Orange Matamp series 2000 mystery - updated info

Maybe someone can help you date your Orange Amplifier?

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hellhazard
Orange Expert
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Post by hellhazard » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:08 am

excellent reading this.
-Vito

140watt Matamp GTv TwinChannel
ImageImageImage

Andy H.
Duke of Orange
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Post by Andy H. » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:17 pm

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by hellhazard</i>
<br />excellent reading this.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Oh yes...

Early Orange (/ Matamp) prototype? Sounding great there - which I'm sure it also will when they let you have it back Andy.

Very cool wee 30ish+ watt bass amp - sure it'll sound <i>tremendous</i> for guitar too of course - probably even better! ;)

Reminds me a little of my own mid 60s 30+ish watt bass head that way. (AC/30 B (= bass version) Top Boost head). That is definitely a righteous guitar amp. These guys (D*ick Denney and Matt Mathias, Vox and Matamp designers) really knew a trick or two back then. :D

Of course while the Orange / Matamp seems to be a couple of years younger its probably going to be worth a couple of quid more I reckon... :)

Yeah, following this one alright - really interesting bit of amp archaeology! Not too surprised Jeff made an offer of '£X' for that amp! [:p]


Andy.
Only dimly aware of existence, a dimly existing awareness...

You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:09 pm

Just watched a copy of the video made when the original builder of my amp - John Firth - saw it for the first time.

The video is outstanding and the way it is shot is absolutely perfect.

It is totally unrehearsed and you see a man walk into a room and Identify it from a rear view - he then looks at the bottom - The amp is not in its case at this time.

After he has identified it from that view - he is presented with the front of the amp.

It is a priceless piece of video and gives the amp the history I have been searching for over 6 years for.

I have been asked not to post it in its entireity - but I have been given permission to post excerpts.

To see the absolute joy on the face of the man who built the amp 40 years ago when he was about 17 or 18 years old ............ I can't describe it.

I shall see what I can do about posting some of the key moments.
The video is almost 2 hours long and to be honest , for an off the cuff, unrehearsed video - it is all good even the few times they are not talking about the amp.

Those of you who know Jeff at Matamp will be surprised how little he actually speaks - in fact at one point he struggles to get a word in :)

The video was taken on 06/10/07

I will try to learn some video editing tonight and post something soon as - I will also try to contact the person I bought the amp from again as I still havent managed to and havent tried recently.

For all those that still remember my journey and have helped me to this point I thank you.

Andy

evergud
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Post by evergud » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:14 pm

Excellent! I just stumbled upon this thread and it is quite a read.

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:03 am

Mangaed to speak to the person I originaly bought the amp from - and instead of helping to place its origin nearer to london I am afraid it doesn't.

I was expecting it to have been bought in London as that is where it was sent from when I bought it - turns out it was originally purchased in Aberdeen and was taken to London.

The original owner is going to check with his brother to see if he can remember anything about the amp as although he remembers having it - he does not remember selling it to me.

As soon as I hear anything - I will update

Orphin
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Post by Orphin » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:11 pm

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Those of you who know Jeff at Matamp will be surprised how little he actually speaks - in fact at one point he struggles to get a word in<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<br />
Almost hard to imagine, but I believe you. John is quite a talker too. When it comes to these old amps, he better zip it up and listen. ;):)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I then asked if he would make me 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.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<br />
Don't do it. That specific amp of yours has it's history in its current display. It would be a pity to change it IMO.
David
I'm speaking out of my a$$. Yours might differ.

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:39 pm

Dont worry Orphin, I dont intend changing anything on the amp and after seeing the video of John Firth I am just about satisfied with its history.

I am almost ready to stand up and shout that it is
"The first Orange".

It would be nice to get some kind of response from Orange.

The biggest releif is the fact that I no longer have to scrutinize other amps that may look similar to mine as I now know that mine is a one off and there is nothing else like it. So, when 6 years ago I had a quick check to find out what model it was, so I could stick it on ebay, and found nothing like it - I was right, I wasnt being pants at using the internet and books - there is nothing like it!

Sorry to ramble on a bit here but it has taken me a while and the results are surprising to say the least.

Hopefully something may turn up in Aberdeen - there may be a picture of the person I bought it from using it - it may show the original orange tolex covering.

Just to confirm - the Original tolex was removed by myself and the case was recovered by myself in the present black.

If there is a photograph showing that it was originaly covered in orange tolex then that would remove any confusion about its present covering.

I will update soon


Andy

Orphin
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Post by Orphin » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:14 pm

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Just to confirm - the Original tolex was removed by myself and the case was recovered by myself in the present black.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<br />
I had no idea it was re-tolexed. I'm not sure even Jeff knew when he showed me the amp.

Image
(I was very careful when lifting it up on that workbench 8))
David
I'm speaking out of my a$$. Yours might differ.

munnser
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Post by munnser » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:55 am

Hello All

I'm the guy that sold this amp to Andy back in 1980! At the time I was studying in Hatfield Polytechnic. I did buy the amp back home in Aberdeen. I'd had it for a couple of years I guess, I used to play it through a marshall 4x12 cab, and I had a Gibson Grabber bass.

When I moved Hatfield I used my student grant (remeber them?) to buy a peavey bass amp head as the band I wa splaying in wanted more volume. I guess I must have sold the head to Andy to help offset the costs of the Peavey. Of course I had no idea that the Orange/Matamp was so rare... it was just a cheap amp to me at the time. Oh well looks like yet another case of something I should have kept! But good luck to Andy with his detective work.

I also sold the Gibson bass it was not very good to be honest, I replaced with a Musicman Stingray ... which was superb .. and yes you may guess ... I sold that a few years later to buy my girlfriend a nice ring... she dumped me few a few years later !

I have a photo of myself and my brother playing the amp... I will see if I can find it... Oh yeah my brother had a Vox AC30 ... same story with that .. sold before we realised what we had!

doh !

Cheers

Stuart

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:00 pm

Cheers for replying Stuart and did my father not buy a Mini Innocenti from you at some point - you tend to sell us your old valuable stuff dont you - lol (the Mini Innocenti was never completed before he passed away however - but that would have been a collecters item too).

I hope you have enjoyed reading about your amp and are as amazed as I am as to the way it has turned out.


Andy

munnser
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Post by munnser » Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:32 pm

(the Mini Innocenti was never completed before he passed away however - but that would have been a collecters item too).

Andy

Oh yes .. I told him it was rubbish ! but he always liked a challenge.

I wouldnt want that one back!

:-)

acepdistra
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Post by acepdistra » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:16 pm

I have just discussed my conclusions after viewing the facts given in a video made about my amplifier with Jeff Lewis of Matamp.

The video contains footage of the original builder of the amplifier dating and identifiying it.

<font size="4">On the basis of this video I am now happy to claim that I own the first Orange Matamp branded amplifier ever built and it was built in 1968</font id="size4">.

The amplifier used is a Matamp Series 2000 in a Pictureframe style box which was originaly covered in orange tolex and has the Orange Matamp logo.

It works.
It has had limited repairs carried out to ensure that it works.


These are the facts as I see them.

I have said from the start that I intend to sell it once I have discovered its history but due to restrictions on this forum about buying and selling I am not able to state that it is for sale.

Andy

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