fender. I think either one is great for what I'm doing.
@@colinmcnab6145 man, I've been giving a lot of consideration to a swap since I got it so I appreciate the tip! You may have just saved me a ton of time by avoiding the Origin speaker swap forum rabbit hole. I'll for sure let you know how it goes.
Marshall here, but it depends on what kind of mysic you play, and eventually on the guitar type and how its set. Orange, I would play some Alien Ant Farm "these days" with it, it would be killer. I would definitely play some ACDC and eventually White Zombie- Thunder Kiss '65 with the Marshall or Vox, Vox would be curious to see how it would cope, Fender, well I would go blues SRV, Freddy King clearly, bridge pickup, tubescreamer with slight touch of fuzz face and cranked to the 🦴 to go over that boxy blanket covered sound. Basically I would buy all of them 🤯, problem solved 🙏. By the way, great work with this video Sir.
I swap amps continually but, ive had theorange for a year now with absolutely no complaints, its great for low vol but still great tone, if you want pristine fender style cleans just put a compressor in front of it , id buy another definitely.
Orange sounded best here but I feel like the ac15 has more to give. Finding the good tones in them is really down to knowing how the EQ works and it's not like a normal 3 knob EQ, it's more interactive
I love all of them in this demo. Although I’ve never played a tube version of an orange. The stores near me just don’t stock them. I would love to explore more sounds on a vox but unfortunately haven’t had a chance. Thanks for the videos. Keep up the work of the rock gods ❤
Thanks! One of the best gear demos I've ever seen. For me the Origin 20 really shines in this. The cleans out-do the Blues Jr IMO and the dirty sounds are classic Marshall. The Orange is impressive too, and probably more usable live than the Origin because of the 2 channels.
This is a fantastic and really objective comparison under similar conditions for each one. I’ll say I had some different opinions with my eyes closed compared to watching the video. Good work.
Vox & Orange for cleans. Orange & Marshall for dirt. Double track & pan ‘em! The Fender had a bit of boxy-ness going on. I suspect a different speaker and cab would mitigate that but not necessarily a bad sounding amp by any means.
I play Orange today but have had Marshall and Fender. All great amps for a studio to keep on hand for tailoring the sound you want for a particular production. Good job on this video!
I have 3 out of 4 of these amps, the Marshall, Vox, and Fender. For me it's a tie for #1 between the Marshall and Vox. I got the Fender before it had any other competition but compared to these other three it is not that impressive and pretty much obsolete now. I'm gonna sell the Fender but I'm keeping the other two.
Toby another great example of what is out there at the moment for small low wattage valve amps. Each has it's own flavour especially that mid range, and how the gain structure changes as the volume or gain is dialed in. i Iiked the Marshall for it's balance between clean and crunch the Vox for it's chime but setting it up does require a little tinkering.The Orange just has this roar but also not bad at cleans it's in your face while the Fender seems to be middle of the road jack of all trades. I have owned all these amps at some stage and to hit that sweet spot you need them turned up. Just make sure your neighbours have gone out for the day and you'll soon notice bedroom levels are not helping these amps sound at there optimum.
I used to own a Marshall Origin 50H, but later switched to my current Marshall Studio Vintage 20H(which is the best amp I ever have played so far). Recently I purchased the Origin 5C, and it is sitting right beside me at this particular moment, haha. The Marshall Origin is honestly not in the same level as the other amps in this video, rather in terms of tone or in terms of price. However, it is a great amp for the price!
Changed out the tubes and speaker in the Origin 20c and I guarantee it will blow the other 3 amps away all round. I know I've done it and it's now a killer amp if you are looking for 60s tones think Clapton with the Bluesbreakers or Cream, Paul Kossoff Free, Peter Green or Mick Taylor with the Bluesbreakers. Obviously this is with the appropriate type of guitar Les Paul Standard or SG Standard or any low wind humbucker equipped guitar.
