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Matamp 1224 (Mk II) Price paid/Price New: £650 ($1200) / £820 ($1570) Year Manufactured: 2005 Specs: Output Power: 28W (boostable to 50W with EL34 valves) Input: High/Low Output: 4, 8, 16 Ohm Sockets Valves Supplied: 4x 6V6, 4x ECC83 Preamp and 1x 6V6 Reverb Valve Controls: Voice*, Gain, Overdrive*, Reverb*, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Master, 2x12/4x12, Mid-Up, Valve Output Control, FX Socket, Mute, Power (* on/off button on footswitch) Sound: 4.8/5 Since first playing this amp, I have been very impressed by the sound it gives out. Don't be put off by the 'low' output power of 28W, this amp is as loud as any 100W you will hear (power does little to increase the 'loudness'). Both the clean and overdriven tones are excellent, though it is not an ideal amp for playing music which requires a clean tone and nothing else. The controls are a little unconventional, and hard to use at first, with the tone (bass, mid, treb) dials acting differently to others - by turning one up, it automatically lowers the other two without the need to turn them down. For those looking for the perfect tone, you can simply take the box off and fit different valves in (such as replace the 6V6s with EL34s to give a much cleaner tone), the 4 valves needn't even be the same, it is fine to use 2 of one kind, and 2 of another (though it is important they are positioned in the right order), this amp can also operate running on 4, 2 and even 1 valve! The 'mid-up' switch boosts the mid tones, and the 2x12/4x12 switch adjusts the sound for a 2x12 or 4x12 speaker cabinet - only a subtle difference, but it does make it sound better. Closer to scoring 5 than any other amp I have played, but not quite 5 just in case something else comes along Equipment Quality: 5/5 The build quality is astounding, both internally and externally, having been put together by perfectionists. With everything being hand-assembled, it is possible to choose any colour or design for the casing, creating your own 'individual' amp. It is very rare that these amps have problems, the circuitry is very well designed (with no 'corners cut', unlike some amp manufacturers) Usefulness: 5/5 This is a very useful amp, giving a wide range of tones available and being very versatile. I have yet to try it with any effects pedals (no money at the minute), but it certainly suits all my needs. Overall Value: 5/5 Having got it direct from the factory, the price I paid was extremely good. This is an amp designed to be played loud, with no gimmicks. The next music purchase I will make will be a matching speaker cab for it.
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Apr 24, 2005 12:16
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 07:22 |
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