Open-Box OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

First off this thing is L O U D ! No problem being heard over a drummer even at 7 watts. From what I am told by a friend it is much louder than his Tiny Terror at the same volume and gain levels.

At about 9 o'clock on the master and gain everything comes into focus and sounds great. (Gain Knob) Around 10 the bluesy gain kicks in and pushes to all out rock very quickly. Then at about 12 it starts to kick in the other gain stages and for distortion it sounds the best to me between 1 and 2. After that it doesn't seem to get higher gain just more compression.

With the gain way down this thing can stay pretty clean through the volume settings (for an Orange) and sounds sweet.

It almost feels like the volume and gain knobs should have notched settings. I can turn it a little and nothing really changes and then all of a sudden it changes drastically. The tone knobs are really subtle until you realize that they work more together than they do separate. I don't think any of this is a downside as I love the whole package and all the different sounds I get out of it. Very responsive to different pickups, guitars, and volumes. Overall very happy with this purchase.

Orange hasn't pushed this little guy too much but everyone seems to be selling out as fast as they get them in. Now I know why. Tone Machine!

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

Finally a low powered Orange head with the Vintage classic Orange tone. This is not another Dark Terror(wich I also have)or a Jim Root lunch box in an Orange head style. This amp has its own sound. Voiced for Classic Rock tones. Will easily do the 80's Metal. Marshall JCM 800 tone growl. Will not do the more modern stuff. You can put an overdrive in front and it will get more tight,but will not do the Mesa/Engl/Peavey 6505 modern sound. Still very powerful,defined and,easy to use. Tube swaps can be challenging because of the lack of space. You should upgrade tubes since it comes with a mix of Chinese cheap ones with some JJ's. EQ is very responsive and will sound well no matter what settings you use. Just eq to your taste. With four gain stages it does have plenty of Vintage Gain to show. You will find AC/DC tones with gain between 9-12 o'clock,Van Halen and most 80's Metal between 1-2. Everything after 2 o'clock will give you a more compressed less defined sound with a lot more bass response. Will do the dirty Blues very well. Cleans are not very easy to dial with it. Loop is very transparent. Takes pedals very well. Match Orange cabs a lot better than any Terror family head. Buy it if you are a Classic Rock fan or an 80's Metal Junlie like me. Skip it if you are more in to the modern sound. It does have the same circuit as the Jim Root but it is voiced totally different. They are not even close. Same thing with the Dark Terror wich is more close to the Jim Root. I'm loving it more and more every day. It just has that JCM 800's bark with the Orange's magic touch.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

This is my second review and I'm bumping it up to 5 stars! This is a great light weight amp that on the dirty side can achieve superb Orange tones.

I've been an engl and marshall fan for a long time. I have marshall (1977) JMP 1959 SLP, a 1980s JCM 800, and a new JVM 210. I like all 3. I also have both the Morse and Blackmore heads by Engl. I also have a Carvin X100 reissue and a Mesa rectoverb 25. All these amps are great.

I started with Orange a few months ago. I started with the CR120 and loved it. I moved to this OR15 and loved it. I then took the plunge and traded for a Rockerverb 2x12 combo and love that.

The rockerverb is a pro grade piece of kit. It really has the most intoxicating tones. It shines in both clean and dirty tones and can tackle any genre. I compared the OR15 to the rockerverb to see if I could get the same intoxicating hi gain tones. The short answer is yes.

The RV COMBO has two broken in V30s. I hooked the OR15 to a 1x12 with an EVH Greenback. I used a Gibson Les Paul STD for this evaluation. No pedals were used. I set the RV to my favorite hi gain tone and had an AB switch to compare tones from both amps. I set both amps to same volume with OR 15 in 15w mode. Right off the Or15 was much brighter than the RV. In maybe five minutes of tweaking the treble and mid settings first to about 3 and incrementally adjusting mids and highs I was able to get nearly identical tones. For a gig requiring a high gain rock setting, the two amps would be interchangeable. The RV had a slightly sweeter tone but unless you had both amps to an AB switch you would never know.

I tried the same experiment by hooking the OR 15 to a 4x12 with Celestion Greenbacks. I was able to get some great tones but could not get as close to the RV sound. I recommend an Orange 2x12 with V30s or similar cab for the OR15.

In comparing the different brands, I really like the Orange tone. Although all these amps have their own sound, I find the Orange RV, Mesa Rectoverb and Carvin X100 are the easiest to dial in killer tones and bring me total satisfaction. I really like the JVM, but like my other Marshall heads and Engl heads I am never ending tweaking looking for that sound I want.

