Boutique Pedal Review: Matchless Hot Box -- Not for the financially challenged

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Oloc,

If you can produce good gear and I like it, then I will buy and post a favorable review for your work.  If its not, I will post my opinion on them.  The issue I have on you is for you to prove that what you make sounds good and it has nothing to do with my zillions which I do not have and my guitar playing.  It is not that I do not sympathize with people who have normal gear as you would proclaim pero nadaanan ko na ang mga iyon and I will tell you there are very few normal guitar gear that impress me because I can find something better.  Maski na hindi natin pagusapan ang presyo, for a majority of normal mass produced guitar gear, I can recommend something that sounds better.   On the other hand, there are some expensive stuff that only perform as well as regular mass produced gear.

[cumbersome]

Oas,

Wow. Sounds awesome. I hope i'm invited, hahaha, although i have a feeling that the guitar monsters here will impress me so much more than the gear.

[Poundcake]

oy tone party.. pwede ba ako sumama dyan Alex? i'll just bring some pedals and probably my retubed amp head

[Avayaman]

Maski na hindi natin pagusapan ang presyo, for a majority of normal mass produced guitar gear, I can recommend something that sounds better.   On the other hand, there are some expensive stuff that only perform as well as regular mass produced gear.

+1

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Deltaslilm,

This was a thread reviewing the Matchless Hot Box and NOT a treatise on good tone.  Granted that the guitarist is the numero uno factor for everything, I am not reviewing a guitarist.  Even you will sound like you on almost anything but the question remains is if you are happy with your sound on ANYTHING.  I post the same question sa iyo, bakit ka hindi bumili ng RJ guitar instead of your new tele?  

[titser_marco]

@Oas:

Do you think it would help if you would use "timbre" instead of "tone" or "sound" to explain your point better and minimize semantic discrepancies? "Tone" and "sound" are such loaded words for me and they can work on so many levels -  whether referring to timbre or something else.

[Avayaman]

@Oas:

Do you think it would help if you would use "timbre" instead of "tone" or "sound" to explain your point better and minimize semantic discrepancies? "Tone" and "sound" are such loaded words for me and they can work on so many levels -  whether referring to timbre or something else.

AMEN!

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Alroy T,

I do not put down Pinoys.  If you read threads here I swear by my friend luthier and lately I even praised somebody in Audiophile for his service.  Also, on rare occasion, I was even impressed by the Bloomfields and I praised them on this forum even if they were out of my preferred genre.  But on the other hand, I criticize bad Pinoy service or products.  There are also imported products that really suck but I avoid posting reviews because a lot of people are sensitive.  The imported products that suck only get bashed when I review something that is good.  After all that has been said, my opinions are just that if you want to leave it at that.

My experiences are actually hit and miss.  Just recently, I replaced the sovtek 12ax7 of my SLO with a NOS.  It sounded better.  Don't know why, it just does.  On the other hand, I was really excited to try out a set of pickups by a boutique manufacturer (legendary American pickup winder with his own book) who I was hoping would blow away Bareknuckles.  Wrong... It was ABed and now I and my luthier friend have better appreciation of our BK pickups.

I review gear by actual live sound not by pictures.  

[oloc]

dude musta na? i havent heard from you in a while?!?!?! ano bibilin ko na yung tube pedal na dinedesigen mo para sakin! tuloy pa ba tayo sa tube amp/midi switching capability project natin?

tapos na yung prototypes ng mga tube pedals sir ROB, astig din yung design na ginawa ng kasama ko sa mga chassis. gothic ang theme... kung makakapasyal ka sa coming NAMMN show, makikita mo dun yung launching ng pedals. after ng launching, usap tayo kung pano makakarating sayo yung pedal. re: universal midi switcher for tube amps, wala pa ko makitang servo controller na sakto sa application natin sir... more research pa.

chito and plugzzz,

BAMF is welcome to bring his stuff.

ok na ko dito oas, since you're ready to A/B your gear with sir BAMF's works, i will be in peace. idol ko tong si sir BAMF. im totally confident that he's the best representative for the DIY community when your tone party happens.

hindi mo pwede review mga gawa ko, CAUSE MY WORKS ARE NOT FOR THIRD WORLD COUNTRY PEOPLE...

nyahahaha!!!! how's that for being politically incorrect???

weekend na. enjoy tayo sa vacation guys. peace!

