With the OE-1, Orange has attempted to capture the perfect snapshot of vintage tone and styling, sprinkled with modern luxuries.
Revered British amp company Orange has entered the world of high-end axes with their handmade Orange OE-1. Designed to compete with the best offerings from Gibson and Fender, the OE-1 screams vintage styling and classic tone.
While the OE-1 is not the first instrument Orange has made, with their unique and popular O bass offering a comfortable short scale alternative to the popular Squire series of basses, the OE-1 is at the other end of the spectrum, designed by the companies technical director Adrian Emsley and handmade from the highest quality parts by Jason Burns.
Orange go into great detail on the construction of their debut six-string. The OE-1’s body is made of a lightweight mahogany, offering vintage warmth without that vintage weight. This is paired with a set 24.75 scale mahogany neck with a unique V to C shaped contour, for added comfort and playability, replicating a ’59 Les Paul at the top and slowly smoothing out to the C shape further down. Topping off the guitar is a dark ebony fretboard and headstock, the latter donned with a custom hand-cut mother of pearl Orange logo.
Boasting a two-tone ivory and gold finish on the body, the styling is reminiscent of a vintage car — paired with a stunning checkerboard binding around the body, and a cream binding along the neck. The vibrant colour scheme continues with brass control knobs and chrome hardware.
The OE-1 comes equipped with a bridge and neck pickup, with the options of either soap bar P-90s or Mojo dogear Filter’trons, which are described by Emsley as having “plenty of chime like a single-coil would” in a humbucker style pickup.” Other hardware includes a Tune-o-Matic bridge, Grover tuners and a Stop Bar tailpiece. Adrian Emsley states:
“It’s a blend of engineering, instinct, and my own experience with high-end guitars. I’m very proud of the sound and the feel that the guitar delivers.”
The guitar is currently only available in the UK, with each guitar being made to order over a four week period. It comes fully protected in a handmade Hiscox Hardcase for roughly $7,000 AUD. For more information and audio demos, head over to the Orange website.
