V40 The Duchess 40-watt Guitar Head Review

Small UK amp that makes you sound amazing!

After watching youtube videos of some of my favorite guys from the UK playing on Victory amps (Chris Buck, The guys from That Pedal Show, Rabea, Guthrie Govan, etc) I decided to get a Victory amp. It was either between the V40 or the V30. I got the V40 and I don't have any regrets. You can't make this amp sound bad at any setting. Turn the Master down and volume up and make the… read more amp breakup beautifully. Add a 2x12 cab and you get a huge clean sound. If I'm lazy and don't want to bring my cab to a gig, I run the v40 through an IR loaded. Its small enough to take with you on a flight as a carry on. You can't go wrong with this amp.

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Love it.

I've tried many amps lately and just wasn't feeling it with any of them. I came across Victory Amps and decided to try them. The Duchess was an afterthought because it was listed as a clean amp for pedals. This is not a Fender clean amp and so much better. It's got a really open voiced sound but has a warmth to it. The gain is really effective and perfect for me. I had tried the… read more Mesa California Tweed and really liked it but it was too bright and the gain didn't really make much of a difference. I like a clean sound with a bit of edge and I'm fine with letting the pedals do the rest. I'm hired to play a lot of different styles and this fit the bill. I love rhythm playing as much as lead and need the amp to hold up to those voicings. Power chords need more edge but pedals can take care of that for me. The low power mode is great for quieter gigs too. I've been using it with a tele. The perfect sound is often discovered in the mid frequencies and they are well represented in this amp. I bought the oversized 1x12 cabinet and love it although I'm curious about the smaller 1x12 cab only because of it's smaller size. I'm waiting for them to be restocked. I'm making an effort to write more reviews because we've all come to rely on them more and more. I hope this helps.

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Yes, and yes

I bought one of these 2 years ago. Unfortunately, at that point, Sweetwater did not have a contract with Victory Amplification. I'm stoked they do now! This amp is incredible! Warm mids and smooth lows. Edge of breakup sounds sweet, but it's easy to get a very clean, clean sound as well. Takes pedals at the front end well and wet effects are very distinguishable in the effects loop.… read more Diming the pregain brings out a usable medium Gain overdrive. Experimenting with pre and power tubes make it easy to craft different tones and response to your playing. Great addition to the amp locker!

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Mid-boost toggle replaced my need for a TS-type pedal

Look, you can Google a ton of reviews about this amp. "The V40 Duchess is the perfect pedal-platform amp", its an "ingenious inspired by: Blackface/Tweed/60's Vox-esque amp", etc. blah blah blah. I will tell you ONE helpful piece of information you can walk away with that I think can be said that hasnt really been said in other countless forums, reviews, and websites. Because reading… read more and watching the overload of materials saying the same thing over and over is exhausting and aint nobody got time for that. This amp's mid-boost toggle replaced my need for a mid-boost pedal for my pedalboard. It gives a really nice mid-hump, and voicing II gives even more mid-hump. Not only does that clear up real estate on my board, but it does what is most important from your gear: cut through the mix. My only wish (rather than a complaint) is that the mid-boost switch is not foot-switchable. I personally found myself having the mid-boost toggle on with voicing I (Blackface inspired flat EQ clean voicing). I am playing with a PRS Mira Semi-Hollow with Bare Knuckle Pickups (Riff Raff and Blue Note) with an MXR Timmy, a J Rockett 45 Caliber, and an Xotic SL Drive. That mid-boost toggle is very very welcomed, indeed.

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