Opinions on Orange Bass Terror....

[Duarte]

I've got a budget of about £500 to spend on a head - I've been looking at the Ashdown Little Bastard and the Bass terror.

I played the Little bastard through the 2x12 cab and it sounded absolutely great. I was playing it in the shop though so couldn't really test volume!

I've also looked at the bass terror but havn't been able to play it yet, just wondering what peoples opinions are?

I'm looking for something loud enough to rehearse and gig with my punk band, studio work (with punk band and folk band...) and something not too expensive. And small!

Cheers guys!

Z

[Happy Jack]

I've not played the Little Bastard so no opinion, but I rate the OBT very highly indeed and so far at least another five Basschatters have gone out and bought one after playing through mine.

It's simple, gritty, and very loud. There's very little EQ (despite the knobs on the front) so it's really about balancing the Volume and Gain to get the amount of grit you want. True plug'n'play and there's no fiddling with knobs on stage - set and forget.

I play pub gigs of up to 100 people and I've never even got close to half power.

It's also very lightweight and has a distinctive look.

[munkonthehill]

im really interested in the OBT too.

I am using the markbass combo at present, however im sure my Ric is craving to go through some valves to give it the sound it deserves hahaha.

Any input on the OBT would be great, mainly its presence and room filling capability with the SP210 cab.

(hope im not hijacking your thread Duarte, just looking for info too brother)

[Duarte]

You're not hijacking man, I'm all up for getting as much info as we collectively can!

I just checked the PMT birmingham website and it looks like they have one in stock. I'll go down asap and check it out compared to the Bastard.

It's looking like the Terror is the perfect head for me though, based on what I've heard. Should sound sick with my Sterling...

Edited February 20, 2011 by Duarte

[razze06]

I bought a OBT, used it for a little bit, and then returned it. I really wanted it to be right, but it wasn't for me.

Essentially it does one sound, and it does it very well. Definitely need to try it before you buy it. The eq section has very limited effect, so most of the wrk is done via the gain and volume and the tone pots on your bass. It has huge if a little loose low end (oo-er), and I thought its sounds was perfectly suited for big rock basslines, especially using a pick. I thought it also worked surprisingly well for old school ska and R&B. Fancy that.

It's as loud as you're even going to need, but it doesn't work well with all cabs. The best sound was through a simple ashdown 4x10. Also, tweeters seems to struggle to cope with the overdriven sound (I had to turn the tweeter on the TC cab off).

In the end it was the lack of versatility that made me take it back. If money wasn't an issue, I would have kept, and used it with a P bass for certain situations.

[KK Jale]

I just got a Terror Bass...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=118282&view=findpost&p=1127607"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...t&p=1127607[/url]

Bonkers loud and my kind of sound. I love this little thing!

A General Electric 12AX7 in V1 seems to have tightened up the bass, lowered the gain a touch and added a bit of high-end detail.

The acid test will be the first gig next weekend.

Edited February 20, 2011 by KK Jale

[munkonthehill]

[quote name='Duarte' post='1134369' date='Feb 20 2011, 03:00 PM']You're not hijacking man, I'm all up for getting as much info as we collectively can!

I just checked the PMT birmingham website and it looks like they have one in stock. I'll go down asap and check it out compared to the Bastard.

It's looking like the Terror is the perfect head for me though, based on what I've heard. Should sound sick with my Sterling...[/quote]


Nice one Duarte, could you PM with your findings, even if its just a copy of what you put in your thread (just incase I miss it).

I now have a hankering for the orange rig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cat Burrito]

I've been gigging the Orange Bass Terror this year and it's great fun. I can only echo what has already been said. Plenty of old school thump. I think it's got a kind of punk rock spirit, no thrills controls, just plug in and play. It does reggae well, it does country and of course it does rock. What's not to like? I'm taking mine out with the SP210 cab and it's awesome.

All that said if you tried the Little Bastard and loved it, you could always play it safe.

[Duarte]

Thanks for the replies guys, I just popped down to PMT and they've sold the only OBT they had the other day.

Not sure where to look now ...I checked around Birmingham yesterday and couldn't find anything.

Keep the info coming!

[Lozz196]

I had an OBT for a while, and putting it through my Marshall VBC 412, for gigs, I had both gain and volume on 2.

