Orange Crush 20 1x8" 20-watt Combo Amp Reviews

I own three of these. Great practice amp. The first two I use in my teaching studio. The third one I bought when my Fender practice amp "took a dump"! I bought two of those for teaching first and...they're garbage. After I took the Fender to rehearsal and it died (making me have to go direct through the PA) I decided it was a no brainer to buy another Orange. These are great amps for the money and they sound really good.

Plug a sg special into this with a behringer super fuzz dirty channel,great Leeds tone,clean channel really nice,really loud and, built like a tank.for the price,no brainer

This is my first Orange amp. I had heard much about them and needed a small amp for practice. I am very impressed of the quality and sound. I recommend it for a home/ practice amp.

Really have only spent a little time with this amp but it seems like a great value. Sounds excellent. Used both clean out dirty channels. Has plenty of volume. Looks terrific.

Bought this in a packaged deal and wow!! So impressed with the sound and so easy to set up!! Highly recommend!

So I bought my daughter a Crush 12 to practice with, and I was stunned at how much of a vibe it copped. Flash forward a pandemic later, and I am feeding a pair of the Crush20's (non RT) with an old but awesome Digitech ValveFX - I wanted to add a lush stereo element to my multi-amp setup. All my favorite guitarists use a layered signal chain or otherwise some sort of Wet/Dry or Wet/Dry/Wet mix for absolutely huge tones, so I have cultivated a similar setup in my home studio. These things have added that Sunn Beta Lead/crushing heavy solid state voice to my rig, and they hang with the Soldano SLO mini, Diezel VHMicro and Marshall DSL20's with a uniquely thick voice of their own. These 8" combos punch way above their weight with the 4-stage preamp, and were an awesome addition to my budget-conscious setup. If you're expecting Thunderverb or Rockerverb tones out of this kind of small amp, you might be disappointed, but they will definitely get you into the ballpark (just like the VHMicro and SLO mini) if you don't have a touring guitarist's budget. Orange is not tonal territory for everyone - you seriously have to know what you're looking for out of any piece of gear, and do lots of research, but if the fundamental elements of the Orange roar is what you are after, it's a wonderful introduction to the "Other (other) British tone. And as always, Jacob Stutzman made the whole process a swift breeze. Sweetwater's customer service mojo will definitely make you into a repeat customer, and maybe even make you wonder why you went anywhere else.

Well, Darcee Berg has done it again! She was assigned to me after my previous Sales Engineer moved on to a different path in life. This seems to be good karma from my perspective. I'm completely confident that when I need advice Darcee will be there for me. She has helped me with several purchases and always seems to find ways to save me money. I bought a demo of the Orange Crush 20 and the only thing that looks demo at all about it, is the sticker that says demo on the box. All documents were present including the sticker page. The inspection tag from Orange was still attached to the handle. I cannot find a single blemish anywhere on the amp. Basically I got a brand new amp that has been broken in and tested. So, I have no concerns at all about its function. Winner winner, chicken dinner! Thanks Darcee, I appreciate you!

This things a loud little amp, with warm tones and a great vintage look.

I am using it with my electric guitar to do cover songs and new ones, it was recommended by my nephew. It works great better than I expected. Great product

I bought this small portable practice amp 20Watt amp for on the go. I tested it out first and was amazed. This little orange amp packs a big punch for its size. The only other small amp, I own of such outstanding quality & tone is my Roland AC-33 Accoustic amp. Both amps are light weight, very portable for a novice (NON Professional) Guitar player who likes to play only for my family and friends. I liked the 20watt Orange amp so much I just purchased the 60Watt Orange amp for my home studio.

I already own a Roland Jazz 40, a Roland Blues Cube Artist, and now the Orange 60 watt, for my Wet-Dry-Wet studio setup. The Orange will should do nicely as a Wet amp.

All these purchases have been from SweetWater. Never a delivery issue. There service is great. Thanks Tony Greer!!

