Victoria Amplifier
Mark Baier can be emailed at: MarkBaier@VictoriaAmp.com
Victoria Brochure -
Be sure look at the Victoria
warranty on the back page - it
is the best one I have ever
read!
Front page click here
Back page click here
Be sure look at the Victoria
warranty on the back page - it
is the best one I have ever
read!
Front page click here
Back page click here
| From Mark Baier .... I've been playing guitar for over 25 years and one important fact I've learned from countless one-nighters is that an amp can make or break your sound. A good amp is an extension of your guitar... and a great amp is an extension of your soul. I discovered this little fact in a smoky dive in Iowa using a borrowed Tweed Super®. It was like discovering the missing link. I've been an avid collector and user of Fender Tweeds ever since. It was inevitable that the demand for these great old amps caught up with the supply and drove prices sky high. Available productions are out of reach for most working-stiff musicians, and official "reissues" in my opinion merely come close. The market is just right for an accurate reproduction at a reasonable price. The market is just right for Victoria Amp Company. Do yourself a favor and try one of my Victoria Vintage Amplifiers. I'm certain you'll find it to be the most expressive, best sounding guitar amp this side of a time machine. |
I guess the bottom line in the above comments from Mark Baier, from my point of view, is that I have
worked on a lot of amps. There are not many that I can say, that come close to his amps. This
includes the aspects of not only tone, touch sensitivity, and playing dynamics, but also of shear
quality of construction and build quality. This is the pinnacle of attention to detail.
I have a few issues with the Victoria Amp website ... They show the more well known models, but a
little known fact is that Mark and Victoria have a number of their own designs which are every bit as
impressive.
I will try to expand a bit on the Victoria website, take some info from there, and put in some of my
own info here. My info is my slant on things, and not to be taken as endorsed in any way by Victoria
Amp Co.
worked on a lot of amps. There are not many that I can say, that come close to his amps. This
includes the aspects of not only tone, touch sensitivity, and playing dynamics, but also of shear
quality of construction and build quality. This is the pinnacle of attention to detail.
I have a few issues with the Victoria Amp website ... They show the more well known models, but a
little known fact is that Mark and Victoria have a number of their own designs which are every bit as
impressive.
I will try to expand a bit on the Victoria website, take some info from there, and put in some of my
own info here. My info is my slant on things, and not to be taken as endorsed in any way by Victoria
Amp Co.
Let me start with a bit of a lineup of Victoria amps models, some of which are not on their website.
This is also a tube compliment of these amps. On some of these models, the model gives a good
indication of the amp. As an example, a 35120 is a 35 watt amp with (2) ten inch speakers.
518-T (tweed champ)
5Y3GT OR 5V4GT, 6V6GT, 12AX7
20112-T (tweed deluxe)
5Y3GT, 2 x 6V6GT, 1 12AX7, 1 5751 OR 12AY7
DOUBLE DELUXE (think of this as Mark's take on a BIG tweed deluxe)
5Y3GT OR 5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6V6GT, 1 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
35210-T (think of this as the narrow panel fender tweed super)
5U4GB, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
35115-T ( same as the 53210 but with a 15" speaker - super harp amp too)
5U4GB, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5757 OR 12AY7
35310-T (three 10" speakers .... 50's Fender tweed bandmaster)
5A4R/GZ34, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
45410-T ( can anybody say .... 59 Fender tweed Bassman ....)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
80410-T ( 80 watt, tweed twin big monster with 4x10")
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
50212-T (the killer tweed twin small verion with 50 watts)
5AR4/GZ34 OR 5U4, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
80212-T (the killer big tweed twin - 80 watts - slide, rhythm, steel, watch out!)
