In the world of boutique bass gear, original Matchless Thunderman amps are the stuff of legend. The 45- and 100-watt models produced in small numbers in the late ’90s have a tone and a removable latching head design influenced by the famous Ampeg B-15 flip-top combos of the ’60s. Engineers and session musicians prize these amps for their rich, velvety studio tone, which requires little tweaking after hitting the console. And while these amps don’t pack the mammoth power of an SVT, gigging players love how they spread the low end evenly throughout the room, creating the effect of a much bigger amp. Unfortunately, originals are as rare as hen’s teeth and often carry a hefty price tag, which makes the reintroduction of the Thunderman all the more enticing.
The new Thunderman is a meticulously hand-assembled head that share some traits with the original 45-watt model. This time around, however, the amp is packaged in a stylish, vinyl-covered head shell, and comes stock with EL34s rather than the original’s 6L6s. (There is no longer a flip-top option.)
A Real Head Case
The Thunderman’s attractive looks, sturdy build, and straightforward controls are textbook lessons in simplicity. The burnt sienna covering (other colors are available) and brightly lit Matchless logo capture attention from across the room. You can really feel the amp’s quality and workmanship when carting it around by its leather handle.
Inside the head shell is a completely point-to-point hand-wired circuit. Two 12AX7 preamp tubes feed into a class-A power section for a total of 45 watts. A 5U4G rectifier tube provides warm, bubbly sag.
The simple controls—response (gain), volume, bass, treble, and brilliance (presence)— may lack the wide-ranging versatility that modern bassists are used to having at their fingertips, but the clean layout makes it a cinch to dial up great tones on the fly. The back panel houses a rotary impedance knob and a series effects loop. There’s also a compression switch—similar to the one on the original Thunderman 45—that engages a solid-state rectifier, tightening low-end response for slaphappy playing styles. You can really feel the quality and workmanship of this small, 55-pound amp when carting it around by its leather handle.
Thunder and Lightning
Wielding a Fender Jazz Bass with the amp running through a 1978 Sunn 2x15 cab, I set the EQ controls flat and the response control at around 9 o’clock. I was greeted by a warm, balanced clean tone with spanky highs. The midrange was very responsive to changes in attack, alleviating my initial concerns about the amp not having a dedicated midrange control. Harder fingerpicking caused the midrange to bloom with a gnarlier and more aggressive edge. Switching to a lighter attack relaxed the mids and eased the focus of the highs, effectively morphing from a classic rock tone to a smoother R & B sound.
Ratings
Pros:
Masterful handmade build. Great sensitivity and low-end spread. Versatile, easy-to-use EQ. Excellent compressor. Less expensive than a ’90s original.
Cons:
No flip-top combo option.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$2,200
Matchless Thunderman
matchlessamplifiers.com
The ranges of the Thunderman’s EQ and response controls are quite wide, offering a diverse palette of warm tube tones. The EQ controls are interactive—adjusting one affects the others. Turning up the treble, for example, not only adds highs, but decreases lows. Interactive controls can be frustrating on amps with many EQ knobs, but here there’s not much of a learning curve. I easily dialed up myriad tones ranging from bottom-heavy Jack Bruce-style boom to tight, warm James Jamerson-inspired thump.
Turning the response knob above 3 o’clock offered a bit of grind if I wanted it, but the control was much more effective for loosening or tightening the amp’s overall response. The tone was more focused and the lows carried less when at settings below 11 o’clock, but the sound gained sustain and breadth when I raised the control to 1 o’clock and beyond.
The compression switch is one of the Thunderman’s most useful features. It evens out volume with respect to pick attack. Particularly nice is the fact that it doesn’t completely squash the amp’s dynamics, as outboard bass compressors can do if set improperly. It allowed my sound to rise and fall ever so slightly in response to softer or harder picking, without a trace of unwanted coloration. The trade-off is that the level drops slightly. There are no available adjustments for the function, so you’re stuck with the preset configuration. But thankfully, it’s near-perfect.
The Verdict
The new Thunderman marks the welcome return of one of the most coveted Matchless amps. It captures the tone, feel, and majestic low-end spread that make the originals so remarkable. The tone is to die for, and the amp’s robust build and classy looks make it reliable and eye-catching. The simple EQ layout makes it easy to dial up great tones. The built-in compressor can even out the volume bumps of heavy picking. Bassists looking for maximum power may need to look elsewhere. But if love the warm, gooey tones that only a low-wattage tube amp can provide, the Thunderman is right up your alley.
Effects Bakery MECHA-PAN BAKERY Series MECHA-BAGEL OVERDRIVE
Konnichiwa, guitar lovers! 🎸✨
Are you ready to add some sweetness to your pedalboard? Let’s dive into the adorable world of the Effects Bakery Mecha-Pan Overdrive, part of the super kawaii Mecha-Pan Bakery Series!
🍩 Sweet Treats for Your Ears! 🍩
The Mecha-Pan Overdrive is like a delicious bagel for your guitar tone, but it’s been upgraded to a new level of cuteness and functionality!
Effects Bakery has taken their popular Bagel OverDrive and given it a magical makeover. Imagine your favorite overdrive sound but with more elegance and warmth – it’s like hugging a fluffy cat while playing your guitar!
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hear—and an increasing number of live gigs—feature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see what’s on the other side of the fence. IK Multimedia’s TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. It’s likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, it’s easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isn’t designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unit’s strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. It’s a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. There’s a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when you’re in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, I’m not sure I could hear—or feel—much of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions I’ve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modeler—and maybe one of the most underutilized—is the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unit’s full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that it’s not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IK’s documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 it’s a steal.
For over five decades, audiences worldwide have marveled at Baxter’s inimitable and instantly recognizable guitar playing and generational songcraft. His output spans classic records as a founding member of Steely Dan and member of the Doobie Brothers in addition to hundreds of recordings with the likes of Donna Summer, Cher, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, and many more. During 2022, he initially unveiled Speed of Heat, showcasing yet another side of his creative identity and introducing himself as a solo artist.
On the Storytellers Edition, his fascinating commentary pulls the curtain back on both the process and the message of the music. This version traces the journey to Speed of Heat and its core inspirations as shared directly by Baxter in the form of detailed anecdotes, candid stories, and insightful commentary on every track.
The 12-songalbum, co-produced by Baxter and CJ Vanston, is a riveting and rewarding musical experience that features a host of brilliantly crafted originals co-written by the guitarist and Vanston, as well as inspired versions of some of the great classics. Along the way, Baxter is joined by guest vocalists and songwriters Michael McDonald, Clint Black, Jonny Lang and Rick Livingstone. Baxter notably handled lead vocals on his rendition of Steely Dan’s “My Old School.” Other standouts include "Bad Move" co-written by Baxter, Clint Black, and CJ Vanston, and “My Place In The Sun”, sung by Michael McDonald and co-authored by McDonald, Baxter and Vanston.
As one of the most recorded guitarists of his generation, Baxter’s creative and versatile playing has been heard on some of the most iconic songs in music history, including “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton and “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer.
The stunningly diverse collection of material on Speed of Heat presents a 360-degree view of the uniquely gifted musician.
STREAM / SHARE / PURCHASE HERE.