• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Tough choice : Orange OB1-300 or Terror Bass 500

jeremie dazin

jeremie dazin

Dec 21, 2021
37
49
France
#1
Hi there !

My last Amp just died and here comes the moment of getting a new one :D

Playing a lot of Garage, punk and rock stuff, i've turned to Orange amp, i really love the sound, the distortion these amp provides...

Looking for something that fits my budget, i found two amp that fits my needs :
The OB1-300 or the Bass Terror 500.
I've been looking for good clips of both on youtube, but i can't find anything that sounds relevant for the Bass Terror 500.

I use an Ampeg B410 HLF for the cab, and 2 pedals : An ampeg Scramblr and a Darkglass B3K clone that really do the job.

The Ob1-300 is about 500euros ( 498 $) with the dedicated footswitch and a gator case.
On the other hand the Bass terror is about 600euros (597$).

I love the distortion sounds i could find online for the OB1, but the clean tone of the Bass Terror sounds delightful to me hear.
The Two Preamp tube of the Bass terror makes me think it could be a good option, but the fact that you can activate / deactivate the distortion of the OB1 with the footswitch make it a really tempting option (that and as i said, the distortion it provides.)

So here's my question : Does anyone ever tried both, or even better, own both, and could help me, give me like a quick review of both.
I think that, with the OB1 i could get rid of my pedals (maybe just keeping the scramblr for a really light OD sound.)
What's your opinion on these amps, Pros and cons on both...

thanks for reading and even bigger thanks if you can help me out.
 
#2
I have a Terror Bass and I love the clean-ish tone it gives and the simplicity. The distortion tone is great as well, a bit fuzzy but not fizzy. If you are utilizing your pedals for dirt having the extra dirt channel may be redundant or it may be the best thing ever depending on your desired levels of filth. For me it would make things unnecessarily complicated and I would default to the easy to use, light weight, and more powerful Terror Bass.

Good luck! I honestly think you’ll be happy either way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrentSimons and jeremie dazin
#3
hey thanks for answering, everyone who answered me about this is saying pretty much the same as you, the Terror Bass is a killer for the price. I think i'd go for it, thinking about it make me realize something : the OB1 is easily found (brand new or second handed.) while the BT is out of stock everywhere (at least here, in france) and nobody seems to sell it, so i guess people that has it keep it, which is a really good point. I'd go for this one, even if i think it's a pity not having the option of using a FW for the dirt Channel (Even if the b3k will do the job i guess.)
 
#4
Some relevant comments in this thread which might help

Orange OB1 VS. ad200

I stand by what I said in both of my comments there. They’re very different amps. I found the cleans of the OB-1 bland and the distortion too harsh/modern for my taste. The AD200B has been my most gigged amp since I got it, and if you like a warm vintage sound the terror bass (same preamp as the AD200) would be the one I go for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeremie dazin
#5
read all the answers of that topic and you guys convinced me, i'd go for the Terror Bass (btw i love the AD200 and i wasn't aware the Terror Bass has the same preamp.)
thanks a lot for helping on that tough question, now i can't wait to see how well it will fit with my bass and cab !
 
#6
I recently got a Terror Bass (v2) and really really like it. Have not gigged with it but have played in band setting with it, so I will still have to learn its sound, but from what I have done and heard, it is wonderful. This review is what sold me on it after listening to nearly every example on YT:

Orange Amps Terror Bass Demo - YouTube

I do like to run with some distortion as well as with OD on pedals in front to make it even more dirty. I'll see if I can do some quick recordings later today. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrentSimons and jeremie dazin
#9
Had an OB1-500. Still have a V2 Terror Bass. The OB1 got dirty before it got loud. It was a cool feature until you wanted volume. Took the OB on one gig, replaced with my backup amp (GK MB500) which absolutely buried the OB in terms of out put. The Terror Bass has more control and the front end acts more like a tube amp. Has a better clean sound and a more useful dirty sound IMO.

Hands down TB500 for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: butterfingers1, Aqualung60 and jeremie dazin
#11
jeremie dazin said:
(btw i love the AD200 and i wasn't aware the Terror Bass has the same preamp.)
Click to expand...

I have compared schematics for the Mk1 TB500 and AD200B. While the preamps are similar, they are not identical. The component values in the tone stack are a bit different. This should have some impact on the voicing and how the controls respond to adjustments.

Also the AD200B places the Volume control right after the tone stack. The Mk1 TB runs the signal through two additional tube stages before it hits the Volume control.
 
#12
jeremie dazin said:
Hi there !

My last Amp just died and here comes the moment of getting a new one :D

Playing a lot of Garage, punk and rock stuff, i've turned to Orange amp, i really love the sound, the distortion these amp provides...

