With circuit boards and transistors being used in electronics, in the 1970′s and 80′s the guitar amplifier industry had started producing amplifiers using these components to increase their profits. But by eliminating vacuum tubes and point to point hand wiring the industry was sacrificing the quality of sound in the amplifiers they were producing.
Most musicians were not happy with the sound that their guitars produced through these amplifiers. They were on the lookout for better quality amplifiers that produced rich sound with depth. With this being the state of the music industry, Rick Perrotta, Mark Sampson, and Chris Perrotta got together in 1989 to construct amplifiers that would produce the rich sound that the musicians were looking for.
In order to get the quality of sound they were looking for the Perottas and Sampson knew that they would have to go back to the old style of using vacuum tubes in their amplifiers, do point to point hand wiring, use hand crafted transformers and large carbon comp resistors. They also knew that the amplifiers would have to be rugged to be able to with stand the rigors of being on the road. They started making prototypes of amplifiers trying out different combinations of resistors, tubes and capacitors to increase the quality of the sound. As they completed each prototype they let musicians play on these amplifiers and get their feedback as to the quality of sound and what they need to do to improve the quality of sound.
They wanted the best from their amplifiers and did not want to sacrifice any quality in the construction. Everything had to be perfect, each solder, the wiring, the construction, and even details that could not be seen had to be perfect. The came up with the name ‘Matchless’ for their amplifiers and like their name they wanted these amplifiers to be matchless in all respects.
It was in 1991 that Steve Goodale joined Mark Sampson and Rick and Chris Perotta in their endeavor bringing with him financing and marketing for the company they had formed. In 1992 they participated in the Guitar Players Magazine boutique amplifiers contest with a model of their DC-30 amplifier. They won this competition and it was this event that really launched their company. Their DC-30 was the first amplifier that they put into production.
With all components and wiring done by hand and with the care and detail that went into manufacturing of each amplifier which was assembled one at a time these amplifiers were not cheap to manufacture, they were made for the professional musician who wanted the best sound from an amplifier and these individually hand crafted amplifiers offered them what they were looking for.
The company had some financial problems and closed down in 1998 but reopened in 2000 under new management. Today matchless manufactures a range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets. Even today each amplifier is hand crafted and tested at each stage of the manufacturing process. The company is so sure of its fine craftsmanship and quality that it offers a six year warranty on all of its products. Matchless amplifiers are truly matchless and just like their name suggests they not only are matchless in the quality of sound they produce but are also matchless in all aspects of their construction.