REVIEW > ORANGE
ORANGE
OR50H REISSUE
BY JORDAN WAGNER
In the past 44 years, Orange Amplification has built some of the
most iconic and prized amplifiers in the
world. When they celebrated their 40th
anniversary four years ago, Orange introduced the anniversary OR50—a limited
edition of 50 heads based on the legendary Pics Only amp that has since become
one of the most sought-after products in
the company’s history. Now, the ensuing clamor has driven Orange to reissue
the amp as a production model, the new
OR50H. The result is one of the most versatile Oranges ever—an amp that delivers
a wide range of sounds in addition to the
muscle and headroom typically associated
with the brand.
An Orange by Any Other Name
While the original OR50 amps were
billed as anniversary models, they were
more tribute models than exact reissues.
Orange’s lead amp designer Adrian Emsley
used the 1972 OR80 model—one of the
first amps designed and released exclusively
by Orange after parting ways with the legendary Mat Mathias (of Matamp fame)—
as an inspiration for the anniversary heads.
The OR80 and larger OR120 helped
establish what would become known as the
Orange sound—thick tonality and a beefy,
expansive crunch.
The build of the new OR50H is classically Orange, complete with beveled
edges along the cabinet, dual roll bars, and
to hear audio clips of the amp at
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pictographs to indicate the function of
each control. The only major cosmetic difference between it and the original OR50
heads is that it has a silkscreened metal
faceplate instead of a Plexiglas plate.
At the heart of the amp is a simple
single-channel circuit, fueled by a trio of
12AX7 preamp tubes and a pair of EL34
power tubes. The extra 12AX7 adds a
preamp gain stage for more aggressive and
saturated tones.
The control layout is pretty standard
fare, save for Orange’s signature and
Switchable master volume
HF drive control
premierguitar.com
PREMIER GUITAR JUNE 2012 169