Looking for something that fits my budget, i found two amp that fits my needs :
The OB1-300 or the Bass Terror 500.
I've been looking for good clips of both on youtube, but i can't find anything that sounds relevant for the Bass Terror 500.

I use an Ampeg B410 HLF for the cab, and 2 pedals : An ampeg Scramblr and a Darkglass B3K clone that really do the job.

The Ob1-300 is about 500euros ( 498 $) with the dedicated footswitch and a gator case.
On the other hand the Bass terror is about 600euros (597$).

I love the distortion sounds i could find online for the OB1, but the clean tone of the Bass Terror sounds delightful to me hear.
The Two Preamp tube of the Bass terror makes me think it could be a good option, but the fact that you can activate / deactivate the distortion of the OB1 with the footswitch make it a really tempting option (that and as i said, the distortion it provides.)

So here's my question : Does anyone ever tried both, or even better, own both, and could help me, give me like a quick review of both.
I think that, with the OB1 i could get rid of my pedals (maybe just keeping the scramblr for a really light OD sound.)
What's your opinion on these amps, Pros and cons on both...

thanks for reading and even bigger thanks if you can help me out.
Click to expand...
I've seen the Terror Bass available on many sites including Sweetwater, Musician's Friend and Amazon.However the price I'm seeing is $849.usd.It would be a top choice were I looking for an amp though.
 
#13
The v2 terror bass is very similar to an ad200. Though not to derail the thread, I would say the terror bass is the way to go, you can 100% get a good classic tone you’re looking for for for punk and rock. It isn’t the most versatile eq and you can absolutely turn the eq knobs any which way you want and not get a bad tone. The eq curve is very small, so it’s a lot more of accentuating the same baked in over tone with a little less or more of the frequency bands
 
  • Like
Reactions: butterfingers1, Wasnex and jeremie dazin
#14
I have a terror bass and like it okay. Although if I could change it to a more typical 3 band eq and not that old school Fender one, I would. Flat is pretty much with the mids dimed and the highs and lows at 1. This means that if you find yourself wanting either more highs or lows in any situation, you will be by definition scooping the mids. This also means that any sort of "frowny face" EQ is not possible.

I think I like more mids in my sound than most, because it seems like most people are perfectly happy with their sound from the Terror. I'm just throwing my take out there in case it applies to you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: butterfingers1 and Wasnex
#15
DuluthDank said:
I have a terror bass and like it okay. Although if I could change it to a more typical 3 band eq and not that old school Fender one, I would. Flat is pretty much with the mids dimed and the highs and lows at 1. This means that if you find yourself wanting either more highs or lows in any situation, you will be by definition scooping the mids. This also means that any sort of "frowny face" EQ is not possible.

I think I like more mids in my sound than most, because it seems like most people are perfectly happy with their sound from the Terror. I'm just throwing my take out there in case it applies to you.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you might be happier with an Ampeg. Although I think Ampeg tone stacks are a bit more functional than Fender tone stacks, you can't really dial an Ampeg in the sound like a Fender any more than you can dial a Fender in to sound like an Ampeg.

The overall voicing of the amp is probably more important than the EQ. The EQ circuit has an impact on the voicing, but not all Fender tone stacks sound and behave the same.

As an example, check at an Ashdown CTM300 or CTM100. To my ears, these amps sound sort of Ampegy, even though the tone stack is pretty much a Fender style tone stack.
 
#18
E="DuluthDank, post: 26935701, member: 117495"]I have a terror bass and like it okay. Although if I could change it to a more typical 3 band eq and not that old school Fender one, I would. Flat is pretty much with the mids dimed and the highs and lows at 1. This means that if you find yourself wanting either more highs or lows in any situation, you will be by definition scooping the mids. This also means that any sort of "frowny face" EQ is not possible.

I think I like more mids in my sound than most, because it seems like most people are perfectly happy with their sound from the Terror. I'm just throwing my take out there in case it applies to you.[/QUOTE]
I saw some sound person talking about how when you set the eq with the "frown" mid cut it sounds great but in a live mix it'll get your bass lost,I can't prove this as I'm not gigging.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DuluthDank
#19
jeremie dazin said:
I'd go for this one, even if i think it's a pity not having the option of using a FW for the dirt Channel (Even if the b3k will do the job i guess.)
Click to expand...

The tone and volume difference between the clean and dirty side would necessitate some knob turning, negating the convenience of the foot switch. I have the same issue with my Microtubes 900 where I have 3 voices but only 1 can be set optimally. This is where pedals win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeremie dazin
#20
Sid the Kid said:
The tone and volume difference between the clean and dirty side would necessitate some knob turning, negating the convenience of the foot switch. I have the same issue with my Microtubes 900 where I have 3 voices but only 1 can be set optimally. This is where pedals win.
Click to expand...
Before the oranges amp i was hesitating between these or the Microtubes or alpha omega, sounds like killer amps
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back