Gear Hunter

Accessories Included: cover, footswitch

From MUSICRADAR 2015:

Victory Amplification is rapidly carving a reputation as the British amp company to watch out for. Based on the same all-metal package as the V30 head, with a large high-quality PCB inside, 'The Duchess' might look like a typical modern rock amp, but sonically it's very different.

The V40 expands the elusive low-to-medium gain range, putting a wide spectrum of subtly shifting overdrive textures under your fingers. There are rotary controls for gain, EQ and master volume.

The real fun starts with a two-position voice switch, which subtly changes the V40's character. Voice 1 is centered more on the early 60s 'blackface' tone; Voice 2 is edgier and a touch more aggressive, evoking the tweed amps of the 1950s.

A small toggle switch called 'mid kick' adds a touch of extra gain in the midrange, not least to give weedy single coils a lift for solos. There's also a digital reverb with a front-panel level control and on/off switch.

As usual, there are a few extras: a series effects loop, switchable bias to take EL34 and 6L6 valves, a single-ended mode with a switch to even out the wear on both valves, and a couple of defeat switches that remove the reverb and the effects loop if needed.

Then there's the standby switch, which has two 'on' positions for high power (approximately 40 watts) and low power (seven watts). This switch also works in the V40's single-ended mode, offering a choice of around 1.5 watts in the high-power position and 0.5 watts in the low-power setting.

The V40 is a serious piece of work, built to a high standard and just as ready for non-stop professional touring as it is for your bedroom or study.