Orange turns out to be a lemon no more

[Guest MoJo]

After reading good reviews and hearing a fellow basschatter's rig, I recently sold my Gallien Krueger MB800 and bought a Terror Bass 500. After hearing tales of how the standard issue 12AX7s could start to break up once the gain knob passes 9 o clock, imagine my surprise when I turned my to 2 o clock (pad switch set to passive) and I'm still getting a crystal clear tone. Anyone else experience this or have I got a duff one?

Edited November 28, 2013 by MoJo

[geoffbyrne]

Depends on the output of your bass.

G.

[gjones]

I had the same with my Fender TV15 which had a tube pre amp. I couldn't get it to break up because the output on my Jazz wasn't hot enough.

[dannybuoy]

Heard a rumour they'd fixed the overly hot DI issue, perhaps they achieved it by using lower gain valves. If you bought it second hand, a previous owner could have swapped tubes too - pull em out and have a look to see if they are 12AX7s!

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1384474920' post='2277273']
Heard a rumour they'd fixed the overly hot DI issue, perhaps they achieved it by using lower gain valves. If you bought it second hand, a previous owner could have swapped tubes too - pull em out and have a look to see if they are 12AX7s!
[/quote]

It's brand new

[mikeh]

Mine breaks up lovely at about 11 o'clock, earlier,.depending on settings on my bass, or how hard you dig in.
I couldn't imagine getting my gain that high and still having a Crystal clear tone.

[Happy Jack]

Do you have the controls all up on your bass?

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1384506186' post='2277387']
Do you have the controls all up on your bass?
[/quote]

Yes.

I'll try it with my BB414 as that quite a hot output for a passive bass

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1384473903' post='2277256']
Depends on the output of your bass.

G.
[/quote]

I have spoken to Mark at Bass Direct, where I purchased the amp, and he's convinced that it's the low output from my bass that is the reason I can turn the gain up so high without it overdriving. He assures me that if one of the valves were faulty, the amp wouldn't work at all. I don't want it to overdrive, I just wanted to know that my amp is working as it should be. I love the valvely warmth, sounds great with my newly acquired Jazz.

[RandomBass]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1384506474' post='2277390']


Yes.

I'll try it with my BB414 as that quite a hot output for a passive bass
[/quote]
Good idea. If a BB414 doesn't do the trick, then there is definitely something awry.

[badboy1984]

I prefer more clean valve warmth tone then it breaks up and all go fuzzy.

[Cat Burrito]

I had to buy new valves as my one was breaking up too early for my tastes. That doesn't sound too right to me. They tend to break up quite early so it could be your own isn't quite right. Personally more my tastes but not typical Orange. You need to test it against another TB head to see. It's been my only gigging head for about 3yrs now so I was surprised when I saw this thread.

[Lozz196]

Mine used to break up if I went anywhere past 9 o`clock on the gain, using a regular US Precision. Doesn`t sound right to me, being able to get to 2 o`clock - I`d expect to out-Lemmy Lemmy on that setting.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1384547336' post='2278117']
Mine used to break up if I went anywhere past 9 o`clock on the gain, using a regular US Precision. Doesn`t sound right to me, being able to get to 2 o`clock - I`d expect to out-Lemmy Lemmy on that setting.
[/quote]

Plus 1, something isn't right.

[4000]

Best thread title ever. :-)

[Prime_BASS]

Well if it is a new one with the apparant 'hot' issue then I'm sure it's fine.

Could check your pickup height etc, you be surprised on the volume/output that can be achieved.

I had an OTB and my god that's a good class D power amp.

[rOB]

Yep when I had one it started to break up up early (around 10 o'clock I think).

But if you like how it sounds with your gear then what's the problem? As long as there isn't a fault that makes it unreliable or unsafe?

[bassmachine2112]

Hot gain and DI has been sorted ,just up the gain and it will/does break up wonderfully in a more controlled fashion and a big +1 on pick up height,it does make a difference.
Valves might have been changed so a quick check might be in order.
What cab/s are you using ?

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1384556496' post='2278276']
Best thread title ever. :-)
[/quote]

I thought this would have been started by Billy Apple and that folks would go OT and the thread end up pear-shaped.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1384594696' post='2278431']
I thought this would have been started by Billy Apple and that folks would go OT and the thread end up pear-shaped.
[/quote] ahh Bill the cockney?

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1384593854' post='2278415']
Hot gain and DI has been sorted ,just up the gain and it will/does break up wonderfully in a more controlled fashion and a big +1 on pick up height,it does make a difference.
Valves might have been changed so a quick check might be in order.
What cab/s are you using ?
[/quote]

This seems to be the case. I can get it to overdrive but it happens much later than reports I've read on Basschat. Maybe the later ones are just like that. It's more useful in fact. You get the type of control that owners of earlier models were trying to achieve by swapping the valves for 12AY7's

Edited November 16, 2013 by MoJo

[Lozz196]

Sounds a reasonable move to me - I really liked the sound mine made, but anything more than 9 o`clock on gain and the same on volume and it was way too much.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1384594696' post='2278431']
I thought this would have been started by Billy Apple and that folks would go OT and the thread end up pear-shaped.
[/quote]

Hey, leave me out of it, everyone knows I'm all a bit Matamp.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1384595094' post='2278438']
ahh Bill the cockney?
[/quote]

Cock-er-nee through and through, me like.

BTW, Do you think Orange have just read HJ's thread and fixed their heads accordingly?

[Happy Jack]

They'd never have enough white saucers to put the tiny black screws into.

[davehux]

I had to tame mine with 12AY7 (ECC81)'s as it was breaking up too soon. Now it can demolish small villages with just that hint of growl to tell everyone there's some vacuum tubes at work