I think if anything the build quality has gotten even better in recent years. Some of the MkII models have had some circuit improvements for better reliability and higher gain, additions of master volumes etc. The general layout inside is brilliant. Very easy to service.
I think the clusterfuck stems from their old USA distributor Joel Wheeler aka Buttpussy. The guy basically took over the Matamp.com website after he sued them for it. Then started making Matamp clones under the name Electric amp, all while slagging them online at every oppurtunity. He had outsourced the Electric Amp tech work to another builder, had a falling out with him, and then reports started coming in of 2 year waits, or buyer's never getting their money back, etc. He still has the Matamp.com website today, even though he hasn't produced any amps in over a decade as far as I'm aware. The website's pretty full of unhinged egocentric ramblings and looks like it was designed on Angelfire some time in the mid 90s.
The real Matamp is over at Matamp.co.uk now. It's still a small operation of just a handful of guys, but they've been able to stick to their 2-3 month turnaround window, and everyone I know that's had one has been really happy with them. There were some years where their reliability had been questionable, but I believe that's been redesigned and remedied. They've made some component upgrades including sourcing new transformers.
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