Matchless Clubman 35

You know

For you guys who said volume was an issue, I found a solution. I had an old fender super sonic 2x12 cab. I used it stock for a few months and started having trouble hearing myself in some band situations. I have several speakers (webers, jensens, 25w greenbacks, vintage 30's etc.) and decided to experiment one weekend. Believe it or not, I prefered the sound of eminence patriots over all the vintage stuff I had. After playing a few gigs that weekend, I still had the volume problem. So that week I rewired the cab to make it a 4 ohms and used the 4 ohm output on the head. Night and day. I can keep up with any halfstack or heavy handed drummer easily now and didn't lose a drop of tone. As a matter of fact, the amp almost seems a tad bit edgier, which I like. I'll probably cook tubes faster, but it's worth it for the headroom increase.

Bulletproof.

Still great.

It's golden. I quit tone searching when I got this beauty a few years ago. I own the one you hear played on the theme song to king of the hill. It was Brian Blush's from the Refreshments.

2001..
one channel tone machine..

I've been playing Bassman's & Plexi's most of my guitar life.
I love Bassman's & Plexi's.. This damn amp outshines anything else I've played through. It's a very versatile amp. The low end can be a bit chunky, but I have a Weber copper cap to take care of some of that.
It has nice midrange & the high's are a bit much unless you back them down. It love's P-90's. No amp can do it all.. This amp is very close to total satisfaction all over the tone chart in my head.
The cleans are the best I've ever heard. The Overdrive is fantastic too! The tone controls really preform. I'm used to having the bass cranked on most of my Plexi's. With this amp, I have the bass & treble on about 3. Brilliance on 1. It's the most organic amp I've ever played through. My Les Paul Junior is the best match..

It's a TANK!

Not the best..

I've been at it for over 30 years.. At 46 I have finally found the best tone available to man. I play Rock, Punk Rock, Southern Rock.
If it Rocks I dig it.. I'll probably look to sell a bunch of amps since this amp covers it all for me.. EL34's & Class A are a match made in heaven.. My tone has much less overdrive than it did 10 years ago. I love the way an amp sounds when it on the verge of breaking up.
The Clubman does it better than any other amp. I'm certain I've owned just about every amp ever made over the years. The Clubman has the best note bloom. If you want a killer EL34 based amp, look no further..
I'm glad I pulled the trigger on this amp. It's also nice to have one amp that can do everything!

The amp is made in ??02. Plays louder than my two Marshall JCM800 stacks combined. Atleast it feels like it does. Since this is a very pure, clean amp, it can be used with many brands of guitars and with many different styles of music, if I change guitar, the amp changes. It has the features needed. I am not an active user of the ??Brilliance?? knob as much as I could have been. There are so many sounds in this amp that you can get to with just adjusting a little on the preamp volume or bass/treble + master volume. As far as pedals concerned with this tone-monster, I tend to use just an analog-man treblebooster or the fulltone ocd. The rest of the sound can easily be adjusted with the volume and toneknobs on the guitar. From super clean with my strat, volume on 4-5, to crunchy on volume 7-8, to overdrive with the volumeknob on the guitar on 10. Or 11 for those who like 11 better. I used to run reverb through the effect loop, and have the rest of my pedals on the stage. But who needs reverb. My reverb stuff is for sale.

I play mainly on a NOS 63?? Tele. A Clubman combined with the Tele bridge pickup easily cuts through the rest of the band. Ofcourse, do some tone adjustments and you have a warm tone you can wrap a mosquito in without it being harmed. Everything is as it should be with the strat. I use SG and a greco Zemaitis for humbucking sounds. There seems to be no problem for the Clubman to make all these guitars sound just like they should. I have not yet tried the amp with active humbuckers or EMG??s yet. It probably won??t happen either. I play a variety of chicken pickin country , the blues, southern rock and jazz. The attack in this amp suits funk very well too. This is one of the most honest amps I have ever tried.
This is a class A tube amp, and such amp will crunch at high volumes. I have found my spot between clean and just before it starts breaking over to crunch. Heaven.

This prison takes good care of the tubes, and I have stashed my JCM800 away. This reminds me, -I haven??t seen these amps in 2 years. So I guess the Clubman is reliable. Anyways, be sure to use good tubes. Try out the NOS Mullards. Cheap tubes will break down faster, and with such honesty this amp delivers, you can easily hear the difference high class tubes and low class tubes.
There was one time I heard some bad sounds in my 2x12 cabinet when using the Clubman. I can??t put the finger on what made that sound. That was the only time I??ve heard this sound. I guess it was a year ago. It could have been the wires in my cabinet after I did some wiring myself(a Music-Man bassreflex cabinet with one greenback and one vintage30). Anyways, have never heard that sound again.

