Matchless

I'm a huge fan of Vox style amps. I've probably owned 20 different flavors of the AC15/30 over the years. The Spitfire is basically Matchless' take on the ac15 circuit from what I understand. I have the 1x12 combo and while it usually comes stock with the G12H I have also tried an alnico blue with it. It's a loud little 15 watts with the 2 el84 tubes. There's just 3 controls and that's all you need. The two inputs are nice. I only use the first one. The amp is handwired to the best of my knowledge. Matchless is high quality stuff. UTILIZATION This combo is predicated on the less is more philosophy. Basically you adjust the master and volume to taste and then turn the tone knob till it sounds good. Easy enough? No manual required. SOUNDS I typically use a pretty big pedal board with mine. But mostly I use a Timmy, a tubescreamer, a rat, and an eventide timefactor. My board is always changing depending what amp and guitars I use it with. Most of the time I use some kind of Gretsch or Gibson. The spitfire with the G12H sounds a bit like an AC15 except meaner. It has a punchier tone to the lower bass and the highs aren't quite as sparkley. The mids are voiced a bit differently I think. There's more brightness going on. With an alnico blue it gets less punchy and more sparkly. Honestly though neither is better or terribly different from one another. I think I prefer the G12H for most things. I like the warmth is has. I know matchless tweaks them a bit, and to my ears it is warmer than a regular G12H. I don't have to turn down the tone as much with the stock speaker. I will say the clean tone is not quite as magical as a good AC15 but the overdriven tones, pedal or not are really nice. Some AC15's can have issues when you hit them with gain but the Spitfire handles it like a champ. OVERALL OPINION This isn't a cheap amp. I play at church so the low volume is a must. I've tried so many 15 watt vox clones I could choke. This is one of my favorites. If you want a half watt DC30, look way. This isn't quite it. It's great if you want the vox thing with a little more edge. Bottom line is if you have the money and you know what you want, this is a great amp.

(Originally written by tomasalom1/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Class A 3 x 12AX7, 2 x EL84 and one 5AR4 or GZ34 rectifier tube 15 watts No FX loop, low, high, gain and volume controls. The EQ is very effective unlike old Marshalls (I can't say anything about the new ones). A small adjustment produces a huge change! UTILIZATION The setting couldn't be easier. You get a good sound right away (no need to turn the controls in all directions). Just plug your guitar! No headaches! A user's manual isn't necessary! SOUNDS It perfectly matches guitars with a fat tone (Les Paul or SG-like guitars with humbuckers) It's not the best amp for a Strat or a Tele which sound too brilliant. To summarize, it's like a Vox that you could overdrive even at reasonable output volumes but with a more precise response demanding a more accurate playing from the musician (every single detail is faithfully reproduced!). It's a real pleasure to hear the real crunch of a Vox (I'm not speaking about the Chinese amp heads that have nothing to do with the original... but I'm not saying they are not interesting)! OVERALL OPINION I can't rate the value for money but I can describe how the sound is: I give it an 11... (think of Spinal Tap...). This amp is made for crunch sounds but not for fat distortions! It's a tribute to fine sound! The clean sound is very good but the amp was conceived for not so clean and crunch sounds! If I had to choose again I would definitely buy it again!!!

The Matchless Hot Box is a 'classic' tube overdrive preamp pedal that I've used with an electric guitar. It's definitely meant to be used with electric guitar, but like all pedals it can be used with any instrument that has proper connections for it, which in this case would be 1/4". It has two 12AX7 tubes in it for the preamp. This is an analog pedal that isn't rack mountable in any way. UTILIZATION The make up of the Matchless Hot Box is really simple to understand. The pedal has two channels - a clean and an overdrive one. The clean channel has only a volume knob, while the overdrive channel has parameters for gain, bass, treble, and output level. You don't need to know much to work the Hot Box, but knowledge of other overdrive pedals will certainly be helpful. A manual isn't something that will be necessary with this pedal. SOUND QUALITY The tone of the Matchless Hot Box is truly awesome. It's one of the fullest sounding preamp/overdrive pedals that I've heard, and after having used a ton of overdrive pedals, I think that this is really saying something. It isn't just your typical overdrive pedal as it's really it's own preamplifier between the two different clean and overdrive channels. The Hot Box will undoubtedly sound good no matter what type of guitar and amplifier that you're using with it, but I've tried it with a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Vibro King amplifier. OVERALL OPINION If you know anything about Matchless, you know that they do not compromise on sound quality. While they aren't known for making pedals, the Hot Box is really a great sounding pedal in it's own right. Matchless is primarily known for the top tier amplifier that they make, but it makes sense that a preamplifier/overdrive pedal would sound awesome from them as I'm sure that it is a similar make up to what they have in many of their amplifier. If you're looking for a top notch preamplifier and overdrive pedal, the Matchless Hot Box is just about as good as you'll find one.