Willy

I really like this little amp, its great for practice and gets plenty loud.

This is perfect. Plenty of punch for a little amp and plenty of options for tone control. Highly recommended. Works great with my Squier 40th anniversary Jazz Bass.

This has to be the best sounding 20w amp I have ever owned. Beautiful tone and sturdy build. Orange really makes top notch gear.

I love this amp. I was looking for a higher end amp because my other amp was breaking. This amp gives the best sound and tone that I was looking for. It is pricey but if you have the money you should be fine.

This thing is unreal for its $ price tag. You might think with so few knobs to tweak that it wouldn't be versatile. However, each knob is incredibly sensitive to even the slightest movement and all of them have surprisingly wide ranges. I mainly play it on the clean channel and can do everything from warm and round jazz tones to jangly classic rock tones like the Beatles or Byrds. The dirty channel offers loads of gain that can go from the edge of tube break up to all out chugging metal tones. With a few pedals or an effects processor this will totally blow you away. It has big tube amp sound at bedroom volumes. It's everything I need!

Literally have never had such good service and hospitality from any music shop or business..so to be online that's pretty good. I received just a few emails that were very helpful thru the shipping process and then a bunch of links to some tips and lessons.

I've been playing guitar for 18 years in multiple projects and usually just packed around a nice Marshall cab or small combo because they were cheap and versatile. I felt shameful to admit that's the equipment I'd been using once I got my hands on this Orange crush20.

Orange amps always stood out to me and I've saw a lot of bands use them over the years. I see them as world class and still do. This is a small amp combo but man does it pack a punch. So bright and warm. So crisp and clean yet powerful sounding. Makes all my stompboxes and guitars sound totally different (in a good way of course) I'm very pleased with this purchase and will be upgrading to a larger size cab soon. Much love to the Sweetwater team for helping me to experience such perfection.

I cannot praise this amp enough... it's clean tones are full and rich yet not overpowering. For distortion I use a pedal (Boss Me20) to play 80's metal and it works perfectly. I replaced my Roland cube 15 which still works but takes a while to produce sound after being switched on. I'm so glad it had problems as I'm much happier with the Orange. Thanks heaps to whoever is responsible for producing this little gem.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a big fan of Orange to begin this. With that being said, I'm so very satisfied with this amp. Honestly, for the price, I don't see how you can beat it. I've tried a couple of the new digital practice amps, such as the Peavey Vyper and the Yamaha THR10X, and I think this amp destroys them hands down. Instead of doing a million things adequately like you get from the new digital amps, this thing does just a couple of things, but does them really well. The dirty channel has all the gain you need, with all the clarity and growl you would expect from an Orange amp. The clean channel may be a bit too gainy for some, but it cleans up nicely when you roll off the volume a bit and add a clean boost pedal. Also, it's plenty loud, not gigable loud, but loud enough to make your ears ring. It's such a relief to know that my search for a great practice amp is over. I would recommend this amp to anyone.

So much tone and volume. This is my first Orange amp and will not be my last. Absolutely blown away.

great clean tone amp, ran a uke into it for small live performance and sounded great with no eq or effects. The line out works great as electric guitar preamp.
bought it just for a practice amp, but also use it for live performance and recording.

