About the
PREAMPLIFIER SECTION
Your MATCHLESS amplifier employs two very different tube types and circuit designs for
the preamplifier channels giving each channel its own distinctive response and personality.
This enhances the versatility of our "simplicity" of design philosophy.
INSTRUMENT INPUTS:
You MATCHLESS amplifier has two input channels or preamp paths. Each
preamp has two inputs, one just above the other. The purpose of having two inputs is that
the upper input (input 1) provides more gain than the lower one (input 2). Instrument
pickups vary in signal strength and the user may find one input offers a better
match
than the other, and this may vary among instruments. As a rule, older instruments
usually have lower output strength and may sound punchier through the input with more
gain (input 1), while instruments with newer style pickups that
may be much hotter
,
may
perform satisfactorily with less gain (input 2), and improve the headroom of the amplifier.
Feel free to experiment and decide for yourself which input sounds best with your
instruments.
CHANNEL ONE:
This channel has three controls, VOLUME, BASS, and TREBLE. This is the "triode"
channel. This channel offers a two stage active tone circuit employing a second pair of
triode amplifiers. This circuitry is popularly referred to as a
"toneboost"
or
"treble-boost"
circuit. The Bass and Treble controls are highly interactive and capable of a wide variety
of textures. Channel One may be preferred for that early
British
sound that we have
become so endeared to. If you play a RICKENBACKER or GRETSCH guitar through this
channel, you will recognize this familiar sound instantly.
CHANNEL TWO:
This channel utilizes a "pentode" vacuum tube as the first preamplifier stage and is
followed with a six position rotary switch to control the tone envelope. This preamplifier
tube is capable of more gain than channel one and is capable of being overdriven harder.
The tone control for this channel is passive. This may become the channel of choice for a
"heavier" sound, especially when overdriven and used in conjunction with the
MASTER
volume control option. The multi-position rotary tone switch varies the dimension or
width of the tone envelope. The minimum position (counter clockwise) will produce a
thinner sound that will become thicker and thicker with each clockwise click of the
switch. This switch has a total of six tonal textures.
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