Orange AD30TC & AD140TC Amplifiers

It’s thanks largely to bands like Oasis and Manic Street Preachers who use them live, as well as relying on the amps’ cool stylings to add visual impact to videos and TV appearances that make the Orange amplifiers so popular. And beauty is more than skin deep where these amps are concerned. With brick outhouse build quality, Orange have an uncompromising approach to design and sound that makes them just as ’boutique’ as USA exotica like Bogner or Soldano.

One of Orange’s key features has always been their relative simplicity. But, sometimes, one channel just ain’t enough. So to tempt those of you who like to see at least one button on the floor that you can prod with a size nine, here’s the new twin channel range which made its debut earlier this year.
Apart from the lettering on the front panel, there’s no way to tell these amps apart unless you look around the back, or pick them up.

The AD30TC is based on the fabulous Class A valve-rectified AD30 circuit, which we’ve tested in reverb combo format and think is absolutely the biz for any pub/club player who wants that Britpop sound and more, in an eardrum-friendly and portable (by Orange standards) package.

The AD140TC is the dual channel version of the awesome (and we use the word advisedly) Custom Shop AD140 head – again tested by us a few months back – which delivers classic Orange sound at huge volume levels. There’s no valve rectifier on this one – it’s silicon for reliability and maximum dynamic range – but the four EL34 power valves are coupled to the biggest transformers we’ve ever seen on a guitar amp. And those enormous hunks of iron make the AD140TC, and the single-channel version, not only two of the loudest, but also the heaviest heads we’ve ever seen.

Definitely not for shrinking violets, this amp can deliver positively painful volume levels in smaller enclosed spaces. But for the lucky few who play the world’s biggest stages, it’s a dream come true. It’s capable of massive clean headroom and jaw-dropping dynamic punch – we really weren’t kidding about the AD140’s ability to set off car alarms at close range.

These differences aside, both TCs (which stands for Twin Channel in case you haven’t already guessed) have identical preamp stages with two sets of gain, bass, mid, treble and master volume knobs. A third toggle switch next to the mains and standby switches selects either channel with the usual satisfying mechanical ‘clunk’ that tells you it’s an Orange.

A minor disappointment is the lack of oversized gain and master volume knobs, which are another Orange trademark. However, although the front panel runs the full height and width of the cabinet, the chassis is conventionally dimensioned and space limitations mean there’s no room for them. Okay, it’s a small point, but Orange is about style just as much as anything else, and those big dials make a strong visual impact, as well as being easy to turn in a hurry.

The classic Orange styling continues on the back panels too. There are heavy-duty louvred steel grilles to protect the glassware from prying fingers – or crowbars, for that matter. Behind these, the orange powder-coated chassis are fitted with internal chrome grab handles – a real boon on the very heavy AD140. Functionally, there’s a jack for the footswitch, along with a choice of speaker outlets – the AD140TC also gets a slave output.

Both cabinets are perfectly built and covered. The two rows of gold piping are neatly inlaid into the orange vinyl, which has been cut around tricky corner details with expert precision. It’s details like these that separate professionals from amateurs, and Orange’s vinyl covering and woodwork is as good as it gets.

Sounds
With the orange jewel mains lights glowing brightly, and a selection of guitars to play with, the dual channel silent-switching preamp makes instant sense. Channel one is the moderate gain rhythm zone, channel two adds a massive boost for lead work. Because both channels are completely independent with separate master, gain and tone controls, it’s dead easy to set up just the right levels for both sounds, without one interacting with the other. Voicing seems to be identical, but the extra boost on channel two adds a more aggressive edge at higher gain settings.

Either way it’s typical Orange with a powerful mid-range and smooth treble response that leaves you in no doubt as to which side of the Atlantic these amps originate from.

The tone control’s range is relatively narrow, and works to fine tune the amp’s character rather than alter it – just as it should be on an Orange. We were more than happy with the amount of gain on tap from the lead channel, even low output single-coil guitars screamed and sustained without any problem. Conversely, we felt there was a little too much gain on the rhythm channel, which started to distort with the control only a quarter into its travel. However, substituting the appropriate ECC83 for a lower-gain valve can easily modify this.

We found a 5751 to be the perfect compromise between bell-like chiming clean and crunch, with a PRS McCarty just beginning to distort around the halfway mark.

At higher master volume levels, the power-stages of these two heads begin to add their own characteristics into the equation. The AD30TC’s valve-rectified quad EL84s smoothed things out for a deliciously raunchy-but-sweet lead tone. With feedback galore and a compressed dynamic response that makes every chord a power chord.

The AD140TC sounds punchier with an aggressive edge to the treble and a much more powerful low end. And, of course, it’s very, very loud. The dynamic range of this amp at full tilt is just beyond belief. With two 4 x 12s hooked up you literally feel air thumping you in the chest when you hit an open chord, while single note riffs leap out with enough velocity to stun a buffalo at 50 paces. Nothing else we’ve tried comes close – this is serious big-stadium stuff.

Every guitar player should experience the fun of commanding this kind of power at least once, but it has to be repeated that in anything less than a very large hall you really are going to damage someone’s hearing with an amp this loud.

It’s difficult to say whether the change from point-to-point on the single channel Custom Shop AD140 to PCB for the AD140TC has made any difference to the way the amp sounds. This one thrilled us just as much – especially with the lead channel’s extra gain – although at more realistic volume levels Orange’s big hitter was difficult to control, sounding a little too punchy, which is of course where the AD30TC comes in.

Both amps can work with a variety of cabs, although the full-on Orange experience demands the Celestion Vintage 30-loaded PPC 412, which not only looks the part but sounds it too. As well as being, arguably, the coolest-looking 4 x 12 ever made, just beware when you lift it. Like everything Orange it’s built to last, and that means it’s seriously heavy. It’s also worth pointing out that the AD140TC needs loudspeakers capable of handling a good 300 watts – and preferably closer to 500 if you plan to use that power stage to its full potential. This means you’ll be hooking up not one, but two of these cabs for maximum sonic and visual impact.

The AD30TC’s lesser output opens up a wider range of speaker choice for those prepared to mix and match. When we tested the Orange AD30R, we experimented with several speaker permutations. The AD30R’s Celestion Vintage 30s sounded excellent but purists, with deep wallets, should consider the Celestion Alnico Blues, which are the perfect complement for the AD30’s EL84 Class A power stage.

Having mentioned this in passing, the PPC412’s Vintage 30s define all the tones you’d expect from a company whose heritage goes back to the electric guitar’s golden age: a throaty, humbucker-flattering upper mid-range growl and a sweet top end mixed with the low thump only a 4 x 12 gives you. But it may be nice to see Orange offer the Alnico alternative for AD30 users.