There was once a time in the not-so-distant past when acoustic combos were a bit of a niche concern, with a lack of choice on the market – especially at the affordable end. Thankfully those days are over and the big names are all eager to woo the acoustic players out there, and Orange have just shown they have a potentially strong hand by expanding its popular Crush range into the fray.
Retailing at £319 / $399 at the more affordable end of the acoustic amp market, the Orange Crush Acoustic 30 is a portable twin channel combo amp that can be battery powered – bringing it into the market for buskers too.
It's angled like a wedge monitor too to make it easier to hear and be heard onstage or wherever you play.
Channel 1 is the dedicated acoustic guitar channel. Its pad switch which can take off up to 10dB of volume, to help retain the signal quality for higher output pickups if needed.
There's also a familiar three-band EQ which allows quick sound changes and a Colour switch which is good as a quick fix for players, it boosts presence and cuts the midrange frequencies.
Channel 2 is designed with a mic or second guitar player's input in mind with a phantom power function that's switchable in addition to the mic/line input.
There's now an expectation for acoustic combos to have onboard effects and Orange have provided accordingly with reverb and chorus that can be blended between the two channels.
There's also a global notch filter to adjust the frequency of the narrow-Q filter should any feedback issues arise.
The amp features Orange's own 8-inch Voice of the World speaker and the cab is available in orange and black finish options. The Orange Crush Acoustic 30 can be powered by either AA batteries or the supplied DC adaptor. Playing at full volume, the batteries will provide three hours of playing time or five hours at 50% volume.
Visit Orange for more info.
