First off, it's very portable. Comes with a soft carry bag. Heavy for size but light enough. Very solidly built, the most important connections are point to point wired. The only thing I can moan about is the control knobs are large and quite lightly moved, so you have to mark your settings, the knobs are gonna get knocked to different position for sure when it's moved in its bag.
Before going into other features it's good to note that Changing tubes is very easy. The case opens with a few screws and allows easy access. There's a switch for bias range which allows you to use either 6L6 or EL34 power tubes, and there are external bias measure points and adjust so it's a breeze to maintain.
I've tried it with both power tube types and there really isn't much of a difference which you use at reasonable volume levels.
And that brings me to power level. A bit over 40W or 7W in low mode, the amp is loud as hell. With a 4x10" cab I use that has 102dB sensitive Eminence Raging Cajun and Cannabis Rex speakers as well as two Celestions, it's more than loud enough with drums at master volumes waaay below halfway mark already, I have them at maybe a bit over a quarter up and it roars. The 7W mode is very good sounding and at home I've used a 1x12" or a 2x10" in the picture and it's easily one of the best sounding low power sounds I've met. Very usable, not like a feeble version of full power at all, I could record at 7w.
So what does it sound like? Well, it was made for Guthrie Gowan. Here he's playing it.
I'm a Marshall guy. I love a basic JCM800 with warm speakers - that classic heavy metal sound.
My other amp is a 20W Origin head I've modded with a Headfirst mod so that it sounds very much like a JCM. I love that amp. If I play rock in the vein of ACDC or The Cult or such, it's just the perfect amp for that. Doesn't get better for that type of lower gain rock.
The Victory sounds more modern. It's sort of like similar, but it's far more 'clear' a sound; it doesn't have that Marshall fizz. For lower gain bluesy or raunchy rock, it's even too neat sounding. So for those I'll use the Origin or a real JCM or get an SC/SV20. But for a bit more metal tones...whoa. the Vic certainly delivers. It doesn't need high gain - I play at like 1/3 gain and it's incredibly c r u n c h y. Like you play a slow swept simple low E chord chugga chugga for instance, and it's just effin BRUTAL without sounding very distorted at all and has absolutely stellar clarity. And going into lead, it just screams and sings, making it feel effortless to play leads - even at lower gain drive. Absolutely a joy to play hard rock/metal with.
There's a switch called Nomod, and without that, the amp cuts thru the mix like a knife - very much like a JCM800. It's punchy and very midrange strong in a similar way but again, it doesn't have that high fizziness and the clarity is totally outstanding. Playing with the band, everything sounds so good, when every note is so clearly heard when playing.
With the Nomod switch on, it gets a massive low end punch. Feels like a 120W 5150 or something. Massive bass end. As a rhythm guitarist, I usually have it off so as to leave room for the bass player as well.
I totally love Marshalls, but with a band context, it's the clarity that wins. It's just so clear and punchy, and still sounds brutal and screaming. My Marshalls sound just as good but much less clear and punchy, if that makes sense.
For cleans...those are quite 'metal' oriented. Nice and warm but very clean. There's a crunch mode that sort of almost makes the amp three channels worth, and it works great, but for that just breaking up sound Marshalls sound much more organic and bluesy sweet. Cleans on the Victory are good, but again, if I'm to play blues or clean rock, the modded Origin sounds just way more organic and naturally breaking up
The Vic does that well too, make no mistake, but it's just that a 20W JCM style Marshall is the best possible amp for those sounds. Warm, crunchy, sweet like a 1978x Bluesbreaker, instant Malcom. The Vic can't compete with the best in that style.
SO...yeah. As we play rather metal oriented hardrock, there's no iffs about it. The V30 is hands down the best amp for that kinda stuff. Even better than my modded JVM was and that amp was truly good. It's just the clarity and brutalness despite being warm and bug sounding that passes the trophy to the Vic.
But still for blues and such old skool rock, gimme my Marshall. Not selling that either. But you'll have to pry the Vic from my cold dead hands too, it's so good.
Oh, one more thing - as it's a high gain all tube amp at the heart, it absolutely needs a noise gate in the loop IMO. Just like the JVM does. I use a simple cheap Mooer Noise Killer and it works great. Other than that, I wouldn't really need other effects much, a wah and a tuner and it sounds great. But IRL I use a multiFX Boss in front as a channel changer for it and also add some FX for variety and for DI sound to board.