Fabulous video- so useful to have them like this. I’m going to say the AC15 and Origin 20 are my favorites here, though the Orange really grew on me for the clean sounds. And I’ve been playing a Fender amp for 20 years 😂
My opinion on these: Orange: Globally heavy but warm sounds, great for Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and even blues/jazz Marshall: Globally light and bright tone, great for Rock and Hard Rock Vox: Dry sound even harsh, good for Hard Rock Fender: Very clean and warm tone, better without effect, good for jazz, funk and even blues with light overdrive (I prefer Orange and Fender)
Surprised by how much I liked the Marshall but the orange was my favourite. I don’t really like the hollow sound of vox and the fender just seemed quite muffled /woolly. As usual a really great way of doing a review
Garvin Terry: that's why pedals exist, these modern tube amps today are designed with pedals in mind. it's been that way for the last 10 years, people who couldn't afford an AC30, a Marshall JCM800, or a Fender Deluxe, these small tube amps sort of let people relive what all the greats used. that being said i hear what you're saying, ya there are differences with each, but i mentioned pedals for a reason. each one of these amps has it's own clean channel, Fender is usually known for there clean channel, but there usually not as good as others when it comes to high gain and overdrive. but that's where a drive could be used through the clean channel. Orange has a nice clean channel, but it has a slightly darker clean tone that would be a great fit for high gain and distortion. the Marshall is kinda balanced, but i don't think the Vox sounded muffled. Vox has never had a bright clean channel, but a clean boost pedal can easily solve that problem. personally i like having a clean channel that's not so bright or dark, because you can choose the type of pedals to get what you want out of the amp.
Dallas Rangemaster style booster (Catalinbread Naga Viper) into a moderately cranked Vox will push it into proper territory. The Orange sounds stellar and with a straight clean channel makes for a perfect pedal platform amp.
Didn’t think I would say this, because I don’t like Vox amps. But the Vox and and the Blues Jr I think sounded the best on this. And I am really more of a Marshall guy. The Orange I didn’t like at all. It sounded like a solid state with digital modulation. The Marshall version didn’t have the characteristics of the iconic Marshalls.
I own the Marshall Origin 20 and use it with a Two Notes Captor 8 and 4x12 Celestion Greenback IR's, this way I can get "cranked" tones without anoying everyone. I also own a Fender Blues Jr but mostly use it for John Mayer and SRV type stuff with my Honey Bee Amps Double Trouble. Although they can sound somewhat similar the gain and EQ are quitte different.
I always get suprised how good Orange and Marshall cleans. I'd be happy with any of three, the Blues Junior sounds really boxy with gain, not impressed at all. I guess the Vox has more a particular character of sound where the other two cover more basses. If Marshall put a reverb tank in that would be the plain winner.
IMO,VOX's clean is way better than BJ's. Even Fender Pro Junior's clean is better than BJ. As another guy said"That poor Fender sounded like it was in a closet behind some thick ass jackets. " I have no idea why BJ still here, clean sound? worse than the cheaper one Fender Pro Junior,dirt sound? Come on, that's not Fender's job.
I put a cannabis rex speaker and an effects loop in my Jr. And it's become my #1 club amp. You really do wanna have a good low gain o.d. so you can crank the master and add pre gain to get to the level you want..I like the zendrive. Sometimes an angry charlie on the edge of breakup then boost with a screamer for leads. Best pedal amp you can buy for the money. Just gotta know how to use it.
And honestly the cleans weren’t anything to tote about when all the amps had pretty nice cleans, plus I’m a fan of warm creamy/fluffy cleans with a bit more mids like the other amps, adds some more character to it.
Marshall and Vox for best dirty ... Fender best for cleans Vox was close ... Orange for certain metal or grunge ... Their all good depending on what you're trying to do...
I really like the Blues Jr in isolation, I think it's my favourite. But I think the AC15 really cuts through the mix in full band context, as does the Marshall.
1. Fender 2. Marshall 3. Vox 4. Orange All great...difficult to rank as sound is subjective and everyone hears differently. It's all about the tones you're looking for.
Marshall and Orange are great... BUT I just wonder why they lack reverb... It would have been great to hear them in a mix (to see who shines more). Anyway fantastic comparison, thank you.
I have this Marshall Origin 20. It is good. I am surprised how good the others also are. Each is different and I’m sure can be set to make a great sound. I still own an AC30, Fender Concert (from 1963) a Marshall JMP 2204 master vol with a 4x12 quad(from the late 70’s), but they are too loud for small bars these days. The output control is very useful for dialling in the sound at low volumes……. until the drummer starts up🤣
Great demo! I love the Marshall power tube overdrive sound! The origin amps sound a little trebly but I bet with a little eq you can get a killer tone.
Orange then the AC15 because of the full spectrum. The Marshall does what a Marshall does which is cut through a heavy mix because of the lack of bottom end. That poor Fender sounded like it was in a closet behind some thick ass jackets. I'm about clarity and girth so whether I'm playing clean or dirty doesn't matter, the order is still the same. Some really nice playing, btw!
