Matchless Independence 35 | Boutique Versatility

[@mikeault]

Hi Zach, I like the first tune you played on this video. I wrote that as an instrumental to play with the PRS Band. I’m flattered you played it, thanks you!

[@ZachWish]

Mike! That's amazing. I remembered hearing you play it maybe 12 or so years ago and LOVED it. I'm sure this is a pretty hacky rendition compared to how you play it but I remember that trying to learn it at the time really challenged & elevated my playing! Thanks so much for the beautiful tunes! Hope you're well.

[@timheerebout8100]

I just wanted to thank you for the 90's content in this video. Such a great alternative to the modern metal or old guy blues that's usually used. Pumpkins, Oasis, STP etc. Amazing. Makes me what to go start a band.

[@ZachWish]

Thanks so much Tim!

[@jamiewoodard4293]

I second that, forreal.

[@ryanpoyer]

Awesome demo. Killer sounds & great playing 🤘

[@skubadoobie]

Love your vids. Love hearing people just jam out on their gear.

[@ZachWish]

Awesome! Thanks very much.

[@Job.Well.Done_01]

As soon as you went into “Headwires” I cranked it all the way up!

[@ZachWish]

Right on! Thanks so much for checking out the video!

[@BadCat1990]

These companies should be paying you. Sounds incredible. I already bought a Celestion Creamback because of your videos.

[@ZachWish]

Thanks so much Seth!

[@daviddorrian5349]

This sounds such a versatile amp!

[@johnhummer1064]

Holy crap, love the tones and music choice. So pleasing to the ear!

[@b.a.r.t.o.s.z.m]

Wow great sound and play ! This video should be on official matchless channel !

[@DieselWeazel]

Great sounds and great playing

[@Weekend_Bikepacker]

Hey Zach, been watching your matchless vids and I'm in dude. Your playing kicks arse man and you are inspiring me to play more. Fuck yeah! Keep em coming mad-dog!

[@ZachWish]

Thanks so much Sergio! Appreciate the kind words.

[@davidmarcos1692]

The amp i never knew that i wanted and needed at the same time...toanssss

[@robpratt7444]

holy crap headwires!!! mad props.

[@ZachWish]

Right on! Love that tune. Thanks for checking out the video Rob!

[@jonthorsigmunds]

The Slow Dancing tone is to die for, what a fantastic amp!

[@ZachWish]

Yeah! Those Matchless cleans.👌 Thanks for checking out the video!

[@iwillnevergetone5]

the fact that you played Air Hockey Champion. haha man we could've done some serious dual-guitar damage in richmond

[@ZachWish]

Hah! Awesome, didn't think anyone would catch that one. Maybe one of these days!

[@camai75]

Kick ass as usual.. Zach is such a killer player, from blues to rock to alternative to metal. He has some super choice gear as well.. so jealous.. Thanks for the jams!

[@ZachWish]

Thanks so much Chris!

[@themomentkiller9167]

I'd be throwing away all of your other amps. This thing is tonal bliss!

[@moustachio334]

A Friedman and a Matchless in the same home? Mother of god

[@richardkemp3869]

Very Nice...You've captured the tone well...I've got one...they are awesome.....

[@ZachWish]

Thanks! It's a super cool and unique amp. Sits great in a mix.

[@TheArchiveOfWonder]

I can see why Steely Dan used Matchless to record on Two Against Nature. What a great, well balanced tone this is. Perfect for people who prefer a mellower clip character. But obviously it can rock out as you showed here.

[@ZachWish]

I LOVE Two Against Nature. So groovy. Used to cover some of those tunes in an old band back in the day. Thanks so much for checking out the video!

[@ramilrodriguez8340]

Hi Zach. Like I said before, I’ve watched, I believe, all your amp demo videos. All are extremely good. I love the matchless cheiftain video so much that I’ve watch it like 20 times. I wonder how you compare it to this independence. Hope to receive info from you. Thanks. Great playing and sounds as always.

[@sparkygroover]

Helms Alee tshirt! Kudos mate. Great live band.

[@ZachWish]

Right on! Seriously great live band. That drummer isn't messing around! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@Hagstrom4ever]

It sounds fantastic. I'm not into these boutique amps but now I need one hahaha

[@PereiraLabs]

Wow! For a minute there that amp sounded better than a bullet being fired! 🤣 Seriously, though, that thing sounds amazing. Cleans are borderline perfection.

