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Ampeg SVT vs Orange AD200B

#21
Just to save face (I don't advocate one over the other) but cabinet choice and impedance is a huge factor in "farty sound". Also, keep in mind the AD200B is less power, less power tubes and different preamp. Bland? That is like saying the Ampeg V4 sounds bland on bass :) Don't know how but ok... Again, to each their own I suppose.

I've had farty Ampeg rigs in the past, and usually 9 times out of 10 it was the cabinet. Also, it depends if you are looking for sub-freq type of stuff versus forward rock. Rock gets away with bass not sounding perfectly clean.

mistergoats said:
I find the Ampeg to just sound like a bass should sound. I found the Orange to be farty and bland sounding. That's it. No evidence, just my ears. Nothing else sounds like an SVT. (I played both through an Ampeg SVT 810e cab).
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#22
carbonfold said:
But weren't they making (or selling) Matamps in Canada a while back?
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There is/was a Canadian dealer, and there was Midwest Matamp, a US dealer, but its only Matamp if its made in Meltham. Especially important to not buy one of the Electric branded knock offs new, since they stopped delivering over 2 years ago, but seem to still be taking money for them.

Shipping old Hiwatts and Matamps to the US from here is fully possible.
 
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#23
carbonfold said:
Just to save face (I don't advocate one over the other) but cabinet choice and impedance is a huge factor in "farty sound". Also, keep in mind the AD200B is less power, less power tubes and different preamp. Bland? That is like saying the Ampeg V4 sounds bland on bass :) Don't know how but ok... Again, to each their own I suppose.

I've had farty Ampeg rigs in the past, and usually 9 times out of 10 it was the cabinet. Also, it depends if you are looking for sub-freq type of stuff versus forward rock. Rock gets away with bass not sounding perfectly clean.
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The cabinet in this instance was totally fine. I WANTED to like the Orange, but it just wasn't my jam at all. All we play is straight ahead rock. The SVT just sounds like what the bass should sound like. I'm not throwing Orange under the bus. OP asked for opinions, that's mine. All you can do is try as many as you can and go with the one you enjoy!
 
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#24
Mr. Foxen said:
There is/was a Canadian dealer, and there was Midwest Matamp, a US dealer, but its only Matamp if its made in Meltham. Especially important to not buy one of the Electric branded knock offs new, since they stopped delivering over 2 years ago, but seem to still be taking money for them.

Shipping old Hiwatts and Matamps to the US from here is fully possible.
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I'd still love to get a Matamp, but can't really fathom that price tag to buy one sight unseen.

One other amp that has my curiosity that is in the mix with the SVT, the Orange and the Matamp is the Reeves Custom 400. Again, though, price prohibitive. The common availability of Ampegs and Oranges makes them the more efficient choice.
 
#25
aye you are. Hence why TB is such a great place. However, just helping explain "farty" maybe be the incorrect term or explanation on why it isn't your cup of tea. "Farty" sound issues are usually always the cabinet (usually is key word). I have no idea to explain a amp as farty (SVT or AD200 or Bassman for that matter). It just don't make any sense so not meaning to knock yah.

But you're completely right that the Orange may not have been your thing. Some ppl it is and some it is not. Both amps sound like bass should be but with bass but just depending on the tone you are after. Lemmy was after the 100w heads :) Its not for everyone.

mistergoats said:
The cabinet in this instance was totally fine. I WANTED to like the Orange, but it just wasn't my jam at all. All we play is straight ahead rock. The SVT just sounds like what the bass should sound like. I'm not throwing Orange under the bus. OP asked for opinions, that's mine. All you can do is try as many as you can and go with the one you enjoy!
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#26
carbonfold said:
aye you are. Hence why TB is such a great place. However, just helping explain "farty" maybe be the incorrect term or explanation on way it isn't your cup of tea. "farty" sound issues are usually always the cabinet (usually is key word).

But you're completely right that the Orange may not have been your thing. Some ppl it is and some it is not. Both amps sound like bass should be but with bass but just depending on the tone you are after. Lemmy was after the 100w heads :) Its not for everyone.
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Ha! That reminds me. I had the opportunity to try one of those Marshall Majors that Lemmy uses a few years back. I'd call that "3rd guitar" tone.
 
