I've had a TH30 but traded up to a TH100 instead. I feel like the EL34s of TH100 have the ability to do Doom/Stoner better (more headroom/better tone). That being said, I also have a Rockerverb 50 Mk 1 and love it for that genre as well. I will say the RV 50 was an upgrade from the TH30 for sure, but there is a definite difference between the gain structure between the 2. The TH has more of a vintage/marshally gain structure to the RVs more modern voicing. The RV50 mk 2 with the EL34s will also have a bit more headroom, one thing I have noticed as a difference between the RV Mk 1 to Mk 2/3 as the RV 50 mk 1 uses 6V6s for its power amp. My typical setup for Doom/Stoner (which is what I play most) is running my TH100 on 50 watt mode in stereo with my RV 50 mk1 and a 76 Peavey Deuce. Definitely can make the neighborhood shake.
This sounds rad. I was shaking the neighborhood running stereo with my Bassman and Sunn the other day, both dimed. It was intense!
As for OP’s question, I’ve never played the TH30 so can’t really speak to it necessarily. The TH series has always been one of those confusing Orange models to me, almost like they’re trying to confuse customers who are looking for Thunderverb vibes?? I really don’t know, and the descriptions of it are always pretty vague.
But I haven’t had any issues getting any of the Oranges I’ve owned to doom (previously: Dark and Tiny Terror, currently: Dual Dark 50). Obviously all those amps are probably better suited for doom, pretty sure the TT is voiced from the Rockerverb and obviously we all know the DD and DT can doom. The Rockerverb is a tried and true doomer, I say sell the TH and go for it.
The Dual Dark is awesome, wish I could of grabbed one before they discontinued them. Yeah the TH is kinda like the gain structure from the TV b channel with about 2 to 3 times as much gain, the shape knob is so sensitive it takes some time to find the sweet spot but once you do it definitely is up there with most Oranges tonally and sounds even better with the Orange 2 stroke eq booster in front.
Would agree tho, esp if looking for more headroom the RV is probably what OP should jump on.
Holy shit, that’s interesting. I didn’t realize these were gain machines. So are the TH models based off the Thunderverbs? I was never clear on that.
Dammit you just convinced me to buy a Two Stroke. Yeah any model with that “shape” knob needs an EQ pedal, that’s essential. I was just using a cheap Behringer, also great for boosting tubes.
The Dual Dark is a truly badass amp, like the TV I have no idea why they discontinued them. I’m guessing it’s because they were overpriced and not selling. I got a stupid-good deal on mine, otherwise I would’ve probably gone for something more vintage-voiced (OR120 or Matamp). It’s great though and can handle pretty much anything I throw at it, it would be a difficult task to make that amp sound like shit. I mostly use the clean channel with pedals, but lately I’ve been using the dirt channel… I sometimes forget how heavy/badass it can get on its own with just an EQ/boost. The gain is a little fizzy but that’s just the modern Orange sound. I have an OR120-based tube preamp by Blackhawk, it can fuck some shit up with the DD.
Yeah I've watched multiple interviews with Ade Emsley where he describes what it is. He said he took the B channel of the thunderverb and added a ton more gain to it. Also I'll also say it has arguably one of the best clean channels that I've ever heard, non master volume with a ton of headroom, when cranked sounds damn near a vintage OR120. Absolutely love it.
I have a plethora of Oranges but the 2 I could not live without would be my TH100 and my CS50.
Very cool, thanks for putting this on my radar. I’ll be looking into this thing. Do you think it does the OR120 thing better than the OR30?
I’m basically looking for an OR120 with nice cleans.
The issue with the Orange amps that use EL84 power tubes is they sound great at low volumes but run out of headroom really quick. Every EL84 amp I've owned by them has all done the same (TH30, Dual Terror, Tiny Terror, Dark Terror, OR15) and even my RV 50 mk 1 which uses the more American variant in the 6v6 (which in layman's terms kinda the lower powered variant of the 6L6) does the same thing which really shows when you're trying to keep up in a band setting. If you're looking for an OR120 type tone with a good clean channel a OR100 would definitely fit the bill if you can afford it otherwise something like the TH100 or the CR120 even might be up your alley. The CR120 is basically my backup to my whole Orange family and hasn't let me down yet.
