Orange AD-30 Combo

The AD-30 TC is a pretty straightforward amplifier: two-channel, all tube, 30w, class A, 2x12 combo. It's basically Orange's take on the Vox AC-30. Seperate but nearly identical signal paths for the two channels, though channel 2 is wired slightly hotter. Each channel has independent Gain, High, Mid, Low, and Master Volume controls. Optional single button footswitch allows hands-free channel switching. A powered output jack allows you to push a 4X12 cab too if you want.

I play a lot of electric blues and rock, and I haven't yet heard an amp that I felt was better-suited to the sound than mine. When I was shopping, I played plenty of new and vintage amps: Marshall, Fender, Vox, etc. I played several different Orange models as well. The AD-30 was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't need a bunch of on-board effects (I don't use a huge number of effects typically), but I'm a big believer in amp overdrive over pedals, and this amp hit my sweet spot perfectly.

There are two things I sometimes find this amp lacking, however:

1) In the course of my shopping, I absolutely fell in love with the all-tube reverb Orange puts in their Rockerverb amps. I went with the AD-30 because, as much as I liked the reverb, I liked the actual amp sound better. I contacted Orange about the potential of a reverb-equipped AD-30, but they replied that they had no plans to produce such a combo.

2) The AD-30 has no effects loop, which is only a small issue for me on occasions where I'm doing some looping and a little more sonic versatility would be nice. 99% of the time, this isn't a problem.

My primary guitar is a customized G&L Legacy with three different kinds of single coil pickups; I also have a couple of Les Pauls that I use from time to time. The G&L sounds incredible thru the AD-30, just a perfect blues machine. The Les Pauls sound great too, though I primarily use them for a little bit higher output when I need a heavier sound than my Legacy can give.

The beauty of this amp is that, because both channels are almost identical, you can set it up however you want: I usually have it in a standard 1-clean, 1-dirty configuration, but I've played with it in the past so both channels were differently-EQ'd cleans, or where one was a mild overdrive and the other was much heavier. While nobody will ever mistake this amp for a metal monster, it breaks up well enough, and it gets plenty loud: I can shake my whole house with the volume at 4 or 5, and the clean stays crisp and sparkly all the way to the top.

It's a beast. I have never had a problem with this amp. I'm never worried about it when I turn it on.

Never had any amp-related issues; when I did contact Orange (regarding a reverb version of the AD-30), the reply was quick and thorough. If I needed work done, I doubt I'd bother to send it all the way back to England anyway.

If it blew up on me, I'd sell my car to buy a new one tomorrow. If someone stole it, I'd hunt them like Arnold hunting Sarah Conner in The Terminator. If I could pick just one amp in the whole world to keep forever, this would be it.

I compared it to a bunch of Marshalls (most prominently the DSL and TSL combos and Mark II heads), several different vintage Fenders (Bassmans, Twins, Reverbs, Devilles), the Vox AC-30 (on which the AD-30 is based) and others, and for the simplicity, sound, and versatility, this amp was easily the best. The distinctive orange cab is a winner too!

I tell people all the time, Orange is the way to go. Fender and Vox do great clean sounds, but you need a great overdrive pedal to make them scream. Marshall has the killer distortion, but their cleans just don't sparkle. Orange does it all.

This" was" a 30 Watt, uncomfortable to carry around combo, with Master Volume and some tone controls.... more than enough. Made just before they were discontinued. Bought new at about 2006.

Went to a "boutique"place in Conn., intent on buying, and tried ,every "handwired"Amp there. When I left, I gave the guy $20 for staying so long, and using his electricity. But I bought AD-30 elsewhere.
I used for this test, one of the best guitars I have.
A 20 year old Carlo Greco handmade semi hollow. It is a single cut away, 355 type (in general), but with a solid carved arched top and back, of old figured maple. It has two original PAF pickups in it. A very gainy guitar.

After trying all of these handwired amps, I bought an Orange!
I felt it sounded in between a Marshall and a Vox.

After living with it for a while I realized, that though it had a good "Voice", it really was a Very Anemic Amplifier. One can never get the feeling that this amp is being "pushed".
In fact, other than it's anemia, it also had a permanent subtile "squeal" in there, which I tried to resolve by sending it back (UPS) and buying Groove"Over rated"Tubes.
In the end I asked Orange ,take this back, and I'll pay the difference,to buy one of those "few a year "handwired" Orange Heads, sight unseen...No such humanity there, nor business sense might I add.
So in the end, I traded it in and bought a Vox Brian May Combo, and a Marshall JTM-45/100 40th Ann. Stack ...
The AD-30 was discontinued(good riddance)and Orange lost a customer.

!

Had subtile squeal at higher volume that MFG. could not hear...

Poor.

Went out looking for "THE Amplifier " to replace the sound of the(1972) 50 watt 4x12 MKll Marshall, long ago lost .So far, just a little here, and a little there....
Have Victoria Bassman, Mesa Boogie MKlV(early one),Marshall JTM-45 (Hand made one) Stack, and Vox Brian May Combo...
All a story in themselves.

The Orange was the worst. The Vox semi-handwired reissues sound much,much better, but build is borderline.