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6L6GCGE, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
VICTORI-ETTE (one of Mark's own creations)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x EL84, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7
VICTORILUX (this is another of Mark's own amps)
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x EL84 OR 2 x 6L6GCGE/6550A, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7
SOVEREIGN (and one more of Mark's creations that is quite special)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x EL34 OR 6L6, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7, 1 x 6BM8, 1 x EF86
This is also a tube compliment of these amps. On some of these models, the model gives a good
indication of the amp. As an example, a 35120 is a 35 watt amp with (2) ten inch speakers.
518-T (tweed champ)
5Y3GT OR 5V4GT, 6V6GT, 12AX7
20112-T (tweed deluxe)
5Y3GT, 2 x 6V6GT, 1 12AX7, 1 5751 OR 12AY7
DOUBLE DELUXE (think of this as Mark's take on a BIG tweed deluxe)
5Y3GT OR 5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6V6GT, 1 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
35210-T (think of this as the narrow panel fender tweed super)
5U4GB, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
35115-T ( same as the 53210 but with a 15" speaker - super harp amp too)
5U4GB, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5757 OR 12AY7
35310-T (three 10" speakers .... 50's Fender tweed bandmaster)
5A4R/GZ34, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
45410-T ( can anybody say .... 59 Fender tweed Bassman ....)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
80410-T ( 80 watt, tweed twin big monster with 4x10")
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6L6GCGE, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
50212-T (the killer tweed twin small verion with 50 watts)
5AR4/GZ34 OR 5U4, 2 x 6L6GCGE, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
80212-T (the killer big tweed twin - 80 watts - slide, rhythm, steel, watch out!)
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x 6L6GCGE, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 5751 OR 12AY7
VICTORI-ETTE (one of Mark's own creations)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x EL84, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7
VICTORILUX (this is another of Mark's own amps)
5AR4/GZ34, 4 x EL84 OR 2 x 6L6GCGE/6550A, 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7
SOVEREIGN (and one more of Mark's creations that is quite special)
5AR4/GZ34, 2 x EL34 OR 6L6, 2 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7, 1 x 6BM8, 1 x EF86
Inside of one of these masterpieces
Below .... only the best parts and
vintage tone aspects are used in
every Victoria product. Below is a
Bassman (45410T) with Jensen
speakers
vintage tone aspects are used in
every Victoria product. Below is a
Bassman (45410T) with Jensen
speakers
Sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words. Those out there that know me, know 1000 words
for me is a piece of cake. So, rather than driving all you nuts at the start here, I will resort to
some photos for a while ....
for me is a piece of cake. So, rather than driving all you nuts at the start here, I will resort to
some photos for a while ....
Victorette (above) is shown in Black Tolex
Victorette, Victorilux, and Tweed Bassman above
The world's next great amplifier investment?
Over the years there have been many amplifiers that we have all wished that we had purchased when new, or
never sold, or bought when there was that great deal that comes up from time to time.
One of the last ?amplifier classics? in the last decade or so to some, was the Matchless DC-30. Mark Sampson,
who had vast Vox AC-30 experience, wanted to incorporate some of the best of the Vox amp, reduce it?s
shortcomings and limitations, and add a number of his own ideas. The Matchless DC-30 was a resounding
success, and today, many of us look back at what we could have picked up one of these for, and did not in
many cases.
I have a few amps in my personal collection where I was in the right time at the right place. $325.00 for a brand
new Marshall JTM-45 half stack from Ace Music in Santa Monica at the time, was a labor or working all summer
when I was in high school. My eyes are always open, and I am always on the lookout for what may be the next
great find, "the next Matchless", 59 Tweed Bassman, or Black Face Deluxe Reverb, as a few examples.
Today, many amp designers build for the current wave of public preference, rather than designing to break new
ground while retaining qualities from the best of the past. We see a lot of clones of "Vox AC-30 types", or
Marshall type clones. There are point to point wired amps at very high prices that do not always bring anything
new to the table in cases. When Mark Sampson did his magic on his small line of amplifiers, each one brought
new ideas and quality aspects to the table.
To design and build a truly great amp, one has to understand history of amplifiers, and how they really worked.
There are many amp designers that just copy another basic circuit, change a resistor here or a pot there, and
voila, we have the new high gain 100 whatever. Some take a classic design that was mass produced, add a
FET in the front end maybe, add a tube here and there, maybe some XLR connectors to make it a ?studio?
amp, ask a $5000+ price, and make you stand in line for the privilege perhaps.
There are many great amp builders today that put their own twists, ideas, and improvements on history ? and
our future. Some of these folks to my way of thinking produce amps like Rivera, Diezel, THD, and Demeter to
name a few.
I see more than a few amps each day, to put it mildly. My current focus is toward the attention of who is, to my
thinking, one of the finest amp builders around today. Mark Baier of Victoria Amp. Known to many as the
?King of Tweed?, or as a tone god, as he is described in many very high end publications. Mark took the
classic Fender Tweed Amps of the past, and spent years studying their interactions and qualities. It is funny to
me that there is a parallel in a way here ?. Mark Baier ? Mark Sampson ?. In the area where when Carbon Comp
resistors were needed, new ones, not old dried out stock, that these two ?Marks? were the only folks that
stepped up to the plate and committed to have enough of them ordered for their amps to have the manufacturer
of the originals resume production for them exclusively.
IVictoria is well known for their Tweed classics. These amps equal or surpassed the originals in many cases,
and show up these days on countless stages. These amps are wonderful investments which are a joy to play
every single day as their value escalates, but are not the object of this short paper.
The amps I am referring to, are Victoria amps, but amps of Mark?s that are less well known. Victoria has a few
amps that are of Mark?s original design. His EL-84 based amps are not just another Vox, or these days,
another Matchless clone. The VICTORILUX and VICTORI-ETTE are two of Mark?s own designs, that are, to
my prediction, the Matchless DC-30?s of the 21st century, or at least the first decade of this century. In ten
years, these will be some of the amps that will have doubled in value at the least. The VICTORI-ETTE is an
EL-84 based amp, with two EL-84?s that is not just another AC-15 clone. It has much more versatility, and
Mark?s knowledge gained over many years on component interaction, shows here big time. The VICTORILUX
is the big brother to the VICTORI-ETTE, with four EL-84?s or two 6L6?s depending on user choice of the two
models of this amp. Unlike the 5U4 rectifier of the AC-30 types, this amp sports the stronger 5AR4, and a
number of changes, that show off what an EL-84 based amp can do. There are many aspects of the EL-84
small pentode, that have been overlooked as the earlier British amps, and some American amps, deployed this
tube in much the same way, over and over. Today?s modern EL-84 based amps such as the Fender Blues Jr.
and Peavey Classic 30 type amps, are terrific amps in their price ranges, but there has been little moving from
the prior path of how this tube was used in many ways.
The two Victoria amps mentioned above, will give you all the magic of the past designs, and open new paths to
future tones and the ability to use these EL-84 based amps from clean to crunch to rock. After all, if you can
pull off the best of the tweeds, the highest aspects of construction, and true pride in workmanship, then you can
most definitely direct these attributes to any amp Victoria took on as a design project.
At the 2003 Winter NAMM, I spent a lot of time in other booths, but I found I returned over and over, and OVER,
to a few booths. A lot of time was spent at the Rivera, Matchless, THD, and the Victoria booths. I spent more
time in these booths than I spent in my own booth during the show. The largest part of of my time ended up
being spent at the Victoria booth. What I noticed, on just about every occasion during my visits, was that folks
would sit and play these amps, and if I came back a half an hour later, or even later, the same folks were there
still playing. Folks were captivated. A lot of these folks were not some of the typical NAMM attendees either,
there were many that know their stuff. Sure, there were the great players who are known as great players, but
when I see folks like Charlie Kittleson of Vacuum Tube Valley fame stuck in a chair for 30 minutes, oblivious to
the crowd, just sittin, grinnin, and playin, then I have a bit of support in my mind, that I am not the only one that
sees the light here.
