When Budda Amplification debuted
their 18-watt Twinmaster Ten in 1996,
the handwired amp met immediate success
and established the company as a
leader in the emerging boutique market.
Since then, the company’s evolving
lines of amps have garnered a loyal following
among players and collectors.
Both before and after Peavey
Electronics’ purchase of Budda
Amplification in 2008, Superdrive amps
have formed the backbone of their
product line. The latest addition to it
is the V-Series—a collection of 2-channel,
6V6-powered amps that includes a
20-watt head, a 20-watt 1x12 combo, a
40-watt head, a 40-watt 1x12 combo,
and the 40-watt V-40 2x12 combo
model reviewed here.
The Overview
With its black-and-crème vinyl covering,
black-and-silver woven grille cloth, black
piping, and Budda’s purple oval logo, the
V-40 has a sleek, no-nonsense appeal. Featuring
a quartet of 6V6 power tubes, the handwired
amplifier drives a pair of custom-designed
Budda Phat 12" speakers and offers plenty of
power for club gigs and theater stages.
The V-40 has a refreshingly Spartan front
panel. In addition to On/Off and Go/
Rest (standby) rocker switches, the V-40
has six wedge-shaped knobs—a push-pull
Master that does double duty as a channel
selector, Bass, a Mid knob that you can pull
out for a thicker tone, Treble, Drive, and
a Rhythm knob that pulls out for brighter
response—an instrument input, and a
jack for the included channel-switching
footswitch. Around back, it sports Send and
Return jacks for the passive effects loop,
a Slave output jack with a Level knob, two
speaker output jacks with a three-position
switch for setting 16-, 8-, and 4-ohm
impedance, and a standard AC connector.
The Slave output and Level control lets you
send a signal from the V-40’s preamp to an
external power amp. You can also use the
effects loop’s Return jack to receive a slave
signal from another amp and run it through
the V-40’s power section and speakers.
Though it wasn’t terribly difficult for me
to carry the amp short distances with one
hand, I certainly wouldn’t describe the
2x12 combo as “lightweight.” The speakers
boast beefy magnets and the custom-wound
transformer further contributes to
the V-40’s heft. Though the V-40 has several
weight-relieving features, such as an aluminum
chassis and a custom pine cabinet, this
is a solid tank of an amplifier.