A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

[crusty philtrum]

I gave my main amp a minor facelift the other day, so I thought it might be interesting to tell you a bit about it.

I built all of it from scratch some years ago ... folded and drilled the chasis, had the torroidal transformers built to my specs, did all the woodwork for the head and cab you'll also see, sprayed the chasis and control panel CandyApple Red, created the layout (I never use kits or follow anyone's else's layouts), everything was done by myself with no other input, no shortcuts.

Basically the Matchless DC30 is a Vox AC30 that combines two channels that have been used in AC30s, but never in the same model. It has an EF86 channel (volume, 6-way tone selector switch) that was in the original AC15's and very early AC30s. The other channel is the standard AC30 Top Boost channel.

Here's a pic of the previous look, and the new look ...

The handle is offset so the head balances perfectly when being carried. A recessed perforated metal vent is directly above the power valves.

While I had the chasis out, I took a couple of crummy pics to give you an idea of the layout ... the EF86 preamp valve is over on the left, in a shock-mounted socket ...

There are two unused valve sockets that will be used for tremolo and a valve effects loop, whenever I get around to wiring them up, hehe. There is a knob on the front panel labelled 'P-O-S' ... hehe ... that will be the 'Parallel-Off-Series' switch for the loop. There's also 'Send' and 'Return' controls on the front, Speed and Depth for tremolo, and of course the all-important Vox 'Cut' control. THERE IS NO MASTER VOLUME CONTROL. This is a proper amp, hehe.

Each pair of EL84 power valves have their own Standby switches and Triode-Pentode switches. Despite the versatility, I find I only ever use the amp in standard AC30 mode .... all tubes on, all running in Pentode. Even at very low levels, that still gives the best sound. The output is a hair under 40 Watts.

Here's the head on a homebrew 2 x 10 cabinet. The head is wider because these were built at different times for different purposes, but things change, hehe. The speaker cab is solid pine and holds a pair of Celestion 10" Alnico Gold speakers. I am building an identical cab to house my pair of Celestion 10" Greenbacks. (For small playing situations I use one pair of 10s, for anything involving drums and more sound I use all four 10s, the Alnico pair and the Greenback pair, the latter which have been temporarily living in a gutted Epiphone combo cabinet ... you can see a bit of that in the very first pic).

When the second cab is finished, I will fit both cabs with Vox grillecloth and the 'Matchless' logos (which is not the Matchless amp company's logo, what you see are the old Matchless Motorcycle company logo). They're waterslide decals I attached to plastic plates I made. When I can afford to to fit the speaker cabs with the Vox fabric, I may also change all the white piping to gold.

Anyway, that's the state of play at the moment, I'll make a new thread when the other cabinet is built. I've used this head many many times away from home, it's as tough as a tank, lightweight, and it sounds incredible, it always collects compliments. In fact sometimes I've thought that I live in it's shadow. I've built a lot of amps for people, but this one is really special.

Here it is yesterday with a couple of old friends ...

This last pic shows the LP-based guitar I built a few years ago (the build thread is in 'The Vault'), so I suppose the pic could be titled 'I Built Everything In This Picture'.

Thanks for looking.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Super cool amp! Love the red chassis and transformers! A DC30 is one of those holy grail amps for me. Thanks for posting this!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

The logo is perfect. My first thought was "where did you get an old motorcycle badge in perfect condition. The whole amp looks unique and cool, before and after.

Years ago, I had a green DC-30, because I was playing in a band with an early Matchless owner. It was my introduction to both boutique amps and Vox types in general. I ended up parting with it for a 97 Chieftain.

The main difference in yours is the torroidal transformers, which is definitely lighter, but Matchless uses gigantic iron in theirs. I know the donuts can put out some volume though, since a lot of high end power amps utilize them.

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Nice! I've always loved the Vox AC30. Nice work improving on it.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

The logo is perfect. My first thought was "where did you get an old motorcycle badge in perfect condition. The whole amp looks unique and cool, before and after.

The main difference in yours is the torroidal transformers, which is definitely lighter, but Matchless uses gigantic iron in theirs. I know the donuts can put out some volume though, since a lot of high end power amps utilize them.

I got the decals from Ebay. There is a badge available, but it's only 3 1/2" across, although the seller says they can make larger ones ...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MATCHLES...946180?hash=item5d3d45d8c4:g:bp0AAMXQXQxRZTYt

I kinda like the idea of the old motorcyle version of the name ... Matchless motorcycles were built in the UK, and with the Vox fabric, it gives a nod to both the amplifier companies that contributed to this build. Along with the use of two types of Brit-built Celestion speakers, (greenbacks and Alnicos), the whole setup is very much a link back to my English heritage, and the sounds that I grew up with and still love.

I was a little concerned about how the output transformer might sound because I'm used to the sound of traditional steel transformers. But I needn't have worried, it sounds magnificent. And even if I wasn't happy, I have an unused traditional AC30 transformer I had built that I could install, but there's no need.

Another bonus of the torroidals is that they have a lot less hum-causing radiation, so I can sit my delay pedal on top of the head without having to worry about it picking up noise.