[@ZachWish]

Right on! It's a super cool & unique amp. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@chrisday5341]

This thing has such a unique character but it slays! Sounds great with that strat! It’s a modded squier right?

[@chrisday5341]

That John Mayer too hahaha

[@ZachWish]

Thanks Chris! Yeah, just a plain old Squier Strat with some MIM strat pickups and a Seymour Duncan 59 in the bridge. Nothing fancy, but sounds good enough.

[@joemaxdenty783]

@@ZachWish been wanting a HSS strat for some time now. Your playing shows why

[@ennrol]

Wow, sounds even better to my taste than the BE-100 DLX you demoed a few months ago. Matchless seems more open, with more low/high end. Does it feel the same in the room ?

[@ZachWish]

Kinda apples and oranges in opinion. The Matchless is more broad, less compressed, and less refined than the Friedman. It still has all of its edges, where some of the edges on the Friedman have been smoothed out. For heavier music, I'd go Friedman, for cleans and mid gain, I'd go Matchless. Both incredible amps though! Thanks for watching.

[@thegaragejams487]

Air hockey champion by Phil X, that’s great.

[@ZachWish]

Love that tune! Thanks so much for checking out the video.

[@gratstagram]

thumbs WAY up

[@valdon116]

Dude!!! 👍🏽

[@gtrbri98]

Love your demos man! Straight to the point with plenty of tonal variation. Love the color on this head. Was that a sparkle white tolex?

[@stephenchow5161]

silverburst sounds great

[@tonsnell]

sound very cool

[@stephenchow5161]

nice

[@kcd2120]

Always great playing on your videos. Is the master volume on these suitable for ‘bedroom volumes’? Thanks!

[@reggieandrade4098]

Great vid!! I have a HC30 which is Voxy.....would you say the Independence is Marshall Plexi? Jcm or crosses over adding Matchless appeal?

[@ZachWish]

Thanks very much! LOVE the HC30. The Independence is a very versatile amp, but it definitely has a unique characteristic that is very "Matchless" vs sounding like a Marshall. It's big, and brawny with a bit looser low-end vs a Plexi or JCM. Great amp though! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@karanmastermusic545]

Zach Wish does the independence have less chime than the HC 30?

[@isaia1100]

Great sound! What is your opinion of the Matchless Clubmann? Does it look like the Independenc 35?

[@ZachWish]

I love the Clubman. Looks-wise, they're very similar, but the Clubman is that straight up EL-34 single channel chime. One of the best Matchless amps in my opinion. Thanks for watching!

[@YeatzeeGuitar]

What songs are you playing here? I feel like I've heard a few of these but I can't place where. Sounds epic btw

[@ZachWish]

1) Tune I heard from Mike Ault a long time ago. Not sure the name or how it actually goes. Just playing from memory. Great tune though. 2) Foo Fighters - Headwires 3) The Drills - Air Hockey Champion of the World 4) Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings 5) Oasis - Supersonic 6) Stone Temple Pilots - Plush 7) Madonna - Beautiful Stranger 8) Random Noodling 9) John Mayer - Slow Dancing in a Burning Room 10) Random Noodling Thanks for watching!

[@splinter860]

Sweet bassy punch that strat has. What's the song @2:27? Would be kewl to have a list with timestamps or captions in every video.

[@ZachWish]

That's "Air Hockey Champion of the World" by The Drills. Wicked tune. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@splinter860]

@@ZachWish Well that was quick. Thanks :D

[@user-wv5gv3dw5u]

Air Hockey champion of the world?

[@Simto]

Fucking great tones

[@roysmith9561]

Was that a PhilX & the drills cover of Air Hockey Champion of the World?

[@ZachWish]

Yeah! Love that song. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@kommi1974]

You NEED to test run a Dr. Z. Wreck Jr. Smoking. Maybe the best EL84 amp I've ever played. Awesome amp though. Sounds killer.

[@fullmetalsal]

Very unique tone Zach. Nicely done. Still have the BE?

[@ZachWish]

Thanks! Yep, still have the BE as my main amp. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@adam614ce]

Whats that first bluesy riff? Sounds nice and chimey amazing, Subscribed!

