Chico, CA, United States
About this listing
Mid 90s Matchless amps are coveted pieces that have gone far beyond cult status. The Chieftain is Matchless's take on a high-headroom, Class A British-voiced amplifier, and this 2x10 configuration delivers that character with a focused midrange punch and three-dimensional clean headroom that opens into harmonic saturation as you push it. Forty watts through two 10-inch speakers gives you the broad, airy top end associated with an EL34-based circuit. This example is in excellent condition throughout: cabinet, chassis, grille, baffle, covering, and speakers all present without issue. I wouldn't call this amp light, but it is more manageable than more-common, 2x12" version.This is a Mark Sampson-era Chieftain, built in 1994 — the period widely regarded as the peak of Matchless's original run. Mark Sampson co-founded Matchless in 1989 and was the designer behind the amplifiers during those early years. The company changed hands in 1999, and the original Sampson-era amps have become benchmark references for the boutique amp movement that Matchless helped establish. The Chieftain sits above the DC-30 in the original lineup — a single-channel, cathode-biased 40-watt design with onboard reverb, built on a Baltic birch cabinet and baffle with hand-wired point-to-point construction. Transformers are all original, with date codes consistent with 1994 production. All components are original: knobs, handle (leather), covering (black vinyl), grille (black sparkle), potentiometers, filter caps, and reverb tank. Power tubes are JJ EL34s; preamp tubes are JJ 12AX7s; rectifier is an Amperex 5AR4. All the tubes have been tested so you won't have to replace worn tubes for some time. Tube sockets and pots have been cleaned. No internal repairs have been made. Mahar's Vintage Guitars is a brick-and-mortar and web-based retailer. We are happy to talk with you before you make a purchase. Please reach out if you feel so inclined! We cross market our items here and on our own site, so items are subject to sale elsewhere at any time (however we will never cancel a sale if it happens here first). See our profile here, our Google reviews as well as our 100% positive Reverb feedback. Also, Reverb limits us to only 25 pictures of our items. There is a good chance we have more. Contact us if you’d like to see them.No sales tax for direct sale customers outside California. Reverb sales are always taxed.SPECIFICATIONSDate: 1994Weight: 74lbsDimensions: 24-3/4" w x 18-1/2" h x 10-1/2" dWatts: 40 wattsCase/Cover?: noneCovering Material: vinylCovering Color: blackCovering Original?: yesCabinet Material: Baltic birchCabinet Condition: excellentCabinet Repairs/Changes: noneCabinet Original?: yesGrille Style: black sparkleGrille Condition: excellentGrille Original?: yesBaffle Material: Baltic birchBaffle Condition: excellentBaffle Original?: yesBaffle Repairs/Changes: noneSpeaker 1-2 Brand: Celestion / MatchlessSpeaker 1-2 Size: 10"Speaker 1-2 Cone Code: 4475Speaker 1-2 Cone Original?: yesSpeaker 1-2 Condition: excellentSpeaker 1-2 Original?: yesChassis Material: metalChassis Condition: excellentChassis Original?: yesChassis Repairs/Changes: noneKnobs Original?: yesHandle Material: leatherHandle Original?: yesPower Transformer Manufacturer: WTIPower Transformer Date Code: 11 16 94Power Transformer Original?: yesOutput Transformer Manufacturer: WTIOutput Transformer Date Code: 9356Output Transformer Original?: yesChoke Transformer Manufacturer: WTIChoke Transformer Date Code: 9355Choke Transformer Original?: yesReverb Transformer Manufacturer: WTIReverb Transformer Date Code: 9459-8Reverb Transformer Original?: yesReverb Onboard: yesReverb Tank Original?: yesTremolo Or Vibrato Onboard: noPedal Included?: noRectifier Tube: 5AR4Rectifier Tube Brand: AmperexPower Tubes: 2 x EL34Power Tube Brand: JJPreamp Tubes: 5 x 12AX7Preamp Tube Brand: JJPotentiometers Original?: yesFilter Caps: OriginalInternal Repairs: nonePower Cable: includedDocumentation: noneWe buy, sell, and take trades.Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site!Vintage & Used Amplifiers — Fender Electric Guitars — Gibson Electric Guitars — Vintage & Used Effects PedalsShipping PolicyBy completing your purchase you are agreeing to this shipping policy. Shipments require signature on delivery, no exceptions. Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely. If there is damage, retain all packing materials intact, photograph them immediately, and send the photos to .Amplifiers: We take additional precautions to prevent common shipping damage. Depending on the amp, this may include removing tubes, pulling the chassis from the cabinet if heavy transformers present a drop risk, or removing heavy speakers that could crack baffles in transit. Reassembly is required on delivery — we label everything clearly. These measures add to shipping costs but reflect hard-won experience. Vintage amplifiers (20 years or older) are sold as-is — all amps are tested in our shop upon intake and again before shipping. We cover shipping damage but cannot be responsible for the failure of vintage components in instruments that are 20 to 50-plus years old.
Price$5,199.95
+ $180 Shipping to
