Do amps ever come back in style?

[higain617]

It seems like Orange Amps were fairly common sights in footage from the late 60s and early 70s of various bands - Black Sabbath for example. I came up in the 80s and 90s and never saw anyone playing Orange Amps until the early 00s when they were suddenly (at least to my anecdotal experience) en vogue. I certainly don't remember seeing Orange amps in Musicians Friend or at music stores until the early 00s anyway. I'm sure some of you are going to be able to cite numerous examples of 80s and 90s players using Orange, but I'm only saying in my experience, it seemed like there was a 20-something year gap its visibility.

I don't think the brand was revived until 2000-ish. I'd occasionally see mentions of them in Guitar World as Jimmy Page curios.

I've always wanted an MTI SVT.

 

[Wasnex]

I don't think the brand was revived until 2000-ish. I'd occasionally see mentions of them in Guitar World as Jimmy Page curios.

I've always wanted an MTI SVT.

Per this page, 1997. History – Orange Amps

 

[JazzyJacuzzi]

Per this page, 1997. History – Orange Amps

That's a really cool page. I wish more brands published their history. Also, I didn't know Stevie Wonder used Orange.

 

[DJ Bebop]

That's a really cool page. I wish more brands published their history. Also, I didn't know Stevie Wonder used Orange.

 

[JimmyM]

Well, there was the period of MTI Japanese SVTs, then from 1990 to 1994 the SVT-II replaced the original altogether. The SVT-CL arrived in 1994 but with a significant redesign of the original preamp, dropping the second channel. Then production moved again to Vietnam. If you want to call that "continuous", OK, I'll accept that.

They were just responding to the market wanting gain/master. Also, Skunkworks SVTs we’re being produced by 87. Continuous regardless of your opinion of what a proper SVT is

 

[spankdaplank]

I remember trying a Sunn Beta Bass in the music store in the 80's and thinking not too bad for solid state (I was a toob snob). Now I believe that the front end of the Beta Bass has been reproduced as a pedal?
Also my first real amp was an Ampeg SB12 bought new in 1965. I guess there is some interest in this antique these days.

 

[brianrost]

Secret of the Beta amps (and the Alphas as well) was using CMOS logic chips (4049 inverters I think) in their linear range to create overdrive. 5V inverter chips switch from 0 to 1 somewhere around 2V and 1 to 0 somewhere around 4V. If the input is deliberately kept from crossing the thresholds, it acts in a linear fashion, like an opamp. In this case, because the chips were CMOS the internal transistors were (doh) MOSFETs, which are considered more "tubey" than other transistors. A 4049 chip cost about 25 cents in quantity, so nice and cheap.

Sounded pretty good, I had an Alpha 112PR combo for a few years. I boosted the bass EQ so much I was blowing fiberglass out of the ports