The RV is a lot more amp with a clean channel, reverb and 50w RMS power. But for hi gain dirty tones, the OR 15 comes very close to matching RV50C! It's a great little amp that I plan to study some more.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

Great little amp head. I love the size. Overall very well done. Seems well made. I've had it two months. I have it plugged in to a 2x12 with Celestion G12M Greenbacks. Wow! I turn up the gain and can nail classic rock tones. I love the hi gain sound of this amp and only use it when I'm playing hard rock. This is pure Orange tube tone. It can clean up nicely as well. Also, it gets very loud. If you like Orange's hi gain tones, you will love this amp. If you play mostly clean....this amp is not for you.

The only comment I would have that is negative is this thing is pricey. It is significantly more expensive than Marshall's 15 watt DSL tube head...which is a pretty good option. Carvin's X100 reissue is made in the USA, IS 100W, has glorious clean channel, can nail all the classic rock hi gain tones and is cheaper -- but is a full size head. In any event, although there are other great options at lower price points, this Orange amp sounds great and if you want Orange, this is a great option.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I am a using this amp through a closed back Orange 112 cab with a gibson SG.

To be honest I am a bit disappointed. I used to have a TV50, so I may just be spoiled, but this amp seems almost as if it has little to no bottom end. It may be because of the cab, but there is very little warmth in the tone (Which is outstanding otherwise).

It is much louder than any other 15 watt amp I have heard. louder than my 15 watt Matchless Lightning reverb.

Another thing I was disappointed in is the distortion. I have read over and over that it has almost too much gain, but I found that it has just too little. Maybe if I can fix the issue with the bottom end then I will be happy with it.

I understand how blasphemous this sounds, but I honestly like the sound of my solid state Line 6 better. That hurt to type....

The amp functions just like it seems, super simply. It is smaller than you would think, at roughly the size of the new Marshall 50th anniv 1 watts. Even the PPC112 seems to dwarf it a bit. If you flip the PPC112 on its side, the widths match up well, but the OR15 is still almost half the depth.

I love orange, so I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt and rate it a 4 over all. It does everything exactly as it is supposed too, with the single exception of the bottom end/warmth issue I am having. I hope yours doesn't have the same issue. Maybe I should switch the tubes...

I would recommend this for classic rock and maybe some blues, but as it stands it isn't warm enough for blues, deep enough for metal, and country doesn't count as music, so don't even bother with that. If you can fix that one small issue it will work for just about anything I can imagine.

Definitely worth the small amount of money.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I saw one of these at my local guitar store, so itried is sence they didn't have the or50, but this amp left a good impression. I found it to have a good sound for anything from classic rock to some pretty heavy stuff like sleep or black sabbath. The main difference between this amp and the or50 is the or50 has a hi-fi control wich to the best of my knowledge is like a presence control. This amp is basicaly a vintage or80 crossed with a more modern orange amp.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

Solid amp for the money. I thought the overdrive was a bit harsh when I received it but I added some NOS glass and added a 5751 in P1 and it cleared everything right up. I would recommend to anyone to check it out. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a bedroom amp. It will move a lot of air with the right cabinet.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

Picked this amp up a few months ago. I love that I can plug in without any pedals, turn up the gain and volume and have a instant punk rock tone. I know that some would say this amp lacks headroom. However, I will never run this clean so it's perfect for me. I pair my OR15 with an American fat Telecaster and a Bogner 2X12 cab (or a Fender Bassbreaker 1X12 for practice)

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

One of the finest tone machines I've ever played through, and I have played/owned them all over 40 years. If a Marshall is a hot rodded Fender, then an Orange is a hot rodded VOX (I own more than one of all of them). I admittedly have been selling off my collection of large, high powered heads and combos as the trend over the last decade has been for MFR's to actually produce lower powered amps with the same great tone as their big brothers. I stumbled on the OR15 in a Big Chain Store and played it on a whim. I was blown away... so I found a deal on one and bought it. It's the whole VOX/Orange hot rod sound in a small gig worthy package. Think small clubs where you would use a Fender Deluxe, etc., and/or mic it up and play anywhere without the bulk & weight and w/o loosing your great tone.

Speaker cabs do make a big difference with this head. I do not like it with my Bogner 2-12 open back only because it doesn't handle the crunch well. However, I have several cabs and all the 4-12's I have sound good to great ( each set up with either greenbacks or V-30's). However, I played it at GC through a Marshall 2-12 Vertical Slant cab and it sounded pretty good despite the chipboard fabrication and seventy-eighty's. So I ordered a new Carvin 2-12 Vertical Slant with V-30's (Made in San Diego with birch ply) and absolutely love it with the upper port removed.(2 tuneable ports on the Carvin upper & lower, or run it fully closed). Note on the Carvin with both ports fully closed only my humbucker guitars sounded good. With the top port open everything I own sounds good, fender single coils & P90's, etc.