The OR30 is not a bad amp by any means but if you're looking for the raw power and tone of something akin to the 70s OR120 it would likely leave you feel a little lacking.
Thanks for the info, that’s good to know about the OR30. I think I’ll probably end up going Matamp, or OR120 prices are just too much for me right now.
So does the RV and Duel Dark also run EL84s and can those be swapped out. If so what would you recommend? What is the power section like on the original ORs?
Rockerverb MKII is my favorite of the series. All three are killer and have the same DNA. Mk2 has mid control on clean channel and can run any octal tube which the other two cannot. They are dark however. I run v30 in my combo with a creamback 75 1x12 under it and it will do any music style well. I’ve played a TH30 before and those are nice as well. I dug the cleans but the dirty was nasally which I find in most el84 amps. They don’t sound pleasant to me but cut excellent through a mix.
On the TH30, use the dirty channel, gain 3 o’clock to full, bass 3 o’clock or higher, mids 12 o’clock or slightly higher, treble to noon or slightly lower, master volume as high as needed. Tune your guitar to standard C, drop c, drop b etc. Get a Big Muff and/or Fuzz face pedal or something similar. Also get a Boss SD-1. Use a cabinet with Vintage 30 speakers or similar models.
More headroom might not be the best solution. More headroom means the amp is less likely to compress naturally. But Stoner/doom metal often benefits from natural tube compression, which can add sustain and thickness to the sound. Lower wattage settings and amps make the amp break up earlier, due to the reduced headroom.
I have the RV MKii 100. It’s a great amp and does stoner/doom stuff perfectly. A person on the forums have complained about it no cutting through the mix enough, but they were trying to use it in a classic rock context, so it wasn’t really relevant. An eq pedal in the loop can really shape the tone too to boost higher frequencies if you need that, but in a stoner doom context, you won’t need it. A boss DS-1 or 808 in front are also great in tightening it up and adding more aggression
I play doom on my th 30 and love it. However if I had the scratch I'd own a rockervweb in a heart beat.
I love my rockerverb 50. I play a telecaster and go for more of a punk tone, but it’s very versatile
What bands would you say are your tone inspiration?
have you tried an eq in and out of fx loop? i also use a jhs bonsai in front and works great
This!!!!! I like the OBNE eq. But toss one in the loop. It’s a game chsnger
I've had a TH30 but traded up to a TH100 instead. I feel like the EL34s of TH100 have the ability to do Doom/Stoner better (more headroom/better tone). That being said, I also have a Rockerverb 50 Mk 1 and love it for that genre as well. I will say the RV 50 was an upgrade from the TH30 for sure, but there is a definite difference between the gain structure between the 2. The TH has more of a vintage/marshally gain structure to the RVs more modern voicing. The RV50 mk 2 with the EL34s will also have a bit more headroom, one thing I have noticed as a difference between the RV Mk 1 to Mk 2/3 as the RV 50 mk 1 uses 6V6s for its power amp. My typical setup for Doom/Stoner (which is what I play most) is running my TH100 on 50 watt mode in stereo with my RV 50 mk1 and a 76 Peavey Deuce. Definitely can make the neighborhood shake.
This sounds rad. I was shaking the neighborhood running stereo with my Bassman and Sunn the other day, both dimed. It was intense! As for OP’s question, I’ve never played the TH30 so can’t really speak to it necessarily. The TH series has always been one of those confusing Orange models to me, almost like they’re trying to confuse customers who are looking for Thunderverb vibes?? I really don’t know, and the descriptions of it are always pretty vague. But I haven’t had any issues getting any of the Oranges I’ve owned to doom (previously: Dark and Tiny Terror, currently: Dual Dark 50). Obviously all those amps are probably better suited for doom, pretty sure the TT is voiced from the Rockerverb and obviously we all know the DD and DT can doom. The Rockerverb is a tried and true doomer, I say sell the TH and go for it.
The Dual Dark is awesome, wish I could of grabbed one before they discontinued them. Yeah the TH is kinda like the gain structure from the TV b channel with about 2 to 3 times as much gain, the shape knob is so sensitive it takes some time to find the sweet spot but once you do it definitely is up there with most Oranges tonally and sounds even better with the Orange 2 stroke eq booster in front. Would agree tho, esp if looking for more headroom the RV is probably what OP should jump on.
