England, UK (January 24, 2018) -- Victory Amplification from the UK proudly announces V30 The Countess MkII a 42-watt, two-channel, three-mode, all-valve guitar amplifier. V30MkII is evolved from – and replaces – Victory’s first ever Compact Series head that was developed with the help of Guthrie Govan in 2013. Guthrie has of course had input to this one too!
The original V30 has very distinct clean and overdrive channels. There is massive headroom and clarity in the former, with a ton of heavy rocking overdrive in the latter. With V30MKII, we’ve added an extra footswitchable crunch mode to the clean channel – developed for V130 The Super Countess – that offers a whole new palette of pushed clean, crunch and light overdrive tones. In addition, the power section now features a footswitchable ‘Nomod’ function to tighten up the bass resonance that some V30 users found a little thick at times. However, Guthrie Govan loves the sound of the original voicing, so the ‘Nomod’ switch – geddit, ‘no modification’ – enables you to choose either option: original or tight. We made ‘Nomod’ footswitchable to further increase the V30MkII’s versatility.
V30MkII has also been updated with external bias test and adjustment points which means no more fiddling around inside the amp when changing power valves. The skeletonised metal chassis is now finished in a super cool black chrome powder coat, protected by an included padded carry bag. Like its predecessor there is a low-power mode accessible from the front-panel power switch that drops the output to around 7 watts RMS. You can choose to run either two 6L6 or two EL34 power valves for subtle differences in tone and response, and of course there is a series effects loop too.
Victory V30 The Countess MKII sets a whole new standard as a versatile and portable – yet thoroughly professional – lunchbox guitar amp head. Please visit our YouTube Channel youtube.com/VictoryAmps to hear it in action.
Other key spec & info
- Valves: 4 x 12AX7, 2 x 6L6 or EL34
- Size: 342(w) x 185(h) x 185mm(d)
- Weight: 8.2kg (18.1lbs)
- Footswitches (channel change/crunch and Nomod) and padded carry bag included
- Available at dealers: From February 2018
- SRP/MAP: UK: Head £999 / EU: Head €1,129 / USA: Head $1,239
Victory Amplification from the UK proudly announces VX100 The Super Kraken a 100-watt, dual-channel, three-mode all-valve guitar amplifier. VX100 is evolved from the award-winning Compact Series VX The Kraken (Guitarist Magazine Gear Of The Year 2016) developed with Dorje/Toska guitarist, Rabea Massaad.
Our Compact Series VX The Kraken defined a new standard in hard rock, metal, progressive and extended range tones when it launched in 2016. Half hot-rodded British drive machine and half mid-pushed American grind monster, it’s diminutive stature belies the giant tones that now fill stages the world over, not least via the music of Rabea Massaad, our great friend and collaborator who helped bring it to life.
For 2018 however, The Kraken morphs into an even more powerful beast via 100 massive watts of 6L6 power. You still get the Brit-inspired Gain I channel. You still get the colossal smack of Gain II’s US grind... but now there’s a whole new footswitchable clean mode, plus a footswitchable Preamp Focus function to add a little juice and cut to any and all modes. Think of it like a TS-style boost/EQ shaper. There’s also a preset Bass Focus option in the power section, footswitchable FX loop, assignable/ footswitchable dual masters, full MIDI switching capability (not shown in these images), plus a useful 30-watt low-power mode.
VX100 has external bias test and adjustment points which means no more fiddling around inside the amp when changing power valves. It’s swathed in grey vinyl to match the V212VG cabinet with which it forms an imposing yet portable half stack.
Legend has it that VX The Kraken is easily enough guitar amp for most mortals. Yet there are those who seek extra versatility, even more headroom and truly the power to stop all beasts, mythical or otherwise. Release VX100 The Super Kraken, say we! (And to hear it in action, please head to our YouTube Channel: youtube.com/VictoryAmps)
Other key spec & info
- Valves: 4 x 12AX7, 4 x 6L6
- Size: 480(w) x 235(h) x 235mm(d)
- Weight: 12.5kg (27.5lbs)
- Standard footswitch (Gain I/II, Clean/Crunch, Master I/II, Preamp Focus, FX Loop, Solo Master) and slip cover included
- SRP/MAP: UK: Head £1,399 / EU: Head €1,579 / USA: Head $1,699
For more information:
Victory Amps
Working closely alongside Yngwie, the MXR design team created a circuit that delivers clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics—all perfectly tailored for his light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs. The control setup is simple, with just Level and Gain knobs.
