Victoria Amplifier Co. 20112-T

Made in USA. Not much to it as the other reviews have said. Volume, tone, no reverb. The newer ones come with a standby switch. Pretty basic stuff which is fine.

I was HUGELY disappointed with the sound of this amp. I read carefully through the reviews. Since everyone was gushing over it I thought it was safe to buy one. My thinking was if it sounds as great as people claim it should be worth what seemed like an exorbitant amount of money. I'll never think that way again! It didn't deliver the tone I would have expected from an amp costing half the price. Really just take cost out of the picture. Amps don't have to be expensive to sound great. Once I got it I realized people may have been making this amp out to be better than it actually is. Or maybe the earlier ones were better. I seriously doubt that though. I thought this amp was muddy sounding. And the Jensen speaker it comes with is just the worst. Flubs bigtime on the low end. Clearly hand wiring and overpriced "vintage" components don't necessarily make for great tone. Tone is everything with an amp and that is exactly what this amp lacks. The only amps that might be a bigger ripoff than this one would be the Fender Deluxe reissues since they are priced even higher. But then again they may actually be great sounding amps. I haven't heard one so I don't know. But whatever you do don't fall for the "hand wiring" hype.

It's constructed very well and I'm sure will last a long long time. This is by far the best feature of this amp. Very well made and nice looking. It came with a cheap vinyl handle which I was rather annoyed about. I was quite sure the rest of the amp would outlast the handle by a long-shot.

If you buy this guitar you had better know what you're getting because to return it you're going to be out a bunch of money in shipping fees and restocking fees. Since it's so overpriced you're looking at a huge loss if you sell it. Trust me on that! The warranty is worthless. Also worthy of mention this $1600 amp doesn't come with a single scrap of paper. No warranty card. Not even so much as a manual. You feel like you might as well have bought it from someone out of the back of a pickup truck.

There are a great many guitar products out there that are over-hyped and MASSIVELY overpriced and this amp DEFINITELY falls into that category. The original deluxes may have been great sounding amps but this clone is NOT proof of that. If you're looking for great tone you may be in for some serious disappointment with this amp. I sold mine at a loss even though it was brand new. I'll NEVER spend this much on an amp again I don't care what claims people make about how great it sounds. I ended up buying a Blues Junior which is a truly great sounding amp and cost a fraction of the price of the Victoria. In fact what I paid for the BJ is just about the same as what I LOST on the Victoria when I sold it. I'm still burned up about that. I wish I had gone with a Blues Junior in the first place. Live and learn!

This is a 2003 Model 20-112 that I acquired in a trade.
As for versatility, it is more versatile than I thought, but still - it's a low-wattage tweed amp, so low volume bedroom and recording situations are the only ones where you will have adequate clean tones. At about 3.5-4 on the volume control it starts breaking up.
The amp has 4 "channels", although they are just 4 variations of a single voicing. A Normal channel with a high and a low input and a Bright Channel with a high and a low input.

One Tone Control, two Volume controls that are interactive (mildly when plugging into a single input, but really changes the voicing when you 'bridge the channels)... no reverb, no FX loop, nothing other than simple, toneful circuitry.

I give this category a 7 since it IS a minimalist amp on features, but it does what it's supposed to do with flying colors.

This model and the Clark Beaufort are likely the best made clones of the 1957 Tweed Deluxe amp... other very good replicas are available but these two are the benchmark.

In my opinion the Victoria is the most accurate to the original. The build quality, component values, and especially the transformer construction render this model the most true-to-original of all models.

The cleans are superb, albeit not loud enough for most gig situations. By the time you get the amp loud enough for a standard gig stage (even small clubs) the cleans are already sacrificed, but the resulting bluesy slightly overdriven tones are phenomenal! If you need cleans to cover clean songs, this isn't your amp (unless you intend to play at home, in coffee houses, or in a recording studio)... even mic'd, it would still be debatable.

That said, the tone from this amp when pushed is about the best tone that is available on any amp. The power level is nearly perfect for small to medium club gigs without mic'ing the amp, larger rooms may need a mic, but that's true on many amps of higher wattage levels anyway. The sweet midrange voice of this amp helps it cut through the mix even when not so loud that your bandmates look at you funny.

THe low-mids and the highs are perfect. The upper mids can be manipulated to taste with the interactive tone controls. THe low end is the least consisent with this amp. Different speaker combinations can change that character as can which input and whether or not they are bridges. With the inputs bridged and a guitar with hot pickups slamming the amp hard, the lows can 'flub' or 'fart' a bit. Not a bad thing necessarily, since the original tweed deluxe did the same thing, however, it's about the only aspect of the tone that I can find to discuss in ways other than total worship.

