Orange Amps has unveiled a new signature tube amp for Orianthi, with the former Michael Jackson guitarist’s new Oriverb based on the legendary British guitar amp brand’s Rockerverb MKIII 50 NEO Combo.
The Oriverb, however, is unmistakably the Oriverb, with the first thing you’ll notice is that it isn’t orange. Instead, we’ve got a this textured leaf tolex in white, contrasted by a black grille cloth, with black knobs on a gold control panel. It’s a looker.
Inside that Baltic birch cabinet are a pair of Celestion Neo Creamback 12” drivers, and one heavy duty amplifier that offers two channels, 50-watts at full power, 25 at half, spring reverb, and there is a tube-buffered effects loop for welcoming your pedalboard to the party.
The Australian guitar phenom might have put her name to it, this might be put together to her exacting specs, but she promises any player – with any electric guitar – will be able to find themselves on this amp.
“We created this to be something very special, unique, something that when people plug into it, whatever guitar they are gonna use through this, it is going to amplify their personality,’ she says. “Being able to bring something to life that I feel a lot of people are really going to enjoy has been a real honour. I am so proud of this amp and I can’t wait for people to check it out.”
Those people will hear something different to a regular Rockerverb MKIII 50 NEO Combo. This has been voiced to have more warmth in the midrange, in other words it is more blues-rock friendly.
The EQ has been designed to complement Orianthi’s style. Orange promises plenty of clean headroom, and an abundance of gain where you need it most.
“Seeing this whole amp come to life has been a dream come true,” says Orianthi. ‘It’s a beautiful amp and it really reflects my eccentric personality!”
As the neodymium speakers imply, this is built to be a more lightweight 2x12 tube amp – and while that seems like an oxymoron to us, having never met a 2x12 tube combo that didn’t make us faint at the sight of a staircase, we’ll take Orange’s word at that. Neodymium does make for a lighter speaker, as does the 15mm birch ply cabinet.
Under the hood there are a quartet of ECC83/12AX7s and a pair of ECC81/12AT7 in the preamp, while a pair of EL84s provide the muscle in the power amp. Both channels and reverb are footswitchable.
The Oriverb is available now, priced $2,799 street. You can pick it up from Sweetwater (US) and Thomann (UK/Europe). See Orange Amps for more details.