- 35 watts - Two EL34 power tubes - Three 12AX7 preamp tubes - One EF86 preamp tube - One GZ34 rectifier tube - Two "channels" - Passive effect loop - Speaker polarity switch - Point to point wired UTILIZATION This was released after Bad Cat released their Wild Cat, which appears, at least on paper to be the same design. If you are familiar with the Matchless HC-30, this is the same basic design. If you are not familiar with the HC-30, let me explain. You have two "channels", one on the left and one on the right. You could only access them using an AB box, however I believe they now offer an internal switching option. How this affects the sound, I do not know. The one channel has a volume, bass, and treble knob whereas the second channel only has a volume and a tone knob. The tone knob is a six position switch, each position has different preset equalizations. This can be limiting. There is a global Cut and Master knob. The Master knob can be defeated by putting it out. The Cut knob works like a low pass filter, removing low end. The speaker phase switch is kind of neat. It allows you to reverse the phase of your speakers for a different sound. SOUNDS If you love the HC-30 but find it a little thin and bright, you need to try this amp. If you find the HC-30 a lot thin and a lot bright, you should probably look somewhere else. Really, what you are getting is a beefier sounding HC-30. It has the same distinctive Matchless HC tone, just with the larger sound of the bigger bottled EL34's that you would expect. Do not let the 35 watts fool you, this will be louder than some 100 watt heads. And, to achieve the best sound, it needs to be LOUD. With all Matchless amps, the amp thickens up as it is cranked. These amps are designed to be played with a band. Whatever thinness and brightness remains after cranking it allows the amp to cut through and breathe in the mix like few amps do. If you have never played a Matchless, it's hard to describe the tone. You normally hear "glassy" and "three dimensional", and as true as they are, it doesn't make sense until you play one. OVERALL OPINION I have owned a few Matchless amps over the years. Matchless amps are not for everyone and I think I'm one of those people. I keep trying anyway. They really do not sound like any other amps I have ever heard and I have heard a lot of them. If they work for your style of playing, you will never want another amp. I thought this amp was sonically the best Matchless I had heard. This is comparing it to an HC-85 and Superchief. There are limitations to the design, but if the amp works for you, those limitations will be meaningless. They are heavy amps, but again, if it's your sound, it won't matter. Their built quality is amazing and they are nearly works of art.

Power: 15 Watts Channels: One Channel Controls Ch.1: Volume, Tone Switch, Master Volume Power Tubes: 2 x EL84 Preamp Tubes: 1 EF86, 1 x 12AX7 Rectifier Tube: 1 x 5AR4 Features: Dual inputs – high and low gain Speaker Output: Switchable Impedance of 4, 8, and 16 Ohms Weight: 35 lbs. Dimensions: 7.25 x 18 x 8.25 UTILIZATION This amp is part of my "portable small gig rig" so to speak. I use it with a medium sized pedalboard and a couple of guitars, usually a PRS hollowbody and a tele of some kind. It is actually fairly heavy at 45 lbs, but this isn't too bad considering it's a combo. The speakers matchless uses are great. I know a lot of people swear by them. I tried an alnico blue in mine and ultimately went back to the stock speaker. The controls on the nighthawk are stupid simple. You have volume, master, and the tone notch thing. Yep that's right. No actual tone controls. But it's okay! SOUNDS In a lot of ways this is the anti amp. Many players in the modern world will laugh at the notion of paying 2k for a 3 knob amp that's 15 watts. The nighthawk is truly a quality over quantity amp. Sure I have a few channel switcher amps, and they are great. But the purity of tone you get with the nighthawk is something special. The tone I would say is like a really ticked off AC15. I don't know any other way to put it. Think classic rock having an angsty day off. For those of you looking for the U2/hillsing AC30 style tone, this isn't really that kind of thing. I would recommend the Matchless Lightning for that sort of thing. This is more of a mid to higher gain rock amp with a nicer Vox edge. The tone notch control works great actually. Not complaints about it. Just add a few overdrive pedals and you are soaring. OVERALL OPINION I will say my only gripe about this amp is that it is a little overpriced. I realize they are handwired and all that, but this is not much amp for the money. I have no complaints with the amp itself obviously. I just think there are better deals out there. (morgan/top hat) anybody? Still, this amp is a cool idea that's a nice change from the usual AC15 ripoff crowd. I still prefer my tophat supreme 16 I think. But it's all peanuts at the end of that day. Play it and see for yourself.