2 - for gigs - the OBT therefore is amazingly loud. As said, the eq doesn`t do too much, but nothing an eq pedal such as Sansamp BDDI/MXR-M80 can`t deal with for more flexibility(though bass & treble on full, mids on zero was great).

If you like the sound it makes, I would thoroughly recommend one. Ultimately, I wanted a bit more flexibility, so traded mine, but for what they do, well they are awesome.

[RichF]

The OBT is a dark horse for me in my search for a new amp. I have tried one a couple of times and do like it. I tend to generate variation in my tone using pedals and like my amp to be a clean and tight as possible. I have been concentrating on Markbass, GK and Genz options but I added the OBT to my list along with the Streamliner and Tonehammer because I have been using my DHA OD more and more as a constant factor and am now wondering whether I should use the amp to generate this. I hesitate because I still like to have plenty clean, tight power on tap on my amp, and also my recordning set up doesn't allow me to mike up my amp + cab so i will still need to generate my sound using pedals and amp sim. But an OBT through my Barefaced midget t and compact!!! That would sound f***** huge. Decision, decisions.

Edited February 20, 2011 by RichardFoggo

[Duarte]

Well there's a couple on ebay at the moment, ending at about the same time as my synth (Access Virus B if anyine's interested! No shame here...) so I might just buy one as soon as my auction ends and see how it works out.

I'm also looking for a decent cab as well, I like 2x12s, but to be honest I've never bought a seperate head and cab so don't know what I'm looking for on that front...

[Cat Burrito]

If you buy from [url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Orange_Terror_Bass/OS-BT500-H"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Orange_Ter...Bass/OS-BT500-H[/url] you can save 10 or 15% by entering the code ORA15 or ORA10 - just going from memory but one of those will work (the other won't!). I saved on both my head and cab AND I've given the link & code to others here and saved them money too

[Musicman20]

Hands down, get the BT. Definitely. Massive volume, ace dirt. Big fat tone. Grindy if you want it.

[Duarte]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1134784' date='Feb 20 2011, 08:41 PM']If you buy from [url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Orange_Terror_Bass/OS-BT500-H"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Orange_Ter...Bass/OS-BT500-H[/url] you can save 10 or 15% by entering the code ORA15 or ORA10 - just going from memory but one of those will work (the other won't!). I saved on both my head and cab AND I've given the link & code to others here and saved them money too[/quote]

Brilliant, thanks for that - the Orange is much cheaper anyway, and now this...awesome.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1134786' date='Feb 20 2011, 08:43 PM']Hands down, get the BT. Definitely. Massive volume, ace dirt. Big fat tone. Grindy if you want it.[/quote]

Sounds perfect. Have you had experience with one? As you have many Music Mans (I'm exclusively playing a Sterling now) I'll be interested to hear a more in depth 'review' ...

I think I'll just go for it and it'll be awesome. First ever amp purchase!

Edited February 20, 2011 by Duarte

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Duarte' post='1134800' date='Feb 20 2011, 08:59 PM']Sounds perfect. Have you had experience with one? As you have many Music Mans (I'm exclusively playing a Sterling now) I'll be interested to hear a more in depth 'review' ...

I think I'll just go for it and it'll be awesome. First ever amp purchase![/quote]

If you want a really full on punk tone, this amp can do it. It can also do warm fat old school thump/clean.

Ive seen a few bands using Orange and Rays/Big Als etc.

[Musicman20]

Check this! One of the guys off the Orange forums I think he comes on here.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-rN4glWmTs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-rN4glWmTs[/url]

[Duarte]

Nice demo ...cheers for the link!

I'm gonna go for it. A few days until I have the cash, then it's done.

Looking at a matamp 2x12 cab too...then I'm set!

[punkypuncher]

[quote name='Duarte' post='1134335' date='Feb 20 2011, 02:18 PM']I've got a budget of about £500 to spend on a head - I've been looking at the Ashdown Little Bastard and the Bass terror.

I played the Little bastard through the 2x12 cab and it sounded absolutely great. I was playing it in the shop though so couldn't really test volume!

I've also looked at the bass terror but havn't been able to play it yet, just wondering what peoples opinions are?

I'm looking for something loud enough to rehearse and gig with my punk band, studio work (with punk band and folk band...) and something not too expensive. And small!