All I can suggest if you are interested in an amp with tone, versatility, build quality, and features that are hard to
approach in many other high end amps today, you find a dealer and take a look at these amps. They are still
pretty darn cheap (maybe 30% less than some of the boutique amps) in many cases. Their build quality,
components, and warranty cannot be improved in any way.
You may want to take a look and play one or more of these amps next time you are wondering, what next? Be
sure to have enough time available to really play the amp and explore its ranges. These are not one trick pony
amps, and you will only scratch the surface in 30 minutes.
Myles S. Rose
Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting - 2003
Over the years there have been many amplifiers that we have all wished that we had purchased when new, or
never sold, or bought when there was that great deal that comes up from time to time.
One of the last ?amplifier classics? in the last decade or so to some, was the Matchless DC-30. Mark Sampson,
who had vast Vox AC-30 experience, wanted to incorporate some of the best of the Vox amp, reduce it?s
shortcomings and limitations, and add a number of his own ideas. The Matchless DC-30 was a resounding
success, and today, many of us look back at what we could have picked up one of these for, and did not in
many cases.
I have a few amps in my personal collection where I was in the right time at the right place. $325.00 for a brand
new Marshall JTM-45 half stack from Ace Music in Santa Monica at the time, was a labor or working all summer
when I was in high school. My eyes are always open, and I am always on the lookout for what may be the next
great find, "the next Matchless", 59 Tweed Bassman, or Black Face Deluxe Reverb, as a few examples.
Today, many amp designers build for the current wave of public preference, rather than designing to break new
ground while retaining qualities from the best of the past. We see a lot of clones of "Vox AC-30 types", or
Marshall type clones. There are point to point wired amps at very high prices that do not always bring anything
new to the table in cases. When Mark Sampson did his magic on his small line of amplifiers, each one brought
new ideas and quality aspects to the table.
To design and build a truly great amp, one has to understand history of amplifiers, and how they really worked.
There are many amp designers that just copy another basic circuit, change a resistor here or a pot there, and
voila, we have the new high gain 100 whatever. Some take a classic design that was mass produced, add a
FET in the front end maybe, add a tube here and there, maybe some XLR connectors to make it a ?studio?
amp, ask a $5000+ price, and make you stand in line for the privilege perhaps.
There are many great amp builders today that put their own twists, ideas, and improvements on history ? and
our future. Some of these folks to my way of thinking produce amps like Rivera, Diezel, THD, and Demeter to
name a few.
I see more than a few amps each day, to put it mildly. My current focus is toward the attention of who is, to my
thinking, one of the finest amp builders around today. Mark Baier of Victoria Amp. Known to many as the
?King of Tweed?, or as a tone god, as he is described in many very high end publications. Mark took the
classic Fender Tweed Amps of the past, and spent years studying their interactions and qualities. It is funny to
me that there is a parallel in a way here ?. Mark Baier ? Mark Sampson ?. In the area where when Carbon Comp
resistors were needed, new ones, not old dried out stock, that these two ?Marks? were the only folks that
stepped up to the plate and committed to have enough of them ordered for their amps to have the manufacturer
of the originals resume production for them exclusively.
IVictoria is well known for their Tweed classics. These amps equal or surpassed the originals in many cases,
and show up these days on countless stages. These amps are wonderful investments which are a joy to play
every single day as their value escalates, but are not the object of this short paper.
