Orange Ad200 mk3

[Richbass74]

Just wondered if anybody rates these at all? I'm sorely tempted as they look great, I have a Marshall VBA400 which sounds great but ridiculously loud and heavy.

[Wooks79]

Great amps, also heavy.

[0175westwood29]

awesome heads! really nice sound i used on for a few gigs sharing gear thru my old 610hlf sounded really nice but i just cant gig something that heavy but as you've got a beast already in the vba then im almost certain this is lighter but dare i say theres probs a few more tones in the vba than the orange?

andy

[umcoo]

They're super duper. I never found mine to be too heavy, it's reasonably compact compared to other wider valve amps I've had, plus the tone is worth it. Do it!

[Richbass74]

Cheers for the help guys, It's certainly something to think about, Not sure what I'd get for the VBA and The VBC412 Cab though.

[umcoo]

Always worth mentioning....

If you're going to get the Orange brand new, take a look at the Matamp GT200. Similar price, customisable, some say it sounds better, you work with a small group of people so better 'customer service'.

Second hand Oranges go for £700-800 usually. Either way, you're onto a winner.

[Billy Apple]

If you are going to buy a new Orange, you may as well spend the money on the real thing and buy a Matamp GT200. They have just had a revamp so it just keeps getting better. Any valve head is going to be heavy, IIRC the Marshall is the heaviest, the Orange and Matamp may be even, but the Matamps' transformers have been upgraded (as in bigger) so is probably the bigger of the two.

If it's lightweight valves you're after have you considered the Orange Terror Bass? Or indeed the new Matamp 500w digital hybrid with valve pre and valve driven DI? It should be available soon and is currently in testing at the prototype stage.

Edit: forgot to say, the joy with Matamp is customer service If I call them up, I actually get to speak to the guy that built my amp.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Billy Apple

[Mr. Foxen]

Orange is defintiely a paying for a name over the actual product thing, they are a cheaply made amp in an expensively coloured box.

[Musicman20]

It's like a witchunt in here when Orange VS Matamp comes up.

The AD200b sounds great, looks great, and isn't that heavy. You also get a long warranty based on a UK company cf to something like Ampeg.

For the record, I like Matamp but the last GT I heard did not have a grind or drive like the AD200b.

[Anders]

I agree with Musicman20.
The Matamp GT200 is a great amp and really well built.But it does not sound like an Orange AD200MK3.Try for your self and see what you like.

[Billy Apple]

As a Matamp owner, I'll apologise if my earlier post was could be seen as witch-hunting. It might be for another thread concerning Oranges claim to being made in the UK, or the whole PCB/Hand-wired thing. But at the end of the day it's what-ever floats your boat, and the AD200's I have played through have always sounded great.

I also think the OTB is a great bit of kit, and is well respected and used by forum members (erm, once they have swapped the gain-y valves). And I also recall members getting good service from customer back up.

But, still I can't wait to have a try on Matamps new 500 hybrid

Hope this redresses the balence

[Anders]

Very decent post Billy Apple! Absolutely no need for apologising in my opinion. I will confess ,I haven't heard the new Matamps with their new transformers,only the older one.I hope they could put up some kind of soundsamples on the website.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Anders' timestamp='1350332132' post='1837520']
Very decent post Billy Apple! Absolutely no need for apologising in my opinion. I will confess ,I haven't heard the new Matamps with their new transformers,only the older one.I hope they could put up some kind of soundsamples on the website.
[/quote]

Agreed!

[DanFold]

Maybe we can come up with some sort of arrangement? I have an Orange AD200B MK3 (Just had all the Output Valves replaced with some Marshall KT88's, just choosing some preamp valves at the moment!) OBC 4x12 And OBC 1x15.

But i reeeeeally want a Marshall VBA400 and a couple of 4x12's.

[Richbass74]

Not sure what to do really? Have you got any pics of your Orange?

[dan670844]

They sound lovely and the cabinet looks nice, but I am afaid after looking inside one, its not really that good, its designed to be cheap by someone who doesnt know/care what constant thermal cycling does to pcb, joints and components and with all that heat valves produce I am not certain it will be long term reliable. For the money they cost they should last a playing career, I dont think they will! but maybe when it dies you can get matamp to put a gt200 in there for you.............
I would be looking at the ashdown valve stuff, its really well made, they are just about to launch a ctm100 for about the same money, if you have a good cab its plenty loud enough and it has a transformer derived di, so that nice noise comes out of the pa. Another choice would be the Matamp, as others have said. Leftfield would be a traynor yba200 better build quality and £500 from thomann 2 for the price of one! so two of em should get you a few years playing! for me there only one choice a CTM they are perfect in everyway. quality, sound, versatility, and very easy to maintain you can change valves and bias them yourself.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='dan670844' timestamp='1350415012' post='1838595']
They sound lovely and the cabinet looks nice, but I am afaid after looking inside one, its not really that good, its designed to be cheap by someone who doesnt know/care what constant thermal cycling does to pcb, joints and components and with all that heat valves produce I am not certain it will be long term reliable. For the money they cost they should last a playing career, I dont think they will! but maybe when it dies you can get matamp to put a gt200 in there for you.............
I would be looking at the ashdown valve stuff, its really well made, they are just about to launch a ctm100 for about the same money, if you have a good cab its plenty loud enough and it has a transformer derived di, so that nice noise comes out of the pa. Another choice would be the Matamp, as others have said. Leftfield would be a traynor yba200 better build quality and £500 from thomann 2 for the price of one! so two of em should get you a few years playing! for me there only one choice a CTM they are perfect in everyway. quality, sound, versatility, and very easy to maintain you can change valves and bias them yourself.
[/quote]

I've seen bands using the AD200b for years with no issues. Same with me!

[Richbass74]

It's certainly been a great debated topic, I'm putting my vba400 and vbc12 on the market, Wonderful bit of kit but its also nice to have a change.