I really like the Vox cleans and the Orange raunch, I have a Rocker 30 and a Vox AC15C1X, I'll have to see if my attenuator works with my Orange so I can have dirt at lowish volume level, a stereo rig with the Vox would be very nice.
What a great comparison shootout. Love how you show all the dials being tweaked - Gives a great understanding of how each amp works. I was surprised about the Orange amp. Seemed a good all-rounder but I can't like those dial icons! What's what!?! Cheers
Just stumbled on your excellent video. Guess out of all these amps, I've seen more of the Vox AC15 backline on stages in festivals etc than the others, maybe a few Blues jrs, but as a sound guy, the Vox really holds up on stage in a band situation.
To me its the vox. I like the sound the most and its more responsive to eq changes than the fender and marshall. Power scaling is a nice feature but w master volume its not necessary imo. Only down side is u cant change the mids.
Brilliant video!!!... I bought a tweed Blues Jr IV with a "Red White Blues" speaker from Eminence. It sounds like it has a blanket over it !!.. This very well produced video confirms this 100%. The BJ4 is VERY mid focused...and its almost impossible to EQ out the overpowering mid frequencies. Sending back the blues Jr for an Origin 20 head with a 2x12 cab. Again, Thanks so much for this info. 🙏 I wish I would have watched this before ordering the Blues Jr.
This was an insanely helpful video! I have a Blues Jr and I've been considering adding a second amp to complement it, and pretty much was looking at all three of these! Thanks for doing this!
Watching in 2024, great video. I’m looking for my first (relatively) tube amp. I’m surprised by how much I disliked the Blues Jr. The other three each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but I think the Vox wins as the most overall. I might have to investigate the Marshall some more though
Yes, the BJ has ugly distorted tones, unusable. But if you notice, it has the fuller, more balanced and rich clean tone, which makes it perfect for pedals. This is how I use it. The video is amazing but won't tell you everything.
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Can we talk about the real star of this video which is the editing
Don't underestimate how great a Vox sounds in a mix.
Orange had the best distortion and Fender had the best clean sound. Vox and Marshall were versatile and sounded great dirty and clean. Honestly can’t go wrong with any of these.
I liked all of them, but I think the Marshall and the Orange were the most lively of the bunch. Great warm clean tones and both had solid overdrive channels to boot!
In my opinion, Vox is always the winner.👌
1. Orange 2. Marshall (almost a tie) 3. Vox. 4. Fender, mostly bcz the gain is so horrific and it also has just about the worst reverb I've heard in my life.
The Marshall sucked
They all seem to be good at something
Orange has good specific distortion Marshall has a great versatile distortion and so does vox fender is good but only for blues and clean
Please never stop making these! This is the most thorough and coherent comparison of amps I have ever seen, and as a bonus you were playing beautifully (without boomer blues riffing lol)
I just missed some boomer blues riffs...
"boomer bends"
orange rocker 15 + eq pedal in loop = EVERYTHING. amazing amp
The Marshall has my vote, That was probably the best amp comparison video I've seen! nice work, more playing less talking!
Very good indeed. Thanks for the time and it was very thoughtful.
My two cents:
Orange is a masterpiece. Clean and driven.
Vox has a pristine, divine clean sound, and its eq works miracles.
Marshall deliver that punch bass under driven mode: now we know why Iron Maiden has carved their riffs!
So, my choice would be, considering all factors:
1. Orange
2. Marshall
3. Vox
4. Fender
I like them all for their individuality, for me there is no 'best'. Its why i can't stop buying different amps lol.
Story of my life 😂
Smartest & most objective opinion ...
Fell in love with the Marshall’s sound
For the Blues Jr you need to max the master volume and adjust the gain volume to your desired volume to get a good sound. It makes a big difference.
Blues jr sounds like it has a blanket over it.
I have played through a Pro Junior III, same story; the Fender amps I have tried all sound boxy and as if their was a blanket over them
As always.
@@jaycee30865 I thought I was the only one. My dad bought for himself but never used it lol, 15W tube is way too loud. Tried to crank it past 2 and get overdrive, it's impossible lol
I have a BJIII sitting for years collecting dust… sounded like someone was sticking an ice pick in my ears. I eventually swapped the speaker to an Eminence Texas Heat and it made a huge difference. I’ve also found a compressor pedal really helps with these amps and makes them sound much less shrill.