"Want to sound like Yngwie? Crank both knobs to the max."
“This pedal is the culmination of 45+ years developing a sound that’s perfect in every possible way,” Yngwie says. “I present to you: the MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive. Prepare to be amazed.”
MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive highlights:
- Perfectly tailored for Yngwie Malmsteen's signature sound and style
- Simple control setup tuned for maximum impact
- Boost every nuance with superior clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics
- Dig into light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs
The MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive is available now at $129.99 street/$185.70 MSRP from your favorite retailer.
For more information, please visit jimdunlop.com.
Built on powerful dual‑engine processing and world‑class UAD modeling, ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp gives guitarists the unmistakable sound of an original "block letter" Peavey 5150 amplifier* – the notorious 120‑watt tube amp monster that fueled more than three decades of modern metal music, from Thrash and Death Metal, to Grunge, Black Metal, and more.
"With UAFX Dream, Ruby, Woodrow, and Lion amp emulators, we recreated four of the most famous guitar amps ever made," says UA Sr. Product Manager Tore Mogensen. "Now with ANTI, we're giving rock and metal players an authentic emulation of this punishing high gain amp – with the exact mic/speaker pairings and boost/noise gate effects that were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking modern metal tones ever captured."
Key Features:
- A complete emulation of the early '90s 120‑watt tone monster that defined new genres of modern metal
- Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic emulation of the amp ever placed in a stompbox
- Complete album‑ready sounds with built‑in noise gate, TS‑style overdrive, and TC‑style preamp boost
- Groundbreaking Dynamic Room Modeling derived from UA's award-winning OX Amp Top Box
- Six classic mic/speaker pairings used on decades of iconic metal and hard rock records
- Professional presets designed by the guitarists of Tetrarch, Jeff Loomis, and The Black Dahlia Murder
- UAFX mobile app lets you access hidden amp tweaks and mods, choose overdrive/boost, tweak noise gate, recall and archive your presets, download artist presets, and more
- Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades
For more information, please visit uaudio.com.
- YouTube
MonoNeon, aka Dywane Thomas Jr., came up learning the bass from his father in Memphis, Tennessee, but for some reason, he decided to flip his dad’s 4-string bass around and play it with the string order inverted—E string closest to the ground and the G on top. That’s how MonoNeon still plays today, coming up through a rich, inspiring gauntlet of family and community traditions. “I guess my whole style came from just being around my grandma at an early age,” says Thomas.His path has led him to collaborate with dozens of artists, including Nas, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, and even Prince, and MonoNeon’s solo output is dizzying—trying to count up his solo releases isn’t an easy feat. Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies caught up with the bassist before his show at Nashville’s Exit/In, where he got the scoop on his signature 5-string, Ampeg rig, and simple stomp layout, as well as some choice stories about influences, his brain-melting playing style, and how Prince changed his rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Orange You Glad to See Me?
This Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V was created after a rep messaged Thomas on Instagram to set up the signature model, over which Thomas had complete creative control. Naturally, the bass is finished in neon yellow urethane with a neon orange headstock and pickguard, and the roasted maple neck has a 10"–14" compound radius. It’s loaded with custom-wound Fireball 5-string Bass humbuckers and an active, 18V preamp complete with 3-band EQ controls. Thomas’ own has been spruced up with some custom tape jobs, too. All of MonoNeon's connections are handled by Sorry Cables.
Fade to Black
MonoNeon’s Ampeg SVT stack isn’t a choice of passion. “That’s what they had for me, so I just plugged in,” he says. “That’s what I have on my rider. As long as it has good headroom and the cones don’t break up, I’m cool.”
Box Art
MonoNeon’s bass isn’t the only piece of kit treated to custom color jobs. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up with his eye-popping palette.
Thomas had used a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.”
Alongside the Whammy, MonoNeon runs a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge (for any time he wants to “feel weird”), a literal Fart Pedal (in case the ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
