Bogner Goldfinger & Matchless Lightning blues demo

[mary04]

Here`s a vid from yesterday showing the Goldfinger 45 and the Lightning 15 under the influence of some blues. Olav is playing my stock Telecaster 52RI. Both amps sounds amazing!

The Goldfinger 45 head is running through a Engl 1x12 cab loaded with a Celestion V30, while the Matchless is a 1x12 combo from 1994 loaded with a Matchless modded G12H speaker. The Matchless is from the famous and sought after Mark Sampson era.

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[rmconner80]

Nice. I love the looser, smoother, plucky tone of the Lightning.

The Bogner sounds stiffer and crunchier and perhaps a bit buzzy. Still sounds incredible, don't get me wrong.

I love the Matchless 15 watters but the one problem I have with them is that while you give up some headroom to get the tubes working at a slightly lower volume... you are also giving up the headroom, which translates to less of that fullness and bottom end and authority that comes with a bigger amp. My Spitfire is awesome but my SC30 just packs so much more punch that it's really tough deciding which one is the right one for a gig. The SC30 is louder yet I get less surly looks with the SC30 louder than I get with the Spitfire because the Spitfire can be strident with all that upper midrange and a higher roll off point for the low end by comparison. The Spitfire does have a lot of bottom and fullness for a 15 watter but it's still a 15 watter.

[mary04]

No experience with the Spitfire, but I certainly understand the flabby low end issue other Lightning owners are talking about. The trick is to open up the amp enough. Master always higher than the preamp volum IMO, and at least at 1 o`clock, preamp volum to taste. That way the Lightning will reward you with amazing tone, and in particular with a Telecaster IMO. Yes its loud, but not insanly loud (please note that a Matchless Lightning is not a bedroom amp!). Still though, when comparing the Lightning to another amp, in this case the Goldfinger, (just the amps, no back tracks or band), it doesen`t stand out as a winner. In fact the Goldfinger impressed me more that way. But like every Matchless owner know, the magic begins when playing in a band or live situation (or backing track for that matter). It just cuts through the mix in a phenomenal way with creamy, smooth overdriven tones. Its just...Matchless!

My Lightning doesen`t have the recommended JJ EL84`s for the time being. They`re old, and started to sound buzzy and thin, so while waiting for new JJ`s, I put a pair of new Mullards in there. Not NOS, but the new ones (probably made in china). They sounded awfull in a 65 amps London I used to have, but in the Lightning I must say they are nice sounding. Real nice!