The Tweed with the Jensen speaker doesn't
In my opinion, the Marshall sounded the most “balanced” in terms of clean and distortion. Nonetheless, I prefer the Orange because I love the “darker” tone it gives, as well as the mids they naturally have in it. It doesn’t hurt that, at the moment, my definition of “perfect tone” is my Rocker 15 cranked up 100% ;)
Always enjoy your reviews, no talking, actually demonstrating the amp’s variables, etc,. Keep it up!
Orange Rocker on the natural channel cranked is my happy place
I just started messing around with the Rocker 15. I haven't tried with any pedals yet, but the distortion gets a bit over the top past 1 o'clock, and a bit synthetic sounding. Mind you, I've been mostly in the 'bedroom' setting.
@@T_Dey to me anything under half power makes the distortion sound a bit thin and fizzy.
The marshal sucked
If I were buying a lower watt combo I'd have trouble choosing between the Orange and the Marshall they both sounded fantastic. The Vox was pretty good, and this demo really didn't do anything for the Blues Junior.
while actually the blues junior is a fantastic amp ! It's probably better to try it in real life instead of only relying on a video.
Blues Juniors are mid imo. It was the most boring sounding amp that I have ever played.
This is superbly done. The Marshall is probably the most versatile, followed by the orange which sounds a little fuller and bassier. Vox has spectacular clean but starts to flub as you crank it. The fender didn’t impress me at all.
One of THE BEST shootout style videos I have seen! They all sounded great for different reasons, and, for my ear and style, I would either choose the Vox (which I’ve owned) or the Marshall, but the real star here is your video! You’ve made it very easy to tell the differences in the amps… and you’ve won a new subscriber!!
Excellent, thorough comparison review - and thanks for not talking over it: the sounds speak for themselves.
I was surprised to find that I preferred the Orange. It hasn't been a brand I've favoured in the past. The Vox would be my second choice, the Marshall my third: but the top three are all quite close, only separated by features that i personally would find useful. The Fender was a disappointment on everything but cleans: it sounded muffled, or compressed.
Then I looked at the prices. Best value for money: the Marshall, which seems to do most things well. Worst: the Fender, but one has to allow for it being an imported American product.
Superb demo 🤩 Vox cleans are to die for. Orange impressed me.
Same
Amazing work! Thanks! I liked all amps for different things. Vox for great cleans with sparkles, but not for dirty tones. Marshall for higher gain. Orange seems to be great for everything (was pleasantly surprised by its cleans), and Fender for smoother jazzy cleans, but not for dirty.
Opino lo mismo💪🏽🔥
They all sound great! I personally have the Marshall Origin 50H and vertical 2x12 cab, and it is an amazing amp! VERY versatile and takes pedals wonderfully. I love your demos, they make me want to feed my GAS; unfortunately, space in my jam room is a limitation.
I recently bought two amps for a home usage - Vox AC10 and Orange Rocker 15. I ended playing only a rocker - it is absolutelly fantastic. Ant that comes from someone who had been playing Rockerverb 50 mkII head with a 2x12 cab. Most important function on a rocker is the Bedroom mode, which is priceless for a flat usage. Also it has a perfect tube driven fx loop, so you just buy a great reverb and there you go.)
Moral of the story: They all sound good. I do think that for passive tone controls flat eq is all tones dialed all the way up. They only cut the assigned frequency range within the basic tone of the amp, they don't boost it. At full up, no tones are being boosted or cut. For active eq, I think of all tone controls at 0 as flat eq, since no tones are being boosted or cut.
im waiting on a Marshall Origin 20c right now from Sweetwater. This video definitely solidified my choice. I was torn between the Fender Blues Junior IV and the marshall but dang that marshall sounds so good comparatively. the attenuator built in helps a ton too. This video is way better than any of the other marshall/blues junior reviews out there. straight to the point and easy comparisons
I love mine
I am with you all the way with the Marshall and I dont generally like them.
I have the Orange but no reverb, I intended to downdsize from my FBD and buy a Blues Junior in the belief I would get 90% of the sounds I want and help my back but I am getting the Marshall, the Vox is heavier ( weight) than my FBD
I've been gigging with an Origin 20c for about a year and like it a lot. I also own a Blues Jr IV but it's a heavier amp and doesn't have power scaling so I'll be selling it soon.
The other guitarist in my band has the Rocker 15 combo which is very similar in features, having a 10 inch speaker, same weight (29 lbs) and power scaling.