I bought this amp three years ago from the US. Had it sent to Norway. Emailed Matchless on how to wire the transformer over to 220 w. Got an email back right away with very detailed descriptions on how to wire. No problems. This amp is point to point wired, and its easy to get a grip on how this all hangs together.

I have been playing for 16 years now, and has owned some gear through this time. Not many amps tho. I tend to gravitate towards getting the best no matter what I buy. This is cheaper anyways than buying tons of half-good equipment, selling it and buy some other half-good equipment. I like testing different pedals tho. The Clubman sound really good with the strat through a TS808 with half of the batterypower left, and when switching to the SG its a chapter of its own. A lot of fun for us guitarists. I just wish I had some more time to play.

I bought this amp, honestly not knowing what to expect. I play guitar in a modern rock (on the heavier side) band, and at first I was a little iffy about the amount of gain this amp produced. But after messing around with it for a little while, I was able to get a good amount of awesome sounding natural distortion out of it. And it just sounds absolutely amazing! By far the best amp I've owned.
Not only is it able to create a gainy enough sound for the heavier stuff I play, but it is also the holder of an unbeatable clean tone.

This amp is extremely versatile, it can play anything from blus, rock, pop, country - whatever! You name it!

I play it with my Fender '72 Tele with humbuckers, through a vintage Marshall 1960 w.greenbacks.

It keeps pretty quiet regarding hum, even on the higher levels of volume.

Again, the sound quality is definitely A+!

I DO run a zvex super hard-on on it when I need a HEAVY distortion sound! And even that, it handles very well.

I just recently bought it, so I haven't had any problems thus far. I do suspect that I could put it on the road, let a car hit it and play a show with it that night though.

I haven't had any experience with the customer support system at all.

I'm a guitarplayer of 10 years and I have owned countless amps and several guitars. I have finally found my home in the Matchless Clubman 35!

Would I replace it was it lost, stolen or broken? Most definitely!

I really don't have any negatives about this amp (so far at least)

Another awesome feature is the lighting Matchless logo and bass/treble etc logos.

Not only does it sound awesome, it also looks the part!

Thanks Matchless.

One channel amp, but very useable tone controls: bass, treble, presence, no mid. Gain and volume controls, hi and low inputs. Fairly sparce, but very effective for what it has.

Here is where this amp really shines. The sound is phenominal! This amp distorts well, but it really shines when you set it to just break up, and plug in a Strat! It is in my opinion, the best tone out there! I almost melt every time I plug in! I use a compressor if I am playing quietly, for sustain on the Strat, but the compressor isn't necessary for a Les Paul. It has the most crystaline sparkly high end, and also lots of bass. I set the amp like this and use a pedal for more distortion. Incredible! If I could give a score higher than a 10 in this category I would!

After one year, I had to replace one tube (phase inverter). I still haven't gone and bought a complete set of spare tubes yet, and other than that, it has been rock solid.

Phil Jamison himself has talked to me every time I have called, and he has been very helpful.

I have been playing for 40+ years. I am now pretty picky about tone. I have been through several Marshalls (older ones were great!), a Mesa, lots of Fenders, even older Crate tube amps, but I have now finally found my sound! I never get tired of it, and always get compliments when our band plays. I am finally happy!

built in '01. features have been stated in prior reviews.
this amp is super versatile, it wrings tones out of my hands that i'd always hoped were there. unmiked, the amp is ideal for any club stage that i know of, miked, of course, anything goes. lack of features is a feature here.

this defines touch sensitivity, the amp distorts so very gracefully, this is what most folks are striving for. i'm a strat player, and find the amp to be free of extraneous noise. wonderful and seemingly unlimited chime on tap, plenty of top end available, the bass treb and brilliance knobs allow very precise control, from warm as toast up to stinging icy. even the icy sounds are still warm, if you follow me.
i've run out of clean on stage before, but nobody (including me) seemed to mind. kind of redefines the idea of, or need for, clean for me.
above comments are based on using the 2 12 matchless cab with one matchless prepped greenback and one matchless prepped g12h30

runs as hot as it sounds. gotta say that phil jamison deserves his rep. i bought this used (thanks brad!). the amp did develop a glitch that i couldn't suss out, i shipped the amp to phil, he found a burnt resistor (not HIS fault) fixed it, returned the amp to me freight paid, with new tubes as needed. all in about a week!

is there a 20 for this category?
phil treated me like a king.

playing 42 years. clark beaufort (!) vicky 35310 alessandro working dog gretsch playboy (vicky built) sovtek tube midget oak combo '63 vibroverb reissue.
the matchless IS a cut above any of these fine amps.
there are tones and dimensions in my guitars that these other amps are unaware of.