With the thick aluminium chasis, the two torroidal transformers, and the solid pine enclosure, the head is much lighter than a more traditional construction, and that's important to me because I'm getting older and I have a bad back. That's also the reason why I've moved to using 10" speakers, ... the amp chasis was originally designed to go with 2 x 12" speaker setups. The 2 x 10 cab in the pictures is not heavy, and the duplicate with the Greenbacks will be even lighter.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Ah looks amazing Crusty!

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

hell yes!

 

[JeffB]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Awesome :bigthumb:

Must be a great feeling to know you created the tools you create the music with.

 

[jeremy]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

thats great! i was wondering what the pos knob was so glad you covered that. the torroidal trannys probably cut the weight down a lot. matchless iron is huge

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Must be a great feeling to know you created the tools you create the music with.

I've always been acutely aware that homebrew stuff can often work perfectly well at home and then suddenly be problematic at a gig, and the last thing I want is to get distracted from playing because I'm worrying about something in my gear I could have/ should have done better.

Combined with knowing all too well how tough working life can be for music gear, that's led me to a mantra of "Do it once, do it RIGHT".

If that means deeper planning, taking longer with construction and sourcing better parts, spending more money ... then that's what I do. The end goal is always to have something of very high quality that I can use for the rest of my life without worrying, because once something is built, I just want to get back to playing and enjoying good sound.

It used to upset me that visually, I could never get projects to look 100% 'pro' like something you'd buy in a music store, even though sonically I can make better-sounding stuff. but eventually I realised "Well, this IS handmade, one-off stuff, not mass-produced with impressive machinery and expensive processes. If it ends up looking a little hokey, a little cartoonish, perhaps it's something I should celebrate, not be ashamed of".

 

[blaise.brown.7967]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

NICE NICE!! CONGRATS!!

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[d1dsj]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Bloody awesome. In addition to your great attention to detail they look so cool. Just fantastic.

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

The more I think of it, the more I realized you just built my dream amp. That thing is awesome!

 

[stratguy23]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Really great work on so many levels!

What's that headless-looking guitar? Did you make that also?

 

[Demanic]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

So, you went with the toroidals to save weight?

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[crusty philtrum]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

What's that headless-looking guitar? Did you make that also?

That's my wife. I designed that guitar and had it built by a luthier friend back in 1993/4. The bridge/ tuning system came from a headless Washburn Bantam guitar that was only made for one year in the mid-late '80s. She's been my main guitar since she was built. The body is made from one piece of Honduran mahogany (and the neck was cut from right alongside the body) ... my friend bought a huge plank of it to build instruments, and when my guitar was finished, I also ended up with another block cut from that same plank.

Many years later I decided I should use the other plank to build something because it's awesome guitar wood. So I bought a Warmoth neck and a few tools and built the Les Paul you see in the last picture (there's a thread here in 'The Vault' about my newbie efforts when I built it). So those two guitars are sisters, built from the same big old Honduran mahogany tree. They're both very special to me, and any time I get to play out, one or the other of them will always be there.

Here they are together just after the LP was completed a few years ago ...

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

The 2 x 10 cab in the pictures is not heavy, and the duplicate with the Greenbacks will be even lighter.

Those GB 10s, recommended to me by you, I do believe, are really great speakers, and they sound great right out of the box!

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Dude...

AF'nMazing!!!

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

So, you went with the toroidals to save weight?

Actually, no. I originally got them made for a 1964 Selmer Thunderbird combo I had. That amp had a pair of 12" speakers, and the electronice were on two chasis ... the preamp section with the controls was at the top, but the power section was a second chasis on the floor of the cabinet. I planned a complete rebuild, including a pair of vintage Rola-Celestion speakers that were bigger than what had been in there, putting the transformers too close to the speakers, and torroidals would spare the speaker magnets by not being so close to them, although it meant building a new power chasis. (The original power chasis ran a pair of EL34s, I planned to make it a quad of EL84s, Vox-style, and that's what the torroidals were designed for).

Somehow life moved on, so did the Selmer, and I ended up keeping the unused torroidals and the Rola-Celestion speakers. I'd built a bunch of aluminium chasis in 1994, the torroidals were built a few years later, then I spent a few years building tube stuff, developing skills, and stashing away some really high-quality parts for my own purposes. Little by little in my head I was developing ideas for what would eventually become the amp featured in this thread.

Eventually I got kinda burned out with all the tube work I'd been doing for other people and decided it was time to sit down and put everything together to make MY amp. I really can't remember exactly how many years ago I built it. Maybe 8 ?

But the light weight of those transformers has turned out to have been a blessing, as nowdays I struggle with the weight of traditional heads and 2 x 12" cabinets. The name of the game has now become traditional sounds in lighter, easier-to-transport formats. Interestingly, my 'scaled down' vintage-orientated gear works very well in today's world where there are so many volume restrictions.

I'm not quite ready for the world of modelling just yet, hehe ... like it says in my sig, I'm a dinosaur, heheh.

 

[Demanic]

Re: A Look At My Matchless/ Vox Homebrew Amp

Cool. Seeing your design prompted me to research the differences between toroidal and traditional transformers.

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