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Titser Marco,

OK... I will try.  For every piece of gear, I review it in terms of "timbre" and character.  I put less emphasis on "timbre" because as you acquire gear you can almost get any timbre.  Even if you buy a multi-fx unit right now, it has plenty of timbre selections.  What I look for in gear is character... just a general rundown of what I look for in gear:

1) Pickups - 3 dimensionsal sound.  Pick attack is distinct from sustaining note.  Even on clean you can do lead lines because it just sounds rich in fundamental overtones.  You can back off the volume without losing highs on your pick attack.
2) Hardware - No mid hump and improved bell like presence on guitar that you dont get from a presence knob adjustment.  Also, it makes you think you were playing a lighter gauge in terms of ease of playing.
3) Amps - clarity on distortion, punch and 3d soundstage that surrounds you instead of just being in front of you.  Malambot and Malagkit ang tunog.
4) Instrument Cables - Again 3d sound staging, increased volume and balanced frequency response.
5) Speaker Cables - Increased clarity for the amp.  Softens the sound.
6) Effects - voicings that tickle the ear and adds some kind of punch that makes you want to leave the pedal on forever.
7) Guitar wood -- wood that sings when bending notes.  Rich sound with lots of fundamental (take note that I don't mean bassy here).  Clarity of notes.  Most important, you dont want to ever put it down.

I am not a Guitar Player reviewer because I don't get paid by any sponsors.  I try to review things on a different level beyond timbre and specifications because timbre and specifications dont inspire us to play guitar but rather other qualities that touch the soul.

So, in the case of the Matchless Hot Box, you can achieve different timbre variations by changing tubes but if you find the right tube you just want to leave it on because it just enriches your clean sound and gives you a fat/malagkit overdrive sound specially on strats.  Its has a uniquely different fat malagkit sound that you cannot get with a Les Paul.

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Oloc,

At least I am better than a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY CITIZEN trying to fit into a FIRST WORLD COUNTRY... and pretending to be a FIRST WORLD CITIZEN.  At least I pay taxes to the Philippine government ...

Nya ha ha ha.  Hows that for politically correct?  By the way, don't forget to remit your dollars if any.  I really need it to maintain my Third World Country Citizenship because without them this Third World country will degenerate to being a Fourth world mendicant.

Have a great weekend... Peace...

[abyssinianson]

damn...ang bigat..syet. I am really speechless. Seriously, I don't think there is anything with being a 3rd world country citizen but, heck, what do I know...I am way younger than OAS. I do, however, have a problem with the status of being a 3rd world country citizen AND being screwed by politicians who shovel money into their houses without doing what they were hired to do in the first place: be public servants. I have said it once and I will say it again, a purging of Filipino politicians who have not done their job well is in order.

[oloc]

oas,

Filipinos outside the philippines never try fit into whatever country they are in. and not one decent Filipino pretends to be a first world citizen.

wherever we are, the place fits with us. no pretensions atleast from us... the whole world loves us, we cant do anything with that.

utak mo lang naman ang limited ng boundaries oas, for the rest of us, the whole world is small enough to be called "home"...

[Machine_Head]

1) Pickups - 3 dimensionsal sound.  Pick attack is distinct from sustaining note.  Even on clean you can do lead lines because it just sounds rich in fundamental overtones.  You can back off the volume without losing highs on your pick attack.

Oas, medyo ot lang, have you come across any pups that are inexpensive yet you think sound relatively good? It may not be the best, but more like something a regular joe can afford.

[SDMF]

oas,

Filipinos outside the philippines never try fit into whatever country their in. and not one decent Filipino pretends to be a first world citizen.

wherever we are, the place fits with us. no pretensions atleast from us... the whole world loves us, we cant do anything with that.........

Ganda naman ng sinabi mo, and I have to agree.

Sa experience ko dito sa tate, yung discrmination among different races or color of your skin, lalo na sa financial status kung mayaman or mahirap mas malala talaga sa Asian countries kaysa dito sa West. When I get together with my Asian friends, each of us have to admit na ganyan talaga sa Asia like China, Pakistan, India at sa atin sa Philippines.

Ang isa sa napatunayan ko dito sa West, kapag MATALINO ka yuyuko sayo mga tao kahit anong panget ng itsura or kulay mo.
(Modesty aside ha, Pucha! pero pogi ako. complete package ba, hehehe! )

When I went for a 2 week vacation in the Phil last July, one of my friends told me one the best compliments I ever heard. When I was away, he said that the Cingular managers told them this:

"When Mike speaks up, everybody shuts the [strawberry] up and listen! When this guy starts to talk, he really goes down to every technical details that everybody will back off.  So you'll know that he knows what he's talking about."