I did a significant amount of homework before buying this amp. I was going back and forth between Fender and Marshall in a similar price range. A friend owns an Orange and recommended it. I was aware of the brand, I'd just never played one. So I read the reviews and watched the videos and this is EXACTLY what I wanted. I've noticed the rise of "modeling" amps and I'm far too old school and organic for that. At some point I'll get a Boss pedal board and dial in my own effects. For now, this is the sound I was looking for. The clean and dirty channels are great, and even when you have the dirty channel boosted you get clear sound. What I really loved most was the controlled feedback you can get on this...think all of those Neil Young & Crazy Horse songs with 10 minutes of feedback at the end. If you get close to the amp, it doesn't simply feed back, you can move the guitar and get all of these wonderful tones and textures. My playing style begins with my biggest influence...you guessed it, Neil Young...and with my Epiphone Les Paul, you can definitely play Neil with this setup, and anything else you'd like. It's clean, it's LOUD...believe the reviews that tell you that unless you're playing gigs, this is all you need. And yes, you probably could get away with gigging in a small room, but that's not really the amp's purpose. If you want "big room" sound in a small room, this is the amp for you. I bought the guitar, amp, plus a glass slide and capo from Sweetwater. I'm good to go until my next upgrade. The whole package came in at around $350, and it's worth every penny. Thanks once again to Aaron for his feedback and suggestions. I can't imagine making future purchases anywhere else...Sweetwater is THE BEST.

I can honestly say this is the best 1 x 8, 20 watt amp I have ever played through. The layout is simple and the range of tones from such a small amp is nothing short of amazing. Other practice amps that use digital modeling cannot match the gain that this amp provides naturally. Also, this little monster gets loud. It may not fit the bill if you are playing stadiums, but for bedrooms, apartments, garages, and small stages, I could not think of a better amp.

I love Orange amps: I think they're the best when it comes to melodic, saturated high gain tones. I had a TH30C a while back and then downgraded a bit to try out some less powerful, modeling combo amps. Didn't really like any of them, and then I tried the Crush 20. These things sound great for an affordable practice-size combo amp and remind me a lot of my TH30C. Wonderful, pure clean tones and then that perfect, full, musical overdrive.

Loud enough for band practice and perhaps even small gigs.

I was looking for a practice amp that I could play at low volume and still get some nice crunch. I am amazed at the spectrum of tone I can get from this amp. Love being able to plug my iPhone to the aux jack to play along with backing tracks. This amp does well with pedals on the clean and dirty channels. I'm now a huge fan of Orange amps!

I loved the amp the minute I opened it, sounds great!!

This Crush 20 replaces my Roland 40GX Cube as a headphone guitar amp. That Cube is digital solid state; the Crush 20 is pure analog. The Crush sounds better. It has no effects, unlike the Roland, but I've got pedals. The Dirty channel on the Orange is good even without added distortion pedals. I've also got an Orange solid state CR60C Crush Pro combo with 12" speaker (no headphone jack). These are great amps.

After lots of research, all signs were pointing to the Orange amp. The quality is fantastic. It's small in size, but big in sound. I have no complaints whatsoever. Sweetwater is my go to in all things music. Thanks!

Your service is the best I have ever gotten. You have a loyal customer with me.

This really is the best amp you can get for under $200. I'm just a beginner so all I wanted was an inexpensive amp to get me started and this is perfect.

Bought this amp to not have to wait on tubes to warm up and glad I did. Can get any type of crunch you want to pure metal without any hiss or unwanted noise. Would be great for recording. Would sound better through a 12 inch speaker but I have no complaints. Sweetwater does have fast reliable service as well. Hope to visit the store soon.

Great little amp with big sound

Awesome sound. Great quality amp. The price is amazing. Sounds great out of the box. Great amp for practice and has a great punch. I love Sweetwater.

Got the Orange Crush 20 today and love it. I wanted to get out from under headphones to hear what the Jam Origin Midi Guitar software might sound like with added air. The results are astonishing. How can sound get better than through headphones? The new setup is fantastic. I have many synthesizers loaded onto my iPad and there is a profound difference in the changes of the settings on all of them. I am escaping the slack world of presets and now spin knobs with great delight. The Crush 20 ls producing sounds I never heard before.
I am using a Steinberger Synapse and the active pickups have really perked up with the new amp. My playing has already changed just this afternoon. I have gotten more fluid and looser without having a wire connected to my head.
I The Orange Crush 20 is perfect for my current work. I didn't want to move the house but the little amp would be willing to try. It is hard to keep it reined in. If anything the amp wants to be too loud for my purposes. Things could be worse.
This is my first Orange amp but after viewing your video review I knew it was made for me. I am retired and wanted a new amp as a pal, not as a weapon. My days of shaking buildings with strings are long in the past. Still love the thrill of electricity.
Can't say how wonderful the Orange Crush 20 is. I have a new friend. Many thanks.