What essentially sets the 2 amps apart is the use of EL84s in the power section of the Orange and EL34s in the Marshall. I prefer the 'girthier' sound of EL34 tubes. Ironically it's the tube that made both Marshall and Orange famous famous. EL84s sound a bit tame, creamier at times.
In fact three out of the four amps compared here are powered by EL84s, which is why the Marshall stands out to me, with its bigger-sounding EL34s. I'm not sure how Marshall got a pair of EL34s down to just 20w when they're rated at a potential 25w *each*. I assume it has to do with output transformer design.
Also the Marshall is the least expensive of the four, I believe.
That marshall clean was unreal, really calms the 5150 in me.
Can’t beat the power scaling on the orange and the overall versatility! Also, if you have some pedals and play with eq you can get some vox tones with it too!
Hi, any suggestion on how to get vox tones with orange rocker 15? What pedal and settings?
The power scaling is what swung me to the orange, love the ability to be able to scale the volume down for home practice while maintaining the tone I want.
The Marshall also has power scaling in case you didn't notice
The Marshall also has power scaling 😊
The natural channel on the Orange and the overdriven Marshall sounds take the win in my opinion
After watching a bunch of your videos I'm learning that I'm very firmly in the Marshall camp.
They only thing this has done is made me realize that no amp is a “pure guitar sound” and they all have characteristics and now I’m struggling even more to find an amp I like 😂😂
Marshall, Orange, Vox, Fender. Honestly they were all close & I’d be happy with anyone of them.
I'm amazed at how much gain the orange has. It almost sounds like a fuzz.
The Rocker 15 really comes to life when you swap the VOTW for a G10 Greenback.
I have a G10 Greenback in my Origin 20c plus changed all the tubes for Harma Retro Premium which are based on original 60s/70s Mullards. The amp sounds like it really should do giving classic Marshall tones from the 60s/70s.
Well done! No talk, just content. Just like an amp review should be!
So basically Fender sounds like a mobile phone, Marshall is a nice all-rounder, Vox and Orange have a bunch of character that you either love or hate.
I ended up getting the blues jr with the celestion a type 12” speaker. Such a great blues amp. I love the fat boost and that you can get sound from perfect cleans to pretty dirty within the amps settings. Great buy and thanks for the video again.
I like the fender blues junior the best. That’s why I own one. The other amps are great as well… But the fender is my favorite.
I liked the lower mid grind of the Blues Junior. And I was surprised at how much the Vox didn’t like having the mids pushed.
Not sure why that’s so surprising when it doesn’t have a mid control!
@@natemoore6760true that. I guess the only to push mids natively is to lower bass and treble and raise the volume knobs. Not that same thing I know
This opened my ears to the orange sounds, i have marshalls and voxes and have used them exclusively since 68. I think i might need to add an orange to my amp arsenal in the future. Thanks for your comprehensive comparison, best one ive heard to date.
I was contemplating swapping out my Origin for a Blues Jr but I think I'll spare myself the effort and keep my Origin. Thank you for the stellar comparison.
I like the origin. Have you compared it to the dsl range? Any thoughts comparing the two? Cheers
Change the speaker in the Origin for a Celestion G10 Greenback and hear the difference.
@@Tone-OzYes, Sir! I'm actually pairing my Origin with a DSL40 combo and I love it. The DSL adds bottom end to the Origin for my cleans, and the Origin adds color and sub EQs to the DSL for the heavy tones.
The Origin is great for strat tones which is what brought me to this video. I've heard some great demos of the Blues Jr, but it's better to have a side by side comparison like this to distinguish whether it's worth the hassle of trading for a Fender. I think either one is great for what I'm doing.
@@colinmcnab6145 man, I've been giving a lot of consideration to a swap since I got it so I appreciate the tip! You may have just saved me a ton of time by avoiding the Origin speaker swap forum rabbit hole. I'll for sure let you know how it goes.
@@colinmcnab6145 I've got the 50w combo so would there be a 12" variant of that speaker? Is the G12M - 8 ohm the 12" variant of the G10 - 16 ohm?
Marshall here, but it depends on what kind of mysic you play, and eventually on the guitar type and how its set.
Orange, I would play some Alien Ant Farm "these days" with it, it would be killer.
I would definitely play some ACDC and eventually White Zombie- Thunder Kiss '65 with the Marshall or Vox, Vox would be curious to see how it would cope, Fender, well I would go blues SRV, Freddy King clearly, bridge pickup, tubescreamer with slight touch of fuzz face and cranked to the 🦴 to go over that boxy blanket covered sound.
