GREEN Matamp made from Orange Voice of The World parts in Huddersfield England.
1993-2000 GREEN Matamp's where built out of ORANGE Voice of The World Parts kept in the
Huddersfield, England factory. During this era, MATAMP of Huddersfield had just re-opened with it's
newly financed owner Jeff Lewis. The first thing Jeffrey did was contact Cliff Cooper and begin the
Orange production again. These amps, known to most as the "reissue" Orange. Old Matamp and Orange chassis where used with new and old Orange front panels ranging from OR's to the new OTR panels.
Inside the amps where made from Orange VOTW boards/brains and left over transformers.
They where then covered with the GREEN Matamp logo engraved front panels made out of trefelite.
Switch the bass and drive pots around in the line up, and the new Huddersfield shop owner figured nobody would know.80-120watt version were made like this, and sometimes 4 valve versions with 80watt transformers
where made by accident. The secret could have been kept if the amps operated correct. Immediate
tech needs right out of the box disclosed the amp's "as constructed from spares", and made them
difficult to place in music shops, or to sell as "custom" ordered units.
This kind of assembly was continued for 7 years. A final run of 16 Orange amp's where made and sold to MATAMP USA as "repos". After the arrival of the "repos" it turned out that ORANGE had ceased having their amps made in Huddersfield and moved on with it's new workshop program.In 2001 the Matamp Huddersfield shop moved into it's next era of contract work with Hiwatt and Ashdown. The new GREEN covered amps from Huddersfield where now moved to Ashdown and Hiwatt style chassis with chicken head knobs.
All of the pre 2001 GREEN Matamp's where made from left over parts from other companies that
contracted production in the Hudderfield shop. MATAMP USA, received many units like this for
their prepaid orders. This unit shown above was sent to us by a individual in the United Kingdom
named Ian that had bought this Green Matamp as a "new" amp in 1999.
I
When modified and set-up by MATAMP USA Technicians, these units sound great and have a great overdrive tone that is unique. The custom voice of the EQ designed and set by MATAMP USA
became the cliche' sound for the USA Heavy and Stonerrock scene. Now Indy bands all over the
globe own these units modified and set up by Matamp USA tech's that later became the designers
of ELECTRIC AMP Innovations, USA in 2004.Photos Courtesy of: Ian Wilkie - United Kingdom
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