Cheers guys!

Z[/quote]

I just done 4 gigs with an Orange Terror bass head via Ampeg 4x10 into 1x15 cabs
i have a job to get this stack above number 1,possible number 1 3/4 for ace of spades.
I a punk rock bassist myself,n these Orange heads are the Bollocks without a doubt.
having used a Orange tiny terror for guitar in my other bands,same again it's rock the smallest venues to the festival gigs.
I lost count the amount of times other muso's have asked about my Orange sound.
Size of a toaster,sound of a tornadio.
BUY 1,you WONT LOOK BACK.........

[Salt on your Bass?]

+1 for the obt. Just pulled the trigger on one t the weekend. Ballsy and aggressive and loud in spades. Not sure its one for moderate home use! This was going to be a backup, but probably going to be my go to amp now!

Ive no experience with the ashdown other thn looking at it friday. It is a thing of beauty.

Best of luck with the decision and enjoy!

[Low End Bee]

I bought my OTB after playing through Happy Jack's. Two people have bought one after playing through mine.

It'a a one trick pony but it's a very good trick.

[Raslee]

OBT's....Great amps! I use my mine mainly for reggae/dub stuff and love the tone. I have the gain fairly low, with volume up to about 5, and still get a great defined warm sound. I find the Orange eq subtle enough to get good defintion in my lows...in other words cleaning up the 'mud' - i rarely concentrate on high frequency .

Recently i had a freestyle jam, mainly funky fusion weird time stuff, and switched between my Stingray & Jazz. I found the Ray to be a lot warmer but not as defined as the jazz. Both gave a great old school funk sound which i liked but i found i had to fiddle with the stingray eq a lot more to get good note definition

Edited February 21, 2011 by Rasta

[Duarte]

[quote name='Rasta' post='1135307' date='Feb 21 2011, 11:57 AM']OBT's....Great amps! I use my mine mainly for reggae/dub stuff and love the tone.[/quote]

That's great to learn, as I love aggressive punk bass - and play primarily in a punk band, but reggae is my true love!

This time next week I'll have one, and let you know what I think.

[Waterboarder]

Hey Duarte,
I bought an OBT and combined it with an Eden Nemesis 4x10 cab, been gigging it for about a year and its been pretty good.
I mainly play in a surf band and because the tone is so fat and punchy, I think it really fills the sound out nicely and compliments the thin, twangy guitar sound.
We do some punky stuff too, (trying to go for an Agent Orange/Man or Astroman? type sound I guess)...
Here's a clip done on a cheapy digi camera but the levels aren't too bad;

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQU476iDPvQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQU476iDPvQ[/url]

I play in a punk band too sometimes and its just fine. The portability is a definite bonus there if you're trekking about and playing all dayers etc. and people are mainly using whatever cab is at the venue. Ive got an old PA speaker and sometimes use it for practice or smaller gigs - its pretty cool when you can carry your whole rig to the venue!

The only downside for me is its that bit too bassy, but just means I play my p-bass with the tone control rolled most of the way up and the amp EQ with the treble boosted, bass cut and the middle sort of, well, in the middle really!
Ive not heard anyone else moan about this though so I must just like a particularly un-bassy bass sound!

Like others have said, the EQ doesn't do a huge amount - kinda bass/more bass really. I reckon a pedal would sort this out if it really bothered me but I like the fact you can plug in and play knowing its going to sound half decent straight off the bat.
Anything else? Well, me and another chap who has one joke that the few seconds delay from when you flip the power on to when the LED lights up (that seems to take longer every time !!!) always makes you paranoid at the beginning of a gig that its given up the ghost!

I got mine from Mansons in Exeter and they were doing them £40 less than everywhere else at the time.
When I bought it i played through a SP212, it sounded pretty good but I think the general consensus is that, for what they cost you can get much better even if it means going bigger - you can get 4x10's pretty cheap 2nd hand. If size/weight is an issue and you can afford it, I hear the Barefaced Midget is the way to go with the OBT

Hope this helps and I haven't rambled too much!!!

[rOB]

I use an OTB through various cabinets but mostly through an SP210 or a Hartke 410.

loads and loads of volume and gain, not much EQ.

pretty much what everyone else has been saying. I love it.