[@ZachWish]

Something I heard a guitar player named Mike Ault play a long time ago. Unfortunately, I don't know what it's called or if I'm even playing it close to right, but that's kind of how I remember it. Sorry I don't have more info on it. Thanks so much for watching!

[@adam614ce]

@@ZachWish Well it’s a badass riff for sure. Thanks for letting me know, and all the amps and guitars you play are my kind of gear!

[@ZachWish]

@@adam614ce Awesome! Really glad you dig it!

[@giancarloscarteddu8716]

@@ZachWish are you in standard tuning on that first blues riff? it's super cool

[@ZachWish]

@@giancarloscarteddu8716 1/2 Step Down. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@NothingHereButMe]

Hey man, I'm about to pick one of these up second hand. How do you find the lack of effects loop?

[@artemshmelev123]

Squier strat? Wow

[@sparkygroover]

Great video! But what is that riff/song @1.25m? GVB? If not do some of their riffs ;)

[@ZachWish]

That's "Headwires" by Foo Fighters. Great song. Thanks so much for watching!

[@blackberryjamchicago]

Curios on what cab and speakers you were going through?

[@ZachWish]

This is the Suhr Pete Thorn Signature 2x12 Cabinet with Creamback H75's. Full signal chain in the video description. Thanks for watching!

[@woolyfuzzy]

If you only could have one amp, and it was between the HC30 and the Independence which amp would it be?? Is the 3rd channel really needed, or can it be done with pedals on a HC30? Is there tone compromise trying to fit 3 channels? From the sound of it, there is no compromise, however, it's hard to tell for sure without a/b'ing.

[@ZachWish]

Hmmmm, that's a really tricky one. The HC30 is pretty legendary for that chimey edge of breakup tone and I've heard some of my favorite tones come out of that amp. Having said that, I'm more of an EL-34 guy personally, so between the two, I'd probably lean Independence, but I wouldn't really use the 3rd channel all that much. To throw a curveball in there, I went with a Matchless Chieftain. It's a single channel EL-34 based amp. Big & bold sounding but can be really sweet as well. Takes pedals great. Just depends what style you're after, but hard to go wrong with any of them. Thanks!

[@cristianburgosm.1469]

that matchless independence 35 can make metal sounds? which booster do you recommend?

[@ZachWish]

If you're going for real heavy, I'd probably go with the Friedman BE-OD, REVV G3, Abasi Pathos, or Bogner Uberschall Pedal and run those into the clean channel. If you're just looking to boost the already dirty sound, I'd probably go with a Boss SD-1, Xotic BB Preamp, Rockett Archer, Tubescreamer, etc. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@billhillard]

My fav song is the one that goes blum blum blum ping ping blum blum PING!

[@chanceterrill5346]

U didn't sell ur be deluxe did u?

[@ZachWish]

Nope! Still got it.

[@9Mighell]

What a sound!!1 Love it! What about your strat? What are pickups in it?

[@ZachWish]

It's a Seymour Duncan 59 humbucker in the bridge and the stock Squier neck and middle pickups. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@chanceterrill5346]

Also playing with a band, do u still prefer the Friedman over the jcm800? Every one is always saying how Friedmans sound good on their own but don't cut through a band or mix...... I have a dirty shirley 40 watt head and I've never had issue cutting through a band...... In fact everyone always tells me afterwards my guitar sounded better than the other guitarist... Or just that my guitar sounded great

[@ZachWish]

It depends on what kind of music I'm playing. I play in a few different bands and sit in with different people from time to time, so it depends on the application. I've never had an issue with a Friedman cutting through a mix. I love those amps and they're so easy to get a good sound out of. I think some folks will say that about a Friedman because they're a bit smoother sounding than a Marshall with some filtering of the high end. In my opinion, if someone isn't cutting through a mix with their Friedman, they're probably doing something wrong. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@chanceterrill5346]

@@ZachWish I think u can add in highs to get that back though. Least I can with mine

[@chanceterrill5346]

@@ZachWish if u were Playing acdc and Alice in chains would u pick the Friedman?

[@ZachWish]

@@chanceterrill5346 Yeah, I'd go Friedman on that.

[@chanceterrill5346]

@@ZachWish u ever messed around with the dirty shirley 40 watt? Thats the amp that nailed the sound in my head, I went into get a smallbox but when I a/bed the two, as soon as I played 1 chord on the dirty shirley I knew, it was like an angels choir and heavens opened when I played that a chord lol