Victory V40 Deluxe Week #2: Post Gig.
Having finally realised that the Deluxe and the original V40 are different amps, albeit like a closely related family member, I spent Saturday afternoon treating it like a new amp and finding tones that will work in a gig environment and not comparing it constantly to my original V40 head.
The gig went well. Really well. The amp was immediately behind me and angled courtesy of a Fender amp stand and has the usual Shure mic attached via an Amp Clamp. The sound is amazing. I spent time making sure the Reverend Bayonet and the various pedal settings were roughly right in the afternoon, so they only required minor tweaks for the room. I used the same guitar all night apart from a quick switch to an open G tuned Telecaster. The amp and pedal settings didn't require any change for either guitar so my 'one setting for all solution' is now back in place.
As you would expect the amp handles pedals really well. Modulation effects do exactly what they're supposed to and really pop. Particularly the MXR Micro Chorus, it fills the room. Low Gain drive is from a ThorpyFX Peacekeeper, a ThorpyFX Gunshot delivers thick creamy rhythm drive and Boost is from the ThorpyFX Chain Home. Yes, I'm a fan, no apologies. All sound exactly like I want them to.
When I dial back the Bass Contour from the Reverend I get a single coil like sound that is particularly convincing although it does come with a volume drop. Kicking in the Peacekeeper brings the volume back up and adds a lovely bit of crunch. So I now have convincing crunchy single coil Tele sounds available too.
The sound I am producing tonight sounds better than usual. It inspires me to play better and in turn so I sound better. I am in a heavenly cycle of glorious tone and have one of the best gigs ever. The audience agrees too, fortunately.
40 odd songs fly past across 2 hours and I have the time of my life. I'm sure I made some cock ups but I don't remember any. I just remember the band, the tone, the audience and the fact that I can't stop smiling.
My only disappointment is that it took me more than a week to overcome my preconceptions of the amp, get out of my own way and allow myself to discover what it can do. If this blog does anything, the one thing I hope is that anyone with a current V40 who gets a Deluxe will read this and not make the same mistakes I have. Treat it like a new amp - go through the process of finding your favourite tone the same way you would any other new amp and don't let your previous V40 dictate how you use the amp.Pretty much the only thing I set the same is that I am in Voice 2 with the Mid kick on - Every other setting else is different.*
* IMPORTANT* Just to prove I am a firm believer in listening with your ears and not your eyes, I have just unsheathed the Deluxe for a play a couple of days after the gig and I have discovered that I played the whole gig on Voice 1 with the mid kick off. See all the comments about the best I have ever sounded and this amp being more than a little different from my V40 head. The punch is still there but the added presence has meant that some of the tricks I learned from the standard V40 do not apply. I've edited my original comment above.
Simon is a guitarist in Salisbury Classic Rock covers band Break Cover.
Break Cover website
Break Cover Facebook
This amp is beautiful. I've found myself using it clean much more than any amp I've used with this band. In my quest for a clean signal path I've ended up using the built in reverb and tremolo. I adore the trem on this, I mean I REALLY like the tremolo sound this amp makes. In fact, I'm going to have to admit that I have a problem in that I am probably going to have to change my normal V40 head to a Deluxe just so I can have this tremolo in my life. I have a couple of trem pedals but I do not have a pedal that makes THIS noise and I find myself wanting to use it way too much. Thanks Victory - my wallet hates you.
Listening back to the recording of the gig I realise I am completely falling for the Deluxe. The way the cleans sound; the crunch from the Peacekeeper; the way the drive of the Gunshot is delivered; the way the reverb comes across and the amazing sound of the tremolo are all contributing to my burgeoning love affair. What really strikes me is that things which I notice sound one way at home transform themselves live. Case in point is the reverb - I mentioned before that I thought people might want more extreme settings - especially 'bigger' reverbs. My advice for that is get a pedal. Personally the amount of reverb on tap and the way that the amp reacts with it live is absolutely perfect. It's not too much, it doesn't swamp the tone and sounds absolutely natural - a real feat of sound engineering. You can absolutely tell this has been designed by someone who understands the needs of a gigging musician.Also worthy of note - I replaced the Flashback with a Moogerfooger Analogue Delay and this also gets delivered with a much more natural feel once it is in the mix of a band - it just becomes part of the sound.
The gig went well. Really well. The amp was immediately behind me and angled courtesy of a Fender amp stand and has the usual Shure mic attached via an Amp Clamp. The sound is amazing. I spent time making sure the Reverend Bayonet and the various pedal settings were roughly right in the afternoon, so they only required minor tweaks for the room. I used the same guitar all night apart from a quick switch to an open G tuned Telecaster. The amp and pedal settings didn't require any change for either guitar so my 'one setting for all solution' is now back in place.
As you would expect the amp handles pedals really well. Modulation effects do exactly what they're supposed to and really pop. Particularly the MXR Micro Chorus, it fills the room. Low Gain drive is from a ThorpyFX Peacekeeper, a ThorpyFX Gunshot delivers thick creamy rhythm drive and Boost is from the ThorpyFX Chain Home. Yes, I'm a fan, no apologies. All sound exactly like I want them to.
When I dial back the Bass Contour from the Reverend I get a single coil like sound that is particularly convincing although it does come with a volume drop. Kicking in the Peacekeeper brings the volume back up and adds a lovely bit of crunch. So I now have convincing crunchy single coil Tele sounds available too.
The sound I am producing tonight sounds better than usual. It inspires me to play better and in turn so I sound better. I am in a heavenly cycle of glorious tone and have one of the best gigs ever. The audience agrees too, fortunately.
40 odd songs fly past across 2 hours and I have the time of my life. I'm sure I made some cock ups but I don't remember any. I just remember the band, the tone, the audience and the fact that I can't stop smiling.
My only disappointment is that it took me more than a week to overcome my preconceptions of the amp, get out of my own way and allow myself to discover what it can do. If this blog does anything, the one thing I hope is that anyone with a current V40 who gets a Deluxe will read this and not make the same mistakes I have. Treat it like a new amp - go through the process of finding your favourite tone the same way you would any other new amp and don't let your previous V40 dictate how you use the amp.
* IMPORTANT* Just to prove I am a firm believer in listening with your ears and not your eyes, I have just unsheathed the Deluxe for a play a couple of days after the gig and I have discovered that I played the whole gig on Voice 1 with the mid kick off. See all the comments about the best I have ever sounded and this amp being more than a little different from my V40 head. The punch is still there but the added presence has meant that some of the tricks I learned from the standard V40 do not apply. I've edited my original comment above.
Simon is a guitarist in Salisbury Classic Rock covers band Break Cover.
Break Cover website
Break Cover Facebook
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