1994 Clubman 35. Everything you need, and nothing you don't. For a single channel hand-wired amp, I'd call it a 10.

Nothing quite like it -- complex and organic tone, very warm sounding. Cuts through the mix very well.

Built like a tank. I used to think that Mesa overbuilt their amps. Matchless is a step above in build quality.

Helpful staff when calling in.

It's every bit worth what you're paying.

2004 Clubamn 35 (No reverb, who needs it), used but new condition, paid 1499.00 US

Since this is a single channel amp it's hard to rate features.

It does have a somewhat useable master volume and detachable power cord, effects loop, and three separate speaker outputs for 4,8, 16 ohms. Can ruggedness be considered a feature? Cause it is.

Overall features rating 8

Mainly use 2 Relic 60 strats (1998), although occasionally use '98/'58 historic Les Paul and '98 Reissue ES335.

Only effects right now are tube screamer and regular dunlop crybaby. Looking at Fullton OCD or Fulldrive in the future. Amp is running through a 2x12 open back cab with celestion vin 30s (16 ohms each wired for 8 ohm total)

Beautiful lush warm clean tones. One of those amps that makes effects unneccessary. Set for crunch tones, the amp if full with plenty of bottom end, a little loose on the botttom end but it works for me. Sounds like a cranked up amp without getting terribly loud. The top end is crisp without ever being harsh.

Perfect AC/DC crunch to hard rock tones. Put a pedal up front for more saturation.

The amp does get a little fuzzier once it gets good and hot (but not in a bad way). The amp does runs hot.

Built like a tank. I always carry a backup amp or direct preamp just in case.

Waiting to see how the long the tubes last. They are biased hot.

Fat sound (The dealer) is great. I can get the amp serviced if need be.

This amp hasd great tone. I would probably get another one if something happened to it.

It's got that old school marshall sound if you want it, yet still has the beautiful Fender clean tones as well.

Mine is from 2004, go to the company website for a list of features. Yeah, so it doesn't have reverb or trem or a bloody computer inside it, but keep in mind that each time an amp builder adds another gizmo, it's just one more thing that lengthens the signal path and sucks a little bit of tone. I've owned this amp for a year and I've gotten very familiar with the controls. The bass/treble eq on the preamp and the brilliance cut in the power section, plus effects loop, all combine to give this amp a surprising amount of versatility. If you know how to use this amp, it's can be as versatile as you need it to be.

My latest setup is as follows: Fender 52RI tele >> Bad Cat 2Tone >> line 6 fm-4 >> line 6 dl-4 >> Matchless Clubman 35 >> Avatar 4x12 with 2 vintage 30s and 2 g12h30s. I'm not proud of my tone-sucking line 6 stuff, but they get the job done live. More importantly, when I use this amp in the studio I either run direct via monster cables, or run through the Bad Cat. Either way, this amp sounds as pure as any I've ever heard. The amp itself is voiced for moderate gain, but when pushed by any type of boost, you can achieve extremely saturated overdrive while still retaining the character of the guitar. On the other end of the spectrum, turning the master all the way up and adjusting the volume control effectively makes this a non-master amp. This particular setting is the best clean tone I've ever heard, hands down. If you've got the balls to push the volume hard with the master cranked (or if you're just deaf) you enter into the rich, dynamic overdrive territory. Bass and treble controls are smartly set to unity gain at 12 o'clock. This means that you only need two tone controls to do the job of three. I'm not sure how many decibels of boost or cut in each direction, but it's enough to get any tone that I've ever needed over the past year. I've also used the effects loop return in conjunction with my Bad Cat 2Tone to create a BadCat/Matchless hybrid where the Bad Cat is the preamp and the Matchless only uses it's power section. The brilliance cut on the power amp is great for this format. It also works really well for adjusting to different guitars. It takes the bright edge off my tele while retaining the complex treble character that made me fall in love with the guitar. I've also run some gibsons through this amp with amazing results. My friends '76 Les Paul custom and early 70s ES 137 both sound deep and rich in their own unique ways. Personally, I prefer single coils, but this amp responds well to both. All in all, this amp takes good equipment and makes it sound HUGE. If you are running some shitty ibanez schecter bc rich nonsense, then you will hear what your guitar truly sounds like. The amp's transparency is a gift with a good guitar and a talented player, but a word of warning to guitars made from plywood and players who use distortion as a crutch: this amp is for serious guitarists that value a good investment in tone, dynamics, and feeling. A well deserved 10.

