In the early 90's, my girlfriend played in a band with one of the original owners of Matchless. This is when I got turned onto handwired Class A amps. I got to play on all the early ones, but could never afford one! I just borrowed them from Steve Goodale, an ex owner.
One mistake a lot of players make is thinking that because they're expensive, they're the best. These amps have a particular tone that you either love or hate. Most Matchless or Badcats for sale are by guys who quickly realized THAT tone was not for them. It's very tubby in the mids and the best tone they produce is a pushed clean.
I visited the new Matchless factory when I needed some vinyl and light bulbs.
I asked Phil Jamison what the difference was between the Sampson era ones and his current ones. He said ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE! We build them exactly the same with all the same parts. He said "if anything, the new ones should be better because we make less of them and spend more time pouring over details."
As for Bad Cat, I think Sampson's produced a better gain circuit than Jamison has.
The amps are very similar, but I think Matchless' sound fatter, but Bad Cats sound tighter in the lows. Comparing the two companies is silly, but comparing their products isn't. I just wish I could get a Bad Cat Hot Cat and a Matchless Phoenix in the same room together to see which one I like more. The Hotcat 30 and 100 head is my favorite Bad Cat. The Chieftain 30 and DC-30 will always be Matchless' claim to fame. And for those HIGH prices, you'd BETTER play the model first, then scour the market for one to buy. They all sound about the same, but tubes REALLY dictate how they sound. They're very sensitive to different tube brands.
You have to try an HC-30 out just for the simple fact that The Refreshments use them! :headbang:
