Super Crush vs Crush: Orange Amplifier Shootout

Orange recently unveiled the new Super Crush series of amplifiers to the delight of guitarists around the world.

Featuring the 100 Head and Combo models, the Super Crush collection looks set to be a hit both in the studio and in the live environment too, with Orange describing these models as “solid-state done right”.

Promising valve-like tones and a host of improvements over previous Crush models such as the CR60C and the Pro Crush range, we take a deep dive into the list of new features and compile some of our favourite upgrades for you to find out what all of the hype is about.

The Super Crush 100 is a 2-channel footswitchable amplifier that boasts an all-analogue, single-ended preamp and a 100w Class A/B Power Amp at the core of its design.

Delivering a wide spectrum of versatile tones, the dual-channel composition allows you to switch between sparkling cleans and super hi-gain sounds with ease - and with a huge amount of headroom available to play with, both the head and combo are great when used as a platform for pedals and other effects.

The Super Crush combo comes complete with a top-of-the-range Celestion G12H-150 12" Ferrite Magnet speaker, ensuring that every note, riff, and chord that you play feels dynamic and bursting with presence.

The Super Crush series amplifiers are also available with a sleek Black tolex covering - click below to see each of the amps in the range:

Gigging musicians have long dreamt of the day that a solid-state amplifier would grant them the same sonic palette and tonal variety that they can wrangle from a tube-powered rig.

With the Super Crush series, Orange have presented to us the best that solid-state technology has to offer, with an immediacy, definition, and character unlike any other amplifier in its range.

These amps are truly punchy, and provide a level of articulation that has previously not been possible to achieve without valves.

The Super Crush series mimics the tone from the famed all-tube Rockerverb amplifiers, and the power stage is taken directly from the much-lauded Pedal Baby 100. Along with their intuitive design and the highest-quality components, it’s no surprise that these amps are capable of such a wide array of tones.

Weighing in at just 18.1kg (39.8lbs), the Super Crush 100 Combo comes in at over 2kg lighter than the Orange CR60C despite boasting an extra 40w of output power.

Similarly, the Super Crush 100 Head weighs in at just 11.2kg (24.6lbs) - over 3kg lighter than the CR120H from the Crush Pro series.

For an amp that packs in so much power, this reduction in weight across the board is a surprising but much-welcomed feature of the improved series. Gigging musicians know all too well the pains of carrying heavy equipment between rehearsals and shows - and all for the sake of tone!

The digital reverb that comes built-in with each model in the Super Crush range is remarkably useful, providing a lush ambience that shimmers and responds gloriously to your pick attack.

Capable of subtle reverberated sparkle or fully washed-out surf sounds, it’s also controllable via a footswitch which can be integrated into your pedalboard for ease-of-use in a live setting.

Further to this, the addition of a fully-buffered, ultra-transparent series FX loop displays the dedication and attention to detail that have made Orange amplifiers the choice of the tone purist for decades.

Orange promises that this FX loop can handle “even the most outlandish signal chains without ever compromising your carefully-crafted tone” - so you needn’t worry about how the Super Crush might handle your most over-the-top fuzz stompboxes and wild delay units.

The balanced XLR output on the rear of the Super Crush utilises CabSim speaker emulation technology for mimicking a 2x12 cab.

This all-analogue filter allows you to access a superb D.I. guitar tone, perfect for going straight into a recording interface or PA.

With the Cab Back switch you’re also able to select whether you need the sound of an Open Back Cab or a Closed Back Cab - so your ideal tone is incredibly easy to find, mic’d up or otherwise.

If you do want to mic up and play through a proper cabinet, there are some different options for configuring your rig.

The 3 options allow you to use either 8ohm or 16ohm cabs, with options for a half-stack setup or a monster full-stack.

The cab configurations are as follows:

• One 16 ohm cab connected to one of the speaker outputs.
• Two 16 ohm cabs connected to both speaker outputs, or daisy-chained together from one of the speaker outputs.
• One 8 ohm cab connected to one of the speaker outputs.

In our opinion it’s better to avoid daisy-chaining your rig, particularly in a live setting - if the first cable or cab fails then it can lead to a complete loss of sound from your guitar.

With that being said, the option to use a range of cabs is extremely handy for if you’re travelling without your full set-up and still want to mic up!

The best thing about the Super Crush is how versatile it is - this amp is suitable for just about any style of player, no matter what sort of music you need to perform.

The clean channel can offer some of the most crystal-clear and beautifully transparent tones across its vintage-styled two-stage composition - but by cranking it up you’re introduced to a huge, barking lead sound that Blues musicians will love.

Likewise, the dirty channel is designed upon four separate cascading stages of “proper Orange gain”. This allows you to utilise your volume knob, the 3-band EQ, or the wide-ranging gain control to sculpt your tone and dial-in precisely how you want your guitar to sound - from thrashy metal and brutal drop-tuned riffs to warm, controlled crunch.

In our opinion, the new Orange Super Crush would be a welcome addition to any rig. Perfectly designed for the modern musician, the range of options - both tonally and in terms of connectivity - offer solutions to almost any scenario, either in the studio or at a gig. 

This is without a doubt one of our favourite Orange amps ever!

Check out a complete range of Orange guitar amplifiers.

Need some extra help with your Orange amp? Struggling to find the perfect tone? Call us on 0151 448 2089 or check out your local store to speak to one of our Experts about your needs.