Matchless is really known for their lead and brilliant sounding combo amplifiers and head amplifier's. They have a really good niche in the market for the clean tones with their boutique application and build standards. Many other amplifiers are very expensive but they also have a fantastic sound for people wanting a very accomplished and military built style amplifier. This is a one channel 40 W amplifier doesn't have a whole other features but it does pack quite a nice sparkling tone. UTILIZATION Power: 40 Watts Channels: One Channel Controls Ch.1: Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Brilliance, Master Volume, Reverb Power Tubes: 2 x EL34 Preamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7 Rectifier Tube: 1 x 5AR4 Features: Effects Loop, Reverb is Standard Effects: Standard Reverb Speaker Output: 4, 8, and 16 Ohm Outs Weight: 50 lbs. Dimensions: Dimensions: 9.5 (H) x 21.5 (L)x 10.5 (W) CH-112: 112 Combo Weight: 71 lbs. Dimensions: 21 x 21.5 x 10.5 SOUNDS This amplifier is built from a one channel design so your not to get a whole lot of features involved. This isn't EL 34 based power tube section with a load of preamp tubes and one rectifier tube. You have a nice effects loop with an reverb built into the unit as well. This amplifier is not going to give you a load of distortion like you would find in a Mesa boogie amplifier or you're going to get in decent overdrive and most importantly it's very usable and sparkly clean tone. Overall this is a great sounding amplifier and match for this one of those companies that really builds high-quality units I can stand up use of touring and road worth the readiness. OVERALL OPINION These amplifiers are priced new riding around $2600 which in my opinion is a lot of money for a single channel amplifier. However this amplifier will get you a great sounding tone and a lot better sound than you would have of most Fender amplifiers. Overall this is a great sounding combo with matchless Celestion speaker. If you need a good combo that's a boutique combo that has a load of sound and tone than this is the way to go.

I've actually owned a few of these over the years. It seems to be an amp I end up missing and buying again. All were good. I think I've had 4 in total and they were roughly the same. One had a slightly different control layout and was a bit different than the others in tone, but the other 3 sounded more or less the same. I currently own 2 because I like them so much. Matchless describes this as their high volume stage amp. I would say that's...sort of correct. In my opinion this is the EL34 take on the DC30 in some ways. Imagine if a low gain plexi and an AC30 had a baby...this would probably be the offspring. UTILIZATION The control layout isn't too complicated. It's surely not hard to get a good sound. It's loud as sin and this is a gigging amp in every sense of the word. To be honest it doesn't sound too good until at least half way up. Well it sounds okay, but not phenomenal. Not a studio amp unless you like it LOUD in the booth. It's almost even too much for a small club. SOUNDS I use a variety of guitars into it. My pedalboard is always changing. I really like using a TIMMY with it though. I find it likes humbuckers more than anything. This is a relatively clean amp until you get it to about 2 oclock. It stays on the edge of breakup and then when it really gets cranked it starts to give the dirt. I like to keep in a bit past noon and use pedals to get my gain. The sound is very upper register. The chief never gets muddy. If you play it by yourself it can sound freaking piercing to the ears. In a band mix it's fine. Other than that the Chief has a super flat response. It's definitely not Fender. But it doesn't sparkle like a Vox and it doesn't grunt or roar like a marshall either. It's really a unique voice. To me it sounds like a plexi with the aggressiveness taken out. The eq is closer to a Vox though. It has a lot of upper mids. OVERALL OPINION You can use the Chieftain for anything. It has a voicing that will sit in any style. I can't explain it really. It's hard to dial in a bad sound. I can play a blues gig with this and turn around and do indie rock, the do a weekend Jazz gig. It just works everywhere that doesn't require a high gain amp. I've never had one of these crap out on me and believe me I have tested their builds. They get gigged a lot. I think Matchless really did something unique and special with the Chieftain. The speaker choice is great too. I love these amps. So versatile and epic sounding.

