Manufacturing before Bexleyheath (1969)

Orange Matamp was a short-lived production partnership between Orange Music and Matamp in late-60s Britain.

More than 40 years on, many Orange and Matamp enthusiasts are still under the impression that "Orange Matamp" was a joint manufacturing company owned by Cliff Cooper and Mat Mathias. The black nameplates on the earliest amps probably added to the confusion: the wording implied that Orange Matamp was owned by a company called Cooper Mathias Ltd.

In reality, Cliff Cooper’s amp company was originally called Orange Music. In autumn 1968, Orange Music appointed Mat’s company, Radio Craft, as the subcontractor to supply its amplifiers. The first amps were branded Orange Matamp after Mat requested that the Matamp logo be added to the front panel. Out of courtesy, Cliff agreed, but there never was a manufacturer called "Orange Matamp". It was just a brand name.

As demand for Orange amps increased rapidly, Radio Craft struggled to keep up. Mat was still producing amps in small numbers from the back of his tobacconist’s shop.

Cooper Mathias and the Cowcliffe Factory

Mat couldn’t fund a move to a bigger space alone, so in August 1969, Cliff formed a new company with him: Cooper Mathias Ltd. This would replace Radio Craft as the official subcontractor to Orange Musical Industries (OMI), as the business was now called.

Cliff Cooper explains: “Because we were making good money, I was able to bankroll Mat’s move to the Cowcliffe factory. I could have just loaned Radio Craft the money, but I felt a 50/50 partnership would benefit everyone.”

The plan was for Cooper Mathias to handle all of OMI’s production initially, then scale up to manufacture amps for other companies too, something that never came to pass.

The Cowcliffe factory opened in early 1970. While business was booming in London, production in Huddersfield moved much more slowly. When Cliff visited for a production meeting, it was clear the pace couldn’t keep up with growing demand. The factory simply wasn’t producing fast enough to cover its costs or meet the volume needed.

Reluctantly, Cliff made the decision to pull out of the partnership. Soon after, OMI relocated to Bexleyheath to manage its own production directly.

A Respectful Parting

Despite the split, relations remained warm. “The split was amicable,” remembers Cooper. “Mat and I always stayed good friends. We continued to act as a main agent for Matamp, selling his amps and cabs in the Orange shops. One thing I always respected was that he never copied our picture-frame cabinet design. Mat was a real gentleman, and I’ve always had the greatest admiration for him.”