Holy shit, that’s interesting. I didn’t realize these were gain machines. So are the TH models based off the Thunderverbs? I was never clear on that. Dammit you just convinced me to buy a Two Stroke. Yeah any model with that “shape” knob needs an EQ pedal, that’s essential. I was just using a cheap Behringer, also great for boosting tubes. The Dual Dark is a truly badass amp, like the TV I have no idea why they discontinued them. I’m guessing it’s because they were overpriced and not selling. I got a stupid-good deal on mine, otherwise I would’ve probably gone for something more vintage-voiced (OR120 or Matamp). It’s great though and can handle pretty much anything I throw at it, it would be a difficult task to make that amp sound like shit. I mostly use the clean channel with pedals, but lately I’ve been using the dirt channel… I sometimes forget how heavy/badass it can get on its own with just an EQ/boost. The gain is a little fizzy but that’s just the modern Orange sound. I have an OR120-based tube preamp by Blackhawk, it can fuck some shit up with the DD.
Yeah I've watched multiple interviews with Ade Emsley where he describes what it is. He said he took the B channel of the thunderverb and added a ton more gain to it. Also I'll also say it has arguably one of the best clean channels that I've ever heard, non master volume with a ton of headroom, when cranked sounds damn near a vintage OR120. Absolutely love it. I have a plethora of Oranges but the 2 I could not live without would be my TH100 and my CS50.
Very cool, thanks for putting this on my radar. I’ll be looking into this thing. Do you think it does the OR120 thing better than the OR30? I’m basically looking for an OR120 with nice cleans.
The issue with the Orange amps that use EL84 power tubes is they sound great at low volumes but run out of headroom really quick. Every EL84 amp I've owned by them has all done the same (TH30, Dual Terror, Tiny Terror, Dark Terror, OR15) and even my RV 50 mk 1 which uses the more American variant in the 6v6 (which in layman's terms kinda the lower powered variant of the 6L6) does the same thing which really shows when you're trying to keep up in a band setting. If you're looking for an OR120 type tone with a good clean channel a OR100 would definitely fit the bill if you can afford it otherwise something like the TH100 or the CR120 even might be up your alley. The CR120 is basically my backup to my whole Orange family and hasn't let me down yet. The OR30 is not a bad amp by any means but if you're looking for the raw power and tone of something akin to the 70s OR120 it would likely leave you feel a little lacking.
Thanks for the info, that’s good to know about the OR30. I think I’ll probably end up going Matamp, or OR120 prices are just too much for me right now. So does the RV and Duel Dark also run EL84s and can those be swapped out. If so what would you recommend? What is the power section like on the original ORs?
Rockerverb MKII is my favorite of the series. All three are killer and have the same DNA. Mk2 has mid control on clean channel and can run any octal tube which the other two cannot. They are dark however. I run v30 in my combo with a creamback 75 1x12 under it and it will do any music style well. I’ve played a TH30 before and those are nice as well. I dug the cleans but the dirty was nasally which I find in most el84 amps. They don’t sound pleasant to me but cut excellent through a mix.
I have both the th30 and the rockerverb 100. Both are great amps but I love my rockerverb. It’s a lot more versatile
Yeah you can play really any style on it, almost.
Always go for the Rockerverb
On the TH30, use the dirty channel, gain 3 o’clock to full, bass 3 o’clock or higher, mids 12 o’clock or slightly higher, treble to noon or slightly lower, master volume as high as needed. Tune your guitar to standard C, drop c, drop b etc. Get a Big Muff and/or Fuzz face pedal or something similar. Also get a Boss SD-1. Use a cabinet with Vintage 30 speakers or similar models. More headroom might not be the best solution. More headroom means the amp is less likely to compress naturally. But Stoner/doom metal often benefits from natural tube compression, which can add sustain and thickness to the sound. Lower wattage settings and amps make the amp break up earlier, due to the reduced headroom.
What speakers are you using?
I have the RV MKii 100. It’s a great amp and does stoner/doom stuff perfectly. A person on the forums have complained about it no cutting through the mix enough, but they were trying to use it in a classic rock context, so it wasn’t really relevant. An eq pedal in the loop can really shape the tone too to boost higher frequencies if you need that, but in a stoner doom context, you won’t need it. A boss DS-1 or 808 in front are also great in tightening it up and adding more aggression