- 120 watts - Four EL34 power tubes - Three 12AX7 preamp tubes - Two 5AU4 rectifier tubes - Hi/Lo power switch (tube or solid state rectifier switch) - Gain switch - Point to point wired UTILIZATION You don't have too many options here. Either you can use tube or solid state rectification and you can use the high gain or lower gain switch on the front of it. Master, gain, bass, mids, treble, and brilliance. Pretty standard stuff. SOUNDS If you have never played a Matchless, it really is something you should do. You'll either love or hate the sound. This particular Matchless is a bit different than the others. Imagine if you took a Marshall Plexi, a Hiwatt, a Vox, and a Matchless, threw them all in one gigantic blender, and made an amp out of it. That is this amp. It tends to be very bright, as all Matchless can be. I believe this is due to the amps being designed for neck pickup playing. Great bridge pickup sounds can be had, you will just have to turn those treble and brilliance knobs way way down. It loves single coil guitars and likes humbuckers well enough. Despite being 120 watts, it's not very loud, or does not have to be very loud. To get the full power out of it, you really need to have the master and gain knobs up pretty high, the gain switch on, and using the solid state rectifier mode. As you turn up the amp the bass can get pretty flabby. You just need to compensate for that by turning the bass down. Finding an good overdrive pedal can be tricky. I suggest the Lovepedal Kalamazoo. Worked wonders with mine. OVERALL OPINION This is a unique amp and I've really never heard one quite like. I have owned two over the years and might end up owning another one some day. Matchless! Why can't I quit you?!?1 Probably the glowing logo. Anyway, what ultimately prevents me from keeping the amp is the size and weight. It's comes in around 70 pounds... and that's for a head! The weight is all in the transformers. They made less than 75 of these amps and they will not be made again, according to Phil Jamison at Matchless. It's a great amp for non-wimps. Unfortunately, as we age, our wimpiness increases right along with our grey hairs and lower back pain.

The Matchless HotBox Classic is a guitar preamp that is essentially a Matchless amplifier inside of a box. I've used both the 'Classic' version of this pedal and the original, although I don't believe that there is much of a difference between the two pedals, or at least not that I was able to tell right off the bat. Perhaps if I shoot them out and had them both on hand at the same time I would know, but I've yet to have that opportunity. The pedal is an analog one, consisting of two 12AX7 tubes. It has standard 1/4" connections and I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure this has it's own power supply. It isn't rack mountable since it's a foot controlled pedal. UTILIZATION The make up of the Matchless HotBox Classic shouldn't be too hard for users to understand, as it's fairly straight ahead. Basically the pedal is split up into two different channels, with the first channel being clean and the second one being an overdrive channel. From left to right, the parameters the pedal has include those for gain (channel two), bass and treble, output level for channel two, and a clean volume for the first channel. It's really that easy, so a manual won't be necessary. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the Matchless HotBox Classic is really unlike any pedal I've heard before, as it's really an amplifier inside a box! It's possible to get a number of different sounds with this pedal, ranging from clean to slightly overdriven to all out distortion. While I like using the pedal mostly for getting some slight overdrive by just plugging thru it, it's awesome for getting some super heavy yet transparent sounding gain for solos and leads. Basically, if you want the closest thing to a Matchless amp without actually owning one, this pedal is it... OVERALL OPINION The Matchless HotBox Classic is a seriously cool pedal. It's unlike most that I've used before, as it's really more than just a simple stomp box as it's an amplifier inside a pedal's casing. For starters, this thing can absolutely rip, sometimes to the point where it's too much. Having said this, there is a good amount of differing sounds possible making it a versatile guitar preamp to say the least. While the price isn't very cheap for a pedal, it's certainly quite cheap for an amplifier. If you're interested in building your live or studio set up around an awesome guitar preamp, it's going to be hard to find one better than the HotBox Classic.

The Matchless HC-30 is a tube based guitar amp head that has two 1/4 inch inputs in the front for each of the two channels. It also has a speaker out in the back to send this head to a cabinet. On the first channel it has knobs for volume, bass, and treble and the second channel has knobs for volume and gain, and on the far right there are master knobs for cut and for master volume. There is also two switches for power and for standby. UTILIZATION The configuration of the Matchless HC-30 is very easy to follow and anyone who has experience with guitar amps will be able to use this with ease. It is extremely easy to get a great sound, and there is control over tone with a lot of parameters to shape it. I don't have a manual for the Matchless HC-30, but it is easy to use and you shouldn't need it if you don't have one. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Matchless HC-30 is simply awesome. I usually use this with a Fender Strat and always get great results for recording. It is great for both clean and overdriven tones, but probably excels more with clean sounds. This amp is used by professionals and top artists around the world, and definitely has the tone to back up the hype. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Matchless HC-30 guitar amp head for about a year and have been very impressed with the results I get with this head. The tone is crunchy and full and is great for all types of music. The price of the Matchless HC-30 isn't cheap at all, but it is a hand made, high end guitar amp that is aimed at professionals, and is priced that way as well. If you can afford one of these, it is truly an awesome overall amp to use for all types of applications.