Ampeg Vs Matamp

[Damonjames]

Hey guys n gals just after your opinion on the above question. I really did the ampeg svt 2 pro sound and just wondered how it co
Pares to the matamp gt200?

[Mr. Foxen]

Depends how you order the GT200, could be a clean machine, could be much gruntier, since there is a degree of custom to it. Also there is a Mark 2 GT200 which is bit different. Kind of comparing a mass produced imported amp to a handmade boutique one though.

[Damonjames]

I appreciate there is a big difference in quality and build between the two. I am more after a tone comparison. I have heard if them referred to as having a very "British" sound. Being an Aussie new to the uk I really have NO clue what that sounds like....

[Mr. Foxen]

Matamp tend to be very transparent, so with an Aussie playing into it, they'll have an Aussie sound. American sound is rely on the equipment to do the work rather than the player, so favours heavily coloured amps, hence 'Ampeg sound', and the VT bass etc, working as simulators of that colour. But clean is clean.

[Damonjames]

Cheers!

[tayste_2000]

For the cost I'd go Matamp all the time, I'm currently rocking a 70s Ampeg B-15 whilst I decide what Matamp gear will see me through to the day I die, there is no comparison between the current SVTs and a GT200, same goes for the cabs, alot use very similar designs but they just use better quality materials so my Matamp 8x10 has always sounded bigger and more powerful than any of the Ampeg 8x10s I've used in the past few years.

Also whilst still heavy Matamp heads weigh less than SVTs and are louder

[Damonjames]

I can vouch for their quality, I have a matamp 610 which I run my Orange tb1000 through. I do like the sound, but it just lacks something I cant quite put my finger on!
Ill have to carry on gassing for a gt200!

[Mr. Foxen]

Personally don't massively rate the cabs by Matamp, ahead of Ampeg ones, but still kind of sit in oldschool territory while speakers have moved on a fair bit.

[tayste_2000]

Horse for courses, I've never got on with modern cabs, I understand the efficiency and the benefits of the lower weights I've just never found one I'm happy with. I suppose I like a simplistic approach, if you want a B-15 buy a B-15 don't buy a class d with a modern cab and then wonder why you can only get close

If you want a big valve amp through an 8x10 sound best thing to buy is a big valve amp and an 8x10.

Tonal comparisons are hard as there are so many deciding factors, you will find the Matamp can be way more transparent than the Ampeg, but to me it's always been a case of Goldilocks where Matamp is Ah Just Right sorta thing I've never been able to put my finger on.

[Damonjames]

The trouble is, I've never actually heard one! Not a very common piece of gear to come by

[Anders]

If you like SVT 2 Pro I would suggest Orange AD200MK3 instead of Matamp,they have the same creamy,smooth sound with midrange warmth and bottomend punch as the Ampeg.But different flavour.You save about 20 pounds of weight and get a little less headroom,not much less.(And the Matamp is not louder than the SVT,atleast not when I tried them side by side) I know build quality is something else,but coming from that amp it's not so bad.Matamp is a better more well constructed amp but with a sound that is more similar to Mesa/Boogie with a Marshall-like distortion IMO.
I have owned an amp like yours,a Matamp GT200,and tried several AD200MK3.The Orange sound better and meatier if you get your hands on one made recently IME.They have a slightly different Output-transformer I believe.

[Mr. Foxen]

The Orange has the same EQ as the Mesa and that's very close to a Marshall one. Matamp EQ is related to the one used by the SVT, but the SVT has another section with the midrange control.

[Damonjames]

I've just realised that the ampegs won't run at 8 ohms, which my cab is. It would involve changing my cab too 😳 does the ad200 run at 8? If I had to pick an example clean tone it would be like the intro to my friend of misery by metallica, dirty sound would be similar audioslave. I know both of these are svt 2 pro, so maybe that should tell me something!

[HotelEcho]

Actually the Black Album track can't have been a 2-Pro, because it wasn't launched until 1993. [/pedant]

[Damonjames]

Good call!

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1369299237' post='2087367']
I've just realised that the ampegs won't run at 8 ohms, which my cab is. It would involve changing my cab too does the ad200 run at 8? If I had to pick an example clean tone it would be like the intro to my friend of misery by metallica, dirty sound would be similar audioslave. I know both of these are svt 2 pro, so maybe that should tell me something!
[/quote]

yeh the ad will run at 8 ohms, and they really do sound awesome! try one out really nice heads.

might have just been a an svt 2 rather than a pro 2 maybe?

andy

[Damonjames]

Did a youtube search on the ad, found a shoot out between it and my current amp the terrorbass. Now I am gassing after one of these!

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1369433391' post='2089364']
Did a youtube search on the ad, found a shoot out between it and my current amp the terrorbass. Now I am gassing after one of these!
[/quote]

The ad200 is a bit more full sounding due to the power coming from tubes i suppose? They are awesome amps plus i just think they look about 100 times cooler than the svt.

[quimbymeat]

Kt120's that is all. Matamp

[bigsmokebass]

Never tried a Matamp but Ampegs are pretty awesome amps goes without saying I know ^_^

BSB