“Music doesn’t start in arenas or on streaming platforms. It starts in bedrooms and on street corners”: Ed Sheeran launches signature Orange amp range - could it topple the Roland Cube as the busking combos to beat?

After a charming soft-launch in his hometown of Ipswich over the weekend, Ed Sheeran and Orange have officially unveiled his latest pieces of signature gear: a compact series of combo amps built for buskers.

The loop pedal-loving hitmaker traveled to Ipswich Waterfront for a surprise street performance, before giving his then-unannounced amp – from his all-new Outlowd ES series – to a young fan.

It turns out the collaboration has produced three separate models – the ES3, ES60, and ES100 – with Orange saying their work together “focused on sound portability and performance.”

It pairs Orange Amps’ “analog heritage” with “a modern, musician’s approach”, with the 60- and 100-watt models delivering dedicated guitar and vocal channels, the latter with +48V phantom power and a high-pass filter and Bluetooth, all in a compact package.

The ES3 is a more streamlined model with a single-channel guitar input, Shape, Reverb, and Volume controls, as well as Bluetooth connectivity, a Li-Ion battery with USB-C charging, a leather strap, a metal grille, and a 4” speaker. It’s a 3-watt practice amp and Bluetooth speaker, but as you travel up the range, things get more exciting.

The ES60 is billed as the all-rounder, packing enough power for busking performances and ideal for home practice. Its EQ expands to include Volume, Treble, Middle, Q, Mid-Freq, Bass, and Reverb for the guitar channel, and Phantom Power switch, HPF switch, Gain, Treble, Middle, Mid-Freq, Bass, and Reverb for the vocal channel. There’s also a Master Volume.

The amp can plug directly into PA systems and adds an Effects Loop, XLR input/output, and a powered DC adapter for those who don't want to rely on its built-in Li-Ion battery.

Packing 100 watts, the big daddy ES100 takes things up a level with premium Celestion neodymium speakers, delivering “clean headroom with natural, warm voicing” for its guitar channel, and plenty of clarity for vocals.

Notably, it does away with the battery, meaning it needs to be plugged into the mains.

Orange Amps and Ed Sheeran Launch New ES Series Amplifiers - YouTube

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The ES100, Orange says, “is built for serious acoustic players in professional environments worldwide”, and is inspired by Sheeran’s countless hours of experience playing both high streets and stadiums alike.

“Music doesn’t start in arenas or on streaming platforms. It starts in bedrooms, youth clubs, pubs, schools, parks, living rooms, and street corners,” says Sheeran. “I wanted this project with Orange to feel honest to that – celebrating local musicians, local communities, and the idea that anyone can start somewhere.

“With this collaboration, it was like, would I use this? Is this something that I need in my life as a musician? And the answer was yes.”

The series, as Orange explains, was built around Sheeran’s journey from streets to stadiums, with each model proving “approachable, inspiring and genuinely useful for musicians at different stages of their musical lives.”

They look like incredibly well-spec'd and well-designed street corner combos, and the fact they've been built in collaboration with one of modern music's most famous buskers, they could give the Roland Cube – widely seen as the busking amp to beat – a run for its money.

The Orange ES3 ($199), ES60 ($699), and ES100 ($1,499) are available now and are Guitar Center exclusives in the US.

It’s another gear collab for Sheeran, adding to his two PRS baritone models, including a surprisingly versatile hollowbody, his own line of loopers, and busker-oriented PAs.

See Orange for more.