Pricing and availability

Average Price: $2,499

High-end/Boutique

$300

$801+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

Experience the warmth and power of the Orange Amplifiers AD50 50-Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head, a meticulously crafted masterpiece straight from the Orange Custom Shop. This amp head is a symbol of traditional craftsmanship meeting modern innovation, offering a dynamic range that caters to both purists and modern rockers. Its dual-output capability lets you switch seamlessly between a muscular 50-watt punch and a more nuanced 30-watt tone, making it your versatile stage companion.

Engineered with an all-tube design, the AD50 delivers exceptional tonal clarity and depth. The preamp section harnesses the power of 2 x 12AX7 tubes, while the robust output stage features 2 x EL34 tubes, ensuring your sound is rich with harmonic complexity. With its footswitchable EQ bypass, you can effortlessly shape your sound on the fly, making it perfect for live performances and studio sessions alike.

A sleek yet rugged exterior embodies the iconic Orange aesthetic, while its intuitive control panel, complete with Gain, Bass, Treble, Presence, and Master Volume, provides endless possibilities for sound customization. Whether you’re dialing in a crisp clean or venturing into overdriven territory, this amp head responds with remarkable sensitivity and precision. With its versatile speaker output options, the Orange AD50 is ready to connect and take your performance to new heights.

Key Features:

  • Hand-wired in the Orange Custom Shop
  • Switchable between Class A/B 50W and Class A 30W
  • Preamp: 2 x 12AX7 tubes; Output: 2 x EL34 tubes
  • Gain, Bass, Treble, Presence, and Master Volume controls
  • Footswitchable EQ bypass
  • Speaker outputs: 1 x 16 ohms, 2 x 8 ohms

Product specs

Brand Orange
Model AD50 Custom Shop Head
Finish Orange
Year 2010s
Categories Guitar Heads
Electronics Tube
Impedance 16 ohms, 8 ohms
Number of Channels 1 Channel
Number of Inputs 2 Inputs
Output Power (Watts) 50
Power Tube Type EL34
Powered Unpowered
Reverb None

FAQs

What type of music is the Orange AD50 amp head best suited for?

The Orange AD50 amp head is renowned for its classic British rock and blues tones, making it ideal for genres like rock, blues, and hard rock. Its warm, punchy sound complements guitarists seeking rich, vintage tones.

Does the Orange AD50 amp head take pedals well?

Yes, the Orange AD50 is known for its excellent compatibility with pedals, allowing guitarists to expand their tonal palette with effects like overdrive, distortion, and modulation.

Is the Orange AD50 loud enough for live performances?

With 50 watts of power, the Orange AD50 is more than capable of handling live performances, providing ample volume and headroom for most venues.

What type of power tubes does the Orange AD50 use?

The Orange AD50 amp head uses EL34 power tubes, contributing to its classic British rock tone and providing a warm, dynamic sound.

How many channels does the Orange AD50 amp head have?

The Orange AD50 features a single channel, focusing on delivering a straightforward and powerful sound without the complexity of multiple channels.

The Tone King

The Tone King

Vid 7 of 8 - Orange AD50 Custom Shop - Winter NAMM 2011 '11 - Tube Amp Demo / Review

Video thumbnail for Vid 7 of 8 - Orange AD50 Custom Shop - Winter NAMM 2011 '11 - Tube Amp Demo / Review by The Tone King

Vid 7 of 8 - Orange AD50 Custom Shop - Winter NAMM 2011 '11 - Tube Amp Demo / Review

The Tone King

The Tone King

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head.

Comparisons

  • The Orange AD50 offers a distinctive low-mid growl compared to Marshall's treble-heavy tone, making it ideal for rock and punk genres.

    Source
  • The OR15 is likened to a boosted JCM800, offering a fuzzy sound, while the AD30 is more splattery and breaks up quickly at lower gain settings.

    Source

User experience

  • Rockerverb heads are praised for their thickness in sound and versatility, suitable for both rock and metal, with no reported issues of fizzy gain.

    Source
  • The AD30 is described as aggressive and dynamic, needing higher volumes to reach optimal performance, making it less ideal for quieter settings.

    Source
  • Both the OR15 and AD30 are noted for not handling dirt pedals well, potentially due to their own distinctive distortion characteristics.

    Source

Build quality

  • While Orange's higher-end models like Rockerverb and AD30 are UK-made, they are mass-produced with PCB construction, which may require tech attention over time.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • The Orange AD200mk3, though a bass head, is noted for its high headroom and suitability as a pedal platform for guitars, especially for clean power.

    Source
  • The AD30 can achieve classic heavy metal and hair metal tones with a boost, but struggles with clean volume in live settings.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • Orange amps, particularly the Rockerverb series, are characterized by their easy-to-control treble, providing a thick, non-harsh sound profile.

    Source
  • The OR15 struggles to deliver clean tones in a live band environment, especially with a drummer, highlighting its limitations in clean headroom.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Boost pedals like the Super Phat Phuk germanium booster are recommended over treble boosters, as the latter may exacerbate the amp's natural fizz.

    Source

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 1 Rating

5 star
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1 star
skylinerr

expensive

its the black one and all i know is it sounds good and costs a fuck ton

Genres:
jimmarchi1

from what I can tell the custom shop 50, AD50 and retro 50 are all the same basic amp, the only amp base don the original orange designs with the cathodyne phase splitter. All their other new amps are marshall/soldano based or vox based (probably because the company is loaded with trace Elliott engineers and that was trace's thing, hot rodded marshalls and voxes)… thisamp is very much an old OD50 but with a midrange control added to the old 2 band baxandall and the 'FAC' control omitted, all that control did was change the coupling cap between gain control and second stage toa ttenuate bass, it was later borrowed by matchless.

skylinerr

yep

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Jimmy Page uses Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head

Jimmy Page

Guitarist

Led Zeppelin

...
Verified via Photo

Jimmy Page used Orange amplifiers, including the AD50 and OR50 heads, during Led Zeppelin’s 2007 O2 Arena reunion concert, often paired with Engl cabinets. These amps were part of his backline alongside Marshall and Petersburg amps.

See how Tom Petersson uses Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head

Tom Petersson

Bassist

Cheap Trick

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Verified via Orangeamps

Listed as the gear that Tom Petersson uses on the official Orange website. https://orangeamps.com/portfolio-item/tom-petersson-of-cheap-trick/

See how Johannes Persson uses Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head

Johannes Persson

Singer, Guitarist

Cult of Luna

...
Verified via Orangeamps

Johannes Persson of Cult of Luna is featured on the Orange Amps artist page, where he is associated with the Orange Amplifiers AD50 50-Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head.

See how Andy Dunlop uses Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head

Andy Dunlop

Guitarist

Travis

...
Verified via YouTube

As a long-time user of Orange Amplifiers, Andy Dunlop frequently plays through his Custom Shop AD50 amplifier. He can be seen using it in this live performance of "Waving at the Window."

Album Usage

The Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Orange AD50 Custom Shop Head, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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