As my GAS for an Orange CR120 continues.

Philtre

ICBM said:

Well... today I played a CR60 combo - the first time I’ve heard one in person.

Massively disappointing.

After all I’d heard about them, I was expecting a quite valve-like tone, if not response. What I actually heard was a totally generic solid-state sound - chunky but flat and lifeless cleans, and the typical dirty sound where there is a buzzy distortion sitting on top of, and separate from, a cleaner sound underneath.

I had wondered how they’d managed to get a much better sound out of what is very conventional solid-state components and topology, and the answer is... they haven’t. It sounds like amps using this technology always do. In fact it sounds exactly like it’s name implies - it’s just a big Crush.

I really don’t get why they’ve been hyped so much now. To say it was a let-down is a huge understatement.

On the bright side the reverb is really good...

Agree. I bought one new a year or so ago and, after coming to the same conclusion, sent it straight back. I found the clean channel dull and boring with not a lot of headroom, and the dirty channel like a "fizz". Stank of chemicals, too.

ICBM

It's odd - they sound good in the clips I've heard, but when I played it myself that distinctive 'separate' solid-state distortion sound was extremely obvious. I didn't think it was terrible, but it's not the amazing modelling-killing analogue solid-state amp I was expecting from the video above. I suppose the speaker could be a factor, since I only tried it through its own one, but I doubt it would make enough difference to mask that buzzy overtone or make the clean channel 'bounce'.

I did really like the reverb - ironically, the digital part of it. The three settings are usefully different, and the range of control from just one knob (presumably mix level) is perfectly adequate - the other parameters have been well-chosen, unlike some other amps with digital reverb. And it's certainly well-made. But I wouldn't buy one now...

Grunfeld

I'm still happy with the CR-120 head (and Marshall 2x12 cab) that I've been gigging for over 3 years.

I can remember getting it (in an emergency cos my JVM died at the end of a gig and I had a festival to play the next day) and my immediate thought was the new amp was horrible.  No it wasn't, it was different. 

I got my knickers in a knot for weeks believing that it couldn't take OD pedals... yes it can, (really well), but it's different.

The game changer was finding Dave Simpson's channel as it happens.  I calmed down and did what I should've done from the start:  used my ears to dial in the sounds I like and not just pretend it was my old Marshall -- cos it wasn't. 

The Orange is a flexible platform.  Right now I'm definitely on a "Neil Young: my amp's about to explode" kick and it's not a subtle sound, but f*ck it, I love it!  The Orange (and a bit of OD) does it rather well.  And for when I have to clean up -- boo! -- there's more than enough headroom to do that with ease.