Orange AD140 review

[spoonie g]

I toured with an AD-140tc for over 2 years. It's a decent amp. Very fuzzy on the top with a very loose yet big low-end. I don't think it sounds good with Vintage 30's- they emphasize the "fizziness" with their hi-mid peak. I opted for G12H30's instead and found those fit the amp better. It also, is not that loud, and I think the 140-watt moniker is a misnomer. I'd say it sounds more like 80 or 90 watts. I ran it a/b'd with my ac-30 and I was always told to turn the ac-30 down and the ad-140 up. My 50-watt Marshall 2204 also buries it as far as volume. It also does not record that well. It has a very small recording footprint. However, in person it sounds very nice as long as you dont have a problem with the fuzzy top end.

 

In comparison to an original Orange OD-80 which my friend has and we recorded with, the 140 just sounds much smaller, yet is easier to get more gain out of at lower volumes. Granted though, the OD-80 sounds better with a pedal in front than the ad-140 does with it's master volume gain.

 

As far as it sounding like an ac-30, I ran it with an ac-30 and the ac-30 has much more snap and upper midrange drive, whereas the Orange is much more "wooly," and situated in the lower mids. I dont really get people saying it sounds like an ac-30.

 

The amp is very fuzzy until you get it running loud and that was my biggest gripe with it. It's ok, but the newer offerings from Orange are more manageable live.

[orangekick]

I hardly ever play clean these days.

[Cliff Fiscal]

Sorry, I meant it had AC30 characteristics.

Closer to a Vox then a Fender.

 

I was only getting fuzzy when I had the gain knob over 3/4 up and the master at noon or lower.

 

Spoonie, what kind of music are you/were you playing?

[spoonie g]

Sorry, I meant it had AC30 characteristics. Closer to a Vox then a Fender. I was only getting fuzzy when I had the gain knob over 3/4 up and the master at noon or lower. Spoonie, what kind of music are you/were you playing?

 

 

www.myspace.com/listentovertigo

 

It ranges from soft to moderate hard rock.

[this is paul]

I've owned an AD15, and a Rockerverb 50 head. Other guitarist in my band plays a AD30 TC head.

 

I liked all of them, but for different things. The AD's just have that chime to me. It's my all time favorite crunch tone when you hit the sweet spot with hot pickups. The rockerverb is much more of a modern tone, but not modern metal. More like a compressed alternative rock tone. Things is....its a VERY dark amp. Really regret getting rid of that one though.

 

Personally I would rather have a rockerverb series. Maybe a rocker30 at some point if I come across a reasonable one.

[bass_n_drums]

thanks for the feedback guys. I always wanted to try out the ad140 but there isn't many of them around. You've definitely helped answer my questions. I'll stick with my VH100R's...lol. Sometimes I get the itch try something else only to end up not to my liking.

[spoonie g]

 

I've owned an AD15, and a Rockerverb 50 head. Other guitarist in my band plays a AD30 TC head. I liked all of them, but for different things. The AD's just have that chime to me. It's my all time favorite crunch tone when you hit the sweet spot with hot pickups. The rockerverb is much more of a modern tone, but not modern metal. More like a compressed alternative rock tone. Things is....its a VERY dark amp. Really regret getting rid of that one though. Personally I would rather have a rockerverb series. Maybe a rocker30 at some point if I come across a reasonable one.

 

 

Well the 30 has more of a chimey, ac-30 vibe partly because of the tube rectification. The 140 is not so much.

[Cliff Fiscal]

 

Well the 30 has more of a chimey, ac-30 vibe partly because of the tube rectification. The 140 is not so much.

 

 

EL84s too.

 

To me the dirt has more of a Marshally vibe to it. Slightly different voicing though.

I haven't tried it with a band, but my ears say it would cut and sit well in a mix.

 

It really is a vintage sounding amp.

[PurpleStain]

 

Well the 30 has more of a chimey, ac-30 vibe partly because of the tube rectification. The 140 is not so much.

 

 

 

I really did not find the AD30 to be chimey at all, nor did I find it to have an AC30 vibe AT ALL. I've owned multiple voxish amps, including voxes, and I found none of those characteristics in the AD30 other than perhaps the feel, which was caused by the tube rectification that you mention.