Basically I would buy all of them 🤯, problem solved 🙏.
By the way, great work with this video Sir.
I swap amps continually but, ive had theorange for a year now with absolutely no complaints, its great for low vol but still great tone, if you want pristine fender style cleans just put a compressor in front of it , id buy another definitely.
cant decide if i love the orange or the vox more! the two sound absolutely amazing to me
Orange sounded best here but I feel like the ac15 has more to give. Finding the good tones in them is really down to knowing how the EQ works and it's not like a normal 3 knob EQ, it's more interactive
“More to give” flat out the most gig-able of the 4 amps.
Always surprised at how good Marshall cleans can be. Most balanced of the lot to my ear. Too bad this model lacks reverb tho.
I love all of them in this demo. Although I’ve never played a tube version of an orange. The stores near me just don’t stock them. I would love to explore more sounds on a vox but unfortunately haven’t had a chance. Thanks for the videos. Keep up the work of the rock gods ❤
Thanks! One of the best gear demos I've ever seen. For me the Origin 20 really shines in this. The cleans out-do the Blues Jr IMO and the dirty sounds are classic Marshall. The Orange is impressive too, and probably more usable live than the Origin because of the 2 channels.
wow I have a orange rocker 15 head and could never get it to sound like you did thanks a lot for the great demo it was very helpful
This is a fantastic and really objective comparison under similar conditions for each one. I’ll say I had some different opinions with my eyes closed compared to watching the video. Good work.
Vox & Orange for cleans.
Orange & Marshall for dirt.
Double track & pan ‘em!
The Fender had a bit of boxy-ness going on. I suspect a different speaker and cab would mitigate that but not necessarily a bad sounding amp by any means.
I play Orange today but have had Marshall and Fender. All great amps for a studio to keep on hand for tailoring the sound you want for a particular production. Good job on this video!
Came here to hear the Vox v Marshall but the Orange certainly interested me the most. Will have to try one out!
Was surprised by how much I preferred the Marshall here.
Perfect. Exactly what a shootout should look like. I'm actually looking at all of these amps. Marshall and Orange are at the top of my list.
I have 3 out of 4 of these amps, the Marshall, Vox, and Fender. For me it's a tie for #1 between the Marshall and Vox. I got the Fender before it had any other competition but compared to these other three it is not that impressive and pretty much obsolete now. I'm gonna sell the Fender but I'm keeping the other two.
How an comparative amp demo should be done. Zero talk, great guitar playing, no bluesy noodling.
Toby another great example of what is out there at the moment for small low wattage valve amps. Each has it's own flavour especially that mid range, and how the gain structure changes as the volume or gain is dialed in. i Iiked the Marshall for it's balance between clean and crunch the Vox for it's chime but setting it up does require a little tinkering.The Orange just has this roar but also not bad at cleans it's in your face while the Fender seems to be middle of the road jack of all trades. I have owned all these amps at some stage and to hit that sweet spot you need them turned up. Just make sure your neighbours have gone out for the day and you'll soon notice bedroom levels are not helping these amps sound at there optimum.
I used to own a Marshall Origin 50H, but later switched to my current Marshall Studio Vintage 20H(which is the best amp I ever have played so far). Recently I purchased the Origin 5C, and it is sitting right beside me at this particular moment, haha.
The Marshall Origin is honestly not in the same level as the other amps in this video, rather in terms of tone or in terms of price. However, it is a great amp for the price!
Changed out the tubes and speaker in the Origin 20c and I guarantee it will blow the other 3 amps away all round. I know I've done it and it's now a killer amp if you are looking for 60s tones think Clapton with the Bluesbreakers or Cream, Paul Kossoff Free, Peter Green or Mick Taylor with the Bluesbreakers. Obviously this is with the appropriate type of guitar Les Paul Standard or SG Standard or any low wind humbucker equipped guitar.
@@colinmcnab6145What tubes and speaker did you change to?
+++ i say it again and again, this is the best !!! Amp-chanel on RUclips. Not one single second is waisted, thank you so much!!!+++
Thanks, is appreciated 👍
Fabulous video- so useful to have them like this.
I’m going to say the AC15 and Origin 20 are my favorites here, though the Orange really grew on me for the clean sounds.
