Orange Amps
Orange Amps is an English amplifier manufacturing company, noted for their products' distinctive sound and the bright orange Tolex-like covering of their heads and speaker cabinets. The company was founded in 1968 by Cliff Cooper, who decided to build his own amplifiers when vendors refused to supply his West End musical instrument store, Orange Store, due to Cooper's youth and countercultural image. Cooper also founded related companies, including the Orange record label in 1969.
The brand's early amps were adopted by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and were used on Stevie Wonder's Superstition, which brought Orange worldwide recognition. The brand's "Pics Only" models—nicknamed for their use of symbols rather than text on their control panels—were released in the early 1970s to much success and established a signature "Orange sound." However, large-scale production of Orange Amps ceased in 1978 and Cooper spent the '80s building and selling amps in limited numbers. After a line of reissue models licensed by Gibson in the early '90s proved unsuccessful, Cooper regained control of the brand and found new success with the 1998 release of the AD30, with notable fans like Jimmy Page. In 2003, Orange released the Rockerverb series, which has become a favorite amp among heavy metal guitarists.
Quotes about Orange Amps
[edit]- By the early 1970s, Orange amplifiers were making waves with their distinctive vintage aesthetic, rugged design, and iconic British tone. They've since earned a strong reputation among rock and indie players, not just in their native U.K. but all over the world, helped by famous proponents including Stevie Wonder and Jimmy Page. [...] Across its comprehensive range of guitar and bass amps, Orange is consistent in its hand-built quality and vintage style that endears it to its legions of fans. While the brand is undoubtedly successful, you get the feeling that each product is made with care as a bespoke piece of electrical engineering that is relatively simple in its construction but highly effective in its performance.
- Orange guitar amps are the most distinctive in the business, by both sight and sound.
