Orange AD200 MK3 Issues?

[Ka_Ve_86]

I am currently looking at upgrading to a all tube bass head i require something with lots of head room i am playing in a new band where the bass is to be a huge presence in the mix and i will also be playing with a lot of dirt in my sound.

I have been looking at the Orange AD200 MK3 but i have heard a lot of negative things in particularly when you crank it you loose bottom end also its not loud enough and also the gain isn't the best.

Will these kind of issues be rectified with a good re-tubing putting kt88s into the power section and something better in the gain stage tube?

Other amps that i have been looking at would either the Traynor yba300 or the new Fender Super Bassman 300

Thoughts?

 

[B-string]

Well the Traynor and the Fender are both 300 watts and KT88's won't push the Orange into the same class.

 

[mpdd]

not to be that guy, but what cab are you using and what style of music

 

[Ka_Ve_86]

I have a aguilar gs410 but i am getting a Fender Neo 610 its on order.

Style wise i want something versatile but with the bands I'm playing with at the moment one is a melodic punk rock band and the other is a tech hardcore band think bands like Hot Water Music, Braid, Balance and Composure and then the flip side bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, Cult of Luna and Norma Jean

 

[Ka_Ve_86]

I know that the Kt88s wouldn't help the volume of the head more looking at correcting the drop in low end and gain stage

 

[rodl2005]

Get the Fender Super Bassman. Ripper amp & a lotsa headroom. The other tube amp with a LOT of clean Heaton is the older Fender 300 Pro
Traynor's YBA300 is also very good. Both have significantly more clean on tap than the AD200

 

[bassboysam]

Pretty much all tube amps will lose some liw end as you push them into distortion. That's just how it works.

The AD200 is a lot of things but versatile is not one of them.

 

[Musicman20]

I've had one for around 3-4 years. Beautiful amp.

Of course in the UK its a better deal than Ampeg, so its a no brainer.

I do not find lack of volume...in the slightest. It will do clean, but the tube grind is just beautiful.

 

[tombowlus]

I just gigged my AD200 Mk3 a few weeks back, and it was plenty loud (pushing two Berg NV115's, and not even in the PA). I will agree, though, that it is not as versatile as, say, the Fender SB300.

FWIW, we are currently working on a review of the AD200 Mk3 for Bass Gear Magazine...

 

[Mr. Foxen]

I am currently looking at upgrading to a all tube bass head i require something with lots of head room i am playing in a new band where the bass is to be a huge presence in the mix and i will also be playing with a lot of dirt in my sound.

I have been looking at the Orange AD200 MK3 but i have heard a lot of negative things in particularly when you crank it you loose bottom end also its not loud enough and also the gain isn't the best.

Will these kind of issues be rectified with a good re-tubing putting kt88s into the power section and something better in the gain stage tube?

Other amps that i have been looking at would either the Traynor yba300 or the new Fender Super Bassman 300

Thoughts?

the limitations of the AD200 are the power (its about 160w) and transformers (partly why the power isn't 200w, and they are not particularly high quality or specced to give lots of lows). Basically, look at a Matamp GT200 instead, its kind of like looking at a US Fender after checking out Squiers.

 

[Primakurtz]

For the same money, consider a Verellen Meatsmoke. Unbelievably good amps, with huge lows and beautiful overdrive.

 

[bassboysam]

For the same money, consider a Verellen Meatsmoke. Unbelievably good amps, with huge lows and beautiful overdrive.

OP is in Australia, i doubt it would be "for the same money".

 

[mpdd]

tried the orange through the orange 410 and i got a mesa d180 cause it can go clean and fat too through my 215, the orange would be a great punk rock/power pop choice, but probably not for a lot of other applications, if you can maybe try a mesa 400 or 400 + being that they are more powerful, sorry i don't know if used mesas are available in australia so ignore this suggestion if they aren't

 

[Mr. Foxen]

In Australia, best thing to do, due to totally different market, would be contact Mervin "Dr. Valve", contact at bottom of here: http://www.chambonino.com/2010/dr-valve-bias-boy.html

and see what he recommends, there'll be obscure Aussie made stuff about that no-one anywhere else has ever encountered. He could also get running something you import s/h.