Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 9:45 am
I got an Orange Rockerverb 50 combo, looking forward to getting the meathead to play through it :)
I use a Meathead Dark through a couple different Oranges and a Matamp all the time. It sounds HUGE! Make sure you have your low frequency control on the amp dialed up to take advantage of the lows. I use a few different Orange 4x12 cabs and an Orange 2x12. I use a '90s Green Matamp Classic 120 most of the time. I run it with the preamp gain up about 3/4 of the way and the master up to 1 or 2 o'clock. So it's safe to say it is pretty dirty before any gain boxes come into play. With this setup, I'll usually be tuned to about B standard or less. The thick, sludgy tone of the Green works perfect with the Dark. They meld together and cease to sound like an added effect and more like a core tone together. But, at higher gain, the Dark is so loaded down and saturated that it tends to sputter a bit and fights to sustain. I use a couple old Roland tape delays to keep it chugging along better. Only an issue with really long sustained stuff though. I tend to use the Dark the most with a p90 SG with Duncan Antiquities. It works great with either pickup.
I also use a '76 Orange Overdrive 120, set similarly to the Green... except gain up full. The Orange has less gain than the Matamp. Overall, the Dark works just as well with it too. The difference in gain (and less lows that the Orange has compared to the Matamp) focuses the sound a little more and makes it sound more crisp and articulate. It isn't as synthy sounding or disgustingly sludgy as the Matamp though.
My other Orange is a '72 Pix only OR80. That amp is CLEAN!! It sounds more like a Hiwatt than an Orange until the volume is so high that you can't get anywhere near it. Also, it has a lot of highs.. a LOT. Combined with the huge headroom it has, the Dark can be a dangerous proposition. There is enough volume on tap that you can easily lose hearing. I much prefer the Dark (and other single knob Meatheads) with master volume amps with preamps that are already run hot. You minimize the gigantic volume boost that you otherwise get.
