Amps On The Radar Screen?

Eseffinga said:
The Matchless C30 does a thing. You crank it and there is a lush swirly harmonic complexity that I have yet to hear from any other amp, including some very nice vintage AC-30s. IMO they tend to have a bit more honk, and the Matchless has a certain solid authority. But unlike the AC30, it has a half power switch which sounds pretty darn good. You still have the huge iron, but less punishing on the volume front.

They are built like a tank, if you haven’t heard the story look it up, but off memory.,. a while back a C30 was on a shipment bound for Japan. It went overboard into the ocean. Someone fished it out. Dried it out, and it fired right up. Matchless bought that one back, for the story it represented.

They are incredibly loud. They are incredibly heavy. And if you crank it, it will give you glorious sounds. Humbuckers. Single coils. P90s.

I’ve been through all kinds of C30 style amps. Multiple Voxes, 65 Amps, Morgan, etc and short of the real Ken-made Trainwreck Express (a whole other level of amp) my fave is still the Matchless.

I remember several DC area PRS guys being early adopters of the Komet 60s in the very late 90s/early 2000s. My takeaway of the 60 at that point was “too loud” and I had to leave the room, but that was so very long ago. Would love to try one now. Hogy is a brilliant chap. I owned a Marshall he did some Ken mods to, that I wish I had back. Sold it to someone in a time of need, when I thought I couldn’t play again. I miss it dearly.

YMMV
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I have a Matchless HC-15 and I keep wondering whether I should have splurged on the HC-30
 
GGJJGG said:
I have a Matchless HC-15 and I keep wondering whether I should have splurged on the HC-30
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So if I'm thinking about an AC15, I should go for an AC30? I play at a Mega Church but we mic our amps in isolated studio cabinets
 
GGJJGG said:
The HC-30 has a half power switch. I didn’t think I’d need the extra 15, but people seem to think the 30 is where it’s at for that amp. I like my 15, but…
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Yeah, sometimes you need the extra headroom, especially if you go somewhere that won't or can't mic. I'll keep that in mind!
 
Eseffinga said:
The Matchless C30 does a thing. You crank it and there is a lush swirly harmonic complexity that I have yet to hear from any other amp, including some very nice vintage AC-30s.
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I heard my first one at Polygram's studio, Wisseloord, in the '90s; I was there to record tracks for a car manufacturer's national ad campaign. It sounded wonderful, and I loved it. AC30-ish but its own thing. That one was when they still had the see-through plastic handle.

When Mark Sampson left Matchless to start Bad Cat, I bought one of the early Hot Cats. Pretty much the same preamp but with EL34s running at 30 Watts. It was an incredible amp. And very loud! I have no idea what he's doing now, but he's a great amp designer.

I've also recorded session players with 2x12 Matchless C-30s. I'd rock one, no problem.

I won't say the Kerrrannnng of the Matchless is exactly like that of a good early '60s AC30, but the caveat here is that the Matchless amps I recorded didn't have Celestion Blues or Silver Bells. At the time they seemed to be coming with Matchless-labeled speakers that looked a lot like Greenbacks.

Eseffinga said:
I remember several DC area PRS guys being early adopters of the Komet 60s in the very late 90s/early 2000s. My takeaway of the 60 at that point was “too loud” and I had to leave the room, but that was so very long ago. Would love to try one now. Hogy is a brilliant chap. I owned a Marshall he did some Ken mods to, that I wish I had back. Sold it to someone in a time of need, when I thought I couldn’t play again. I miss it dearly.
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The Concorde I played through was loud, no question. On the other hand, I record all of my amps at what I'd call gig volume. I think most forum members would find my recording volume too loud.

However, to keep things somewhat sane, I had RealTraps make some 3" thick gobos loaded with acoustical material that baffle off a decent percentage of the volume. Also the room is 30 feet long and I can stand far enough away from the speaker that the level is reduced by a few dB (I forget the exact formula for distance from the sound source and db reduction, but there is one, and if memory serves, doubling the distance from the source reduces volume reaching the ears by 5-6 dB).

There are also times I isolate a cab in my storage room with the gobos using a long speaker cable. I keep the head in the workstation area of my room, and operate things that way. It's kind of a PITA, which is why I bought the gobos.

If I need to crank things up in the room for a project, I use custom -15db ear plugs. I'm into protecting the hearing.
 
FWIW, what the C15 is missing isn’t any upper chime or complexity, it is just thump and authority from the trannies. The 30 watters have that big iron, and the big iron gives more oomph and tighter, especially in the lower end.

But then you have to heft it. The HC30 is a lot more manageable than the combos, that is for sure. A DC30 would make a great anchor for a cruise ship. ;)

Oh, and speaker wise, recent matchless have had a number of different speakers in them. A popular one has been the newer creambacks. But the tried and true is one V30 and one Greenback variant, both with Matchless’s reduced doping to give them more vintage flex out of the gate.

I’ve never liked the Alnicos with the Matchless. Too strident in the highs and flubby. Works better for that boxier reedy chime Vox thing. But the C30 has more heft and that in turn stains those speakers. Ive seen people try rubies, cream alnicos and golds in em, but I’m not a fan. There’s something to a great broken in v30/green pairing. They compliment each other. Miking only one of them leaves the tone hobbled, IMO.

But yeah, the Matchless C30 has Vox flavor, but also its own thing going.
My C30 is one of the gray tolex clear handles with white piping from the first couple years. But people that talk about “Sampson era” are trying to sell amps. Having heard dozens and dozens, I can say find the right set of NOS tunes, and one made today will rival any other Matchless from any year. The only thing they’ve done different is moved a couple components to make them idle quieter. Otherwise, exact same build (some would argue better now), hammering them out one at a time. Still a small shop. Same level of care. And Phil still answers a great many of their emails himself.