And I’ve been playing a Fender amp for 20 years 😂
My opinion on these:
Orange: Globally heavy but warm sounds, great for Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and even blues/jazz
Marshall: Globally light and bright tone, great for Rock and Hard Rock
Vox: Dry sound even harsh, good for Hard Rock
Fender: Very clean and warm tone, better without effect, good for jazz, funk and even blues with light overdrive
(I prefer Orange and Fender)
I have a Marshall and it's amazing for heavy metal. Went from Fender to Marshall and I'm never going back.
Straight to the point with different samples… THANK YOU
huge fan of AC15, but for the sounds I like, the Marshall wins hands down in this really well done comparison
Surprised by how much I liked the Marshall but the orange was my favourite. I don’t really like the hollow sound of vox and the fender just seemed quite muffled /woolly. As usual a really great way of doing a review
Garvin Terry: that's why pedals exist, these modern tube amps today are designed with pedals in mind. it's been that way for the last 10 years,
people who couldn't afford an AC30, a Marshall JCM800, or a Fender Deluxe,
these small tube amps sort of let people relive what all the greats used.
that being said i hear what you're saying,
ya there are differences with each, but i mentioned pedals for a reason.
each one of these amps has it's own clean channel,
Fender is usually known for there clean channel, but there usually not as good as others when it comes to high gain and overdrive.
but that's where a drive could be used through the clean channel.
Orange has a nice clean channel, but it has a slightly darker clean tone that would be a great fit for high gain and distortion. the Marshall is kinda balanced,
but i don't think the Vox sounded muffled. Vox has never had a bright clean channel,
but a clean boost pedal can easily solve that problem.
personally i like having a clean channel that's not so bright or dark,
because you can choose the type of pedals to get what you want out of the amp.
Dallas Rangemaster style booster (Catalinbread Naga Viper) into a moderately cranked Vox will push it into proper territory.
The Orange sounds stellar and with a straight clean channel makes for a perfect pedal platform amp.
Didn’t think I would say this, because I don’t like Vox amps. But the Vox and and the Blues Jr I think sounded the best on this. And I am really more of a Marshall guy. The Orange I didn’t like at all. It sounded like a solid state with digital modulation. The Marshall version didn’t have the characteristics of the iconic Marshalls.
Great demo! I'd love to hear the amps in context of a full band, that comparison would be amazing!
I have the Vox and I didn't like it out of the box and had fun Modding it and now I like it. The Fender sounded fuller all round to me.
I own the Marshall Origin 20 and use it with a Two Notes Captor 8 and 4x12 Celestion Greenback IR's, this way I can get "cranked" tones without anoying everyone. I also own a Fender Blues Jr but mostly use it for John Mayer and SRV type stuff with my Honey Bee Amps Double Trouble. Although they can sound somewhat similar the gain and EQ are quitte different.
I always get suprised how good Orange and Marshall cleans. I'd be happy with any of three, the Blues Junior sounds really boxy with gain, not impressed at all.
I guess the Vox has more a particular character of sound where the other two cover more basses.
If Marshall put a reverb tank in that would be the plain winner.
The Marshall is so much cheaper than the others that you can afford to add the reverb pedal of your choice.
This is an amazing demo! I really loved the Orange for dirty and the Fender for clean.
Orange was the best overall. But the fender had the best cleans.
IMO,VOX's clean is way better than BJ's. Even Fender Pro Junior's clean is better than BJ. As another guy said"That poor Fender sounded like it was in a closet behind some thick ass jackets. " I have no idea why BJ still here, clean sound? worse than the cheaper one Fender Pro Junior,dirt sound? Come on, that's not Fender's job.
I prefer the marshall myself, and I love fender to death.
I put a cannabis rex speaker and an effects loop in my Jr. And it's become my #1 club amp. You really do wanna have a good low gain o.d. so you can crank the master and add pre gain to get to the level you want..I like the zendrive. Sometimes an angry charlie on the edge of breakup then boost with a screamer for leads. Best pedal amp you can buy for the money. Just gotta know how to use it.
And honestly the cleans weren’t anything to tote about when all the amps had pretty nice cleans, plus I’m a fan of warm creamy/fluffy cleans with a bit more mids like the other amps, adds some more character to it.
Marshall and Vox for best dirty ... Fender best for cleans Vox was close ... Orange for certain metal or grunge ... Their all good depending on what you're trying to do...
I really like the Blues Jr in isolation, I think it's my favourite. But I think the AC15 really cuts through the mix in full band context, as does the Marshall.
The Marshall is so versatile and well balanced. I like the Orange amp overall tho.