The amps I am referring to, are Victoria amps, but amps of Mark?s that are less well known. Victoria has a few
amps that are of Mark?s original design. His EL-84 based amps are not just another Vox, or these days,
another Matchless clone. The VICTORILUX and VICTORI-ETTE are two of Mark?s own designs, that are, to
my prediction, the Matchless DC-30?s of the 21st century, or at least the first decade of this century. In ten
years, these will be some of the amps that will have doubled in value at the least. The VICTORI-ETTE is an
EL-84 based amp, with two EL-84?s that is not just another AC-15 clone. It has much more versatility, and
Mark?s knowledge gained over many years on component interaction, shows here big time. The VICTORILUX
is the big brother to the VICTORI-ETTE, with four EL-84?s or two 6L6?s depending on user choice of the two
models of this amp. Unlike the 5U4 rectifier of the AC-30 types, this amp sports the stronger 5AR4, and a
number of changes, that show off what an EL-84 based amp can do. There are many aspects of the EL-84
small pentode, that have been overlooked as the earlier British amps, and some American amps, deployed this
tube in much the same way, over and over. Today?s modern EL-84 based amps such as the Fender Blues Jr.
and Peavey Classic 30 type amps, are terrific amps in their price ranges, but there has been little moving from
the prior path of how this tube was used in many ways.
The two Victoria amps mentioned above, will give you all the magic of the past designs, and open new paths to
future tones and the ability to use these EL-84 based amps from clean to crunch to rock. After all, if you can
pull off the best of the tweeds, the highest aspects of construction, and true pride in workmanship, then you can
most definitely direct these attributes to any amp Victoria took on as a design project.
At the 2003 Winter NAMM, I spent a lot of time in other booths, but I found I returned over and over, and OVER,
to a few booths. A lot of time was spent at the Rivera, Matchless, THD, and the Victoria booths. I spent more
time in these booths than I spent in my own booth during the show. The largest part of of my time ended up
being spent at the Victoria booth. What I noticed, on just about every occasion during my visits, was that folks
would sit and play these amps, and if I came back a half an hour later, or even later, the same folks were there
still playing. Folks were captivated. A lot of these folks were not some of the typical NAMM attendees either,
there were many that know their stuff. Sure, there were the great players who are known as great players, but
when I see folks like Charlie Kittleson of Vacuum Tube Valley fame stuck in a chair for 30 minutes, oblivious to
the crowd, just sittin, grinnin, and playin, then I have a bit of support in my mind, that I am not the only one that
sees the light here.
All I can suggest if you are interested in an amp with tone, versatility, build quality, and features that are hard to
approach in many other high end amps today, you find a dealer and take a look at these amps. They are still
pretty darn cheap (maybe 30% less than some of the boutique amps) in many cases. Their build quality,
components, and warranty cannot be improved in any way.
You may want to take a look and play one or more of these amps next time you are wondering, what next? Be
sure to have enough time available to really play the amp and explore its ranges. These are not one trick pony
amps, and you will only scratch the surface in 30 minutes.
Myles S. Rose
Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting - 2003
45410-T Service Update
In an effort to clear up some recent concerns about our 45410 (Bassman style) amplifiers, I thought it prudent to offer
some insight into the concept and construction of this popular Victoria Amplifier.
The Victoria 45410-T is an exact replica of a 1959 1/2 Fender Bassman. I feel that much of what is valued about this
benchmark amplifier can be attributed to the actual construction of the chassis and cabinetry. In an effort to replicate
this old style Fender amplifier, I have utilized the exact same materials as the original. Doing so has its benefits and
detriments. By using materials found on a product manufactured 40 years ago, I've constructed a product that is
EXACTLY (except the bias adjustment pot) as it was in 1959..Exactly. It is this attention to historical accuracy that
defines what Victorias vintage products are renowned for. The benefits are obvious. Rich, harmonically revealing
tone, meticulous handwired construction and near indestructible reliability are a few obvious benefits. The detriments
are a bit more subtle.
One component that can be considered less than ideal is the parts panel, commonly known as the eyelet-board.
