Founded by Cliff Cooper in 1968, Orange celebrates over 40 years of rocking history!
The actual birth of the Orange brand was not the shop but the basement of 3-4 New Compton Street in early-summer 1968 where, equipped with little more than a Revox tape recorder and Vox reverb unit, Cliff opened Orange Recording Studios.
Because the major music companies refused to supply his shop with their products, he had no choice but to become a manufacturer as well as retailer. Luckily, the market for quality second-hand guitars was booming when he set up shop. The first Orange amps were supplied by a small north of England company called Radio Craft (later Matamp) which made a versatile, top-spec 20/30-watt valve guitar/bass guitar amp – the Matamp Series 2000. In autumn 1968, Cliff placed an order with Huddersfield-based Matamp (named after founder Mat Mathias) to amps for Orange.
Cliff was also friendly with what was then a premier blues band called Fleetwood Mac. Mac became the first chart group to go Orange in late-1968 when they took with them to America the very first half dozen Orange 100-watters ever made.
But the Orange Matamp era would be relatively brief as stars as big and wide-ranging as Stevie Wonder, BB King, Jimmy Page, John Mayall, Ike and Tina Turner, and James Brown joined the client list and helped to establish the brand.
In the beginning these amps were modified Matamp Series 2000. Over the time the power rose to 80, 100, 120 and finally 200 watt. The 200 watt model was extensively used by Led Zeppelin's Jimi Page on stage during the first half of the '70. This can be seen in the latest Genesis Publications book: Jimmy Page. In this photographic autobiography, a visual history of his career as one of the world’s most iconic guitar players, can be seen that on the far left of the stage were always two 200 watt Orange-Matamp amps with their respective 4*12 cabinets.
In the mid '70 Orange and Matamp parted company.
The last years have seen a revival of the Orange brand.
The Matamp area Orange amps are today collectibles and for a large fan base remain the best.
According to Jeff Lewis, this is the first Orange Matamp amplifier ever built. It has been dated as being built in 1968. The amplifier is a Matamp Series 2000 Bass, delivering 30 watts (compared to the guitar amp with 20 watts) in a large wood box that was originally covered with orange tolex and it has the Orange-Matamp logo. This was done to send to Cliff Coopers' shop a first prototype of the amps to be build later based on the orders received. This or a similar Series 2000 30 watts amp was used by Peter Green for the recording of Albatros.
The original pictures of the faceplate of this amp, when it started to appear on the internet in the Matamp-Orange forums, were showing it with an orange lettering. This was done by the owner of the amp at that time. He had painted the letters orange and had also painted the case in the same color. As the emulsion paint could be washed off with a damp sponge, he removed to reveal the correct black color. The black tolex recovering today the amp was changed long ago.
It has had minor repairs to ensure it works. The repairs carried out were - 2 fuse-holders, 2 EL34 valves and the 32u+32u caps. Otherwise it remains untouched.
The amp has been carefully checked by Jeff Lewis current owner of Matamp and the original builder John Tilley.
