Without a doubt, the Orange amps are among the best of the best – have been for many decades. Their first amplifiers were introduced in the late 60s. They all come in orange and sound impeccable. CR120 is among the company’s greatest achievements and is exactly what a beginner/intermediate-level musician needs to power up his electric guitar. A quick note: if you see an “H” next to its name that means it’s a head, AKA an amp without a speaker. The “C”, in turn, means it’s a combo – a combination of an amp head and a speaker. Classic rock, stoner rock, and everything that originated in the 70s will sound heavenly on this hardware.
Metal, thrash metal, and hard rock will also sound great; all you’ll have to do is turn the knobs the right way and fire away. CR120 is a low-budget workhorse with a never-ending appetite for distortion. Yes, it sounds best when overdriven, just like any decent amplifier should. As for those warm, clean, intimate tones, you’ll be amazed by how authentic they sound on an Orange amp.
Orange CR120 – What’s It All About?
You might’ve already known that for a very long time, this company didn’t really have anything to offer to the beginners and practicing musicians looking for a decent-yet-affordable amp to back them up during small gigs and practices at home. Well, now that the Crush Pro series is out, everything is different. Interesting fact: these amplifiers are analog, while most rivals on the market are digital. The circuit works exactly like in Rockerverb. These aren’t tube-amps but still do sound amazing. Even if you’re a professional musician who makes a living on it, you’ll be totally satisfied with the tones that this little thing generates.
The clean channel features a volume knob and a 2-band EQ; the dirty channel comes with a 3-band EQ, a volume knob, and Gain. Yes, there’s more than enough control to create your own, unique tones. Plus, there’s a digital reverb – choose between plate, spring, and hall. Around back, there are 2 jacks and sockets for a footswitch. The clean channel is surprisingly strong and won’t clip, click, or tremble when you push it too hard. The dirty channel is a God-sent and is capable of filling up the entire room with epic rock-and-roll riffs and solos. The midrange is magnificent and sounds better than with most rivals; the same goes for the lows and the highs. More information on this product in the article.
Orange Crush Pro 60 – What Does It Have To Offer?
This is another popular model from Orange. The biggest difference – this thing works on 60 Watts; CR120, in turn, operates on 120 Watts. Now, CR120C, the combo, is a huge piece of equipment. The Pro 60C, however, isn’t nearly as massive, which makes it perfect for touring. Yes, it does weigh almost 20 kilograms, but that’s totally normal for a combo. As far as the most versatile, flexible, and reliable low-budget combo amplifiers go, 60C is definitely among the best offers out there. Fact: Orange decided to strip this series down a bit and take away tremolos, flangers, and other not-so-important effects.
As a result – it is much more affordable. It’s safe to say that most guitar players around the globe prefer to use their own pedals, which means this decision paid off. Just like CR120, CR60 sounds equally good when it’s clean and dirty. Plug your favorite guitar and show what you’re capable of right now! As the critics like to say, the Orange amplifiers let the instruments shine through and lend them a helping hand. This is probably the best compliment an amp can ever receive. Obviously, you won’t be able to find that perfect tone without days or even weeks of experimentation, but that’s how it usually goes. And that concludes our Orange CR120/60 review!