[Cliff Fiscal]

I'd like to try the AD140 with some Weber Alnico Blue dogs (higher wattage ones)

[spoonie g]

 

EL84s too. To me the dirt has more of a Marshally vibe to it. Slightly different voicing though. I haven't tried it with a band, but my ears say it would cut and sit well in a mix. It really is a vintage sounding amp.

 

 

Yeah sorry, I'm still not awake, haha. It's an interesting alternative to the ac-30 but has less headroom and cut. As much as people like to repeat this mantra, it really isnt true. If anything, they cut through less, because they are more of a low-mid oriented amp. ...Unless you are talking about the older oranges, which get past this just by sheer volume.

 

Out of the newer lines, I would have to say I think the Rocker 30 is one of the best gain channels Ive heard in a long time. It's like a JCM 800 2204, but juicier. The clean sounds like youre plugged into a P.A. though. The rockerverb series is great, but the 50 watt is horribly dark and suffers from a lack of cut due to that darkness and an overly compressed circuit. It records very well though. The 100 watt is a monster.

[spoonie g]

 

I've owned multiple voxish amps, including voxes, and I found none of those characteristics in the AD30 other than perhaps the feel, which was caused by the tube rectification that you mention.

 

 

Why I mentioned the tube. I own and have toured for years with a handwired ac-30. The feel is there. Like I said, they dont have the snap or upper midrange "push" of the vox. They are of course, different amps.

[bass_n_drums]

 

Thanks! Too bad we just broke up.... Yeah sorry, I'm still not awake, haha. It's an interesting alternative to the ac-30 but has less headroom and cut. As much as people like to repeat this mantra, it really isnt true. If anything, they cut through less, because they are more of a low-mid oriented amp. ...Unless you are talking about the older oranges, which get past this just by sheer volume. Out of the newer lines, I would have to say I think the Rocker 30 is one of the best gain channels Ive heard in a long time. It's like a JCM 800 2204, but juicier. The clean sounds like youre plugged into a P.A. though. The rockerverb series is great, but the 50 watt is horribly dark and suffers from a lack of cut due to that darkness and an overly compressed circuit. It records very well though. The 100 watt is a monster.

 

 

I totally agree with you with the RV50..that's pretty much my experienced and also I really do dig the Rocker 30. It's a great amp! Still curious about the RV100 though

[Cliff Fiscal]

Thanks! Too bad we just broke up....

 

Oh, that sucks....sorry.

 

Yeah sorry, I'm still not awake, haha. It's an interesting alternative to the ac-30 but has less headroom and cut. As much as people like to repeat this mantra, it really isnt true. If anything, they cut through less, because they are more of a low-mid oriented amp. ...Unless you are talking about the older oranges, which get past this just by sheer volume. Out of the newer lines, I would have to say I think the Rocker 30 is one of the best gain channels Ive heard in a long time. It's like a JCM 800 2204, but juicier. The clean sounds like youre plugged into a P.A. though. The rockerverb series is great, but the 50 watt is horribly dark and suffers from a lack of cut due to that darkness and an overly compressed circuit. It records very well though. The 100 watt is a monster.

 

Interesting......through V30s, I really don't hear the low mid emphasis?

I would have said upper mid focus......thus my vintage sounding comments.

 

I'd really like to try some of the other amps Orange has to offer these days.

They're nothing like vintage Oranges.......but seem real cool.

I love the shit out of my OR120 graphics only.

[Norton666]

The AD 140 was the one Orange amp that after getting 2 of the amps in , I told Orange Id never stock again. I thought those amps sounded god awful. I couldnt coax a single usable tone out of one. I thought the clean was ok , but you had to keep the gain so low that even with the master dimed , it wouldnt have been loud enough to keep up with a serious drummer. The overdrive was completely useless in my opinion. I ordered two of them when they first came out and they sold really quick , but they both came back in on trades towards Rockerverbs. Im not trying to rain on your NAD man , sorry if it came off that way. That was just one amp that I thought Orange completely missed the mark on. Evidently so did a lot of other people , because it got discontinued awful quick.

If you like the amp though , more power to ya. HAPPY NEW AMP DAY!

[Cliff Fiscal]

No, it's cool Norton!

 

Different strokes for different folks.

