Count Us In

Victory’s new and improved version of their best-selling V30 hits the shops. But is it worth the upgrade?

- Nick Guppy

It seems we still can’t get enough of lunchbox heads; almost every amp manufacturer has at least one in their catalogue, while for some they’re the most popular model. Victory is no exception, with no less than eight on their website (seven if you discount the Mark I V30). It’s clear Victory has hit on a winning formula and most of that’s down to the V30 ‘The Countess’ head, which was Victory’s first lunchbox head. Originally designed for the insanely talented Guthrie Govan as his ‘fly-in’ amp, the V30 is one of Victory’s most popular models. New for 2018, the The Countess has received an upgrade and here we’re looking at one of the first Mark IIs to roll off the production line.

Resplendent in its new black chrome finish, the ‘The Countess’ V30 Mark II looks smart and purposeful with Victory’s trademark unperforated chevrons on the front and back of the top cover and clean, uncluttered cream lettering. The metalwork is thicker than some of Victory’s competitors and it’s been accurately bent so there are no sharp corners.

Removing the bottom cover reveals a typically neat PCB layout, with one large board containing everything apart from the power switches and rear panel sockets. The board is full of high-quality components, including high temperature capacitors and metal film resistors for low noise and consistency. There’s not much free space inside the chassis, so it’s good to see the wired connections are all carefully routed to avoid strain.