Matamp First Lady (Head)

Built in 2006, i went up to the factory and discusssed various options. It's a single channel amp with reverb and FX loop. The amp comes with EL34 and 6V6 output valves which are selectable via a rocker switch on the back. Any octal tube can be fitted, matamp also supplied with a KT88 and 6L6. The Voice swith basicly thins out a fat sounding guitar or beefs up a weedy sounding one. The Attack control brings in negative feedback. Being only 7watts is doesnt stay clean for long, but it's when it start breaking up into powervalve overdrive that the First Lady starts to shine. There is a DI out on the back which brings in a dummy load so you don't have to have speakers attached.

I've used this guitar with strats, les pauls and a Washburn N4, all sound great. Single coils sound rich and full bodied, and can get quite chimey when you use the voice control. Humbuckers sound fat and warm with lots of sustain. It is possible to make them sound like single coils by using the voice switch. The clean sound is very bell like, but it's when you push the amp into overdrive that things start to happern. You start to naturally use the guitars volume control more, my favourite sound is setting the volume just past half way (think early EVH!) for a rock crunch sound or a bluesy lead sound, then backing the guitar down to clean up. This amp loves pedals too, set the amp cooking and step on an overdrive (i've used keeley ts808, analogman ts9, trex mudhoney and mxr gt od) and your into gary moore, slash, gilmour territory. Selecting the 6V6 the amp is quieter with less bottom end, select the EL34 you get more volume and an increased low end. I tried all the other valves in this amp and to be honest it's only when you crank it at near full volume that you can tell a difference... allthough the KT88 did stay cleaner.

I have gigged this amp many times and it's been fine, always mic'd up for the bigger stages. It's been back to the factory for a 'hum', which turned out ot be the reverb (which i rarely use) I have two other Matamps (minimat and King Street Major) all are fantastic and very reliable. If anything does go wrong these guys will fix it.

I've been to the factory many times, this is the best amp company. I bought models from the current range and had little tweaks to get them voiced how i wanted after hearing them and playing them live and at home with various guitars. Basiclly that can make you whatever you can dream up!

i;ve been playing for 17 years and gigging for 15, i've had mesa's, fenders, laneys, marshall, peavey but Matamp are something else. If any of my Matamp were stolen i'd be on the phone to them ASAP placing an order.

What do i love about it? TONE!!

what do i hate? the fact that they keep coming up with new ideas

i didn't really compare, i just looked at the features and spoke to them about it, then prdered it.

I don't wish it had anything else, if i did i'd take it back to be altered. I have other Matamps with more features, and less!

Head hand built in yorkshire third quarter 2006. This is a single power valve class A all valve amplifier (single channel). It offers a choice of two output valves, a 6v6 or el34 via a selector switch on the rear. Controls on the facade include voice: selector switch with six tone variations, volume, reverb, treble, mid bass (all self explanatory) and attack. The most effect over the tone is gained by volume, but especially attack. A few degrees of rotation can make a considerable change in sound.

It is equipped with an effects loop. It also has outputs on the rear for 4/8/16 ohm cabs and a direct out for silent recording. I read a review some time back on the first lady predecessor (the c7) had eq controls that weren't deep as some other amps, this is not the case for the first lady. The eq controls, again, have a very significant impact on tone.

The full compliment of controls can gain a good spread of different tones. Although i gave it a 10, this head is probably not overly suited to say death metal and the like (the factory has several heads that are), but the sounds i am after are the blues/ rock/ jazz/ and good clean tones and in this respect it is very versatile. It also responds pretty well with overdrives and distotion pedals. The voice selector switch can be used to dial up tones that are thick. As you go further clock wise the tones get thinner and more cutting. All good stuff...

The sound quality/ tone of this head is unbelievable. Right out of the box i was bowled over. Good attack, long sustain and a very thick sweet body to solo notes. I'd been looking for a good tone on which to place subtle effects, and even for the basis of effect generated dirty/ compressed/ verbed /delayed tones. This amp certainly has it. It is a fantastic basis on which to build superb tones, don't get me wrong though, with no effects, just raw tones dialled up from the head itself the tones are excellent. I have several other all valve heads in my collection, mesa, marshall, fender to name a few. I thought they were good until i heard this head. My main guitar is a gibson les paul special with p-100's, add a decent delay, and the tones are out of this world. One of the things that really strike you is the fact that the tones really respond a great deal to how you attack the strings, which makes the head so much more articulate. A real pleasure to play. its the kind of amp that makes you jam for hours on end.

Hand built, over engineered, excellent materials. Very hardy amplifiers, where component choice is made with an excellent factor of safety. Please bare in mind this is a 7 watt head that weighs in about 15 Kg. (The 7 watt rating is based on the power at which the sound just begins to break up - this amp is way louder than other 7/ 15 25/ and even 30 watt amps i have used.

Both a mesa and marshall failed within months of buying them (new). this is the second matamp i have bought and certainly not the last, i had a valve die on me on my first matamp (which may well have been damged in transit), i phoned the factory and they shipped a new el84 out next day.

Phone the company, you can talk to the MD (referred to as CEO in the US), you can talk to the guy who built the amp, the guy that designed the amp etc etc.

The organisation do a lot of bespoke/ custom work for musos. If you have a dream amp they'll design and build it. I've spoken several times to these people, they are very friendly, competent and knowledgeable.

I started playing in the mid 80's. As mentioned above i have a fair number of other amps and guitars ranging from gibson explorer, les pauls, fender strats both american and mexican, steinbergers ibanez etc. I have been chasing a clean/ thick sound on which to build rich dave gilmour sounds for decades. I didn't buy the lady head to get that sort of tone, but it does it, most noticeably the clean thick sustain is very desirable. It does nice peter green sounds, although the verb on this head is not quite deep enough as some of the greeny tones, add a little tight delay in the effects loop and you are well there.

To be honest, this tone is so good a 10 doesn't do it justice. I haven't heard a better amp anywhere. My next head is a matamp for sure, this amp is simply head shoulders and knees better than any amp i have ever played..