The only reason that I give this a 9 is because I've had a few tube problems. It came from the factory with a broken rectifier tube (see customer service section) and one of the power tubes started leaking air at some point a few months ago. Both were a simple fix and didn't cause any major problems. I treat this amp well, and it is kept in a custom-fit hard case, but as with any electronic equipment you can't put complete trust in it. That kind of dependence can get you into serious trouble without a backup. Since the only problems that I've encountered over the past year weren't directly related to the amp, I give it a strong 9. I play this amp upwards of 20 hours per week. I'm surprised that I haven't had any sort of melt down yet.

Matchless has been good to me. Before I bought the amp, I didn't really know that much about Matchless because their amps are usually hard to find for an in-store demo. Not expecting much, I called the manufacturer only to be pleasantly surprised by the people I talked with. Half an hour later, we had discussed different amp models and how they would react to my equipment and playing style. They told me about a small boutique store in my area that had just recently started carrying Matchless products, and that a brand new red Clubman 35 should have just gotten there, so I visited the store a few times and played the amp. This is where my story turns sour. Impressed, nay floored, by the sound of this amp, I gave the conniving bastard at Roxy Guitar (7026 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia PA) a $500 deposit to hold the amp for me. The word of mouth price? $1900. Fair enough. When I returned the next day, after going to the bank and emptying my hard earned savings, the jackass told me that the amp now cost $2200. Outraged, I demanded my $500 back. I still wanted the amp, but not from this guy. He refused to yield and I ended up paying for ridiculous overcharges (i.e. "no that price didn't include tax before" and "this is just a little $100 fee for using a credit card"). Madder than hell, I went home to test out my slammin new head, despite its expense. What do you know, it had a microphonic rectifier tube. Every low note rattled this thing like baseball cards in bike tires. I was so pissed, when I called Matchless I was barely breathing. They calmed me down by immediately shipping out a new set of tubes, for free, without asking for proof of purchase or an invoice or anything annoying like that. Two days later, my tubes arrived from the other side of the country and completely alleviated the problem. They could have dismissed me and I never would have played their products again, but their cooperation turned me into a Matchless lifer.

This amp is a monster. Huge clean tones or fire-breathing, tube-melting distortion, either way this amp has been putting out without fail for an entire year. It's been to multi-million dollar studios and shows in grungy dives, turning heads and provoking compliments at each appearance. If you are prepared to invest in a high quality hand wired amp that will be a workhorse tone-machine for years to come, this is it. It is my personal belief that comparing different models of guitar amps is like apples to oranges. Regardless, this amp has held its own next to Marshall '82 and '86 JCM 800s, Jubilee 2550, original JTM 45, Fender Super 6 from way back when, Blackface Fender Showman from the 60s, Orange AD30, and countless other boutique and vintage legends. In the end, this amp is still one of my favorites for its inherent versatility and unstoppable tones (not to mention it looks really sweet when it lights up). A confident 10.

My Clubman is a '92. It is definitely from the Mark Sampson era. Treble, Bass, Brilliance, Vol., and Master. That is about it. It has an effects loop (which I don't use currently). Single channel, 35 watt class A head. The loudest 35 watts I have ever heard. The other guitar player in my band uses a Peavey JSX and this will hang right there in volume. Modeling amps are king in the features department so a 7 is really pretty generous here.

OK here we go. This amp is AWESOME. The cleans are where it is at with this. This beats Fender and Vox for clean. The only thing I wish it had was Reverb, but I honestly don't really miss it that much and I can always throw a Reverb pedal in front of it. The overdrive isn't that great, I have better from DR.Z and Orange in this department, but I didn't buy this amp for the dirty I bought it for the unbelievable clean tone. I have a Tonebone Classic and a TS9 I run in front so what do I care about the amp's overdrive? This amp is a keeper.

This amp is already over 10 years old and it is built like a tank. I think I may need to replace the tubes, but so what. Matchless is known for being extremely reliable.