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#28
carbonfold said:
However, just helping explain "farty" maybe be the incorrect term or explanation on why it isn't your cup of tea. "Farty" sound issues are usually always the cabinet (usually is key word). I have no idea to explain a amp as farty (SVT or AD200 or Bassman for that matter).
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Okay, so further to my earlier explanation of "farty" in terms of the amp, I could not dial in a sound that was that delicate balance of clear, grindy and punchy on the Orange versus the tones I was able to easily achieve on the SVT. Perhaps muddy would have been a better descriptor? I had flat and punchy (what I equated to a muddy or farty sound coming out) or bright and overly sizzly without the warm presence. Like I could not dial in a solid mix of the two that worked for what I wanted to hear.

This is just speculation, but I'm guessing no matter how I explain it, you'll favour the Orange and I'll favour the SVT, and that's totally cool with me.
 
#29
Not true regarding "no matter how I will explain it". I'm not biased to Orange. The Orange just works for me in the current project/band I'm in and its just more colorful than the Ampeg. Ampeg has it's place and I would take it just as fast as I would take an Orange rig. There isn't a side I choose over the other. I've used both heavily.
 
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#30
Lemmy used 100w heads, not the Majors, it was Richie Blackmore using Majors.

The dark SVT cab will be a fairly major issue with the Orange, cuts off the high distortion products, and the inescapable mid scoop of the tone stack doesn't use the cabs strong point in the mids. You end up trying to push more gain to make up for that which gets farty.
 
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#33
Mesa and marshall have lots more in common, both fender styleys with more distortion. The Orange uses a Fender tone stack whereas the Ampeg uses a fiddly multi stage one with way more mid control, that has more in common with the Matamps/proper oranges as they share a tone stack style (Bax/James) although Ampeg has the mid circuit in addition.
 
#34
Mr. Foxen said:
Mesa and marshall have lots more in common, both fender styleys with more distortion. The Orange uses a Fender tone stack whereas the Ampeg uses a fiddly multi stage one with way more mid control, that has more in common with the Matamps/proper oranges as they share a tone stack style (Bax/James) although Ampeg has the mid circuit in addition.
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I find that mid circuit in the Ampegs incredibly useful.
 
#35
I have the AD200B and I'm very happy with it. I was running it through an Acme flatwound stack and just recently started using it with a Traynor 810. It really is an incredible experience going through the 810, you can tell the two were made for each other.

If you do try the AD200B please make sure you try a flat setting as well as a boosted setting. Flat on the eq is B:2, M:10, T:0. Many people use it with the preamp at B:10, M:10, T:10 and it gives a pleasing sound, but I have been happiest with the former setting.

I have a little experience with the Ampeg and I did really enjoy the amp. What won out for me was the difference in weight between the Ampeg and the Orange. At 3am at the end of the gig, even the 50lb Orange feels pretty heavy. I worried that the weight of the Ampeg would have deterred me from playing it out.

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#37
You could try IK media Amplitube, they have the Orange AD200b with both 8x10 and 1x15 cabs and a pretty good selection of Ampeg heads and cabs. Of course playing through a computer through a good set of monitors or headphones isn't the same experience as a real amp, but these are pretty damn good representations of those amps and you could reslly get an idea of the differences before you pull the trigger on the real thing.
 
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#39
I haven't used the Orange, but I've certainly heard many of them being used in live situations. If it was my choice, I'd grab an SVT simply for the reason that it's got more power. They also sound incredible, the EQ is more flexible (+1 to whoever mentioned the mid controls - very useful with a wide range of tones) and they're considerably less expensive than the Orange. If you want dirt from your tube amp look into the SVT-II PRO (or SVT-2PRO), which have the built-in overdrive. When cranked they get pretty damn dirty, while still having that massive, room-filling low end.
 
#40
the ad200 i had for years and toured and gigged with it a tone. great sounding warm tube amp, but like the terror basses it errs on the dark side tonally. the OR120 (vintage) i preffered greatly, it had this midrange punch and thick low end but with a nice top (that could get as bright or sparkley with the HF Drive).

Ampeg's i just can't get into. I've owned a ton and they are also darker on the high end and have a midrange emphasis but just sound eh? everyone raves about their drive but it's too loose and just eh? for me.

more of a fender bassman vintage warm tube clean sound guy.
 
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