Who has owned / tried an Orange Dark Terror head ?

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TelejesterTelejester Frets: 743
My musical faves are Jeff Healey blues and 80s hair metal in the Ratt, Tesla vein. I know the DT will do Ratt with ease , but is a Jeff Healey  clean tone with a bit of hair on it and boosted for solos within its reach ?
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    IMO the Orange terror/dark terror range are massively over-rated and sound meh!
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • BidleyBidley Frets: 2912
    I had a DT for a short while. I need a clean channel, so it didn't last long, but the gain was lovely and thick. I didn't try to get a very clean tone out of it, but if that's what you're after there are surely hundreds of more suitable amps out there.
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  • No, I hate spangley clean tones like a fender twin, think Jeff Healey cleans, they have a smidgeon of dirt in them.
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    All you can do is try one out and see. 
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • hubobuloushubobulous Frets: 2352
    I'd say a pedal on top of a good clean amp jut hitting breakup would give a great Healey tone. To go from that to Tesla would perhaps involve a different pedal?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    No, I hate spangley clean tones like a fender twin, think Jeff Healey cleans, they have a smidgeon of dirt in them.
    Jeff Healey used a Twin for cleans :).

    http://www.uberproaudio.com/who-plays-what/224-jeff-healeys-guitar-gear-rig-and-equipment

    Although if I remember rightly he was notorious for playing really loud, so you're probably hearing the natural breakup of a Twin.

    I agree with Voxman - I find all the Terrors muddy, congested and over-rated, except that the Hard Wired Tiny Terror is much better than the standard one, because it uses better-quality components as well as being hard wired. In fact I don't really like any of the EL84 Oranges, they all have a bit of the same mud. But many people like them...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • I think Jeff Healey tone is so difficult to achieve because it's a combination of his hands and speakers being pushed to the limit, but jeezus what a sound that man got.All guitarists should watch him play see the light live just to hear the intensity in his playing.
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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962
    I had one for a while, they're great little amps, quite loose without a boost but for heavy rock they're bloody great. They'll do hairy cleans, but you may want an eq in the loop to dial it in better.
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  • TelejesterTelejester Frets: 743
    edited January 2017
    How would they be with a maxon od808 drive off, vol 100% into the front ? I take it the hairy cleans don't sound like thin solid state cleans ? Is it wife friendly in terms of vol if used at home ?
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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962
    Should sound decent! They always sound valvey, even at lower volumes you can still hear the valves working.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    The Dark Terror is the worse sounding valve amp I have ever tried ... and I'm not a fussy guy .... I plugged it into my cab at a gig when my HT5 appeared dead and was so appalled at the sound I decided I would rather fix the HT5 there and then 

    Luckily the fault was half a heater was blown, but if you leave it twenty mins the other half gets the valve hot enough to work. This was about 80 gigs ago and I'm still using it in this fashion 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Had a look at Tony McKenzie reviewing the Jim root dark terror and the build quality seemed real cheap and the tone wasn't up to much, not great I gotta say.
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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962
    Danny1969 said:
    The Dark Terror is the worse sounding valve amp I have ever tried ... and I'm not a fussy guy .... I plugged it into my cab at a gig when my HT5 appeared dead and was so appalled at the sound I decided I would rather fix the HT5 there and then 

    Luckily the fault was half a heater was blown, but if you leave it twenty mins the other half gets the valve hot enough to work. This was about 80 gigs ago and I'm still using it in this fashion 
    I'm very much the other way, I'd rather not play than play through a blackstar, but I love both the tiny terror and the dark terror. 
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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962

    Had a look at Tony McKenzie reviewing the Jim root dark terror and the build quality seemed real cheap and the tone wasn't up to much, not great I gotta say.
    I wouldn't judge anything on what tony mckenzie has to say, he's hardly known for his great tones or knowledge, he's just a man with a camera and a screw driver. The build is better than most of the Chinese or Indonesian stuff I've taken apart!

    heres a video I did of a recto style tone through the dark terror.


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    edited February 2017
    Danny1969 said:
    The Dark Terror is the worse sounding valve amp I have ever tried ... and I'm not a fussy guy .... I plugged it into my cab at a gig when my HT5 appeared dead and was so appalled at the sound I decided I would rather fix the HT5 there and then
    Was that a full-size Dark Terror? When you mentioned it before I thought you meant the Micro Dark.

    I haven't played a Micro Dark, but the standard Micro Terror is literally the worst-sounding amp I've ever heard.

    Had a look at Tony McKenzie reviewing the Jim root dark terror and the build quality seemed real cheap and the tone wasn't up to much, not great I gotta say.
    I don't agree about the build quality - they're fine. And I would second what timmysoft said about Tony McKenzie.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    I've had all the terrors (tiny, dual, dark)

    to be honest I didn't keep any of them, but the one which disappointed me most was the dark - just seemed to have traded all its character for gain  

    definitely try before you buy
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  • Gain is character, isn't it?  :/
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    The mid scoop/flat/hump thing on the Dark Terror is interesting but it's very clearly aimed at bedroom thrashers. 
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  • If only they put an fx loop on the tiny terror, I'd be all over it.
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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962
    bbill335 said:
    The mid scoop/flat/hump thing on the Dark Terror is interesting but it's very clearly aimed at bedroom thrashers. 
    I'd disagree with that, as the volume rises the tone control become much more pronounced and aggressive. 
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