MATAMP

Mat Mathias moved to England from Germany during World War II and started working with electronics. Mathias started his own company and earned the nickname "The Radio Doctor" because he could fix just about anything to do with electronics. In 1958, he opened a recording studio when almost all musicians were using Vox amplifiers. Mathias began looking for an alternative sound and he began experimenting with his own circuits. The first Matamp Series 2000 was produced in 1963. In the late 1960s, Mathias partnered up with Clifford Cooper who owned the Orange Music Shop and they began to distribute Matamps in southern England. These amps were initially covered in black, but later models were covered in a bright orange vinyl. These were the first Orange amplifiers (see Orange). Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac was one of the first users of Matamps and Mathias toured with the band on their first U.S. tour. By 1973, the partnership between Mathias and Cooper dissolved and Mathias went back to building amps under the Matamp brand. He also built amps named after the color they were finished in including Red, Green, Blue, Black, and White. Mathias produced amplifiers through the 1970s and 1980s when he died in 1989. His sons inherited the company, but they soon sold it to Jeff Lewis, Mathias' long-time friend. Matamp still produces amps and speaker cabinets and many of the other brands that are named after colors are still produced. Much of their custom business is in the U.S. They currently offer a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets. For more information, visit Matamp's website or contact them directly.