NAD: Holy Grail amp for me.

octatonic

I've been hankering for a Matchless since I have one on tour in 2005, when I asked for and got a DC30 as a hire amp.

I never got around to getting one, despite coming close a few times, and the DC30 is too loud for me now anyway.
I divested myself of a Diezel VH4 and a Carol Ann OD3R to get it.
I am done with high wattage, high gain channel switching amps for live, at least for a while.

This is a Lightning 15R, which is the 12AX7 channel of the DC30 at half the wattage.
(some would argue the EF86 channel is more fun, but it is bloody noisy too.)

It is still fucking loud though.

I've only had a couple of hours to play with it so far but it is ridiculously good.

I don't like the Strymon Volante with it- the buffer in that pedal make things too bright when the delay kicks in so need to figure out what to do there.
I need to be on my volume and tone pots a lot more too.

I really couldn't be happier.

ElectricXII

Congrats. I mostly gig with a lowly AC15C1. I'd love one of those, but I'd need to sell my Bluesbreaker and a kidney.

octatonic

It was painful to have to divest myself of two amps to get it but I will use this one a lot more I think.
I didn't get a lot of work done today.

Modulus_Amps

Nice, it was the Matchless/Badcat style amps that got me into building amps in the first place.
Playing experience is quite different compared to the multi channel amps, but so much fun if you can turn up and control everything from the guitar.

ICBM

That's my favourite Matchless amp, I much prefer them to the bigger 30-watt models - in fact it's one of the best-sounding amps I've ever played through.

(I don't like EF86s!)

wesker123

I bet that acoustic sounds amazing though that!
Congrats 

Dodge

It's an almost perfect amp, the Lightning.  I loved mine.  Fucking loud though, and heavy for a little amp.  I wish they'd included the Vox-type cut control and then it would be perfect (for me).

I'm assuming the intentionally mismatched speaker load is still present and that is has an 8 and 4 ohm speaker output?  If so, try the internal speaker in the 4 ohm socket for a spongier feel.  I always ran mine that way, it just sounded better.

Winny_Pooh

Great amps. Much prefer the 12ax7 channel too. 

Re volante, could you run a buffer before the qmx and then tweak treble to taste on the smp.

octatonic

Winny_Pooh said:

Great amps. Much prefer the 12ax7 channel too. 

Re volante, could you run a buffer before the qmx and then tweak treble to taste on the smp.

I have a buffer in the form of either a Klon or a Hudson Broadcast, I use one or the other as my always on pedal.
The Strymon devices just seem to add sparkle in an amp that already has quite a lot of sparkle.

This was mentioned in a TPS video in Neville Martin's pedalboard build too.

pmg

Nice, what guitar(s) are you playing through it?  I mostly use an SG with mine.  I too have a volante on the board but don’t think it’s too sparkly.  Im actually thinking of getting my Badcats back out as I haven’t played them for awhile

Winny_Pooh

octatonic said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Great amps. Much prefer the 12ax7 channel too. 

Re volante, could you run a buffer before the qmx and then tweak treble to taste on the smp.

I have a buffer in the form of either a Klon or a Hudson Broadcast, I use one or the other as my always on pedal.
The Strymon devices just seem to add sparkle in an amp that already has quite a lot of sparkle.

This was mentioned in a TPS video in Neville Martin's pedalboard build too.

Ah, interesting. That's annoying!!! otherwise (and this sounds clunky!) a parallel loop with a boss ls-2 running the volante 100% wet alongside the regular dry signal.

Sporky

Lovely!

I've only tried one Matchless, but it was exquisite. 

octatonic

Winny_Pooh said:

octatonic said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Great amps. Much prefer the 12ax7 channel too. 

Re volante, could you run a buffer before the qmx and then tweak treble to taste on the smp.

I have a buffer in the form of either a Klon or a Hudson Broadcast, I use one or the other as my always on pedal.
The Strymon devices just seem to add sparkle in an amp that already has quite a lot of sparkle.

This was mentioned in a TPS video in Neville Martin's pedalboard build too.

Ah, interesting. That's annoying!!! otherwise (and this sounds clunky!) a parallel loop with a boss ls-2 running the volante 100% wet alongside the regular dry signal.

Or… Free the Tone Flight Time.

octatonic

This is such a good amp.

rsvmark

Snap!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161274749_e53cea39fc_h.jpg

You are not wrong. They are bloody good and bloody loud.

octatonic

rsvmark said:

Snap!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161274749_e53cea39fc_h.jpg

You are not wrong. They are bloody good and bloody loud.

That must be mega.

I've been using the Matchless with a Louis Electric Roadrunner and they blend fantastically well together.
The Two Rock must be good too.

rsvmark

@octatonic I started with a wet dry. Two rock wet, and a Marshall Jtm60 into a 4x10 dry. That was pretty good but got fed up with the faff of carting it all to gigs. So I thought ‘well it’s only the dry so a decent 1x12 combo will do…..’ and I sourced the Matchless. ‘Only’ using it for a touch of dry against majority wet was an utter waste….. so I have now gone stereo. It is massive.

Never heard of a roadrunner before… off to Google and YouTube it!

Cirrus

Get an sdd3000 to goose the input. Bright delay problem solved.

Moe_Zambeek

What are you using to get higher gain with this? I had a 2x12 many years ago alongside a DC30 and preferred the latter at the time, but that wasn’t a gain-y application at all. I think the Lightning probably lends itself better to that, especially at modern stage volumes. 

octatonic

Moe_Zambeek said:

What are you using to get higher gain with this? I had a 2x12 many years ago alongside a DC30 and preferred the latter at the time, but that wasn’t a gain-y application at all. I think the Lightning probably lends itself better to that, especially at modern stage volumes. 

Hudson Sidecar into a Klon.
It isn't 'metal' high gain, I don't need that from this amp.

I also sometimes swap in an OCD, Thorpy Gunshot and a few other things.

octatonic

I've had a few days with it now.

I've had to change my set up a bit to suit it.
I *think* I'm going to go with the OCD over the Sidecar as my higher gain pedal- it has a bit more body, lower mids and less top end fizz. The KOT is still magic for moderate gain.

I still can't decide between a Klon KTR or a Hudson Broadcast as an always on pedal.
Either are probably fine.

Still futzing about with delay pedals.
Both the Volante and Flight Time add a bit of high end when engaged via the Gigrig QMX, even when in bypass.
The Flight Time is better.
I might have to look at a different delay pedal.

On speakers: I think I just don't like the G12H-75 Creamback with this amp.
Even switching to one in the 1x12 I have here that is completely broken in I find it a bit fizzy and has too much bass.
I've got a bunch of 2x12 cabs here with Celestion Golds, G12M-65 Creambacks, G12-65 Heritage, V30's.

By some measure I prefer the G12M-65's.
They are a bit quieter for what is already a very loud amp, and just seems to suit it better.

So I am thinking of swapping out the Matchless stock G12H-75 Creamback for a G12M-65 Creamback, or maybe even a Greenback.

Oh and I bought a (muchly bargainous) Bad Cat Cub 15r head as a back up amp.