Orange unleashes a 30-W analog guitar amp "that will be hard to match"

Last month, tone veteran Orange Amplification stepped out of its comfort zone to launch its first Bluetooth speaker. Now the company has returned to familiar ground for what's described as "probably the loudest 30-watt amp on the market."

The OR30 is the brainchild of Orange's lead amp designer Ade Emsley, who has been the driving force behind such beasts as the Thunderverb, Dual Dark, the Tiny Terror and TH Series tube amps. And though the new family member's output is rated at 30 watts, the company says that it "hits similar sound pressure readings well above 30 watts, with all the power and quality expected of the classic Orange tone."

The single-channel amp features three 12AX7 tubes at the pre-amp/phase inverter stage, four EL34s at the output stage and there's even an all-tube FX loop. A 5AR4 rectifier makes for responsive dynamics, with the player able to roll from clean to mighty crunch using a guitar's volume knob, and on to "roaring saturation." Orange has included a control for presence at any volume, and there's a special 2-W mode for bedroom rockers too.

Orange Amps

Top hat knobs to the front include controls for volume and gain as well treble, mids and bass, and there's a secondary volume that can be controlled by a footswitch to move between lead and rhythm parts without missing a beat. Lastly, for the first time on any Orange amp, a bright switch is available – which is neutral in the middle, offers a subtle treble boost when pushed left or more pronounced top end to the right.

The OR30 head is available in orange or black for US$1,799, though buyers will also need to invest in a speaker cabinet if they don't already have one. The video below has more.

Product page: OR30