Orange AD200B

[nash]

Any good valve swapouts pre/power that'll make it sound better?

[Mr. Foxen]

What is wrong with the sound? Get a bunch of pre valves cause they are cheap and swap about. Power valve rolling is expensive, and mostly applies if you totally crank it only.

Couple of sources say the transformer/something else is more the issue: [url="http://chambonino.com/work/miscguitar/misc9.html"]Here, [/url] [url="http://www.planetoftheamps.com/orange-ad-200-mk3-bassamp.html"]and here.[/url]

[nash]

I don't have one (yet) but I was wondering if there were any common swap outs mainly for the pre.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='nash' post='916721' date='Aug 6 2010, 09:42 AM']I don't have one (yet) but I was wondering if there were any common swap outs mainly for the pre.[/quote]

How would you know that it would sound better then?

[nash]

I'm literally asking if there are any common mods where the general consensus is that it makes the amp sound even better.

[Anders]

[quote name='nash' post='916769' date='Aug 6 2010, 11:16 AM']I'm literally asking if there are any common mods where the general consensus is that it makes the amp sound even better.[/quote]
If you do a search on the orange forum for AD200 there are some people talking about changing preamp tubes mostly for more headroom before breakup.Also swaping 6550's to KT88's.
I have an older one AD200MK1.I have changed the Powertubes and pre tubes.It made almost no difference at all in the sound.The only noticable difference was the output volume got a little bit lower(very little)and the lowend got a little bit cleaner/even sounding/focused.
But the sound(the voicing) didn't change one bit.
I changed from Electro Harmonix 6550 to Svetlana winged C 6550.And from JJ to ECC83-RETRO/HARMA CRYO-BALANCED (Harma)
ECC81/12AT7/RFT-BALANCED (RFT ).
I got recommended by watford valves to buy these tubes to get more focused but still warm sound,and that's what i got.
I'll say one thing if you want to change the sound,try different strings,that can give much bigger difference in sound imo.

[Musicman20]

If you dont like the inherent sound of it, with even just stock tubes, then it might not be the amp for you.

Mine still has stock tubes and I couldnt be happier with the tone.

[nash]

What make are the stock valves?

[umph]

most companys use rebranded sovtek or chinese valves, while these work there are better valves out there.

[nash]

I liked the svetlana's I had in my Sunn. Get some JJ's in the pre.

[Prime_BASS]

I would buy it to change it's voicing, so this thread seems rather pointless.

You can change the sound up go a point. Example I changed my AD140's to what I stolen out of some Marshall head and it sounded exactly the same, although the gain kicked in sooner, it didn't make it sound like the Marshall. It still sounds like an orange. Plus tubes are rather expensive and powertubes are annoying to change unless younger used to it, and for bass the difference would be minimal and unprovable in a mix.

I'd understand changing them for better life span though.

[nash]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='917565' date='Aug 6 2010, 11:36 PM']I would buy it and replace the Chinese valves with superior Russian valves[/quote]


also you have missed the point of the thread. the whole point was finding out if putting different model preamp valves in different position's makes a huge change for the better in tone. this is a common practice with valve amps.

[Mr. Foxen]

They won't ever make a huge change to the tone, they will be small tweaks as the valves all function pretty much the same, and the design of the amp gives the fundamental tone. You can mess with the gain by substituting different gain factor valves but that will generally be less gain.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='nash' post='918129' date='Aug 7 2010, 04:57 PM']also you have missed the point of the thread. the whole point was finding out if putting different model preamp valves in different position's makes a huge change for the better in tone. this is a common practice with valve amps.[/quote]

Or so you believe, I've only ever heard people change valves for gain differences, as foxen said, the way the amp is designed creates the tone, the valves just amplify a signal.

t
It may only increase 'tone' if the valves are on their way to kapputs ville.

[krispn]

I'd a long chat with Dave from Matamp about valves and he says its a nonsense - yes you'll get less or more output volume but nothing really that different. I'have recently tried out some old valves in my pre amp and while I think it sounds better I'd be hard pushed to tell you if someone crept in and switched them back while I was out of the room.

Changing strings will have a more immediate effect but thats probably as expensive as buying 2 or 3 pre amp valves depending on which strings you buy. Flat wounds will give a huge change in tone from what you might be used to and the DR String review by Ed Friedland gives an interesting overview of the finer differences between strings within one brand - I don't have the link but type Ed Friedland dr string review into google and it should turn it up.

I'll pm ya with so info..