Tell Me About MATCHLESS Amps....I'm thinking About One...

[Strat God]

Anybody here had one?
I'm thinking about the new 3-channel Independence model with 2x12"s.
Info is hard to come by on these so I was hoping you guys could help out.
Thanks.

[Thwap]

I had a chance to play one and it was a killer sounding amp. It's loud as hell! It'll get into Marhsall territory, but it's got a matchless vibe to it. It's got great dynamics- and is really sensitive to your attack.

[marcus]

I don't have much experience with Matchless. I do have an amp from Star, which is the new company run by Mark Sampson, one of the guys who started Matchless. Specifically, I have the gainstar 30, and I would recommend it to anyone. The clean channel is amazing, and the high gain channel has balls to spare. If you are thinking about a Matchless, you may want to look at these as well. However, it is actually harder to find info about Star though. The gear page is full of people who worship these types of amps, you may want to ask there.

[Thwap]

Here's a link to some youtube stuff...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZx0J...related&search=

[yard dawg]

Matchless doesnt have a bad amp. You cant go wrong with one and they hold there value.

[Rupe]

I have owned a Sampson era (1997) Chieftain since new. It was my main gigging amp (funk/blues/rock) from '97-'00. It definitely doesn't do heavy metal type gain (actually when cranked you can do just about any classic metal with it) but it takes pedals nicely.
It has the absolute best clean tone that I've ever heard...period. It also is very dynamic, allowing you to go from rhythm to lead with a simple twist of the guitar's volume knob.
In a nutshell, IMO there is no better amp on the planet for pure tube tone. That said, they are limited in their scope of sounds (although pedals can take care of that) and they are too expensive IMO. They are also extremely loud.
I would recommend one if you are a serious gigging musician. I think there are better, more flexable, and more affordable options out there for the hobbiest.

Great looking amps too:

[Axewielder]

Billy Duffy sounds great with those.