I have to admit that I don't know much about this amp.
The Matchless HC30 (and the combo version DC30) is probably the best built, and possibly best sounding, AC30-style amp ever made. Mark Sampson designed it because the vintage AC30s that people were touring with were prone to breaking down due to age, and the original Vox amps weren't built all that well in the first place.
It was designed in the very late '80s or early '90s to be a bulletproof, pro amp ithat could go on the road without problems. It was influential in the big movement to return to hand-wired amps instead of printed circuit boards that got started around that time.
And it did indeed go on the road. It was a big hit with major label touring acts, and still is. It also reset the bar about what a cool-looking amp should be, the look has been copied by a ton of companies, including Mesa with the Lone Star and California Tweed.
Not that it's about the looks, but it shows you how influential the amp has been.
I saw and heard my first one in the '90s when I was recording at Wisseloord Studio, Polygram's studio in Holland. One of Polygram's artists was recording in the studio next to us, and had one. As an AC30 fan, I was literally over the moon about how good it sounded. The tone is very pure, and it's got a wonderful chime and shimmer.
It is a true classic, and is on many "Best Amps of All Time" lists.
If you like AC30s, you'll probably love it. If you're not an AC30 guy, you probably won't. Sampson went on to form Bad Cat, and designed pretty much the same amp for that company (though there are some details that are different) - it's also superb.
I had a Bad Cat, and sold it when I got into Two-Rock amps; I should have kept it, and had both!
larkguitars.com
