New Matamp Site

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weasel_face
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by weasel_face »

Haha thanks man it's been a bit of a cluster fuck for sure. It's probably not worth sending to tim because the guy I go to here has figuered out what the problem is. It's just a matter of getting some help from the company about what to do. We've sent two long emails and called over the last month but still no resolution. I think they're talking it over now. We tested the tubes and bias again yesterday after 2 weeks and it drifted and no surprise the tubes are wearing faster than other amps. It's just running tubes way above their rated spec. I don't want to get rid of it but if I crank this thing like I should be able to it'll most likely pop a tube or fuse. I can't really use an amp that burns tubes out every six months so I'm pretty stuck haha. Ah well live and learn I guess haha.
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weasel_face
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by weasel_face »

Just a quick update. Another tube blew out the other day so I've decided to send it back for a refund. Pretty disappointed about the whole thing but I managed to find this Sovtek bassov 100watt head for half the price in a local second hand shop. Anyway good outcome and I hope no one else has a similar experience to me.

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Captain_Phildo
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by Captain_Phildo »

I've been interested in the Matamps for a while, but the problems people are having are putting me off. Is this a common thing? Is their claim true that these amps eat tubes as a result of their design?
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Fuzzz
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by Fuzzz »

I've been using Matamp's for the past 15 years and found them to be very reliable. No problems like detailed above. I even forgot to plug in a speaker cable with my 1224 and fired it up to no Ill Effects :banger:

I did however own a 77 Marshall Super Bass and it had very similar issues - tubes dying constantly, bias drifting, screen resistors frying.. it went on and on. It seemed to be a problem with modern tubes not coping with the crazy high voltage through the plates, combined with sensitivity to voltage surges (the supply in Glasgow city comes out the wall at 250+ at my work)

Anyways, months of trial and error , new ceramic tube sockets, JJKT77s and a variac and it all settled down. Weirdly it never red plated or went into meltdown with the tech. He recommended a power conditioner but the variac and KT77s worked . I got fed up with all the extra hardware . I'm now using a Matamp GT1 and it's awesome :freakout:
Logic should not interfere with determination
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Dr Tony Balls
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by Dr Tony Balls »

Fuzzz wrote:I did however own a 77 Marshall Super Bass and it had very similar issues - tubes dying constantly, bias drifting, screen resistors frying.. it went on and on. It seemed to be a problem with modern tubes not coping with the crazy high voltage through the plates, combined with sensitivity to voltage surges (the supply in Glasgow city comes out the wall at 250+ at my work)

Anyways, months of trial and error , new ceramic tube sockets, JJKT77s and a variac and it all settled down. Weirdly it never red plated or went into meltdown with the tech. He recommended a power conditioner but the variac and KT77s worked . I got fed up with all the extra hardware . I'm now using a Matamp GT1 and it's awesome :freakout:
Your problem with the Super Bass is likely not the plates, but the screens. Max plate voltage on EL34s is 800V, whcih is WAY beyond what they'll ever see in that amp. The +10V Glasgow swing is only 4%...it'll never get your plates anywhere near 800V. The screens, however, are usually rated at 450V or 500V. A Super Bass, like many old guitar amps, is made to run the screen voltage at-or-near the plate voltage, meaning you're very likely getting over 500V at times, and stressing your tubes. The KT77 is a nice solution because the screens there are rated for 600V+. You shouldnt even need to adjust voltage via the variac running those tubes (though EVH brown sound may suffer).
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Fuzzz
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by Fuzzz »

Thanks for the clarification Tony. :cheers: That makes sense. I was going on memory and my knowledge of amp techy stuff is limited .

I nearly gave up on the super bass a few weeks after getting it due to all the probs but i got a good few happy years with it. It's touring with a Motörhead tribute band now :party:
Logic should not interfere with determination
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resynthesis
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by resynthesis »

Sorry to derail a bit (it is related to power, tubes, biasing and, erm, Glasgow :oldgrin: )

I'm not a big fan of Rig Rundown in general but I have you seen the AC/DC episode? Interesting how they power, bias and destroy amps. As I remember those Kikusui supplies cost as much as a small car

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sluttyindian
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by sluttyindian »

I was going to make a new post about this but ill just add my own experiences here.

I put in an order for a GT40 many moons ago now, I think it was around 2011-2012. Ever since I got it (including the fact that it was DOA) I have had issues with it. I think there was a point in time where it ran relatively smoothly but I could be mistaken. My memory is so incredibly bad that I once forgot my ex-girlfriend's birthday (we were going out for 5 years at the time) when we were booking tickets to Thailand together. Not sure if my issues were related to Weasal's but it was doing wonderful things like:
-blowing fuses
-passing no sound
-going really quiet then really loud and farty

It sounded good with fuzz and it was my first boutqiue-y tube amp so I just kept putting up with it but it kept giving me issues. Recently it started doing the quiet then loud thing so I decided to take it in to Dave Peach who is quite a renowned amp fixer. He called me and basically shat on the build quality of the amp and said that he would have to do a lot of work on it for it to run issue free. (I asked him to send me the invoice and what he did to the amp so I will pots it up there for those curious) $320 and 5 minutes later, no sound is passing through it so I am taking it back tomorrow.

After hearing Weasal's experiences and others, it really tainted my view on the matamp. I thought mine was just a bad one but it seems that its not the case.
"These pedals are like women, when you need one there's none around. When you finally get in a serious relationship with one, they come out of the woodwork." -Turkish
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1bottlerocket
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by 1bottlerocket »

That is completely unacceptable for a new amp to do that right out of the factory. I wonder to myself if the QC people are even playing these amps and burning them in. If they are, why in the hell are they shipping them to paying customers? After reading this thread I would never come close to buying a Matamp and steer everyone I know away from them. That is so fucked up.
Never argue with an idiot, they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience
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1bottlerocket
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Re: New Matamp Site

Post by 1bottlerocket »

Captain_Phildo wrote:I've been interested in the Matamps for a while, but the problems people are having are putting me off. Is this a common thing? Is their claim true that these amps eat tubes as a result of their design?
If they do eat tubes due to their design then they need to be redesigned. There is no good or valid reason for an amp to prematurely wear out tubes or blow fuses.
Never argue with an idiot, they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience
-Garfunk M. Rafferty
_________________________________________
For all things stomp: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/
Big Muff History Page: http://bigmuffpage.com/
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