Product: Matchless Nighthawk 212 Reverb
Price Paid: US $2250
Submitted
03/29/2005
at
08:08pm
by
Anonymous
Features
:
10
1 channel 2 inputs. It's lack of features is its strongest feature. Volume, Master, Tone and Reverb volume. Reverb is footswitchable. It is 15 watts but really loud. I set on an Orange 212 cabinet to give it a little more bottom end. It is a very bright amp but has ample lows and midrange as well. It takes pedals very well. I noticed that it being such a clean amp, that it has a knack of really projecting my effects pedals to the fore and has made stompboxes a blast to use. The best thing about this amp is its very portable package. I play out with this and it is loud enough to play without being mic in a small club. I ordered this with reverb because Matchless reverb is so lush and surfy when you want it. I play a lot of Beatles tunes and this nails the jangley beatles tone, especially with my Gretsch Duo Jet w/ single coils!!!
Sound Quality
:
10
Sound is incredible!! A little bright for some of my stuff but I have an EQ I use to dial it in for the more darker sounding stuff. This is by no means a drawback, since that sparkle is always on tap when I need it. You just can't add sparkle to a dark amp, beleive me I know this by experience. A Rangemaster with my old Orange OR120 sounded good, but was not the true sparkle I was lusting for. The Matchless is!!
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Matchless amps are built very well. I have heard of issues from older units that had Transformer issues but everyone is saying that the new Matchless stuff since Phil Jamison took over is super solid and reliable.
Customer Support
:
10
I custom ordered this and was in contact with the factory during its gestation period. They were very helpful and polite. Good people that stand behind there stuff.
Overall Rating
:
10
I waited close to 5 months for this amp. It was worth the wait. It is my favorite amp I have ever owned and I have owned many nice amps vintage and new. A Matchless amp seems expensive, but a lot goes into making these and they sound incredible. Many amps claim to be point to point wired but Matchless is the only one I have seen that actually is. Turret board construction is "handwired" not "point to point"
