Matchless Spitfire

Matchless Spitfire


Matchless Spitfire

MatchlessBehind

The Spitfire has been my go-to studio and gigging amp for the last 3 years. It is a one channel 15 watt hand-wired tube amp featuring: 2 x EL84 Power Tubes and 3 x 12AX7 Preamp Tubes. The amp is equipped with a Celestion G12H speaker modified in house by Matchless. Reverb is an additional option, and one that I opted for.

The Pros

The Tone! This amp always receives praise at gigs from fellow musicians to sound guys to audience members. It is a fantastic sounding amp. The Spitfire has plenty of clean headroom and handles pedals very well. It is solidly constructed, and with the purchase of a Tuki padded amp cover – it stays well protected ($75). The amp has been reliable and trouble-free for 3 years. One extra cool feature is that you can customize your amp and choose the colors your prefer for the tolex, faceplate, and grill cloth!

Tuki

The Cons

The Buzz! Unfortunately, it tends to be a little noisy. Depending on the guitar and the pedal, the noise could be amplified. Vintage pedals tend to create more buzz than modern. In most cases it is not an overwhelming issue – and I’m not sure a silent amp exists. Another con is the price. Matchless ignited the boutique craze in 1989 – and you will pay boutique prices for their amps.

The Bottom Line

The quality of the amp justifies the cost. The tone this amp produces is worth the price alone. If you are looking for a professional quality amp with that Voxy chime – the Spitfire delivers. If you want a little more gain – check out the Lightning model. Street Price: $1909. With Reverb: $2172

For more information on the Matchless Spitfire visit: MatchlesAmplifiers.com

Article by: Andrew Hardel