Nice demo Lyle! Since deciding to copy JB and giving up picks entirely for the last +15 years I've not thought about these issues, but do chase the brightest strings and amps possible!
Snarling Dogs .60, it’s very thin and I get a lot of brightness from the pick. Also I use a 3 mil bone pick often for leads when you want some fret slap, kind of a blues thing. Then I have a sharp point Dunlop Jazz shape, there are times you want notes to pop out. They make Stainless Steel Fender picks, you can really hear the metal. I use all kinds, mostly the Snarling Dogs .60 so I can just wail on the strings.
Among my 100 odd Tortex I have a Herco or two somewhere and I’m going to find them. They are wonderful onstage, that extra little bit of confidence I won’t drop it, but I forgot that I actually liked the sound too.
Really great insights re picks. I've been on the Herco/Dunlop using the serated edge for quite a few years now. In general I like the tone of a pick used on its side rather than its tip anyway - a thing I picked up from a mate years ago who plays acoustic archtops. The Tortex I find start to curve/mould themselves to the shape of my thumb which is irritating - I may have a nuclear digit..
Great stuff man! I’m having a really hard time dialing out the brightness in mine; what do you suggest regarding tubes, settings, etc. p.s. I do use Herdims sideways, but my settings are completely as dark as it’ll go. Help!
I followed your video's on this amp.The build quality looks awesome(the blue isolated wires for example) but to the design side of this amp,it looks like a little disaster (the melted and broken plastic backpanel,the bias issues in half power mode,the powertubed heat issues etc.) For an tubeamp,with its fame and high price tag,it's like a scam to me. I own 2 Burriss Royal Bluesman (version 1 and 2),hand and hardwired amps and they're lovely tubeamps to sound,build quality and don't have all this kind of issues. Sadly enough,they're out production for about 8 years already. Hopefully you get one on your workbench one day and make a video about it.
New to chanel, breath of fresh air. Looking for well built bedroom amp,would value your opinion, trust your judgment after watching several of your screenings. Keep it up,awesome.
It seems to me that Matchless should take a cue from old commercial mic-paging amps and mount the hottest-running resistors on the tube side of the chassis, with a screened cage around the resistors(s). This was occasionally seen on old Dukane, Rauland and Webster PA amps.
I’m a big one for simplicity in circuits. To my ear the full power just sounds better than half power and the level difference isn’t great. I’d rather use full power with the master down a hair than use the half power. And is that impedance mismatch that changes the sound of half power - not in a great way IMO. Half power could be a gig saver if an EL84 went out though.
@@PsionicAudio Well, either the OT has secondary impedance taps appropriate for the speaker(s) or it doesn't. If the speaker(s) are 8 or 16 ohm and the impedance switch is 4-8-16, then impedance-wise you're good: just switch down a half at half-power. But if the speaker(s) are only 4 ohm then yeah, you're stuck with a half-power mismatch. You might still prefer the AC/DC's full-power tone. I've a Carvin Nomad "Vintage"-50 where I personally prefer half-power with the 8-ohm speaker on the 4-ohm tap -- but aside from each having a quad of el84's, they're very different amps.
Yeah, the speakers are wired as a 4 ohm load. Which is kind of weird. Means you can’t run the internal speakers and external cabs at the same time. I’d wire them in series to get 16 if it was my amp to get the better sounding half power option.
@@PsionicAudio That is weird. You'd think Matchless, of all outfits, could source 16-ohm speakers if they wanted them in parallel. Are the ones you've got here OEM kit?
I've got a question that I think is relevant. You consistently cast aspersions on all Mesa Boogie at every opportunity. I've heard that Boogie amps are very difficult and time consuming to work on, but I've searched the net for anyone...other than you... that calls them junk or poorly designed and have found nothing. Mesa has sold thousands of amps per year for decades, yet there is no "trail of tears" following the name. Yes, I've got a couple Boogies, so perhaps I'm biased, but I've got a few other amps including a Vox AC-15, Vox Berkley 2, Fender Super Twin et al...and I've had no issues with any of them. I'm an engineer so I'm not really susceptible to BS, so I've got to ask... Have your seen excessive numbers of Boogies hit your shop other than the statistically expected number of failures (~5% of sales) ?
When almost every Boogie has the same kinds of problems, and when every good tech I know keeps running into the same problems over and over, it’s not me being biased. Seriously, I know most of the really great techs out there. They all see the same problems with Mesas. They all hate them. Some of them refuse to take Mesas in.
on the subject of getting variacs or something of the sort to feed these amps the right voltage and increase longevity, is there anything you recommend?
