Orange Dual Terror OR new Marshall DSL100H

[Forkface]

Hey guys, I was hoping you could help me out. I play in a band and we play some sort of Pop Rock alternative music (Overdrive levels matching the ones used by The Strokes or The Black Keys, probably) and I'm planning to move up from my Marshall valvestate combo amp. I am currently considering the Orange Dual Terror or the new reissue of the Marshall DSL 100 (just recently released) since they are around the same price range (the Marshall is 100 bucks more expensive)
Any thoughts or opinions?
Couple of specific questions:
Is the 30 watts of the Orange a gig-able amount for small clubs and venues?
Is the lack of an FX loop on the Orange a deal-breaker?
Is the Tone knob of the Orange enough, or is it better to have a 3 band EQ?
Is the shared EQ on the Marshall really that bad? I've been reading that it sucks because if you EQ the cleans nicely, the OD channel lacks balls, and vice versa.

I leaning towards the Marshall mainly because of the features, but I mean, the Dual Terror is Orange after all, they have certain something that makes me want it just because...

Well, thank you for reading and I hope you can help me decide

 

[Geek USA]

Couple of specific questions:
Is the 30 watts of the Orange a gig-able amount for small clubs and venues?
Is the lack of an FX loop on the Orange a deal-breaker?
Is the Tone knob of the Orange enough, or is it better to have a 3 band EQ?
Is the shared EQ on the Marshall really that bad? I've been reading that it sucks because if you EQ the cleans nicely, the OD channel lacks balls, and vice versa.

yes
only you can answer that
for many people, yes
for some people, no

 

[brianr0131]

I have had a ton of amps an the only one I really miss is the Dual Terror.

 

[Zingeroo]

Orange amps have a unique sound, I don't particularly care for the gritty overdrive tone. The clean tone is nice, though. Make sure you like that sound, some love it.

 

[Forkface]

I've tried the Tiny Terror combo, and I really liked it. I'm assuming the Dual is just a double tiny terror , also, I'm assuming there's no real difference in sound between the combo and the head if you use the same speaker the combo has installed.

 

[Geek USA]

I've tried the Tiny Terror combo, and I really liked it. I'm assuming the Dual is just a double tiny terror , also, I'm assuming there's no real difference in sound between the combo and the head if you use the same speaker the combo has installed.

well depends on the cab because a closed back cab vs the open bask combo is a big difference

i think the dual terror has one channel thicker and more gain, in addition to the regular tiny terror channel. not played one myself

 

[Teh RedWizard]

I'd go with the Orange.You're not going to need anywhere near 100W for what you're doing,and you have 7,15,and 30W options with the DT.

 

[tjinca1]

Is the price of th EVH 5150iii close to the others? If so, u might consider that for what u are looking for...

 

[Forkface]

yeah. well, the marshall is 899, the orange is 799 and the evh is 999, so it might be a viable option also.
im also looking at the blackstar HT50, which is 699, and apparently its pretty good too. geezus, i dunno whats wrong with me lol

 

[LPMojoGL]

I've had several Orange amps, excluding the Dual Terror, but have jammed through it.
I've had the Blackstar HT40.
Have owned the older DSLs and played the new ones.

Oranges have a great sound. The Dual Terror is a meaner, bigger Tiny Terror. Lack of full eq and effects loop doesn't work for me, but might not be a problem for you. 30 watts is usually enough, although I find Orange wattage to not be as loud as others. For example, 18 Marshall watts was way louder than 15 Orange watts (even though they used the same power tubes), and about as loud as 50 Orange watts.

The shared eq is much better on the newer DSLs, imo. I wouldn't rule out the DSL40 combo, although I prefer head+cab.

The Blackstar I had sucked. Changed tubes, speaker...sucked. Very solid state vibe.

There are a lot of cool amps you can buy used for around $1000. Happy hunting!

 

[colimofsmoke]

I had a Tiny Terror. It was fun for a while and then I got tired of it pretty quickly. It really only does one sound. if you like that sound, then you're good. The Dual Terror, as someone mentioned above, has the TT on one channel, and then a fatter channel, and adds watts.

if you use any pedals, the lack of effects loop is a problem on the TT and DT. it doesn't take pedals in front well at all, unless you are going for a Sonic Youth or My Bloody Valentine wall of psychedelic noise kind of thing. Personally, I didn't like the single tone knob. It's one of the main reasons you can only get one sound out of the TT or DT.

If you play with a loud drummer, You may have problems with the available volume on a DT. if you play through a good PA and can get some good guitar levels in the house and in your monitor, it may work out for you.

 

[jimmyohio75]

I have had a ton of amps an the only one I really miss is the Dual Terror.

Yep, I have been gigging this beast for over a year and I've never been happier. It's the "easiest to dial in" amp ever.

 

[MRscratch]

Yeah, the Dual terror is certainly flying under the radar. this amp is a monster.
It sounds just amazing. love it.
Cleans up with the roll of the volume knob on my guitar, has oodles of gain, a great Gritty clean sound, which i like. two channels, 3 wattage range, weighs 30lbs, cost 700$ and pretty much just tone slays just about any amp you put up to it.
a real winner. FX loop?? W.G.A.F.!!!!!!

 

[Forkface]

*******, the more I search, the more stuff I find (sounds dumb, I know, but w/e)
What about the H&K Tubemeister 36? I've never used a H&K amp, but they have a pretty good reputation around. It has some sort of mixed reviews, some people say its awesome, and some others say it sucks? Any hands-on experience with any of the Tubemeister series?? (I know the TM36 is pretty new, but maybe someone already has it, who knows? )

 

[Forkface]

BTW JIMMY, that is one badass case you built for your DT. Looks amazing.

 

[Teh RedWizard]

Another one to consider would be the Budda SD Series.I t's nuts how cheap you can get a SD 18,0r 30 on the used marquette!

 

[keto]

To answer the part about FX loop - well, that's a personal choice and depends on your other gear and how you hear things or want them to sound.

I'm not a big delay/reverb/modulation pedal guy, but do occasionally use both a phaser (old Volz) and a Verbzilla. Despite having owned a couple of dozen amps with loops, I always just run them out front, for simplicity of setup - and, for *my* purposes, they sound just fine. Others will tell you how their pedals suck tone or sound like garbage if not in a loop. Adding to that, not all loops are equal - I don't know all the fine details, but some are built for line level and some for (I forget the term), where a pedal might the wrong signal strength to drive the loop properly.

 

[jimmyohio75]

BTW JIMMY, that is one badass case you built for your DT. Looks amazing.

Thanks Fork.......It sounds as good as it looks!!

 

[germs]

yep, own and gig the DT for everything. EVERYTHING.

i also have a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 4x10 that gets the "non rock" gigs - and even then...i'll consider bringing the Orange.

the EQ is the easiest thing to dial in, and you'll definitely find a workable sound you'll love for your genre, and then some.

do you REALLY need the loop?

the Terror series from Orange cured me of wanting a Marshall. but, go play one and see for yourself. plus, i never really liked the DSL/TSL series stuff.

 

[Forkface]

I don't use THAT many effects, but I do use delay now and then, for some specific songs. For the parts I use it though, the gain levels are pretty low, so I was thinking maybe I could just use it in front of the Orange on a clean setting. I also just bought the new hardwire supernatural reverb, and to be honest I have NO IDEA how an amp w/o FX loop will react to reverb in the front :O