Don't know never called

Overall one of the best sounding and easy to use amps I have ever had. Extremely cool amp.

1994 ,
I play blues some rock it perfect for this!
1 main channel
reverb and tremlo would be nice, but being simple and clean is fine.
Plenty power. Loud classA clean. Club playing and studio.
Cool logo and panel back lighting.

Strat to Gibson.
Clean when you want it, cut up your guitar volume knob get a real growl of a sound.
Not noisy .
the clean is pure and the distortion is real , not a processed sound.
"Mr. Natural"

Tank!
I trust it. maybe extra tubes, like with anything that depends on all parts working.

Have not needed any service yet.
But if I do it will be someone in pro audio that will do the work.

25 years.
Recording Studio - hiddentrackstudios.com (Lots of equipment)Pro audio.
I would be VERY upset if something happen to this amp.
I would replace it with the same amp.
Love the PURE TONE!!! I have had many amps in my lifetime but this is it.
nothing to hate: It does get hot but thats the style of amp.
A reverb and tremlo would be nice.
Gods Amp (If he had to play one) No Bull.
If you can afford it get one. It will always hold its value and more.
If you dont get one thats fine because I like to be different and not have the same old stuff everyone eles has.

I recently just got my Matchless Clubman 35 head the other day. It covered in white tolex, and looks great. I had a black one a while back, and like a DUMB@$$ I sold it. So, I saved up and traded something else in and bought another Clubman, and this one is not going anywhere. The head has only one channel, but its pure tone bliss. I love a tele or strat thru a Matchless. It has an effects loop, but I do not use it. I have a pedalboard. The head has plenty of power for me.

I use a Fender 72 Custom tele, a Fender HWY 1 strat HSS, and 2 Tyler classic strats with a humbucker in the bridges, and singlecoils in the mid and neck positions. I play mostly classic rock stuff, blues (Texas style) jazz and funk/fusion. I havent had much noise from the amp, its mostly quite. I can go from super (famous Matchless) clean, to really low down and dirty. I use a Fulltone overdrive, a compressor, a T.C. Electronics Chorus, a Vox wah, an MXR Phase 90, an MXR Flanger, and a channel switcher all on a pedalboard.

I would most def depend on my Clubman for any gig. I probably would carry another amp as a backup, because you never know. But, the Clubman is builr solid, like a freaking tank.

No, have not dealt with Matchless directly.

I have been playing for 25 years now. I have traded and sold so much crap, I dont want to even think about it. This Clubman is staying with me this time. I really do love the Matchless sound, especially the Clubman35.

mine is a 1995 Clubman. you get what you get - single channel. but it sounds awesome.

As opposed ot th eperson who reviews below, for me this amp cuts through & sounds great in many situations. i use it with a 2x12 matchless cab. previously i have recorded with anothe rone & a 2x10 cab - loved that too.
the say it is their version of an old hiwatt. it kinda is, but the volume needed is way lower...

matchless ar ebuilt like tanks. i take soem spare tubes, but no spare amp.

company went out of biz - there is a new version bu tthey never returned my email. whatever.

i love the clubman. I have owned many amps (currenly i have a 63 Vox Ac-30, matchless chieftain, dr maz jr & a bunch of others) including many marshalls, voxes, blah blah. mathcless line is way above those. this amp kills

Same as below. This is an update to my previous review.

My sighting of Nirvana was a mirage. I tried the amp in a full on band situation and it barely hung in there. Cranking up the Master just led to full on muddy mush. The tone got squashed out. Maybe the retifier tube? Well, that was the end all be all. Sure it sounded good at home (but too damn loud to get the tone) but it didn't cut it in a band situation. Sorry, its going bye bye. My Fuchs has claimed top prize. Doesn't have the same character as the Matchless, but its more usable in all situations.

Features? What features? This is a "purists" amp, and I think I've found my Nirvana. I've caught glimpses with my Egnater TOL / Vendetta heads, and my Fuchs OD 50, but I think this nails it. Go figure, and I've been a bells and whistles kind of guy all my life. 2 inputs, volume / gain, bass, treble, brilliance (like presence), master, standby and power on the front side. Back - 4, 8 16 ohm outs, send / return, fuse, power chord. No frills and basic. Hell, no reverb even!! This amp would sound awesome with reverb.

