A guy on the Orange forum just got a Matamp Little Rock (he already has a TT), and this is what he says about it - not much info, but may be of interest.
Well I have just had an interesting couple of hours, just doodling and playing, had the SG Epi with the upgrades plugged in...Transformed the sound of that guitar! Blanket over the amp syndrome before, no mud at all on this one...I haven't tried my teles yet, but just know they will sound so much better..
I'll try and describe this amp sound....
On clean settings,volume dimed, with master volume about 12.00 clock, no drive, and tone /bass around 1.00 clock.
sounds remarkably like the terror, wind the master to full,more crunch, but no loss of definition...I was using coil tapped neck and bridge, switch in humbuckers gives instant gain, very satisfying...better than sex!!! really...! Well almost!!
Drive settings allow you to make a single coil sound fatter, with humbuckers...crikey!!
It passed the Dog and China test.....Well rattle those windows and bang those pots and pans!!
I would say, and I haven't finished exploring the tones, that it sounds like a vintage valve champ, with extra gain stage on power valves, and the FAC switch is an active tone switch,switching in extra circuits/filters to the preamp valves, allows you to keep one guitar, and thicken up or down to suit the pups...TTFN
More trials tomorrow, alongside the TT...just waiting for Noise Abatement and the ASBO to arrive...
It would help more if he wasn't such a jackass too in the way he posts - all hyperbole and "this kills this" and BLAH. I can't go on that forum for more than a few minutes - the fact everyone has pictures of their orange amps in their signatures (and that they're HUGE pictures) makes it really hard to follow any discussion.
It's unfortunate that the forum isn't as good as it could be. I've gone there a few times looking for info and found nothing of worth or feel like anyone really will have the answers. Has a gentlemans club for Orange owners feel.
There are probably only 2 or 3 people on there who know enough about the amps in detail to be really helpful.
Mostly it's just people asking "What Orange shall I get?" and then everyone else chiming in with whatever amp they own.
If I were to get a small head like this, I'd probably go for the Matamp.
Probably just to see what it's like! I've played the TT and obviously heard lots of demos - but not so much of the Little Rock. Just curious I guess.
hm, i'd like to try that little rock, impossible tho, pretty hard to find a store that sells TT's over here so go figure
this is off topic but did you see that pink matamp someone at the orange forum got (rachel?) ?
amp's kinda begging for chrome amp corners and control plate and a grey grill cloth (vintage marshall style) but that's just my opinion, it's way cool tho..but too much haha
i must admit i do like black les pauls with white/cream binding and gold hardware but not a fan of white lp's either
i know a few people who own a matamp halfstack here and they're totally wild about it... i don't dig amp snobbery but was seriously impressed when i was in a little rehearsal room with one (don't remember the model names tho) so i'd say they're worth the arm and the leg