Kaya yan ang nagustuhan ko dito sa labas, basta may pinag-aralan at masipag mayroong nararating.

[leech]

1) Pickups - 3 dimensionsal sound.  Pick attack is distinct from sustaining note.  Even on clean you can do lead lines because it just sounds rich in fundamental overtones.  You can back off the volume without losing highs on your pick attack.

Oas, medyo ot lang, have you come across any pups that are inexpensive yet you think sound relatively good? It may not be the best, but more like something a regular joe can afford.

bro, knowing OAS, he wouldnt even bother looking at it.... 

[deltaslim]

Deltaslim,

Yup.  Its the same unit.  You are right it sounded like yuck on the stock sovtek tube.  I did not like it.  I even thought this must be one of those over hyped Matchless Boutique crap, But one tube did it right...

Why don't you ask our common friend? He was witness when we switched the tube.   We were both shocked.  And our common friend also hated the sound with the stock sovtek tube.

If you only stopped being biased against me for a moment and recognize the fact that you and the previous owner did not try switching tubes, so hindi niyo na-test ng mabuti.

Deltaslim,

Yup.  Its the same unit.  You are right it sounded like yuck on the stock sovtek tube.  I did not like it.  I even thought this must be one of those over hyped Matchless Boutique crap, But one tube did it right...

Why don't you ask our common friend? He was witness when we switched the tube.   We were both shocked.  And our common friend also hated the sound with the stock sovtek tube.

If you only stopped being biased against me for a moment and recognize the fact that you and the previous owner did not try switching tubes, so hindi niyo na-test ng mabuti.

If you reread my post, I had a disclaimer about the tube swap. But I believe I still wouldn't have liked the Hot Box cuz from experience I know how much impact a tube change can make. In the case of the Hot Box, a tube change will have made minor difference. I can hear something that can only be attributed to the circuit and how the 2 channels were designed that I didn't like. You can't make a Marshall sound like a Fender by sticking 6L6 where an EL34 should be.

Stop being biased?  You're talking to me about bias?  I try all sorts of stuff, even modellers -- which you make it a point to ridicule.  Your thread title gives you away as one of the most biased Filipinos I know because you've pre-judged people already.  Let me hear you produce good tone with your boutique gear first then maybe I can believe that what sounds good to you indeed sounds good after all.  That's the only way my bias against your taste in tone will change. It's bad enough that you brag about your gear and put down 3rd world pinoys in the process; it's worse that undearneath it all I cringe at the thought of what "magical tone" your yaya, driver, hardinero, and sikyu have to hear day in and day out.

But don't think your special Oas.  I love Adrian Belew but if he would lecture me about tone --fuggedaboutit!!!  -- in through one ear and out of the other!!!

[deltaslim]

Deltaslilm,

This was a thread reviewing the Matchless Hot Box and NOT a treatise on good tone.  Granted that the guitarist is the numero uno factor for everything, I am not reviewing a guitarist.  Even you will sound like you on almost anything but the question remains is if you are happy with your sound on ANYTHING.  I post the same question sa iyo, bakit ka hindi bumili ng RJ guitar instead of your new tele?  

Bakit, meron bang branch ng RJ sa Singapore???  You are so boring - if I had a nickel for every time you asked that question... But here you are again yapping your mouth off about stuff you assume you know about people... Magpapakatsismoso ka na nga lang palpak pa!

For the record, my first good guitar was an RJ Guitar (Disipulo Roadtone). It was with me for most of the 90s and was used on countless gigs and on my first commercial recording with Soul Dredgers.  So anong point mo?  Ano??? Sagot!!! 

[Al_Librero]

YEAH!!!! 

[abyssinianson]

oas,

Filipinos outside the philippines never try fit into whatever country their in. and not one decent Filipino pretends to be a first world citizen.

wherever we are, the place fits with us. no pretensions atleast from us... the whole world loves us, we cant do anything with that.........

Ganda naman ng sinabi mo, and I have to agree.

Sa experience ko dito sa tate, yung discrmination among different races or color of your skin, lalo na sa financial status kung mayaman or mahirap mas malala talaga sa Asian countries kaysa dito sa West. When I get together with my Asian friends, each of us have to admit na ganyan talaga sa Asia like China, Pakistan, India at sa atin sa Philippines.

