Dragged Into Sunlight and Matamp

[quimbymeat]

I thought my old gt200 was perfect but the new one makes it sound like a toy.

[4 Strings]

I also was one of those interested in the mini-bass amp, the Bass500 as they called it. I called them a few times over it, had long and interesting conversations each time and it seems they couldn't solve all the problems with matching their preamp with the outside sourced power amp; wasn't it a B&O offering?. (I know these guys are our friends but when the quote in the OP commented something as 'FACT!' I always have to think of how its not so.)

One of the conversations was with Jeff, very nice guy, plenty of time for me (a stranger on the phone). However, I fear they may need to get products such as the B500 working and for sale, in small format as this seems to be the direction taken by more and more bass payers. Jeff makes cabinets with great efficiency, really loud for each Watt going in, but with Watts so cheap my BF cabs are a life changers in carrying them around most days of the week. Matamp are clearly are great to work with, excel at what they do and would be my first choice if I needed a monster valve amp and cabs. I just hope they move with the times too and remain profitable, would hate to lose them.

[Mikey R]

Personally, I think it would be a real shame if Matamp went entirely down the hybrid route and we lost the GT200 from the catalogue. There really is something special about output valves.

[quimbymeat]

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1361971298' post='1993787']
Personally, I think it would be a real shame if Matamp went entirely down the hybrid route and we lost the GT200 from the catalogue. There really is something special about output valves.
[/quote]

They will have a new website up soon, the Matamp gt200 is still going but it's bigger and better.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I had Matamp build me a couple of 4x12s a few years ago - beyond friendly and helpful, and very reasonably priced. Beware though, only ring Jeff if you've got an hour to spare, he does like a chat! Sound as a pound.

Incidentally, the guitarist in a band we played with in Leeds years ago had a 50w Matamp head. The sound was so intense our drummer had to go outside to throw up. Truly gut-loosening.

[quimbymeat]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1361976805' post='1993911']
I had Matamp build me a couple of 4x12s a few years ago - beyond friendly and helpful, and very reasonably priced. Beware though, only ring Jeff if you've got an hour to spare, he does like a chat! Sound as a pound.

Incidentally, the guitarist in a band we played with in Leeds years ago had a 50w Matamp head. The sound was so intense our drummer had to go outside to throw up. Truly gut-loosening.
[/quote]

were those bass 4x12 cabinets? any good?

[Mikey R]

I might get shot for suggesting this - but has anyone been able to A/B the new GT200 against a modern Orange AD200? Similar beasts or totally diverged?

[GarethFlatlands]

I love them and seriously don't think I'd buy another brand of tube amp. My 80 watt old school looking amp may get laughed at my the scene kids with their solid state Marshall heads but when it's melting faces with the volume at barely over zero, I don't care.

Add that to the fact that they're an hour away, know the amps inside out (duh) and charge a reasonable amount for repairs and it's a no-brainer.

[quimbymeat]

orange ad200b--I was recording with the ad200b the other week, it was real good and i know it's not as well made as a matamp they do the job if you have a good bass.

The Matamp mk1-- was perfect for me, point to point, kt88's. i was teching for a band the other month and he used the orange head and my matamp. he said the matamp just had more,
the gain is more natural. this makes the ad200b sound like a toy

the matamp mk2-- It makes the old one sound like a toy so it would just knock the orange out.
better and bigger transformers, bigger chassis, middle knob, more gain, cleaner output from bigger tubes-tungsol kt120's so that's 220 watts clean. the depth knob is more usable as all the settings on it sound great as the old one you could only use the setting with the most bass. it's a low pass filter and is great for recording for if your too boomy.
handwired turret
gain is not on a rotary click knob and sounds much better if that's possible.
more bass to so it does more of everything.

Matamp is all custom and i took a chance selling a perfect amp but it had paid off.
if you got orange to handwire you a amp it would cost twice the amount. Matamp do custom tolex, front panels and you can tell them how you want the amp to sound and they can do it. They are the real deal and the customer service is spot on.
If i could Marry the company i would.

Orange ad200b was just a one night stand.


Sorry for the bad spelling.

Edited February 28, 2013 by quimbymeat

[Phil-osopher10]

Will they ever do a solid state amp?

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1362009539' post='1994582']
Will they ever do a solid state amp?
[/quote]

Did them in the 80s. Have one sat here.

[Phil-osopher10]

Is it any good?

[Mr. Foxen]

Its big powerful clean amp, super heavy, fan is noisy. Don't really use it, have valve amps. Its a power amp probably intended for PA, but used it for bass a bunch with various pres.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1361971298' post='1993787']
Personally, I think it would be a real shame if Matamp went entirely down the hybrid route and we lost the GT200 from the catalogue. There really is something special about output valves.
[/quote]

Of course! And so long as the 'market' agrees they have a future. Otherwise we'll lose the likes of Matamp and only have valve amps made by firms who have a base sale of transistors (Trace, Laney, Ashdown etc).

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='quimbymeat' timestamp='1361983920' post='1994050']
were those bass 4x12 cabinets? any good?
[/quote]

They were bass cabs, but designed to replicate old Marshall speakers to match the Superbass I had at the time. I can't fault the cabs but they just weren't for me - in the end I sold the whole rig to a guitarist friend.
Bear in mind they weren't standard Matamp bass cabs so my experience probably isn't an accurate reflection of their usual output.

[Musicman20]

How much is a GT200 nowadays?

[quimbymeat]

ask them on the facebook but i think it's around £1700 or more.

[DB13]

Man, I just don't get how it could get better - gonna have to hunt one down to have a blast of the new mkII!

[quimbymeat]

When i tried one in the factory i was not 100% because i played through a 1x18 and 4x10 but they were very hifi sounding and the head was not in a sleave. When i got mine and blasted it through a 810 at practice it was perfect, I had a big smile on my face.