Matchless HC-30 | The Holy Grail of EL84 Amps
It doesn’t get a whole lot better than this folks. The ultimate clean amp, the ultimate pedal platform, the ultimate mid-gain amp, etc. The Matchless HC-30 is the flagship of the lineup with a very conservatively rated 30 watts from a quartet of EL-84’s. True “Class A” configuration through two channels gives rich, complex harmonics whether played clean, mildly overdriven, or with all out power tube saturation. The preamp sections are based on a layout of two 12AX7’s in Channel 1 and one EF86 in Channel 2. The two 12AX7’s in Channel 1 create a parallel-triode circuit with interactive bass and treble. The one EF86 in Channel 2 consists of a high-gain pentode coupled to a six-position tone switch. There is a super addictive quality to playing through such a touch sensitive amp that lets your style & expression shine through.
LEARN MORE: https://www.matchlessamplifiers.com/amplifiers-and-cabinets/c-30
AMP SPECIFICATIONS:
• Ch. 1 Controls: Volume, Bass, Treble
• Ch. 2 Controls: Volume, Tone, Cut control, Bypassable master volume
• Dual inputs for each channel, Effects loop
• Reverse speaker phase, Hi-lo power, 3 Position rotary Impedance, 6 Position rotary tone
• 4 x EL84
• 1 x EF86, 3 x 12AX7
• 1 x 5AR4 or 2 x 5V4G tubes
• Switchable Impedance of 4, 8, and 16 Ohms
SIGNAL CHAIN:
• Guitars: Epiphone Sheraton II Pro, Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender Hybrid 60’s Telecaster
• Pedalboard (Pedals used: BOSS DD-500, Walrus Fathom Reverb, Xotic BB-Preamp (only used for John Mayer riff.) *All other overdrive tones are coming straight from the amp.
• Friedman Buffer Bay
• Matchless HC-30 Head
• Matchless ESD 2×12 Cabinet
• Shure SM57 & Neumann TLM102
• Universal Audio Apollo 8p
• Logic Pro X
• Waves rVerb
Riffs Played:
Some Random Noodling
Temples – Move With The Season
Ariel Posen – Hollow Hour
John Mayer Trio – Good Love Is On The Way
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
Queen – Dragon Attack
Opeth – Patterns In The Ivy II
Suede – Animal Nitrate
Jeff Buckley – So Real
Muse – Falling Down
King Tuff – Black Moon Spell
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My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zzwish/
See what’s new: https://linktr.ee/zachwish
My Bands:
Naked Pictures (guitar):
Bandcamp: https://nakedpicturesrichmond.bandcamp.com/album/w-i-d-e
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4vvLi0kRfdtg85tzTS7aSc?si=YMhPTAHcQlCUKTzp8iFrwg
Large Margin (bass):
Bandcamp: https://largemargin.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6QlKIcfTxI04FzlCUM2eOg?si=8qystjyQT12I-WpJjeIKYQ
Proudly playing Ernie Ball strings.
#Matchless #MatchlessAmps #MatchlessHC30
#Matchless #HC30 #Holy #Grail #EL84 #Amps
Originally posted by UCSgTOPa7Pc9QdfsnONYvq5Q at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmXntEIrnKs
What a great video. I love how people like this guy who can actually play don't need to talk.
Sounds good, but Trainwreck made the best EL84 amps of all time. Komet Amps are also a tier above Matchless.
Great demonstration and your playing is killer!
A great amp indeed, I had one, but for me, it has a big problem. The master volume is really bad and completely kills the magic of the amp. And to get some break up tones you need to play really looud. No problem if you play in large venues, but for smaller venues or studio the amp is too loud. With a good master volume (as many amps have as in example Friedmans) this would be the best amp ever.
Yeah Dragon attack !
God bless you for stopping by this comment, and may your entire family prosper in all areas
You're my favorite guitar player on earth!
Zach, if you could only play one Matchless amp for the rest of your life, which one would it be?????
Best amp demo video ever. Period.
Always coming back here to listen for that intro. ❤
I'm stunned. Hope I'll recover. Holy grail are the words. I swear I'll get one before I die.
Anyone have first hand experience with this and a Z wreck?
This is a great demo. I like that he is playing very simple but cool parts. It really showcases the amp. How could anybody not want one of these amps? Definitely gotta get some Matchless happening in my studio!
Great playing!
The first bit of notes from like the zero second mark to the third might be some of the best overall tone ever.
A Suede riff?! Bernard Butler is an underappreciated player
Please!!! Do a tonex captures!!!❤
Nice review
Gorgeous playing mate, you get some brilliant feels.
Tele the best, omfg
Anyone have a custom shop tele?
I’ve got an R9….
Great Amp…and great T shirt with Dario Argento cult!
I wonder if backing up one of those mics a few feet would clean up those murky low mids a bit?
Bernard Butler! ❤
You really nailed the King’s of Leon tone with the Sheraton! Nice playing as always.
Are you using an attenuator or can you handle the regular volume by being so close to the amp?
How can you leave the Cut control wide open on this bright amp? Do you use the tone knob on the guitar?
I love this video Zach. What year is that amp?
This sounds so damn good I can’t stop playing this back just wow
Came for the demo, stayed for the shirt
Great playing, great choice of songs ……….????????????
Thanks for the great playing in this demo. I am becoming a big Matchless fan. What particularly strikes me about all your examples is an exceptional tone balance, with almost no dominant notes or ranges of notes. That’s an EL84 signature but I hear it best with Matchless amps. There’s just no way to post process a guitar recording with ‘stick-out’ frequency response. The sounds you’re getting – clean and overdriven – would be a delight to mix in a band recording.
01:04 Oh man, so great to hear Move With The Seasons by Temples!! Love that song, and it sounds amazing on the Matchless! Thanks for that!!!
2:58
4:04
5:13
5:55
7:05
Sick Inferno shirt
Hate to say it but there are a few EL84 amps I would take over that. A Chinese Vox for one. Don’t care for the driven tones on the Matchless. Too soft. A good Vox is a rock machine as well as a chimy dirty clean Goddess. I’d be looking at Top Hat if I wanted more high end American EL84. I really like my Lonestar Special but even with EL84’s I would say it’s super Voxy. Their TA30 does an awesome Vox tone on the 1st Channel.
Man you always have a great tone.
6:06 to 7:00 songs ?
Pure magic. Unparalleled and incomparable. Hence the name Matchless. There are only two types of people: those who have a Matchless and those who want one. I’m in the latter camp.
If you ever get chance try a Kingsley amp. Very similar to this but has that something extra that just pips it imo. Great playing by the way.
I just got an HC30 and it really is the holy grail tone, wow!!
can someone please tell me the name of all the songs that were played here? Some of them I haven’t heard in a long time and it’s killing me trying to find them!!!
Such a great video !! Hearing you play “so real” with that Tele and amp gave me goosebumps!!
That Sheraton, wow!
What was that first song you played on the pink telecaster? Heard the riff before just can’t name the song
Buckley, Opeth & a really beautiful sounding Amp!
How did i miss this video… this is flat out incredible.
Great playing!
Gosh that sounds amazing. I don’t even wanna know how much one of those costs!
buena loco, exelente ejecucion y muy buen set