Obtained by the original supplier to Fender, the eyelet board is made of vulcanized fiberboard--basically it's
rubberized cardboard. When I was developing and researching the Victoria product line, I recognized this component
as one that could be improved by utilizing a modern equivalent. After listening to prototypes that were fitted with
different types of eyelet boards, my associates and I all felt that the samples using the old style fiberboard sounded
more authentic. The sample using the fiberboard had a better dynamic feel, they had an almost vocal character. It
seemed that the amp was more intuitive; that it was connected better to the player. The other amps were fine too;
they sounded great; but they lacked that final 5% that can make such a difference to tone obsessed guitar players.
This of course begs the question "What's up with that?? What exactly is going on with the fiberboard that can account
for this sonic disparity?" In theory, the eyelet board is a non-factor tonally...It's not in the signal path, it's not a
"component" that can effect the signal. The answer lies in its microphonic tendencies and its electrical liveliness.
When the amplifier is operating at volume, the whole thing is vibrating...cabinet, baffle board, chassis, and of course,
the eyelet board with the parts mounted on it. It's this electro-physical interaction that in part accounts for the organic,
vocal like character old '50's Fenders and new Victorias have. You'll never see this effect on your scope, but trust me,
it's not a small part of the equation. The electrical liveliness is another matter...You see, the fiberboard is not a
perfect electrical insulator. When conditions are right, micro voltages can creep across the board. Normally this isn't a
big deal--we're talking about MICRO voltages here, but they can occasionally disrupt normal amplifier operation. The
most common manifestation of the voltage creep is the annoying ticking noise some people have noticed. It occurs
when the B+ on the 100K plate resistors for the first preamp tube creep across the board to the 68K grid resistors
feeding the bright channel. On a Bassman, the proximity of the B+ (at approx. 300V) on the 100K's is literally 3/16"
away from the 68K input resistors. These resistors feed the grid of the first preamp tube---a very sensitive section of
the amp. The voltage this grid sees at idle should be 0V. When the B+ voltage creeps across the board it puts
approx. .1volts on this grid. With the board acting as a capacitor and this voltage present, the annoying ticking
occurs. It doesn't effect performance or safe operation of the amplifier, but it can be very annoying. It should be noted
that this phenomenon normally occurs only when the humidity level in the air gets high. Presumably, the eyelet board
is prone to becoming conductive when it gets hot and humid. It should be noted that virtually every vintage '50's
Fender I've owned displayed this trait to some degree. The cure for this ticking is to move the 68K input resistors off
the board and on to the input jacks a-la a Black Face Fender. I convinced that Fender moved these 68K's off the
board and onto the inputs jacks precisely because of this ticking phenomenon.
Another concern some Victoria Owners have voiced is excessive cabinet buzz and rattle. This is a problem common to
the old Fenders as well as our Victoria products. The construction of the cabinet itself is the source of the problem.
The tweed style cabinet is a very loose and resonant enclosure when compared to post 1959 Fenders and most
modern amplifiers. They utilize lighter wood, thinner baffle boards, different chassis and a totally different baffle board
mounting system. It's a very :alive: cabinet. This makes for a cabinet that is very much part if the overall sound of the
amplifier. The whole thing acts as a resonator..The amplifier really seems to breathe and interact with the player and
the cabinet plays a big part. The down side is that the thing vibrates like hell in the process. If the backpanel is
situated just right it'll buzz louder than the amp! Bummer. The cure for me has always been to stick a heavy pick in
between the back panel and the chassis. I did it for years on my old '60 Bassman. Sometimes the baffle board will
vibrate against the side of the cabinet, sometimes the tweed will vibrate against the inside of the cabinet, sometimes
an electrical component will vibrate inside the chassis. I can't tell you how many times I've opened up an old Fender
for repair and found the guts all glopped up with silicon caulk. This has evidently been a problem for generations of
guitar pickers. Each Victoria amplifier is thoroughly tested and "de-buzzed" if you will , before it gets boxed up and
shipped to the dealer or your home, but in shipping may get bounced around enough to elicit some cabinet rattles
and buzzing upon reaching its destination. These rattles can usually be identified and eliminated fairly easily by hitting
the offending frequency (usually it's a low G) and listening carefully. Likely candidates would be the pilot light
assembly, caps connected to pots, and back panels. Often all that's needed is to tighten mounting bolts holding the
chassis to the cabinet. If the amp took a good shot from the UPS guy, you may need to realign the chassis.
