British cult brand Orange represents the courage to show one's colours - both sonically and visually. The distinctive Orange sound is primarily associated with large all-tube amplifiers, but the company's more compact combo amps also deliver the goods. The Crush Bass 50, which is available in both eyecatching orange and classic black, is no exception and has everything players need for practising at home and for medium-sized rehearsal sessions. Features include an active three-band EQ section, an adjustable overdrive circuit, numerous connectivity options, and more. The Orange Crush Bass 50 not only looks sexy, it can also be easily transported thanks to its compact dimensions and moderate weight.
At the heart of the Orange Crush Bass 50 is a 12" speaker driven by a 50W analogue power amp, which delivers a rocking fundamental sound that can easily be fine-tuned using the three-band equaliser. A highlight of this amp is Orange's blendable overdrive circuit with interactive "Gain" and "Blend" knobs, which allow the amount of grit to be adjusted and mixed in relation to the clean signal in order to create impressive "bi-amped" sound textures that range from mild grit through to thunderous distortion. The overdrive circuit can also be activated using the optional footswitch, and the amp additionally features a headphone output and AUX input for quiet home practice and even an onboard tuner. Thanks to the practical handle located on the top of the amplifier, the Crush Bass 50 can be carried like a briefcase, and it is available in two colours: Orange for those who like their gear to stand out, and classic black for those who prefer a more classic look.
Orange has never beaten around the bush in terms of sound: Orange amplifiers represent Rock and heavy music, pure and simple, and the Crush Bass 50's basic sound already goes very much in this direction, helped along by the blendable overdrive feature. Beginner and advanced Rock bassists alike will thus find the perfect partner in the Crush Bass 50 and can get "that" Orange sound right away without having to spend an eternity adjusting the EQ settings, whether they are practising and jamming at home, rehearsing, or even gigging, provided that volume levels are not too high. Another advantage that this amp provides is that, despite its dimensions and analogue design, it is still light enough to fit easily into the boot of a car when it needs to be transported.
The British company Orange was founded in 1968 by electronics engineer, bassist, and guitarist Cliff Cooper, who among other things was a member of the band "The Millionaires". Even in its early days, when the company was already producing guitar and bass amplifiers and speaker cabinets, it recognised the value of an eye-catching and easily identifiable design. The orange colour, the striking logo, the picture-frame image of the solid-looking amplifiers and speaker cabinets, and the basket-weave speaker grille cloth are still among the distinguishing features of Orange products to this day. In 1979, the unexpected and sudden bankruptcy of its distribution partners obliged Orange to close. Then, in 1993, the U.S. Gibson Group revived the cult brand in England under license and, in 1997, the brand finally went back into the hands of Cliff Cooper. Since then, Orange has once again been actively developing its product range.
The Orange Crush Bass 50 provides a flexible basis for a variety of musical styles right out of the box, while the headphone outlet and AUX input make it perfect for silent practice sessions at home where, thanks to its compact dimensions, this amp can also be quickly stashed away in a wardrobe or under the bed. And as long as there is no drummer to compete with, the Crush Bass 50 has enough power on tap to easily handle jam sessions with other musicians as well as small gigs. What is more, the switchable and blendable overdrive circuit means that those overdrive and distortion pedals can be left at home.