Orange Matamp series 2000 mystery - updated info

Maybe someone can help you date your Orange Amplifier?

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acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:53 pm

<b>First of all I would like to thank everyone that has contributed so far to my original posting. The response has been fantastic.</b>

I have spoken with Jeff Lewis at Matamp UK twice. Once before, and once after he had viewed pictures of my amp.

He tells me that it is an original 1964 Matamp Series 2000 amp <b>BUT</b> the faceplate and case <b>MUST</b> have been replaced between 1968 and 1970. The faceplate and case would have been replaced by Matamp at that time in their factory.

If I were to sell it to him he would restore the faceplate and case to the original specifications and put it on show in their factory.

He made me an offer of £X

I then asked if he would make <i>me</i> a replacement faceplate and case and he agreed to for around £70.

This would allow me to sell it as a restored Matamp Series 2000 which he would verify if asked.

This would remove all connection to Orange whatsoever which I am slightly dubious about.

I would be gratefull for your opinions on this new development.

<b>Andy</b> (but with an Ace P. Distra faceplate)

















Edited by - acepdistra on 29 Nov 2004 20:30:29

Edited by - acepdistra on 11 Feb 2005 00:52:13

bclaire
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Post by bclaire » Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:57 pm

nevermind... read the next post...



Edited by - bclaire on 30 Jun 2004 17:05:19

bclaire
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Post by bclaire » Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:59 pm

Wait a minute.... what if it were just kicking around the factory from the time it was built until the time they sold it and outfitted it with current faceplate. That thing might be correct as-is.

Too bad there isn't another source for knowledge about this thing....

Billy

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Post by User » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:00 pm

Have you got it to work yet? if you do i say it would be worth well more than £270 on ebay, get matamp to get it working while your at it!

Dave
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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:08 pm

Billy, my thoughts exactly - if the faceplate and case had been replaced due to damage then wouldnt the chassis be showing some sort of damage too, by Jeffs own admission all the aluminium chassis amps that were used by Fleetwood Mac on their first American tour were so badly damaged that there are none left.

Andy

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Post by bclaire » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:08 pm

I'm thinking that there may be more to the amp- I'm starting to wonder if it might be one of the first collaborations between Matt and Cliff. That would explain the faceplate- and Matamp verified it IS original from the 60's.

The more I think about it, I absolutely wouldn't change the faceplate. It could very well be original as it is right now- although if it did have orange tolex when you got it, I would retolex it but that's it, other than getting it up to speed electronically.

I'd hold out on selling the amp to Matamp until you have more info.

Billy

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Post by bclaire » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:13 pm

I think you should contact Cliff Cooper directly- he's listed as being at:

[email protected]

maybe he could shed some light on it...

Billy



Edited by - bclaire on 30 Jun 2004 17:13:24

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:19 pm

Sent him an email a couple of weeks ago - still no reply.

Anyone know if he is as easy to get on the phone as Jeff was?


Andy

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Post by bclaire » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:34 pm

Worth a shot. I remember someone telling me that he was easy to get hold of...

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Post by macahan » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:37 pm

i serousely think you should keep it in it's original condition eccept for the electronics.. if it is what it could be it probably is worth a LOT

my ad200 sounds amazing..
Image

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:37 pm

Just contacted my tech.
Testing tonight.

If all is well how would a wee clip of albatross through an Original Matamp Series 2000 sound?

Expect an answer to the "is it working or is it not" question later.

Andy

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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 30, 2004 11:44 pm

IT WORKS

2 small solder jobs - one on the wire to the fuse holder and one on the depth control which was a bit loose and had caused one joint to break - overall check of component condition and with meter - and we got a bright red light.

The depth pot is jammed and the boost pot seems to do nothing, also there may be a problem with the drive pot as in position 1 there is no sound dont know if this is by design or a problem.

A couple of clips were recorded - using a singe coil pickup through a single 12" speaker - The guitar is a beautifully customised Ibanez Roadstar II.

The amp will need a service as the schematics my tech has are similar but not the same - probably as the schematics are for an Orange amp and this is a Matamp.

http://www.starshine.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/sounds.htm

At present it has KT77 valves in place of the EL34's but EL34's were used for testing (valves came from an old photocopier would you believe).

Andy



Edited by - acepdistra on 01 Jul 2004 19:02:02

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Post by acepdistra » Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:12 am

Some more info from my tech.

The internal knob is an impedance-matching control and comes *before* any amplification.

The switch that is stuck also comes *before* any amplification
(so, if it worked, it would interact differently with different pickups).

The "Boost" control is a non-standard 50K (as opposed to 1K)and doesn't work.

The HT supply is a healthy 383V.

The output tube bias can be set between -21v (hot) and -40V (less power, better tube life).

The supplied power valves are Golden Lion KT77 (although the chassis suggests EL34).

The tone controls are (electrically speaking) in a different place
from orange amps.

There's no 6-way passive filter.

The slave sockets are in the correct place.

The sound samples (16-bit, 44.1kHz, mono) are of a single-coil pickup in the Rhythm position.
The speaker was a single 12", open-backed, close-miked.

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:26 pm

Mr Cooper was unavailable when I called and the person I spoke to suggested I send the details to Mick Dines the Production Manager.

An Email has been sent.

Now all I can do is wait.

Andy

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Post by DAVESOUNDS » Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:15 pm

"QUOTE"
the chassis be showing some sort of damage too, by Jeffs own admission all the aluminium chassis amps that were used by Fleetwood Mac on their first American tour were so badly damaged that there are none left.
MMMMM now i wonder????
<img src="http://img66.photobucket.com/albums/v20 ... rs_003.jpg" border=0>
This ones left...(its had a hard life ..look at the transformers breaking away from the aluminium chassis)
DAVESOUNDS UK

davesounds

http://groups.msn.com/matamP

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