I have a theory that the tweed era cabinetry was redesigned in the early '60's to tighten up the cabinet and eliminate
the buzzes and rattles that the amps were prone to exhibiting. There can no doubt that the later amps were less apt to
have this problem. With the tightening and stiffening of the cabinets, however came a stiffer tighter :sounding: amp.
The reverb on these B.F. amps is needed to loosen them and open them up a bit. I can't tell you how many people
I've had plug into our amps and remark that they don't miss the 'verb at all..That's the resonant cabinet talking. In
short, a Victoria vintage style amp is a painstakingly accurate reproduction of a timeless, proven amplifier
design...warts and all. Those players who understand why the old amps are so valued will appreciate the way we've
recreated the nuance, feel and liveliness that was formerly only available with a fragile 40 yr. old collectors piece..
In an effort to clear up some recent concerns about our 45410 (Bassman style) amplifiers, I thought it prudent to offer
some insight into the concept and construction of this popular Victoria Amplifier.
The Victoria 45410-T is an exact replica of a 1959 1/2 Fender Bassman. I feel that much of what is valued about this
benchmark amplifier can be attributed to the actual construction of the chassis and cabinetry. In an effort to replicate
this old style Fender amplifier, I have utilized the exact same materials as the original. Doing so has its benefits and
detriments. By using materials found on a product manufactured 40 years ago, I've constructed a product that is
EXACTLY (except the bias adjustment pot) as it was in 1959..Exactly. It is this attention to historical accuracy that
defines what Victorias vintage products are renowned for. The benefits are obvious. Rich, harmonically revealing
tone, meticulous handwired construction and near indestructible reliability are a few obvious benefits. The detriments
are a bit more subtle.
One component that can be considered less than ideal is the parts panel, commonly known as the eyelet-board.
Obtained by the original supplier to Fender, the eyelet board is made of vulcanized fiberboard--basically it's
rubberized cardboard. When I was developing and researching the Victoria product line, I recognized this component
as one that could be improved by utilizing a modern equivalent. After listening to prototypes that were fitted with
different types of eyelet boards, my associates and I all felt that the samples using the old style fiberboard sounded
more authentic. The sample using the fiberboard had a better dynamic feel, they had an almost vocal character. It
seemed that the amp was more intuitive; that it was connected better to the player. The other amps were fine too;
they sounded great; but they lacked that final 5% that can make such a difference to tone obsessed guitar players.
This of course begs the question "What's up with that?? What exactly is going on with the fiberboard that can account
for this sonic disparity?" In theory, the eyelet board is a non-factor tonally...It's not in the signal path, it's not a
"component" that can effect the signal. The answer lies in its microphonic tendencies and its electrical liveliness.