Excellent sound for 50's to 90's classic Rock. NOT a METAL AMP. Great for recording, mic it up and play anywhere. Ultimate set up a Fender Deluxe Reverb head and a tone bone switcher for that Fender Clean sound & light crunch, plus the OR15 and the Carvin 2-12 Slant for most everything else below Metal. I might not even lug a Marshall head around at all any more!

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

My first OR 15 had a loud humming noise I assumed was a bad tube. In addition, the input jack made loud noises if the cable moved (I tried several high end cables) and the signal would go from very quiet, low gain, to very loud depending on settings. Prior to it breaking all together, the amp sounded great despite the noise. After 3 weeks I was getting no signal at all, all tubes tested fine with Orange tube tester. I returned it and they gave me a new one.
The new amp was dead silent, no input jack noise, and sounds fantastic with all my guitars- Gibson SG, Hamer Standard, and Fender Strat through two, 2x12 closed back cabs (4 speakers) with celestian/Mesa boogie 90 watt Black Shadow Speakers. I can get authentic, perfect- Thin Lizzy, Alice cooper, Ozzy Blizzard Of Ozz ext sounds. Other reviews cite poor bass response- its their cabinets. I have TONS of bass response, I set the amp with the bass at about 9 o'clock, mid at noon and treble at about 2 o clock. With the amps master vol at about 12 o'clock you get controllable, sustain/feedback that breathes regardless of preamp setting. Amp has PLENTY of gain. Gets fuzzy as you near 5 o'clock, I prefer it between 10 o'clock and 1 o'clock and use the guitars vol knob to clean it up. I absolutely love this amp, it makes you want to play.
I would rate this a 5 stars if I didn't have to return the first one which was clearly a defective product. Hopefully the Chinese build quality holds up. Id love to have one of these hand made in England, or made with the same specs by Mesa Boogie. My experience with 4 different Boogie amps is they are BULLET proof- I just don't love the sound profile. I LOVE the Orange Amp sound- Lets just hope the new one lasts longer then 3 weeks-

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I used to own a rockerverb 50 and have missed it ever since selling it but the OR15 really hits the spot as like a mini version of the rockerverb... Volume isn't an issue for me, my amp is always mic'd up, but it gets plenty loud enough to hear over the drummer if you are in line with your cab. It rocks like vintage mixed with modern orange, what more can you ask for??? It rocks, plain and simple with classic orange crunch and a harmonically rich tone we all know and love from orange.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I've previously owned both the Tiny Terror and the Dark Terror, and neither holds a candle to the OR15. This amp is far more versatile and organic sounding that either of those. Tons of gain but with a more vintage flavour to it.

I play metal, mostly the kind that would fall under the sludge/doom banner but I do play other styles as well and this amp handles all of them quite nicely. Loads of saturated organic gain on tap, in fact far more than I need in most applications. I don't see a lot of reviews that judge the OR15 as a metal amp but for the kinds of metal that I play it absolutely nails it.

What I love the most about the OR15 is that it sounds equally great at both bedroom and rehearsal levels. For the most part I use it at home through a Mesa Recto 212 with Vintage 30's. I use the 7 watt setting with the volume at about 7:30 (quite low, I live in a townhouse) and the gain around 1-2 o'clock and in this setup it absolutely sings at a volume that won't annoy my neighbors. Not many tube amps that i've tried can sound great at this volume but the Orange absolutely nails it.

Outside of my home setup, I have used the OR15 numerous times in practice fully cranked on the 15 watt power setting. At full band volume using the same Recto 212 in a small room competing with drums, bass and another guitar this amp has plenty of volume and doesn't struggle to keep up with larger watt amps. I have also used it in a much bigger room through a Randall 412 with V30's when my 100 watt head was in for repairs and it did struggle a bit in that setting, but it was enough to get me through the night without making the other guys turn down too much. On stage and properly mic'd I don't see any reason it wouldn't hold it's own against any other higher wattage rig - though I haven't tested this yet personally. I don't tour but if I did I wouldn't hesitate to bring the OR15 along as a backup.

