Matchless Lightning Clone Build

[Wayne Alexander]

My latest. I started with a Ceriatone Lightning kit, but substituted the back panel (and half power switch) from a Creme Brulee - I can use the 1/2 power switch, I wouldn't have used the line out from the Matchless kit that mounts in the same spot. I swapped the coupling caps from the supplied Malllory 150 types (which were fine) with Sozos which I like a little better. I used a 22K dropping resistor for the preamp rail, as per the Matchless original, rather than the 4.7K one that comes with the Ceriatone kit. This change is truer to the original, and gets it a little dirtier sooner with a bit lower plate voltage in the preamp section. I used the Westlabs Matchless 15 watt transformer set. This really sounds great, very much like the left channel of my Matchless SC-30, the Vox Top Boost inspired channel. Though real Matchlesses are true point to point, the circuit board type construction doesn't seem to hurt tonally. If you haven't played a Matchless, you'd find that a Lightning has much more clean headroom than an AC15 has, tighter bass and more "authority" sonically, and it is notably louder than an AC15, even though the tube complement is the same. The master volume works incredibly well, though most of the range is between zero and 1 on the dial. The half power switch (pentode-triode switch on the EL84s) still leaves the thing pretty loud by some people's standards. There's something about the Matchless design, transformers, etc, that is just plain louder than a lot of other amps.

If you're after the EF86 (dirtier) channel of the SC / DC30 but in a 15 watt power, the Ceriatone Creme Brulee is similar to that - something like the Matchless Nighthawk. I like them both but slightly prefer the Lightning for what I do.

Ceriatone is a first rate place to deal with, if you're in the US you just source the heavy stuff (transformers, cabinets) locally to save on shipping. They ship faster from Malaysia to Los Angeles than most US based business ship from a couple states away.

I got the head cab from Anthony at Gabkits, it was a perfect fit and even had the mounting holes predrilled in the right places.

[birddog01]

Nice work Wayne.
Thanks for explaining and describing the Matchless sound, never played one.
What speaker/speakers you run into?

Thanks for the heads up on Cieratone, was kind of looking at some of there stuff, nice to know about how long an order would take.
Always thinking about next build possibility, going hmm....I was thinking Supro but...I dunno.

[andyfromdenver]

Super sweet!
I'm sure it sounds like a million $.

[Wayne Alexander]

Wally, so far I've just run the thing into my SC30 cab, which has a single 12" Matchless-treated Celestion G12H (they chemically treat the cone with something). It sounds very, very good. I'm also planning to use it through an Avatar 2x12 open back cab with one Scumback Scumnico 65 watt (alnico british voiced, like a 60's Celestion Silver) and one Scumback H75 65 watt (ceramic british voiced, like a broken in 60's Celestion G12 H), those types of speakers blend really well. Matchlesses sound good with the stock Matchless 2x12 speaker blend too, a G12H and a G12M, both chemically treated with something.

[guz19]

Very nice, consider getting one.