When the amplifier is operating at volume, the whole thing is vibrating...cabinet, baffle board, chassis, and of course,
the eyelet board with the parts mounted on it. It's this electro-physical interaction that in part accounts for the organic,
vocal like character old '50's Fenders and new Victorias have. You'll never see this effect on your scope, but trust me,
it's not a small part of the equation. The electrical liveliness is another matter...You see, the fiberboard is not a
perfect electrical insulator. When conditions are right, micro voltages can creep across the board. Normally this isn't a
big deal--we're talking about MICRO voltages here, but they can occasionally disrupt normal amplifier operation. The
most common manifestation of the voltage creep is the annoying ticking noise some people have noticed. It occurs
when the B+ on the 100K plate resistors for the first preamp tube creep across the board to the 68K grid resistors
feeding the bright channel. On a Bassman, the proximity of the B+ (at approx. 300V) on the 100K's is literally 3/16"
away from the 68K input resistors. These resistors feed the grid of the first preamp tube---a very sensitive section of
the amp. The voltage this grid sees at idle should be 0V. When the B+ voltage creeps across the board it puts
approx. .1volts on this grid. With the board acting as a capacitor and this voltage present, the annoying ticking
occurs. It doesn't effect performance or safe operation of the amplifier, but it can be very annoying. It should be noted
that this phenomenon normally occurs only when the humidity level in the air gets high. Presumably, the eyelet board
is prone to becoming conductive when it gets hot and humid. It should be noted that virtually every vintage '50's
Fender I've owned displayed this trait to some degree. The cure for this ticking is to move the 68K input resistors off
the board and on to the input jacks a-la a Black Face Fender. I convinced that Fender moved these 68K's off the
board and onto the inputs jacks precisely because of this ticking phenomenon.
Another concern some Victoria Owners have voiced is excessive cabinet buzz and rattle. This is a problem common to
the old Fenders as well as our Victoria products. The construction of the cabinet itself is the source of the problem.
The tweed style cabinet is a very loose and resonant enclosure when compared to post 1959 Fenders and most
modern amplifiers. They utilize lighter wood, thinner baffle boards, different chassis and a totally different baffle board
mounting system. It's a very :alive: cabinet. This makes for a cabinet that is very much part if the overall sound of the
amplifier. The whole thing acts as a resonator..The amplifier really seems to breathe and interact with the player and
the cabinet plays a big part. The down side is that the thing vibrates like hell in the process. If the backpanel is
situated just right it'll buzz louder than the amp! Bummer. The cure for me has always been to stick a heavy pick in
between the back panel and the chassis. I did it for years on my old '60 Bassman. Sometimes the baffle board will
vibrate against the side of the cabinet, sometimes the tweed will vibrate against the inside of the cabinet, sometimes
an electrical component will vibrate inside the chassis. I can't tell you how many times I've opened up an old Fender
for repair and found the guts all glopped up with silicon caulk. This has evidently been a problem for generations of
guitar pickers. Each Victoria amplifier is thoroughly tested and "de-buzzed" if you will , before it gets boxed up and
shipped to the dealer or your home, but in shipping may get bounced around enough to elicit some cabinet rattles
and buzzing upon reaching its destination. These rattles can usually be identified and eliminated fairly easily by hitting
the offending frequency (usually it's a low G) and listening carefully. Likely candidates would be the pilot light
assembly, caps connected to pots, and back panels. Often all that's needed is to tighten mounting bolts holding the
chassis to the cabinet. If the amp took a good shot from the UPS guy, you may need to realign the chassis.
I have a theory that the tweed era cabinetry was redesigned in the early '60's to tighten up the cabinet and eliminate
the buzzes and rattles that the amps were prone to exhibiting. There can no doubt that the later amps were less apt to
have this problem. With the tightening and stiffening of the cabinets, however came a stiffer tighter :sounding: amp.
The reverb on these B.F. amps is needed to loosen them and open them up a bit. I can't tell you how many people
I've had plug into our amps and remark that they don't miss the 'verb at all..That's the resonant cabinet talking. In
short, a Victoria vintage style amp is a painstakingly accurate reproduction of a timeless, proven amplifier
design...warts and all. Those players who understand why the old amps are so valued will appreciate the way we've
recreated the nuance, feel and liveliness that was formerly only available with a fragile 40 yr. old collectors piece..
17 FEB 03 - The
updated tests on the
new Victoria Sovereign.
This is one of the most
amazing and versitile
amps I have seen in a
very long time. For the
first report from me (or
maybe from anybody),
CLICK HERE
updated tests on the
new Victoria Sovereign.
This is one of the most
amazing and versitile
amps I have seen in a
very long time. For the
first report from me (or
maybe from anybody),
CLICK HERE