A calibrated Variac is best but expensive and heavy. Brownbox is popular but gives less control, and is expensive. There are computer UPCs that can be set to 110 or 120 and they stay steady, and they are relatively inexpensive, but you have to match the current draw of the amp to the device. But it can be a great option for one amp at a time.
@@PsionicAudio Thank you for the response. I have a UPS, but there's a warning not to connect big equipment like printers to it, so I figured amps were out too. I'll look into one that offers variable output voltage selection. Cheers
They’re quieter at idle/less hiss and hum now than the old ones. The Sampson era mystique is just people with old amps trying to sell them at a premium.
I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't care for the sound of these. I keep watching DC-30 videos thinking something will change. To each their own I guess.
Like you, I'm always left underwhelmed by the Matchless sound in demos. I expect them to be like the best 'AC30' sound, but it usually sounds harsh with an aggressive, ragged break-up. I guess it's something that works best in the live scenario. So many respected players use them, there must be something to it.
Pick makes a huge difference in tone and attack. Great reminder.
Herdim blues are everything. Equally as important as everything else in the signal chain.
Nice demo Lyle! Since deciding to copy JB and giving up picks entirely for the last +15 years I've not thought about these issues, but do chase the brightest strings and amps possible!
Snarling Dogs .60, it’s very thin and I get a lot of brightness from the pick. Also I use a 3 mil bone pick often for leads when you want some fret slap, kind of a blues thing. Then I have a sharp point Dunlop Jazz shape, there are times you want notes to pop out. They make Stainless Steel Fender picks, you can really hear the metal. I use all kinds, mostly the Snarling Dogs .60 so I can just wail on the strings.
Among my 100 odd Tortex I have a Herco or two somewhere and I’m going to find them. They are wonderful onstage, that extra little bit of confidence I won’t drop it, but I forgot that I actually liked the sound too.
Nuance is a many splendored thing.
The white TUSQ picks from Graphtech are the brightest sounding picks I have ever used.
Possibly you should have done that pick demonstration using an Orange - it would have gone with the song :-)
Thanks as always Lyle.
Really great insights re picks.
I've been on the Herco/Dunlop using the serated edge for quite a few years now. In general I like the tone of a pick used on its side rather than its tip anyway - a thing I picked up from a mate years ago who plays acoustic archtops. The Tortex I find start to curve/mould themselves to the shape of my thumb which is irritating - I may have a nuclear digit..
Great stuff man! I’m having a really hard time dialing out the brightness in mine; what do you suggest regarding tubes, settings, etc. p.s. I do use Herdims sideways, but my settings are completely as dark as it’ll go. Help!
Jazz III are my favorites.
I use those a lot too.
One pick to rule them all.... Dunlop Primetone 1.5mm. Nuff said. 😁
I followed your video's on this amp.The build quality looks awesome(the blue isolated wires for example) but to the design side of this amp,it looks like a little disaster (the melted and broken plastic backpanel,the bias issues in half power mode,the powertubed heat issues etc.)
For an tubeamp,with its fame and high price tag,it's like a scam to me.
I own 2 Burriss Royal Bluesman (version 1 and 2),hand and hardwired amps and they're lovely tubeamps to sound,build quality and don't have all this kind of issues. Sadly enough,they're out production for about 8 years already. Hopefully you get one on your workbench one day and make a video about it.
Surely an orange coloured pick for Tangerine!
...living reflection from a dream, verily.
Sooo its down to picks now. I made a pick out of a broken hey. Its a bit bright sounding on the attack but I actually enjoy it being diferent.
Yep, sounds good
Tree stump... That's the one I use.
I'm a Zeppelin freak and to me the green pick sounded best for Tangerine.
I use Dunlop .88 Sharps.
New to chanel, breath of fresh air. Looking for well built bedroom amp,would value your opinion, trust your judgment after watching several of your screenings. Keep it up,awesome.
Thanks Bill. What's your budget and what styles does it need to cover?
@@PsionicAudio mainly blues,rock. Decent money
@@PsionicAudio probably 1 tier below top
My guess is that the heat problem will likely be exacerbated when the now open chassis is installed in the cab fully enclosing the chassis.
It seems to me that Matchless should take a cue from old commercial mic-paging amps and mount the hottest-running resistors on the tube side of the chassis, with a screened cage around the resistors(s). This was occasionally seen on old Dukane, Rauland and Webster PA amps.