Thank you, Toby! Great demo, I've discovered some new cool settings and fell in love with my Blues Junior even more 😊
1. Fender 2. Marshall 3. Vox 4. Orange All great...difficult to rank as sound is subjective and everyone hears differently. It's all about the tones you're looking for.
Marshall and Orange are great... BUT I just wonder why they lack reverb...
It would have been great to hear them in a mix (to see who shines more).
Anyway fantastic comparison, thank you.
Love the Fender for the cleans and the Marshall for the gain. 😎👍🏻
A lot of thought and effort must have gone into making that video, thanks it’s brilliant
I have this Marshall Origin 20. It is good. I am surprised how good the others also are. Each is different and I’m sure can be set to make a great sound. I still own an AC30, Fender Concert (from 1963) a Marshall JMP 2204 master vol with a 4x12 quad(from the late 70’s), but they are too loud for small bars these days. The output control is very useful for dialling in the sound at low volumes……. until the drummer starts up🤣
They're all really good, but i have to go either with orange or marshall
They are all great. Each have a weakness and each have strengths. It depends on what you are going for in tone.
Great demo! I love the Marshall power tube overdrive sound! The origin amps sound a little trebly but I bet with a little eq you can get a killer tone.
Marshalls have always been bright. That's the secret to the marshall tone.
I like Orange ... Well it's sounded much brighter, deep bass cleans balanced. I can adjust much simpler... Excellent reviews
To get the Vox singing,
run the TB channel treble and bass at zero...loads of middle and beautiful harmonics.
Orange then the AC15 because of the full spectrum. The Marshall does what a Marshall does which is cut through a heavy mix because of the lack of bottom end. That poor Fender sounded like it was in a closet behind some thick ass jackets. I'm about clarity and girth so whether I'm playing clean or dirty doesn't matter, the order is still the same. Some really nice playing, btw!
I really like the Vox cleans and the Orange raunch, I have a Rocker 30 and a Vox AC15C1X, I'll have to see if my attenuator works with my Orange so I can have dirt at lowish volume level, a stereo rig with the Vox would be very nice.
What a great comparison shootout. Love how you show all the dials being tweaked - Gives a great understanding of how each amp works. I was surprised about the Orange amp. Seemed a good all-rounder but I can't like those dial icons! What's what!?! Cheers
Just stumbled on your excellent video. Guess out of all these amps, I've seen more of the Vox AC15 backline on stages in festivals etc than the others, maybe a few Blues jrs, but as a sound guy, the Vox really holds up on stage in a band situation.
To me its the vox. I like the sound the most and its more responsive to eq changes than the fender and marshall. Power scaling is a nice feature but w master volume its not necessary imo. Only down side is u cant change the mids.
VOX Mids are amazing anyway
Orange rocker with greenback speaker reverb and eq in the loop. Job done
I owned the orange and its a great amp, here in this comparison i would be torn between the orange and the Marshall, both have amazing cleans.
This is the best gear demo ever thank you
O R A N G E
Definitely. Most powerful and balanced
I have the OR32 it’s an amazing amp for the price.
👍👍👍👍
Yup
Wakala
Brilliant video!!!... I bought a tweed Blues Jr IV with a "Red White Blues" speaker from Eminence. It sounds like it has a blanket over it !!.. This very well produced video confirms this 100%. The BJ4 is VERY mid focused...and its almost impossible to EQ out the overpowering mid frequencies. Sending back the blues Jr for an Origin 20 head with a 2x12 cab. Again, Thanks so much for this info. 🙏 I wish I would have watched this before ordering the Blues Jr.
Great review, helped me make up my mind. I was between the Orange and the Marshall, ordered the Marshall last week.
This was an insanely helpful video! I have a Blues Jr and I've been considering adding a second amp to complement it, and pretty much was looking at all three of these! Thanks for doing this!
Great work! We all have different uses and tastes. For my own music based on cleans and early breakup, Vox and Marshall win.
the BEST gear channel ever
Watching in 2024, great video. I’m looking for my first (relatively) tube amp. I’m surprised by how much I disliked the Blues Jr. The other three each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but I think the Vox wins as the most overall. I might have to investigate the Marshall some more though
Yes, the BJ has ugly distorted tones, unusable. But if you notice, it has the fuller, more balanced and rich clean tone, which makes it perfect for pedals. This is how I use it. The video is amazing but won't tell you everything.
In my opinion, Fender sounds the best. I like this dark,, mid range tone.