Matrix GT1000FX Amp failure and Customer Support

BC_GTR

Member
Sorry but this thread is quite long... Matrix might be a good Amp but this has not been a good experience.
I bought the Matrix GT1000FX 2U Amp last October 2021. Being very excited that I was going to have a product that had been getting RAVE reviews for being used with the Fractal Product line. And quite a history as well. When I received the unit I unpacked it and immediately installed it in my rack with my Axe FX 3. Excited as hell to hear what all the fuss was about. Powered up the rack and absolutely nothing from the GT1000FX no power no lights... nothing. Sooo... I tried to contact Matrix to no avail. I later found, after quite a bit of research, a contact here in the US ( Andrew Hunt ) whom, I found out, was indeed the designer and owner of Matrix Amplification. I first found his email and sent a message to him about the problem I was having. No response. After some more research I found a telephone number and called it. Low and behold someone answered, it was the man himself Andrew (Andy) Hunt. After speaking with him for a bit and doing some troubleshooting over the phone it turned out to be the voltage selector on the inside of the chassis that was set wrong. Opened up the unit and set the voltage selector to the proper setting for US use and away we go.
About a week later I was working with my system, creating some presets in the AxeFX3 and the amp started acting funny. The "A" channel started cutting in and out and then went out all of the way. Soo... I called Andy again and explained what was happening. After a long lecture, about how 99% of this type issue has been a cable issue, I heeded his advise and purchased all new cables and tried again... NOTHING! I contacted him again and explained it all to him again. And again the lecture about cabling. I assured him that I had tried everything. He agreed to have the amp returned for repair. After about two weeks I contacted him to find out the status of my amp and he told me that the amp was working perfectly and there was no issue that he could find. Again he mentioned how 99% of the issues found are due to bad cabling. Again I reiterated that I had replaced all cables with new ones and there was no change. I requested a new amp for a replacement and after going back and forth he finally agreed. Or so I think he did because there is really no way to tell as none of these amps have a serial number or a manufacture date or anyway to identify that it is different from any other one. So I receive the "NEW" amp back about a week later (3 weeks without the amp) and it seems to be working fine. Woohoo we are back we are back! So I finally get to finish polishing my presets for use with the Matrix and start using it LIVE! Sounds fantastic! I do 2 shows with my band and it is amazing!

Everything is working perfectly for about a month or so. It is now late February 2022 and I am creating a new preset for a brand new song the band has written. I get it completed and shut everything down that night. I get up the next morning and go to turn everything back on to check how the preset sounds after having a little time to let my ears rest and the amp does not power up. No lights nothing. Well Crap, here we go again. So I try all weekend to get a hold of Andy and no response. I finally get him on the phone on Monday and we go through everything and he determines that the power supply has failed. So I send it back again. Another 2 weeks go by, from the time I shipped it, and try contacting him to get a status update no answer. The next day I get a short email stating that the amp has been shipped back to me. No tracking number offered. Another week goes by and I finally get the amp back. Again it is working fine. Three more shows later and about 2 months and guess what... the "A" channel starts cutting in and out again. It happens during a show. I don't realize it because my band uses IEM system. The house sound man comes upon stage in between songs and tells me what is going on. My setup is direct out to FOH (stereo) plus 2 mics on my cab (an amazing sound). I told him to just shut down the mics and send me a feed through the monitor for feedback purposes. Done!

Again I contact Andy at Matrix but this time I just simply tell him that I am at a point of distrust with his product. Again he asks if I have checked my Cables. Really... again with the cables? This time he makes me pay for the shipping to send it back. again after a week of him having the amp I have heard nothing. I contact him to no avail. Then finally I see that a payment has been made to Paypal account but for only $720.00. I paid $849.00 plus shipping and plus return shipping. I try to contact him and he responds that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the amp and that the chassis is all scratched as well as the faceplate and that he charged me to replace the chassis as it was not taken care of. I should have taken pictures of that unit before I shipped it. I sent it back in the original box with no scratches of any kind to that unit. But as I said before there is no way to prove anything because these units have no serial number or any way to identify them.

So in summary I will say this:
Matrix Amps sound amazing!
Matrix has a very poor customer support experience!
The owner can be quite insulting and protective of his product.
And most importantly; the quality of the product DOES NOT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE!!
OKAY RANT OVER SORRY IT WAS SO LONG...
 

