Review: Matchless Amplifiers Independence

Most musicians (like me!) are the starving kind, forgoing sustenance to pick up a used Marshall JCM 900 or Fender Twin for a guitar amp. But for the rare guitar player who is flush and of discerning taste, the Matchless Independence 35 amp provides lush tone for a wide variety of music.

Plugging into the Independence is the sonic equivalent of sliding into a plush Bentley for a joyride. Everything exudes luxury and extravagance from the smooth-yet-rugged exterior tolex skin, to the military-grade power switch, to the lighted faceplate and front panel. Even the ¼-inch inputs feel decadent as they grip your guitar cable and snap it into place.

Aside from the slick construction, this amp's No. 1 selling point is detail. When playing chords, every note shines through, even under heavy distortion. If you use pedals, you'll hear colors and details in them that you never knew were there. Now you don't need that J to get the most out of your tone.

Like a girlfriend going from sweats to a cocktail dress, guitars you've grown tired of sound sexier than ever, and your favorite axes achieve tonal nirvana. This is the product of sheer craftsmanship: The Matchless is all hand-wired point-to-point, and the transformers are hand-wound, which gobbles up roughly 16 hours of labor by Matchless employees for each amp they build.

The Independence is Matchless' first three-channel amp, and it can handle anything you throw at it, from sweet country twang, to shit-your-pants metal. The first channel offers warm and pristine clean tones. Add the second channel for anything from a slight crunch to grin-inducing distortion. The third channel offers yet more fuzz and drive to sculpt your sound. With these channels, bass and treble EQs, a cut knob and master volume, one is hard pressed to not find several unique and creative settings.

In short, going from a low-end Peavey or even a midrange Fender amp to the Independence can feel like going from a Huffy to a Haybusa. While this quality is in the eye of the beholder and all of its many biases, several veteran sets of ears agreed that this tone is something special. And it's not only a joy to hear, it inspires new ideas and instills confidence in your playing.

Unfortunately, the Independence 2x12 combo also resembles a Bentley in its incredible mass. It weighs a spine-fusing 73 pounds. I literally almost threw up carting it around (granted, I myself weigh 130 pounds). My back wails at the thought of taking this thing to gigs and loading it in and out. You'll need a roadie to do this for you, if you still want to be able to stand on stage.

And a lot of people who own Matchless amps can probably afford a roadie. That's because this baby will set you back over $4K (only $3,826 if you forgo its fabulous reverb unit, which I wouldn't recommend). Sure, it's likely worth every penny, but that's still a lot of pennies when amps at half the price will probably do just fine.

On the other hand, the Independence is an absolute tank, so if you're a regular touring musician and you add up all your repair costs over the years for your cheaper amp, you may just about break even. Or at least that's how you can rationalize it in your head. As for me, I'm wondering if Matchless will believe it got lost in the mail.

WIRED Pumps your sounds up so well, you feel like a better guitar player. Tons of tonal options and distortion levels to play with.

TIRED A monster in both size and weight. Prohibitively expensive for most guitar players. Doesn't always cut through other instruments in a cramped practice space setting.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com