Orianthi has had quite the career so far. She's played with Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper, survived the rigors of the pop industry, and recently collaborated with Joe Bonamassa as she made a return to her blues-y roots.
In the summer, Orianthi also sent her signature amp, the recently unveiled Orange Oriverb, into production – and it turns out the 2x12 combo, which is also available in a miniature, portable format, carries a little bit of Alexander Dumble’s spirit in its sonic DNA.
Speaking of her new signature amp in the latest issue of Guitarist, Orianthi says she worked closely with Orange’s Pat Foley over “a couple of years” to perfect its recipe.
“We went back and forth to dial it in. People think, ‘Oh, it’s just another Rockerverb combo, but it’s white.’ But we’ve changed a lot of things, from the speakers to the tubes to the reverb and the distortion,” she explains. “You can really push it like a vintage amp.”
When further asked whether the Oriverb was modeled on the various vintage creations she’s played in the past, Orianthi then revealed the combo’s Dumble connection.
“I had the honor of sitting with Alexander Dumble long ago when he was alive,” she reveals. “I went to his home, plugged into all his amps, and he let me play the first amp that he ever made. I never forgot the sound of that amp.”
That first-ever Dumble’s tone was mixed into a wider melting pot of rock and blues guitar favorites to ensure that the Oriverb was not just a repainted Rockerverb, as the naysayers protest.
“It’s got a bit of [the] Dumble sound mixed with an old Marshall and a Fender Twin,” she says. “It’s got a sound that cuts through and has high-end when you bring up the mids and the treble. But, ultimately, it’s warm-sounding and well-rounded.”
The amp unites a pair of British-made Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and EL34 valves, with a striking-yet-still subtle embossed pattern covering its white Tolex finish.
At the time of its release, Orianthia had said her objective for the amp was to create something that could “amplify the personality” of the player, drawing on the “guts and clarity” of her preferred Rockerverb MKIII.
The Dumble connection, though, is significant. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of countless players to have championed the amp builder's creations – he owns 11 custom-built Dumbles – but recently warned players about just how good they are, saying: “They are so transparent that, if you’re not a very refined player, it’s going to expose all of your flaws in your playing.”
Head to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitarist, which also includes chats with Steve Hill and Billy Morrison.
In related news, Orianthi has announced she will temporarily join Alice Cooper for a run of dates, filling in for her successor Nita Strauss.