This amp gives excellent clean to crunch to serious hard metal tones...and anything in between. Amazing gain stage is a unique Orange sound gone wild! I love my Fender Mustang modeling combo with all the effects and amp models, but I prefer this for it's simple clean/gain channel switching format. This amp reproduces the full spectrum of amp sounds, minus the effects. Running a Mustang Floor in front of this is downright inspiring. You just have to hear this amp to understand how useable this thing is! The cabinet is high quality and well built...nothing weak or cheap here.
I never recommend amps because it is such a matter of personal taste...but if you can't find the sweet spot on this amp for every tone needed, there is a personal problem at play. Orange darn sure did their part and then some. Highly recommended and big thanks to Bob Mondok for suggesting an Orange Taste Test.

This is the best practice amp I've ever used. Great sound, responsive overdrive, and overall fantastic quality. I knew from the beginning that when I was purchasing something from Orange, they wouldn't let me down. And the headphone output works just as great. It even works great with pedals, even if though it doesn't have an FX loop. My only problem is that I didn't get this amp long ago. I highly recommend it for any one whether being an entry level player or needs a practice amp. My Silvertone solid state sits in the shadow of this beast. BUY IT!!!!

This is the first proper guitar amp I've bought and I'm extremely happy with it. It sounds great on both the clean and dirty channels, and there's a variety of sounds you can get with it. It also came with a sheet of stickers which was a nice surprise

Very cool combo amp, has a lot of functions for the price. Great sound, portable, and easy to learn how to use. Thanks!

I needed a cheap amp for low-volume practice in my apartment. I've played more expensive tube amps from Orange so I decided to give this a try.

Great sounding clean channel, and a wide range of gain from mild OD all the way to extreme distortion on the dirty channel.

For the price point, it doesn't get much better.

Major shout out to my dude Rob A at Sweetwater. Great communication, total pro.

Thanks again!

I'm quite surprised with the amount of gain this little guy has. I play Rockerverb marks 1, 2, and 3 and this sounds a little like it. It has a lot of low end for a 1x8 cab. I take the backs off when I play in the studio for even more low end. I love Orange. I found Orange in 2003 and used to play with Diezel and Rivera. Loved them but the orange added an extra does of sugar to the coffee.

I'm new to the world of guitar and this amp makes it simple to find the tone i like without over complicating things for a beginner like myself. Also the build quality seems top notch for its price range.

This is a fantastic little practice amp, but nothing more. No frills, no effects, just an awesome, rich clean sound. Way more sound than you'd expect from a single 8 inch speaker. The sound from my Dean, Les Paul and Strat are all rich and wonderful, in some ways better than the two tens in my Fender Champion. Also, there's still not too many things sweeter looking than the Orange amp look, other than something that says Mesa across the front and Mesa doesn't have a amp to compete with this gem.

I bought this to take on vacations, because it is relatively small and light weight. Yes, it's solid state and made in China, but build quality is good and the cabinet is solid. I love Orange's control set up - separate volume for clean, but still incorporating the tone controls (take note Blackstar). Not much of a crunch/overdrive player, but this little guy does a great job on the dirty channel. This will also be my amp for jam sessions with friends. Superb tone for solid state and an 8" driver! I love the orange color too. As always, great job by Andy Miller at Sweetwater.

I bought this mainly to use with headphones. I didn't buy it for the speaker. I figured that they would most likely use the board from the CR60 and just lower the wattage. Nope. This thing is completely different. I can't get a good gain or fuzz tone out of it to save it's life. It sounds horrible no matter what I do. I would not buy this again, and I can't seem to sell it on CL. So on the garage shelf it will sit...indefinitely.