Matamp Series 2000 Combo

Year 2000 Serial # 001-Green Four El34s, three 12ax7s (replacing the stock 5751s) two Celestion 75 watt speakers @ 8 ohms. I can run a separate Green 2x12 cab for bigger venues. No reverb, loops, switching or other crybaby features; it has a narrow, but VERY effective range of sounds. It does have a standby, which for an old Orange user, is very nice. I would like more ease of access to the impedance selector; it is tucked away-even harder to access than an AC30 panel. The box on this is very much like an AC30, but a little bigger. It runs like a Class A amp-grumpy, wheezy and buzzy. I also have an AC30 Class A. Hey kids, that is the nature of the beast. The noises are way below the playing volume. If you need absolute quiet, I would recommend a gate.
The wiring is very nicely done, with much cleaner layout than old Orange stuff. Fairly trick preamp, with a hidden third tube inside the chassis. After bench testing, we found some groovy similarities with Vox stuff. Think of this as a much nastier, yet still very sweet and chimey AC100. On the series 2000 the "bass boost" is not an "FAC" notch style filter. It doesn't seem to be a boost at all, rather a cut feature, quite like a Top Boost. When you get into good stuff, it helps to attenuate your newly de-Peaveyed ears to LESS treble.

I use Gibson SGs with humbuckers and P-90s most of the time. I play in two indie rock type bands; one is harder rock than the first. I play subtle clean Beatles/Birds to Superchunk/Pixies blast-out. The amp is noisy, but I run it at full volume. The tone depends on the player, it makes you much more reliant on feel. I set the amp with pre and drive knobs on 4 and the master wide-open. I am conservative with the treble and run bass on 6,7. If I pick softly or roll off the volume on the guitar, the amp is very chimey with pronounced mids. When I hammer on it, it is very much like a sweet, round Malcolm Young sound.It can bllom into a big Steve Jones/Pistols sound. You can hear every string-it is an exceptionally musical amp. It runs alongside an AC30, which is a slightly different animal with the blue Celestions-a perfect combination. This is my favourite amp, period. I would like an internal spring reverb, but that was not available. You can get much more distortion and volume out of it by cranking the preamp further; I use an outboard Barber OD for extra push. You can get near fuzz-pedal breakup with the green preamp. IMPORTANT-A lot of people rightly associate Green with stoner rock, Sabbath freak, low-end junkies. These amps, particularly through a 4x12, can do this, but they are capable of so much more. They are bright and sweet; remember they are BRITISH! My bands are decidedly un-metal and this is the perfect amp for me. In general, if you are a Class A, push the power tubes tone-freak you should try these. The combo will not push you through a wall like an OR 120 Orange through a 4x12 will, but it can more than keep up with a big drumset-you will have to turn down at clubs.

Well-it showed up with a funky tube that caused some havoc, but I expect few problems from it. Like a race car motor, however, this will burn the candle fast; retubing it will be a fact of life. It is worth it. Orange, Matamp and Green are high power amps that can have catatrophic failures in the wrong circumstances. I would never gig without a backup for any amp. My only complaint is that the tube sockets are soldered on to the board-it's just how things are done now. My AC30 has the same deal. It does not affect the sound an iota. The cabinet and chassis are of the highest quality construction ANYWHERE-they can take a pounding. The amp is a real show-stopper, too pretty to throw in the van.

Joel, from Matamp is a true enthusiast, who seems to match his customers passion for cool stuff step-for-step. Joel always calls me and has done right by me at every opportunity. Matamp has a boutique presence in the US and he handles all of the stuff by himself. He is a wealth of information. Find a GREAT tech to carefully work on these; I have seen too many Frankenstein mods on Oranges-leave em' alone!

I have bought two other combo amps in this price range; a Bogner Shiva and a Vox AC30. The Shiva was constructed of great stuff, but very generic in tone, like a much less expensive Marshall combo ( great for ROCK). It was ugly and had no vibe to it. Too heavy. The AC30 has no gain compared to the Green, very one dimensional. I think they are a must for recording, but are awfully expensive for what you get. The Bulldog speakers are $$$, they both blew within 90 days. The Green is unique in look and tone. I would buy it if it were plain. It is definitely a niche product, but fits me perfectly.