When you hear sounds, do you also see colours?
Scientists call it synesthesia - the blurring of senses in a cool, artistic way - and I reckon people do this more often than they let on. Eddie Van Halen famously called his ideal distorted guitar tone his ‘brown sound’ since it sounded brown to him. People invariably talk about flangers being purple, too. Whether that’s due to the BOSS flanger having a purple chassis, or BOSS choosing purple because flangers sound purple, I’m not sure, but it all seems right and correct somehow.
Today, I have another sonic colour for you: orange. The Orange sound. I am talking, of course, about Orange amplifiers, and I happen to think they sound pretty orange. Let me explain…
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Orange: The New Sound of Metal (and More)
Orange Amplifiers
Orange are, after Marshall (maybe Vox too), perhaps the most distinctive British amplifier brand. Their instantly recognisable orange-coloured tolex coverings make them easy to spot on the world’s stages. Their use by some of the biggest musicians on the planet make them a familiar sight to concert attendees everywhere.
Orange amps range from tiny battery powered portables to full-on stacks made of heads and cabs. There are a number of ranges, from the solid state Crush series to the famous all-valve Rockerverb amps and beyond.
But what about the sound?
The Orange Sound
It’s always difficult to describe sounds in words without getting a bit flowery. The signature sound of Orange amps is something I can hear in my head as I type, just like I can when I think of a typical Marshall plexi sound or a Fender clean tone.
Since I am in fact trying to describe that Orange sound, I’d say this: it has a real ‘bark’ and a ‘graininess’ that I don’t hear in smoother high gain amps. Research has led me to believe that this is because the power amp valves are having as much say in the tone as the preamp valves, but don’t quote me on that!
In performance, I find that the Orange sound is very tight. Riff playing and staccato rhythms always end when I want them to, without the flub of certain American high gain amps. It’s a very saturated sound with what I’d call a ‘3-dimensional’ quality. Whilst it’s superficially similar to a Marshall sound, I actually find them to be quite different: distinctly so, actually. Marshall sounds more ‘yellow’ to me, with less bottom end than I tend to hear from a fully dimed Rockerverb.
Of course, Orange offer a number of different amps, and they don’t necessarily all contain the same levels of this particular sound. That said, we guitarists do collectively talk about a ‘Fender Tweed sound’ or a ‘Marshall sound’ even when we are talking about amps from neither of those brands, so a signature sonic fingerprint is definitely a thing we all recognise.
I’d say that the Orange sound is on the more savage end of the tonal spectrum, but in a way that is very satisfying. Hard rockers and metal fans will certainly gravitate towards this sound, as well as lead guitarists in the rock and blues idioms who aren’t afraid of getting a bit gnarly!
(Photo: Arkia Jahani)
Orange: The New Sound of Metal (and More)
A great example of Orange’s signature roar can be heard with current metal bands like Turnstile and Knocked Loose, two of the current scene’s most significant acts.
Also, local hero Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro is a long-time fan of the brand. Nine Inch Nails’ Robin Finck has spoken to me on a number of occasions about his love for the Orange Rockerverb, too, as has Slipknot’s Jim Root. All of this makes Orange one of the most significant brands in heavy music today.
Blues players like Marcus King love Orange as much as Doom bands like Boris and Sleep. For those looking for pure, unadulterated tube tone in crashing waves, the Orange sound is something to behold!
The indie brigade love Orange too, since that trademark overdrive cuts through a mix even at sensible levels (where’s the fun in that?) and the attached British heritage no doubt adds to their worth for such bands. I mean, any amp brand that is used by Slipknot, Sunn0))) and the Kaiser Chiefs is definitely versatile!
Check out the videos I’ve included throughout today's blog to hear Orange amps in action. They can compete with Boogies, 5150’s and JCM900s for sure, and they do it in their own way, with their own sound. If you like to rock hard and haven’t considered Orange, then I reckon you’re missing a big trick. What colour is the sound? It’s orange, of course!
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