Wow. Now I know why Matchless amps get there reputation for tone. This sucker has it. ONE WORD OF ADVICE, USE GOOD NOS TUBES IN THE 12AX7 AND EF86 SPOTS, IT MAKES A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE IN THE RESPONSE OF THE PREAMP GAIN. IT TIGHTENS UP DRAMATICALLY. STOCK WAS FLAB CITY PAST 2 O'CLOCK ON THE VOLUME. I have a Mullard ECC83 and a Amperex Holland EF86. I was suprised at the change in response. I can run the gain / volume full on and with only a hint of flab on the low end.

Sound? Well, the only negative is that you have to run the master at 9 O'clock and above to really hear what this amp is all about. Under that, the sound is thin and anemic / buzzy. You have to let this power amp breath. Very punchy, dynamic, smooth, with a hint of compression and "sponge". Don't be fooled, this amp has PLENTY of gain, but its not Bogner, Rectumfier, TSL type of gain. Its super rich vintage Marshall Plexi type of gain with a little VOX chime thrown in. I'm using mid to low output PAFs in my PRS Custom so I'm not really pushing the input (#1) all that much. For you rockers, it will do rock n roll with ease, bordering into Heavy Rock / Metal, but not scooped metal. More like Loudness first album, early Judas Preist, AC / DC, Aerosmith, into late 80's category. If you need more, just run a booster up front. Here's the best part....roll off the volume and it CLEANS up beautifully with an incredible tone that is to die for...especially if you have a treble capacitor on your volume pot (.001 uf across the in and out of the pot).

This is a great rock and blues amp. The only negative is that the volume at the best tone is not bedroom level, but more like home alone type of volume. Its bearable, but just a bit loud. I'm getting a Weber MASS so I can bring down the volume a bit and crank the output some more.

Seems to be built well. Haven't had it for long.

Don't know, haven't used them.

This is a great amp. I think this could easily be my "signature" tone. Its so organic and full of life. The dynamics and attack are awesome. My only gripe is the master volume pot. It needs a better taper. It goes from whisper to punch too quickly. Maybe its the class A design? Not sure. You owe it to try it out. If there is one close by, keep in mind that the stock preamp tubes WILL mush out with the gain too high. It will sound like a torn speaker or something. The right tubes will fix that in a jiff. Try one, its a new experience. You'll see how most amps are very sterile sounding in comparison. Even my FUCHS OD Supreme sounds sterile next to this amp. Don't get me wrong, its going to be hard to decide which one to get rid of. Both are great amps, the FUCHS has lots of flexibility, gain, punch, and the bells/whistles. The Matchless has ease of use, and TONE, which can't be matched...hmmm, I guess that's how they got their name huh? I'm dying to hear a BAD CAT.

1995 Clubman 35, one of the best amps I've ever owned. Only drawback is no reverb. This is the loudest 35 watt amp on the planet, great tone and somewhat versatile.

I use this for rock and blues. Very clean with tons of head-room to a that SRV tone to the bone vibe. For what I do this thing sound great.

This thing is built like a tank! I could chain this to my bumper and drag it to the gig!

Customer support was the worst! Really too bad considering how great this amp company used to be. The guy I spoke to was not very helpful nor friendly. I felt like I was intruding on his time... Oh well, I really love my ten year old amp but would probably not buy a new one.

I've been playing for twenty years, own other Fender amps. If my Matchless were stolen or blew up, I'd look around for a company with better customer service. (Bad Cat Amps and Top Hat Amps both make great amps and have better customer service.)

1 channel of tonal bliss!! Volume, Treble, Bass, Brilliance & Master. High and low inputs. Can be very versatile with the right pedals.

First let me say that this has got to be the loudest 35 watt amp I've ever heard. While it doesn't do high gain sounds, the clean and crunch tones are very organic and responsive. I tried the amp through a Mesa 412 with Vintage 30's. (not the best cab for this amp) The best application for this amp is volume at no more than 6 and master at about 8. Above that, the amp gets mushy. This amp craves a good OD pedal. Also, I don't recommend Vintage 30's with this amp. They sound a bit harsh to my ears. I would have loved to check it out with some greenbacks, G12H or Webers. All in all, a great amp. I only use humbucker type guitars and this review is based on that.

Matchless is known for their reliability. I don't think it would need much more than new tubes and biasing.

Guitar Center in Virginia was asking $2000 for this used amp. I've seen them for much less, so I passed on it. Those guys really don't know what they're doing anymore. Also, there was no one over 30 running the store when I was there.