Boy, you really got under Steven Fryette’s skin.
Every time I feel like buying new gear, I buy some new picks I haven't tried. Btw, do you know a nice fuzz that does the Tangerine solo tone? ;-)
I don’t know if that was an Octavia or what.
So if you need a delay pedal, you buy picks instead? [Kidding of course]
@@qua7771 At this point, the last thing I need is another delay pedal ;-)
Dunlop Primetone for me.
I like them on acoustic. Too dark for me on electric.
Personal opinion, but I think an integrated high-low/impedance selector would be overly complicated. Separate is simple and retains versatility.
I’m a big one for simplicity in circuits. To my ear the full power just sounds better than half power and the level difference isn’t great. I’d rather use full power with the master down a hair than use the half power. And is that impedance mismatch that changes the sound of half power - not in a great way IMO.
Half power could be a gig saver if an EL84 went out though.
@@PsionicAudio Well, either the OT has secondary impedance taps appropriate for the speaker(s) or it doesn't. If the speaker(s) are 8 or 16 ohm and the impedance switch is 4-8-16, then impedance-wise you're good: just switch down a half at half-power. But if the speaker(s) are only 4 ohm then yeah, you're stuck with a half-power mismatch.
You might still prefer the AC/DC's full-power tone. I've a Carvin Nomad "Vintage"-50 where I personally prefer half-power with the 8-ohm speaker on the 4-ohm tap -- but aside from each having a quad of el84's, they're very different amps.
Yeah, the speakers are wired as a 4 ohm load. Which is kind of weird. Means you can’t run the internal speakers and external cabs at the same time. I’d wire them in series to get 16 if it was my amp to get the better sounding half power option.
@@PsionicAudio That is weird. You'd think Matchless, of all outfits, could source 16-ohm speakers if they wanted them in parallel. Are the ones you've got here OEM kit?
Yup. Matchless branded greenbacks. Maybe someone changed the wiring to parallel. Haven’t done a deep dive.
I've got a question that I think is relevant. You consistently cast aspersions on all Mesa Boogie at every opportunity. I've heard that Boogie amps are very difficult and time consuming to work on, but I've searched the net for anyone...other than you... that calls them junk or poorly designed and have found nothing. Mesa has sold thousands of amps per year for decades, yet there is no "trail of tears" following the name. Yes, I've got a couple Boogies, so perhaps I'm biased, but I've got a few other amps including a Vox AC-15, Vox Berkley 2, Fender Super Twin et al...and I've had no issues with any of them. I'm an engineer so I'm not really susceptible to BS, so I've got to ask... Have your seen excessive numbers of Boogies hit your shop other than the statistically expected number of failures (~5% of sales) ?
When almost every Boogie has the same kinds of problems, and when every good tech I know keeps running into the same problems over and over, it’s not me being biased.
Seriously, I know most of the really great techs out there. They all see the same problems with Mesas. They all hate them. Some of them refuse to take Mesas in.
on the subject of getting variacs or something of the sort to feed these amps the right voltage and increase longevity, is there anything you recommend?
A calibrated Variac is best but expensive and heavy. Brownbox is popular but gives less control, and is expensive. There are computer UPCs that can be set to 110 or 120 and they stay steady, and they are relatively inexpensive, but you have to match the current draw of the amp to the device. But it can be a great option for one amp at a time.
@@PsionicAudio Thank you for the response. I have a UPS, but there's a warning not to connect big equipment like printers to it, so I figured amps were out too. I'll look into one that offers variable output voltage selection. Cheers
have u changed the electric components in your Les Paul?
Pots and caps (500Ks and .022s so nothing odd). Stock BB1 and BB2.
@@PsionicAudio thank u
Pick = Plectrum
More Zeppelin riffs. 🙂
Samson era versus now….Go
They’re quieter at idle/less hiss and hum now than the old ones. The Sampson era mystique is just people with old amps trying to sell them at a premium.
That plastic panel has just been cooked!
I am aghast at the messy build of these things.
I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't care for the sound of these. I keep watching DC-30 videos thinking something will change. To each their own I guess.
Like you, I'm always left underwhelmed by the Matchless sound in demos. I expect them to be like the best 'AC30' sound, but it usually sounds harsh with an aggressive, ragged break-up. I guess it's something that works best in the live scenario. So many respected players use them, there must be something to it.