Orange MK Ultra Amp

[beasleybodyshop]

Ok.

Who wants to take a gander at what this circuit topology looks like?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOFUbXF-y4

Sounds pretty cool. Only 3 knobs too!

[dorrisant]

Can't hurt having Markus playing it... I love that SG. Thanks for sharing, now I know what I want to listen to for the rest of the day.

[Guy77]

Ok.

Who wants to take a gander at what this circuit topology looks like?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOFUbXF-y4

Sounds pretty cool. Only 3 knobs too!

Nice tone, this seems to sound like a cathode biased version of there "Overdrive" version of amps from the 70's - 80s which was basically there original OR120 with a master volume added. Its a 2 preamp amp as well.

Cheers

Guy

[Colossal]

I listened to the video and was able to pick out both 6L6s and cathode bias before looking it up on the website. Maybe the Deep control is a version of their FACS control (variable coupling cap) and the Sing is a Tone control in 18W fashion between the typical Orange/Fender voiced preamp? Seems like this could be similar to your previous Century project, Beasley.

[beasleybodyshop]

Further reading of information on the amp nets these little nuggets of information:

"The original design got shelved for a bit and then Jon Bailey did some component tweaks. He voiced it until Marcus King really liked it. There’s one volume [control]. The treble is before the volume like on an old Fender, and the bass is after. They labeled the treble control Sing and the bass control is called Deep."

"Some cap and resistor values were adjusted to suit Marcus’ taste, and the phase inverter was changed to a concertina. The concertina phase inverter gives it a different take. The original design had a long tailed pair [phase inverter], so it was cleaner. The concertina is a bit more snotty.

There are two 12AX7s and two 6L6s – cathode biased, so it’s vintage US flavor. That's what Marcus wanted. It sounds creamy. It’s a point-to-point amp (using turret board) made in the USA."

"It’s 30 watts. In the end we used a Trainwreck Express output transformer. It’s a better load for 6L6s running in cathode bias. Because it’s cathode biased, it doesn’t stay clean for long and breaks up early."

So there's not a whole lot going on here circuit wise I imagine. Three gain stages and a Concertina PI. Curious what the statement "the Treble control is before the volume like on an old Fender, and the Bass is after." Perhaps the treble control is like on a Tweed Deluxe, and the Bass control is like a Tweed Bandmaster/5E5a pro

Smells a lot like a Tweed esque design. And has a lot of that sonic characteristic too.

[thetragichero]

i'd be willing to bet the deep control is a pot on a cathode bypass cap
the original graphic series had a dc-coupled cathodyne

[xtian]

"MK Ultra"...but nothing in the specs about mind control?

[Dr Tony Balls]

i'd be willing to bet the deep control is a pot on a cathode bypass cap
the original graphic series had a dc-coupled cathodyne

the earlier version was AC coupled, then DC coupled came a hair later....sometime in the early 70s.