Anyway, I may try and fine one or check out the Bad Cat Hot Cat head. At this point I'm still in love with my Rivera Knuclehead 100 and VHT Pittbull 45 112. While these amps currently cover my EL84 and 6L6 needs, the search is still on for a great EL34 amp.

this is a '96 Clubman....your not going to get Metallica or Megadeth with this thing, but if your after a great vintage tone, this is the amp. It doesn't really sound like any other amp (maybe Vox Ac30 ish) but it sound great...Doesn't do alot, but what it does do, it does very well!

Great clean....throw a good overdrive in front (fuzz face, tube screamer, or what I like, an old Boss od-1) and you have gobs of tone. I play stuff from Led Zeppelin to The Black Crowes with a Les Paul, A Hamer Special FM, and A '62 Reissue Tele and they all sound great with this amp.

Built like a TANK!!!! too bad they didn't build cars!! Never a problem.

Don't know, never needed it!

If you care about TONE, and don't need a bunch of useless crap in an amplifier, buy this amp!

Basic features: 1 channel, volume, master, bass, mid, treble, brilliance. 2xEL34.

Clean sounds are what this amp excels at.
Sounds great with the volume @10 oclock and the master @ 1 oclock.
Beautiful, rich, class A harmonics that ring for days.
Any more gain (volume) than this and the tone starts to mush up, esp. in the lower registers, kinda flabs out on power chords. I've played many many Matchless amps and they all exhibit this, some people don't mind it though it annoys me. When I want more gain I just use a Matchless Dirtbox or a Zvex Fuzz Factory; the amp is always set to sound clean for maximum articulation.

Legendary.

I guess Matchless has reopened, but anyone could service this amp, its very basic.

Sounds amazing clean or with your stompbox of choice, the preamp gain that is in the amp is very liquid and spongy, not very tight or percussive, blues/rock/country/jazz players will love it but modern rockers its not for.

This is a 1998 model Clubman 35. 35 watts 2xEL34 5ar4 2x12AX7 EF86.
Effects loop, hi and lo input vol, bass, treble, brilliance, Master vol.

I might add a headphone jack.......(kidding)

I am using this amp with a strat, a grosh bent top custom and a PRS CU22. Each guitar sounds different through the amp, but all sound HUGE. I am a big fan of both the marshall and the Vox school of tones and this amp combines both into one easy to carry package. The class A matchless just sings with chimey vox clean and when you hit the front with a decent OD (Maxon 820 and a Habenaro) it becomes what ever you need it to be. I sound like a professional through this amp. This amp works at all volume levels and is just fun to play. I can get any tone I need to from this little box, it is truly a joy. Warning however. If you are thinking about purchasing a vetta or a zentera DO NOT PLAY THIS AMP! You will be ruined forever. This is the kind of amp that turns you into a tube snob.

I have read the stories of the matchless amps lost at sea only to wash up and still function. This is a class A head and I do expect to feed it power tubes, but I would rather drive a suburban that gets 8 miles to the gallon than try to pack all of my crap in a geo metro. Tubes = tone fuel.

I am still waiting for them to call me back, I am trying to get a free t-shirt or a key chain.

This thing kicks major ass over my crate GFX212 (see my review) and my Line6 2x10 spyder and my fender Ultimate Stereo Princeton Chorus.

Really?

Find an amp you like to play and then play. I have had my butt whooped by a shoeless insurance salesman playing a squire strat into a Marshall battery operated mini stack with a coiled cable.

Year made????
Styles-Rock,Surf,Alternative,Blues Sounds great on these styles. By adding different pedals can accentuate each style.i use a Hot Cakes Distortion and a "Analog Man" modified TS9 Tube Screamer. by using these 2 pedals in combo or alone can get alot of sonic possibilities.

wish it had a reverb but I use a Danelectro Dan-Echo for reverb...nice lush and warm

Lots of power especially through a Marshall 1/2 stack...I usually use a Mesa Boogie with 2 12 inch speakers in a stand up 1/2 stack style

I need a 12" Vintage 30 speaker for going to friends house or small gigs

Various strats,98 American,Japenese '50's reissue


love this amp...gets lots of possitive feedback from critical listeners

Amp runs hot, if you are gigging alot replace tubes and pay attention to sound quality

Wish I had more Matchless amps!!!!

year unknown
versatile enough for rock music
1 channel - no channel switching
wish it had reverb
enough power for both rehearse and gigs
converted from 2 x EL34 to 2 x 6L6

Teles

This is my second Clubman, and this one is a 1995 model. See my review below on my first. Again, this is a one channel amp that delivers Class A vibe and tone with a minimum of bells and whistles. It does have an effect loop, most pedals work well - the Line 6 Delay modeler does not like either of my Clubman heads, the loop level overloads the inputs on the pedal. Like my 1993 Clubman, I use this amp live, in the studio and rehearsing with the band on a regular basis. This head features a preamp tube compliment consisting of a EF86, and two 12AX7's. It uses two EL-34's (although I like the Svet 6L6's in there too) running in Class A for the output stage and delivers 35 watts.