Ang isa sa napatunayan ko dito sa West, kapag MATALINO ka yuyuko sayo mga tao kahit anong panget ng itsura or kulay mo.
(Modesty aside ha, Pucha! pero pogi ako. complete package ba, hehehe! )

When I went for a 2 week vacation in the Phil last July, one of my friends told me one the best compliments I ever heard. When I was away, he said that the Cingular managers told them this:

"When Mike speaks up, everybody shuts the [strawberry] up and listen! When this guy starts to talk, he really goes down to every technical details that everybody will back off.  So you'll know that he knows what he's talking about."

Kaya yan ang nagustuhan ko dito sa labas, basta may pinag-aralan at masipag mayroong nararating.

Hahaha! Si SDMF pogi! Pogarts! Musta na ang New Orleans, man? Balita daw grabe na ang crime ngayon:( Pero nga, totoo ang sabi mo about sa abilidad na grabe ang value, especially sa Tate. I am not just saying that because Pinoy ako, or one time citizen ako sa Pinas (I've since naturalized many years ago), but it really is true, especially sa academics at sa medicine of which I have been a part of for quite a while now. Proof? I see it all the time sa Harvard  at sa Brigham Women's hospital where some of the best academic minds and physicians (people I genuinely like AND call colleagues and friends) of all nationalities and races get together to work together towards improving healthcare.

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Abyss,

I agree with you... The politicians here are the number one cause of people having to leave the country to make a living.  I think they should be shot.  Walang opportunity dahil sa kanila.  So, I really hope you are doing better there because a lot of people here dont have the same opportunity as you have.

[oasgomez-is-banned]

Machine Head,

2nd hand prices ng Duncan, DiMarzio or even EMG.   Recently, I heard a pickup from Greco Super Real which I heard to be great.

[oasgomez-is-banned]

So Oloc,

Cant you take a joke?  Nagjoke ka na Third World dito, eh nagjoke ako which you took seriously.  So, when was the last time you paid taxes to the Philippine government?

[toybitz]

Vegetablejoe,

Remember the strat you were trying to sell?  I even wanted to make sure that you were sure with what you were doing because I felt that I should not just get a good sounding guitar from you without you knowing how I felt about it.   You were very demanding then.

oasgomez,

And since you bring up the topic of my strat... this is all I will say for the record. I brought that in to Arie to check the electricals since it was grounded, due to my own crappy soldering skills. I did tell Arie that I would likely be selling it, and that is why I wanted him to fix the grounding. I had expected to go back to the shop, pay for the service, and get back my guitar, and evaluate from there. That it passed from Arie to you without it coming back to me first is what lifted my eyebrow and made me ask for its return. Demanding, you say?  Uh uh, sir.

naku po, kun sa akin nanyari ito, hee nigh blad na ko.

[abyssinianson]

Abyss,

I agree with you... The politicians here are the number one cause of people having to leave the country to make a living.  I think they should be shot.  Walang opportunity dahil sa kanila.  So, I really hope you are doing better there because a lot of people here dont have the same opportunity as you have.

Personally, and I know a ton of people that agree with me who happen to be non-Filipinos, that politicians in the Philippines really put a number on a lot of the people who have great abilities in music, art, business, science, and other trades but can't do squat because political families basically keep the power in their own circles while the rest of the country struggles to make ends meet. I am not fine with this and a lot of what I do, and have done as I've gotten older has been to have a component of it be applicable to the Philippines - maybe not in the immediate future, but maybe someday if I get the chance to apply it. Granted, science, medicine and research costs money but if one can't do the actual R&D on homesoil, at least some part of foreign training ought to be given back home to help usher progress a bit faster, with more focus. If there is something Pinoys excel at, it is managing what we have to get something to work to the best of our situation. However, there is the limiting factor of politicians - old school politicians - who are backwards thinkers and not willing to stick their neck out for a country that can do so much if given the chance and resources to realize their ideas. I really do think that the concept of "public servant" was lost on Filipino politicians a long, long time ago. I don't know what Macapagal has done recently but there ought to be more ruffling of feathers to move the country's progress at light speed. I know if I were President, I wouldn't do tours, I wouldn't even do the usual dignitary crap...I'd work like everyone else (in jeans and a shirt, preferably) while tapping into every blasted resource we've got to offer to make the country work better instead of screwing over millions of people. Oh yeah, I'd make a national holiday called "National Tone Party Day." lol. I don't have any concept of how our politicians can sleep well at night knowing they are not doing what they are being paid to do...

Now, how this - all of my ranting - exactly relates to the Matchless Hotbox is beyond me. Just my dos centavos...