The Orange Tiny Terror Combo is what it states on the tin: a Tiny Terror head crammed into a 1×12 cabinet. The company chose not to change what wasn’t broken and instead maintained the design as simple as possible.
All of the functions of this device are included in the head, including three distinct speaker outputs, a switchable output, and a simple set of Tone, Gain and Volume dial.
It’s housed in a strong 18mm wooden cabinet with a Celestion G12H-30 speaker, which is more than capable of handling the amp’s output without the need for an outer cabinet.
In this article, we’ll discover if this new Orange head can hold its own at practice, studios, or show in this Orange Tiny Terror Amp Review, which is far from just a practice guitar amp.
Product Overview
The Orange Tiny Terror is, without a doubt, one of the best-sounding amplifiers I’ve ever heard at any price. It sounds better than my four-times-as-expensive Matamp (original Orange maker)!
Even at 7 watts, it’s really loud, and at full power, it should be able to keep up with a drummer. There’s a ridiculous amount of gain available, and it sounds amazing at low, mid, and high gain levels.
The tone is absolutely massive for such a compact package. The master volume is among the best I’ve ever heard, with no change of tone even at low volumes.
- Power: 20 watt (solid state)
- 2 foot switchable channels
- Speaker: 1x8 inches Orange Voice of the World
- Controls: 3 band EQ, volume, gain, reverb
- Built in reverb
Features
The amplifier is finished in the classic Orange tolex hue. The amp appears to be very elegant at first glance, and the construction screams excellence. The amp weighs 17kgs, which isn’t light for a tiny single speaker combo, but it’s to be anticipated given that it’s all tube, with two tubes in the power section and two tubes in the preamp unit.
The “Gain,” “Tone,” and “Volume” controls are situated at the top of the screen. There’s also a guitar input jack, a “On/Off” button, a “Standby” switch that switches between two power modes: 7 or 15 watt, and a ruby color LED that indicates the amp is on. A 16 ohm speaker output port connects the built-in Celestion G12H-30speaker, which may be removed if an additional speaker connection is desired. The TT can simultaneously power one 16 ohm cab, one 8 ohm cab, or two 16 ohm cabs, and an in-built speaker can be removed from the chain.
The Orange TT combination is modest in size but carries a powerful 15 watt tube punch, enough to drive a studio session or a small to mid-sized gig. The simple controls are intended for guitarists who depend on their guitars and pedals to shape their tone. When you adjust the “Tone” eq clockwise from the center, it adds some middle grit and treble. It produces a smoother, bassier tone when turned counterclockwise, similar to a Santana solo.
The tone of the amp varies from a clean, somewhat scratchy tone to an overdrive crunch when used alone. Other pedals worked well with the Tiny Terror as well. Chorus and other pedals worked nicely, however the lack of an effects loop limited my use of them.
Sound: At lesser volumes, it sounds fine, but this beast thrives when cranked up loud. It can be used in almost any genre on its own, and with a little extra loudness or drive/gain from a pedal, it transforms into a big, heavy monster. The Tiny Terror proved to be an excellent choice for studio sessions.
The 7 watt option allowed me to achieve power tube saturation sooner without having to fully crank the amp, which resulted in less sound leak and fewer objections from studio B, which was in the middle of a drum tracking session. The sound was thick and raspy, with a distinctively Orange midrange.
- (2)T-12AX7-S-JJ
- (1)T-EL84-JJ-MP (Apex Matched), which contains (2) T-EL84-JJ
You can also perform small performances with it, as well as larger gigs if it’s mic’d up. It’s a terrific example of what made the first low-wattage tube amps famous in the first place: its innate simplicity enabled for perfect tone and feel. Some players might wish to try switching tubes because the Tiny Terror has a lot of gain. Some people might want to experiment with a different speaker configuration.
I hooked it to a 16ohm 2×12 cab I had loaded with Greenbacks just to see how the amp would handle an external speaker, and it turned into one nasty practice package.
When I connected the guitars into the Tiny Terror, they each had their own personality, and I particularly loved hearing more detail from the device than I am accustomed to with other amplifiers.
I tried the amp with a variety of distortion effects in front of it, as well as some effect processors, and it performed admirably, especially when set at clean or slightly gritty gain settings. It may be used as a clean amplifier for distortion effects and digital effects processors, and it does it admirably, adding some extra tube character to otherwise clinical digital sounds.
Alternatives
Egnater Rebel 20
The Egnater Rebel 20 is an all-tube amplifier powered by Groove Tubes’ three 12AX7s, two 6V6s, and two EL84s.Rebel 20 also allows you to ‘mix’ the tubes to your liking.
- Custom Voiced Celestin Elite-80 Speaker
- Ported For Increased Low End.
- Rugged Birch Construction.
- Strap Handle and Rubber Feet.
Overall
I couldn’t find anything wrong with the Tiny Terror. Some might think that only having three controls and a variable power switch isn’t enough. However, once you hear the incredible range and richness of the tones this amplifier produces, which span a volume range from home studio silence to pub performance loud, you won’t be able to stop yourself from rocking out.
Overall, it’s a fantastic small amp; out of the box, it looks to be better suited to rock, bluesy, and typical overdriven tones, but with some tweaking, it might be a terrific all-around amp.
This amplifier has a distinct personality that I enjoy. While the effects loop and eq may be overlooked at first, the tone is so lovely and easy to control that I immediately became engrossed in the amp’s enchantment.
- Power: 20 watt (solid state)
- 2 foot switchable channels
- Speaker: 1x8 inches Orange Voice of the World
- Controls: 3 band EQ, volume, gain, reverb
- Built in reverb