I say this even though my C30 is late 92, and my Chieftain is early 94, and my old Clubman was also 94. So I own nothing new. But I respect the hell out of those folks.

And Mark is of course a lovely fellow to talk to as well. Never bought any of the Badcat amps, but I know he tweaked several of the Matchless circuits, and they are also very well made. I have heard a few, and seem great as well.

And until recent years they were doing the same acetone speaker doping trick as at Matchless.
 
vchizzle said:
Didn’t know/remember you had a twin sister! Been on my radar for a bit. I nearly purchased a used Dirty Shirley at decent price recently but hit the pause button wondering if I’d regret not getting the dual channel TS instead. I don’t picture using it live where I’d need that but it’s got the other added controls that increase the versatility too.
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Oops! Your memory is good, my wording was confusing - I don’t have a Twin Sister, those are all amps that I think are cool, but I don’t have a legit need for.

That said, a friend of mine does have a TS (with the matching Friedman 1x12, Creamback 65 loaded), and it’s an awesome amp. I think maybe the newer DS has been updated to have the gain structure switch like the channels of the TS.

I went for the Smallbox, mostly for the extra bark of the super lead style since I play with humbuckers and hog necks, but it was down to that or the TS when I was deciding. My buddy at the time was playing mostly super strats, so the slightly fatter sound of the TS was better for him. Although he did pick up a nice LP a while back and has been mostly using that now, and I must admit it sounds great, too.
 
I am still loving my Archon 50w

I dont have the amount of amps that some of you do (I have 4)
but I do have access and regularly play a lot of Amps at my Buddy's place

His latest being a Friedman head and matching cab
there is Marshall, Hughes & Kettner, Orange, Peavey, Egnater, PRS HDRX, Line 6, and a Lerxt
Just to name the ones I can remember

But the one I keep going back too
and the one he keeps out for me to play
is the Fender Super-sonic 22 Head

I love this amp and hopefully one day one will be mine
 
My Mesa MKV 90 is my main amp and can do almost anything , I just grabbed a J Rocket Melody ( Mark Lettieri ) pedal and it makes it even better having an EQ and gain , one of the few pedals that works well with the MKV ( gain pedals )

I am having a GREAT time with the HDRX 20 - single channel , no effects loop just an amp with some pedals :)

I had a PRS H and it sounded great but always has a buzz so you couldn't really record it and eventually I just sold it , it went back to PRS once but was never really able to get rid of the buzz.

and today I just ordered a n Orange OR 15 , why because it orange and I played an Orange the other day and it was really fun and different.

 
László said:
I think most forum members would find my recording volume too loud.
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This Right Here Is A Shame Because Playing At Volume Opens Up So Many More Things.

How Loud Could Be Debatable But There Are Wonderful Things That Happen When There Is A Good Bit Of Volume Being Used.

Another Great Thing About Volume Is How Honest it Is To The Player. Volume Reveals A Lot Of Things...Some A Person May Not Even Realize They Need To Work On. Playing Quiet Doesn't Always Reveal The Weak Areas One May Have (Whatever They May Be) As Blatantly As Playing Loud Does.

Volume Is Your Friend. :)
 
Bogner said:
This Right Here Is A Shame Because Playing At Volume Opens Up So Many More Things.
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I think of amp volume this way:

In concert, brass instruments are very loud. Sure, you can muzzle them up by inserting mutes, but that messes with their dynamics and tone in ways that are sometimes good, sometimes bad. A brass player who only practices with the mute in can only practice a small percentage of the instrument's potential.

For me it's the same with guitar amps. When you open them up, you get different tone and different dynamic responses. They also interact with the guitar and the room acoustics differently. That stuff matters.

How often one needs to play at that volume depends on the situation. I take care of my hearing with good ear plugs and/or gobos or isolation and distance.

Bogner said:
Another Great Thing About Volume Is How Honest it Is To The Player. Volume Reveals A Lot Of Things...Some A Person May Not Even Realize They Need To Work On. Playing Quiet Doesn't Always Reveal The Weak Areas One May Have (Whatever They May Be) As Blatantly As Playing Loud Does.
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I agree, with the caveat that hearing should be protected, and there are several good ways to do that.

I don't see how a player can hit the stage and utilize an amp effectively unless the player has practiced at gig volume at least some of the time!
 
László said:
I think of amp volume this way:

In concert, brass instruments are very loud. Sure, you can muzzle them up by inserting mutes, but that messes with their dynamics and tone in ways that are sometimes good, sometimes bad. A brass player who only practices with the mute in can only practice a small percentage of the instrument's potential.

For me it's the same with guitar amps. When you open them up, you get different tone and different dynamic responses. They also interact with the guitar and the room acoustics differently. That stuff matters.

How often one needs to play at that volume depends on the situation. I take care of my hearing with good ear plugs and/or gobos or isolation and distance.


I agree, with the caveat that hearing should be protected, and there are several good ways to do that.

I don't see how a player can hit the stage and utilize an amp effectively unless the player has practiced at gig volume at least some of the time!
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Agree With All You Said.
 
In the years BP (Before Pandemic) I was one of the louder players among the guys I knew and worked with. These days, I'm one of the quieter ones, having learned to enjoy playing without ear protection all over again; plus, not playing live much anymore - if at all.

Every now and then, I stick the levels up to remind myself of Live Music 101: for any given amplified guitar feel/texture, the more dB you're kicking out, the less gain you need.


This is, of course, predicated on Cole's Law* Number 4 ("Don't just bring the Boogie"), subsection 1B: that you be playing in a "responsible musical context" :)





[*my own continuously re-codified set of rules, based on the collected wit and wisdom of Steve Kimock]
 
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