I would ditto everything I say below about my other Clubman and I will discuss how this one differs from that instead. I use this amp primarily with PRS guitars and it delivers exactly what I want from a Class A amp - a strong warm clean tone - with this head you have to watch the input, my PRS guitars seem to prefer the lower level input on this head - on the 93 they all sound better on the high input. This head is brighter sounding and has a more pronouced mid focus when cranked up. It doesn't have quite as much shimmer on top though, it sounds a bit "tougher" than the 93. For more rocking songs I like this head with a FDII in front, the 93 is better at shimmering Vox type of strummy tones. Again, no real "modern" distortion, more of a Vox grind than "brutal distortion". Beautiful 3D tones are stupid easy to get and I can sit for hours just listening - all with no effects at all - and "feel" the tone. These heads are loud enough for most gigs - very responsive to volume knob and tone knob tweaks. Very detailed sounding and feel very "alive".

I have back up tubes in my gig bag for every type needed with any of my amps - so I feel pretty secure about the amp. I also have a great local tech (Danny Russel at Blitz Amplifiers in Detroit) whom I trust competely. Thus far, no problems at all with this head.

Again, null and void. Too bad. It is a shame these guys are no longer doing amps. Both Mark Sampson and Rick Seccombe are out there making amps again though, so that is good.

Well I got enough money to afford another one by selling an amp. So now I do have two of these and I couldn't be happier with them. They both sound great, differ a bit in the character of tone and deliver a very complex and full sound that works great in any format that I like to work in musically other than really heavy distortion sounds. Highly recommended.

Mine is a 1993 model. This is a one channel amp that delivers Class A vibe and tone with a minimum of bells and whistles. It does have an effect loop. I use this amp live, in the studio and rehearsing with the band on a regular basis. Mine features the first preamp tube compliment offered on this model; a 6SH7, a 6AT6 and a 12AX7. It uses two EL-34's running in Class A for the output stage and delivers 35 watts.

I use this amp primarily with PRS guitars and it delivers exactly what I want from a Class A amp - a strong warm clean tone with a bit of glassy grit on the high end that makes the amp sound 3D. As you crank the gain, you get a nice overdrive distortion, but it falls far short of a high gain modern amp sound. I use a Fulltone FDII in front of it and other than heavy metal type of sounds, this amp delivers in spades and just kills with a beatuiful and detailed tone.

It is built very well, all Matchless amps are. I had some problems with some oxidation on the input jacks, my amp tech picked up on it pretty quick. No big deal. There is some rumblings on the net that the goofy choices for preamp tubes on my version of the Clubman - the 6AT6 in particular - tend to be microphonic, but that has not been my experience. I would never do a gig without an amp backup no matter what.

Well, this catagory is nill. But Rick Seccombe at Overbuilt Amplifiers in CA used to run production for Matchless and is available to do repairs - he is a good guy.

This amp is exactly what I wanted from a Class A amp, and exactly what I hoped a Matchless would deliver me. If I had the money, I would buy another just to have another. Outstanding amp that records as well as it performs live. I love this amp.

For the person who really knows how to play the amp, as well as the guitar, it delivers it all....in spades!

Mostly use 57 classics in a LP classic+, but sometimes use fat 50's in
cheap strat for cleaner sounds. Either way this amps defines the ultimate raunchy, down home blues sound

Other than typical tube complaints (EF86), never a problem. Use for 3-5 hrs. 5-6 times a week. Backup? It's heavy enough already.

That's all history now, isn't it? I've been told they were reasonable to deal with.

Put it this way, price isn't an issue- tone is!
I continually look for and purchase this model because it rocks!
Runs warm, but makes a good hand warmer or space heater, too.
Smokes Voxes, Vibro-Kings, Tone Kings(what a joke), Boogers, Marshalls, on a regular basis! Never compared to Trainwreck.
Try one with Celestion Vintage 10s or the Blue AlNiCos. Magical with a
pair if old AlNiCo Jensen 10s in an Ampeg Bass cab!