 

That's why I suggested younger folks were buying these amps based on a perceived image and tone of an Orange amp.

 

When they sound nothing like an Orange should sound.

I think the expectations of this amp are different from the tone that comes out of them.

 

AD140, 140w is very mean and cool sounding. You automatically assume it's going to sound brewtal. When it doesn't, it's disappointing.

That said, I'm fairly pleased with the amp.

I'll probably throw a 12AT7 in, and see what happens. I'm more of a lower gain guy anyway. I think it's a niche amp, that fills that niche very well. I'm not saying it isn't flexible, because it is......just kind of nails a certain genre of tone, and that's it.

[Norton666]

 

No, it's cool Norton! Different strokes for different folks. That's why I suggested younger folks were buying these amps based on a perceived image and tone of an Orange amp. When they sound nothing like an Orange should sound. I think the expectations of this amp are different from the tone that comes out of them. AD140, 140w is very mean and cool sounding. You automatically assume it's going to sound brewtal. When it doesn't, it's disappointing. That said, I'm fairly pleased with the amp. I'll probably throw a 12AT7 in, and see what happens. I'm more of a lower gain guy anyway. I think it's a niche amp, that fills that niche very well. I'm not saying it isn't flexible, because it is......just kind of nails a certain genre of tone, and that's it.

 

 

I can see how that amp would work with the Indie type music. Or even someone who is a pedal guy and is just looking for an amp that can get a bit dirty and take pedals well. The first one we sold went to a kid with rich parents. They bought him that head and 2 cabs for christmas. He plays in a Crabcore band locally. He called me the day after Christmas and he had smoked the amp because he didnt know you had to connect the cabinets to the head with cables. He just stacked it up , started crankin the amp and wasnt getting any sound. Then he said there was a blue flash and it wouldnt turn on anymore. Blew the transformers the first day he had it . Evidently he thought the cabinets could get signal telepathically from the head. Dumb {censored}

[Cliff Fiscal]

[orangekick]

Awesome story.

[spoonie g]

Oh, that sucks....sorry. Interesting......through V30s, I really don't hear the low mid emphasis? I would have said upper mid focus......thus my vintage sounding comments. I'd really like to try some of the other amps Orange has to offer these days. They're nothing like vintage Oranges.......but seem real cool. I love the shit out of my OR120 graphics only.

 

What I meant is that the 140 and v-30 are not a good match because of the opposite emphasis the two seem to have as far as eq goes (low mid vs. high mid), plus the high mids of the v-30 emphasize the fuzziness of the amp.

[spoonie g]

Those are some monster transformers to kill. He must have been playing it cab-less a long time. And the 140 does sound somewhat orange-like; I wasn't saying that. It just doesn't do it well. Ha.

[Cliff Fiscal]

What I meant is that the 140 and v-30 are not a good match because of the opposite emphasis the two seem to have as far as eq goes (low mid vs. high mid), plus the high mids of the v-30 emphasize the fuzziness of the amp.

 

No I agree. V30s aren't the best pairing that's for sure.

It's the only bigger cab I have though.

 

I tried the AD140 with a cab loaded with HOT 100s, and didn't care for that.

 

I'm going to have to load up a cab with some different speakers, and give that a shot.

Maybe a Warehouse ET65 and a British Lead or Veteran 30.

[spoonie g]

No I agree. V30s aren't the best pairing that's for sure. It's the only bigger cab I have though. I tried the AD140 with a cab loaded with HOT 100s, and didn't care for that. I'm going to have to load up a cab with some different speakers, and give that a shot. Maybe a Warehouse ET65 and a British Lead or Veteran 30.

 

Try G12H30's. It's what Orange used to put in their cabs and the one I think pairs best with it.

[Cliff Fiscal]

Try G12H30's. It's what Orange used to put in their cabs and the one I think pairs best with it.

 

I'll have to give that a shot after I try all those other speakers.

 

I'm a little surprised by the negative comments about the AD140.

Although, I liked the Peavey Windsor too.

[spoonie g]

I'll have to give that a shot after I try all those other speakers. I'm a little surprised by the negative comments about the AD140. Although, I liked the Peavey Windsor too.

 

Its not bad, but it has its drawbacks, if you want to call them that. But hell man, if you like it, who cares?