Matte_black

Uhm... I see the 400+ going for big money down here, maybe I should wait for one at the right price before going custom? Happy Jack: thanx for explaining how things go... i know that kind of stuff as I'm on the other side of the "wall", usually (I build basses on order). Do you have any rough idea of how long they'd take to make my custom amp come true, eventually?

Never tried one, heard a lot of good things about it BUT one in good conditions isn't much cheaper than a GT200

Woohoo, with my accent they could think that one of the Sopranos called to get money from them LOL

Let me list the amps I've owned and what I didn't like about them... Ampeg SVT2 (non-pro): nicest sound but very heavy, worked with 4-2ohm and to be honest wasn't as loud as I thought. Trace VA350: very well made but worked 4-2ohm and I hated the GP preamp. The tube one was already better but it lacked controls Marshall VBA400: sounds nice and is really powerful but... usual impedance (4-2), very wide chassis, the preamp isn't easy to manage IMHO Trace Twin Valve: very light, worked with 4 and 8ohms, very powerful for the declared power but I still hated the preamp LOL Ashdown Little Bastard: very nice, worked with 4 and 8 ohm but of course it lacked volume. A 120w version would be nice but... Hiwatt Bass 100: very nice, 8 and 16 Ohm (shame it doesn't work at 4), very loud and not too heavy. But the preamp isn't 100% what I'm looking for, even if I think it's a great amp. The pcb construction feels a bit fragile but the head is 30 years old and still kicks asses.

You're right Anyway I must admit that ordering from Matamp doesn't look that easy. I've sent a message thru their Facebook page to find out price, delivery time and options for the GT200... The Webers probably offer a few custom options but not on the same level.

Thanx... I've owned many tube amps and preamps and one of the "best" sounds I've heard came from a Demeter thru the power section of a Trace Twin Valve (120w with 2 KT88s). But I was looking for something a bit less transparent and moore "tubey", would prefer to get an amp instead of a preamp+power amp since they're not easy to match both electrically and mechanically

LOL. Well, I owned a Little Bastard and it seemed pretty well made... of course I don't think it's in the same league of Matamp but could be good.

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1378507155' post='2201401'] Matamp are always great, so many people rate them and they are very accommodating, as things stand I'm looking to get my first ever all valve head in the near future and I'm VERY impressed by the Ashdown CTM300. I'm in no way clued up enough to answer your post fully, luckily the ever present and vastly knowledgeable Mr Foxen has chipped in already! [/quote] I'm trying to get more informations about the 427 and CTM300... Ashdown site doesn't really carry a lot of informations

Uhm... Wide like a Little Bastard but taller would be perfect for me... But if it's impossible I'll try to live with the extra width. So Matamp heads are "the best" or there are otherbrands I should check out?

I'd prefer it taller and smaller in width/depth... So it would be easier to carry and easier to keep on small cabs.

My main gripe is about the impedance and dimensions of the enclosure. And of course replacing the tubes in that thing isn't cheap :-D but since it has many they last years. Another thing I'm very picky about is noise... The vba is pretty quiet but there's always something better!

Do you think I'd gain much going from a Vba to a Matamp? The Ashdown 427 looks promising but there are no pics of the guts on their site...

Mr. Foxen, thanx for sheding light on the construction methods... Could you rate those amps in terms of reliability and quality?

Hello there! I'm sure on this forum there are lots of expert in this field... hope I'll find a few answers. I'm getting old (well, in some way) and I'm really trying to find my "definitive" amp and bass. I build basses and have my own, personal axe... but when it comes to amps and cabs the story is a bit different... I actually own a few tube amps and I can't see myself going back to SS, really. I own an 80s Hiwatt Bass 100, a Marshall VBA400 and just got an old Roost 100w (but it's at my tech's workshop for a checkup). They respectively work with 8/16, 2/4 and 4/8/16 ohm impedances and I own 4 cabs: a vertical 4x10" (4Ohm), an 1x12" (8Ohm), an 1x10" (8Ohm) and a crappy 1x15" I've put together with scrap stuff, I left it at my drummer house for rehearsals. I'd like to keep 1, maybe 2 amps and sell the rest (possibly the amp should work with the same impedances). The used market offers so many nice amps... the Orange AD200, the Weber Mywatt 200 and 400, the SVT2 (already owned one, the non-pro), the Aguilar DBs... and there are also a few "new" models like the Ashdown 427 and Drophead 200, the newer AD200 etc. but for that kind of money I'm really considering getting a Matamp GT200. I'm not only interested in sound and reliability but also want something well built and easy to check/repair. Something loud enough for most situations (using only one cab), not very interested in complicated controls... a 3 bands eq. would be fine. A good DI is also a plus. 4 and 8ohm would be great... and if doesn't weigh more than 25kg - even better. I have no way to find out how the new Ashdown heads are on the inside... of course they're built on PCB or "turrets", like the Orange. While Weber and Matamp should be point-to-point, so more reliable on the long term. If I really sell two of my amps I can probably count on a budget of £1400 or so. A big plus is that Matamp also allows custom options on the enclosure... a big plus for me. I mostly use passive basses and would like something with a strong character, warm and with a good overdrive tone (when needed). I play with a pick, in tapping and with my thumb (palm muting). What do you guys recommend? I'm not in the UK or in Germany so can't really go and try a Matamp or a Weber. Is there another custom builder to check? I'd like to take one of the amps made by my tech but he only builds 100w ones, could be a bit too small for something I plan to keep for a lifetime. I've watched dozens of clips on youtube and they all sound pretty good. I'm not in rush, I could just go and buy one but I'd rather sell at least one amp to finance the new project. Thanx in advance!

Bought an amp from Mike... he really took his time to take care of the package... would definitely buy again from him! Thumbs up.

Just got a Marshall amp from Simon... a real gentleman. It was packed well and arrived safe and sound... definitely a smooth transaction, thanx a lot! :-)