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Buddy I would not call that a rant. Man that really sux. Some times you just get a turd of a product and you're stuck with no recourse. Sorry this happened to ya. Nothing more frustrating than having equipment you depend on constantly going down. Hope your next venture works out better than this.

IEM's to the rescue.
 
Matrix have a pretty good reputation, so I would hope that Andrew can reflect on this and make the necessary corrections and improvements.
"Pretty good." Man, it's everywhere. Pride-of-workmanship is rare. Just the fact that the unit was originally sent to him with the voltage set wrong is completely unacceptable! Sorry, NOT sorry.
 
This is horrible! No excuse for this type of CS, Dave Friedman has the best product support in music gear hands down! This is a sad day for Matrix, I will not consider this brand for anything. He should have replaced the amp from the word go, however, making amps and they have no serial number or identity to validate when the damn thing was made and or sold to? Seriously, seems quite unimaginable, if this is true, that explains the lack of regard for a customer, any for that matter.
 
This is horrible! No excuse for this type of CS, Dave Friedman has the best product support in music gear hands down! This is a sad day for Matrix, I will not consider this brand for anything. He should have replaced the amp from the word go, however, making amps and they have no serial number or identity to validate when the damn thing was made and or sold to? Seriously, seems quite unimaginable, if this is true, that explains the lack of regard for a customer, any for that matter.
Very much true! These are pics that Andy had me take of my 1st unit before he replaced it. As you can see in the area where a serial number and QC inspections would have been put and dated they are all blank. So in truth I don't really know if he replaced the amp the first time, as he stated, or if he just sent the same one back. When I sent the second amp in to have the power supply replaced I did mark the circuit board so I would know if I got the same amp back or not. I will add that there is also no place on the outside of the amp to even display a serial number.
 

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"Pretty good." Man, it's everywhere. Pride-of-workmanship is rare. Just the fact that the unit was originally sent to him with the voltage set wrong is completely unacceptable! Sorry, NOT sorry.
I agree - it's totally unacceptable, which is why I said Andrew should try to do better.
 
Matrix have a pretty good reputation, so I would hope that Andrew can reflect on this and make the necessary corrections and improvements.
I reached out to him again and asked for pics of the damages he claims. He has not responded and honestly I don't expect that he will! That is why I shared this with everyone. Hope no one else has to go through this. Inexcusable behavior for a company that has been so highly acclaimed for their product. Matrix Amps are quite literally a one man show run from a small little town in Idaho.
 
Damn man....my cheapy behringer epx4000 has been rock solid for a couple years....glad I saved the money. Thought I had a fan issue but it turned out it sucked up a piece of debris. I'd say fu@k it and get a QSC or a Crown brother.
 
I'm curious if you've considered leaving a review on their site, and/or post your experience where it'll get more views...?
I've thought about that. Matrix really doesn't have a very big footprint outside the modeling world. Musicians that aren't into amp modeling, or around other musicians that are, don't even know who Matrix is. These forums are where people that are interested in the tech of amp modeling come, for advise, recommendations and suggestions on what things to have in their arsenal. This is where truth will have an impact. I will say this in all fairness. I do know several people that have Matrix equipment and it sounds fantastic, works awesomely and they have had no issues at all. That just isn't the case here and I expected a much higher level of Customer Support and it just isn't there. But to insult me and tell me that the amp was all scratched up to the point that he had to replace the chassis charge me for the damages and then not communicate with me about it afterward is just down right unprofessional. I shipped the unit back to him insured by UPS so if the damages were incurred during shipping I would be able to file a claim and get my money back but he has offered nothing!
 
Opened up the unit and set the voltage selector to the proper setting for US use and away we go.
But to insult me and tell me that the amp was all scratched up to the point that he had to replace the chassis charge me for the damages
Then it seems to me you're owed a back-charge from him! I mean seriously..., you saved him some shipping charges at the very least, assuming since the problem was their fault, they should have ate the shipping charges, both ways.
 
If the scratches were done by UPS, then the box would have been basically destroyed.
I have no idea since he won't communicate. I'll just take the $129.00 loss and move on. If I had taken pictures as I packed it back in it's original box I could actually contest his statement of damages. But as it stands its his word against mine. No way to prove anything. Lesson learned.
 
That must be frustrating. My experience with Andy several years ago was the complete opposite.

I had an amp failure, he met me at the shop in Ventura a couple of days later, and repaired the amp on the spot.
 
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