Most of my guitars are Gibson style (SG Standard, LP Studio, several LTD eclipses) and the

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

This is a nice little amp that's easy on your back. You can get a merriade of tones and it is powerful enough to support a gig. Speaker/cabinet choice will determine its flexibility. You can go old school rock with a greenback loaded cab (open back for combo sound, closed for the classic stack) or something modern for todays in-your-face articulation. Effects loop adds extra dimension and possibilites plus it takes pedals well.
I pair mine with an Orange PPC112. Played with the original CelestionV30 in it, Celestion G12M Greenback and currently a Peavey JSX 16 ohm which, to me, gives the mini stack girth. I play a Gibson Les Paul and utilize a Dunlop Wah, MXR Corbon Copy (in loop), MXR Script 90 and at times a Boss SD1 (to boost for leads v other guitarist with a dsl15 212 rig). My sound is an amalgam of Allman Bros/Thin Lizzy/Judas Priest and this head hits it in spades, plus you can get the tubes cooking at a gig without having the sound man complaining or front end unbalanced.
In short the OR15 is what Marshall should have done. It is a reved up mini 2204/2203 beast in an orange skin.

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I hate to be the fly in the ointment but the one that I received had a bad gain knob potentiometer. Sent mine back and got the EVH 5150 LBX. I figured mexican made at fender plant would be better build quality than chinese. I do not under stand why you would do all the engineering and work then use a .30 cent pot???

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I'm keeping this with my ENGL Thunder 50 and Marshall JVM215c. I paired this up with the Orange PPC212OB. Has plenty of bass, unlike other reviews specified, I leave the bass dialed halfway. This amp shines with the gain dialed in 11-1 o'clock area, and delivers very good crunch, it gets muddy beyond that. I use a boost pedal on occasion when it needs it. Very articulate and sensitive to dynamics. I would consider this a very good crunch amp, not a high gain amp. If you are looking for a high gain amp, go with the ENGL Thunder 50. This amp is a keeper

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

Having tried the Jim Root #4 Terror and TH30 before this, I had some idea of what to expect. Of the latter, I really liked the #4 Terror, but was indifferent to the TH30, which may have been due to the single tone knob. At the time, I liked these amps, but never really considered buying one.

Fast forward to now, and I picked up an OR15 head on sale for a great price. The first thing that shocked me was the actual size of the amp. I knew they were small, but this is much smaller and more portable than I'd imagined. Very impressive.

Secondly, I bought the amp for one thing, to rock! So I pulled in, turned the gain to 2 o'clock, set my EQ and hit the front end with a boost, and WOW! What a killer little amp! It's heavy as balls, thick, yet defined and REALLY musical. The EQ has a tone of range, and all of it is useful. The gain really ramps up past noon, and with an overdrive boost there's no sound this amp cannot do!

I tried 4 different tunings (E, D, Drop C, Drop B), with 3 different guitars (ESP MH, ESP EC, Fender Strat), and the amp loved them all. But above all, no matter what I played, it was very musical and inspirational tone. My only regret is that I've waited this long to play one!

If you've been looking for a great home use amp, that can definitely handle a live small venue, this amp is it. Yes, if you're playing at a small - medium venue that mic's up there cabs, then this amp will rip with the best of them! Great tone, and great value!

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

I use this amp with an Orange 4-12 slant clone that I built. I don't remember which Celestions I put in but they are an older mismatched, on purpose, twin set....two of one type, two of another. I do this a lot for a fuller sound.
With the OR-15 set at its full 15 watts, there is no 'room level'. It is very loud and full. I set it at 7 watts, there is no 'room level'....still very loud and full. On stage it easily can cover the drummer at his loudest. Sooooo..... I bought a power soak for it, kept it at 15 watts, and I can use it onstage OR at home. By recording the 4-12 with the mic at distance, about 5-6 feet, I get the same full sound I like. Onstage I also far mic it. I just don't like the 'hanging mic' sound I get with close mic P.A. or recording. Buy the optional switch pedal....if you don't, you'll just want it later. May as well get it now. Also the black cover is cool.
I don't spend much time playing with tube exchanging anymore......it became way too time consuming for a little difference.
I could have bought a bigger Orange amp but I like the low power amps because I have more control over the headroom and where I can 'edge' it....just before breakup and just after breakup. This amp does that very well, without the edge being over 130db......
I also have a Micro Terror, and my bass rig is an Orange 4-10 cab and the Orange OB500 for the amplifier
Nyms

Comments about Orange Amplifiers OR Series OR15H 15W Compact Tube Guitar Amp Head:

The first time I played the OR15 I was floored. I love the old school voicing of this amp. No OD/Distortion pedals are needed with this head. Maybe just a boost. I could dial in early Sabbath, ZZ Top, Led Zep, etc. with no problem. Also great for grunge and newer stuff since it has 4 gain stages. It would not be my first choice for modern metal as it has a looser feel on the low end. I own over 25 amps and this little crunch monster is in my top 5! Check one out!