Matchless Chieftain preset

Verified · 90/100 confidence. Complete schematic. All component values readable. Parameters derived directly from the circuit.

The Chieftain is a 40-watt single-channel Matchless designed by Mark Sampson in 1994. Five 12AX7s drive bass, mid, treble and brilliance controls, spring reverb, an effects loop and a master volume, into two EL34s with a 5AR4 valve rectifier.

• Made in: USA
• Wattage: 40W
• Channels: 1
• Preamp tubes: 5× 12AX7
• Power tubes: 2× EL34

Known for: Kirk Hammett, Val McCallum, Rich Robinson, Genessa Gariano, Derek Trucks, Jackson Browne, Sonny Landreth, Colin James, Pat Kelley, David Cabrera, Grant Mickelson, James Duke, Jeff Greene, Paul Boddy.

Heard on: Hero of the Day — Metallica (1996); Crash and Burn — Sheryl Crow (1998).

Tags: american, boutique, el34, reverb, mid-wattage, crunch.

Schematic-derived preset files for 16 Fractal and Line 6 modelers: Axe-Fx II/XL/XL+, Axe-Fx III, FM3, FM9, and the full Helix family (Floor, LT, Rack, HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL, Native).

Gridleak extracts amp parameters from original circuit schematics using AI vision — component values, gain staging, tone stack topology, tube types — then generates native preset files for every supported modeler. Every extraction is scored 0–100 and the score is published.