It is a very quiet amp, and only generates hiss or hum when the unused channel volume control is maxed out (no surprise here).

I have used both single coils and humbuckers of differing varieties. All sound their best through this amp. I can't imagine anyone, with an understanding of what this amp is designed to do, NOT being totally satisfied with the tone.

One mention here about the cabinet. The Cabinet on this amp is an integral part of the total tonal package. Hold this amp up by its handle and lightly knock or rap your knuckles against the sides... it resonates like a tuning fork. That quality translates into the booming, huge sound that comes out of this tiny 1X12 package. I believe that the cabinet construction is as important to this amp as the selection of components and speaker. It is also likely THE biggest difference between this amp and a 5E3 kit that would cost much less. Worth the difference in $$ ??? That's a personal decision, but to me, it is.

Only had it a few weeks, however I got it used, it's a 4 year old amp, that was well taken care of, but played regularly. The amp came to me with original tubes. All tubes except the rectifier tube were fine... the rectifier had a broken plastic key that was likely the fault of the previous owner, not the manufacturer. It still worked fine, but rattled in the socket a bit. Simple replacement solved it.
Based on Victoria's reputation, I wouldn't hesitate to rely on this amp, although for committed, responsible musicians, not bringing some type of backup to the gig is a bad idea. If any amp would make me rest easy doing so, it would be a Victoria.

No dealings so far.

I have played for 25 years, I have owned dozens of amps, newer ones, vintage ones, boutique ones... some are great and exceed expectations, some are just what I expected and some have disappointed. This amp DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! It far exceeds my expectations and is probably the best representation of an original '57 Tweed Deluxe amp that I have ever seen or heard.
I play classic rock, country and blues and this amp delivers in spades. For covering clean songs, it's a bit limited, but when you buy a 12-15 watt Tweed amp, you don't expect that capability.

I absolutely do not miss the reverb or fx stuff when using this amp. THe fact that it weighs only 26 lbs is also icing on the cake... 3 am treks home from gigs are much nicer these days!!!

My 20112-T was made in 2006 and I purchased it new. It is stocked with Groove Tubes in the power and preamp sections and a NOS rectifier. The speaker is a Jensen P12Q. The controls are very simple: volume for normal channel, volume for bright channel, tone. No reverb. No effect loop. No speaker out. Of course, it would be idiotic to put reverb or an effects loop in this amp - since it is a 50's era Fender tweed replica. And, frankly, it doesn't need reverb. But a speaker out would be nice so one could beef up the tone with an extention cabinet for certain live settings. So... I will give it an 9 instead of a 10. A great feature of this amp is it's so damn light. Very easy on the back. Overall, it's a one trick pony blues and rock amp for lower volume settings. As such, I wouldn't call it "versatile". But I can't imagine anyone buying this any requiring versatility. It is what it is and people should understand what they are getting!

The tone is amazing. It is hands down one of the best sounding low power 6V6 amps I have ever played. What else can I say? You just have to hear it to believe it. It is an addictive tone. You get it in your head and you can't get it out. Pure and simple and elegant. I play my strat and tele through it. I have a Les Paul, but frankly I don't like the LP through it nearly as much as the single coil guitars. Somthing about the circut just seems to jive with the Fender style guitars. This makes sense, since Leo Fender designed his amps and guitars with each other in mind. He didn't have an axe with humbuckers on his test bench! I play blues and rock and this amp just cranks out all the great tones that sound right on. This distortion from 8 - 12 on the dial is heavy, but its not Mesa heavy. It musical and harmonic.

Haven't had any problems yet. Knock wood. The CABINET RATTLES a bit and I have heard that is a common problem. But I live with it because the amp just sounds so sweet and fine.

No comment.

I am a semi pro that has been playing 25 years. I love this amp and highly recommend it to plug and play strat and tele players looking at 6V6 style amps. However, one needs to realize it is not loud enough for all band settings. It will not cover loud bass players and loud drummers in all settings. So if you need that, look at the up-power Victoria amps like the Double Deluxe, 35310, etc. Overall, I can't say anything bad about this amp. I love it to death. It sounds sweet and is very inspiring. Pretenders need not apply! Go buy a Crate or some other piece of junk. But if you can actually play, and your style is blues and rock, you're gonna love this amp. I'm now shopping for an up-power Victoria to add to my live rig for playing clubs. Something to A/B with my King Amplification Tigerhund 18. The Tigerhund is a SCARY 18 watt 6V6 blackface inspired combo. Its rated at 18 watts but its 50% louder than the 20112.

Late 2005 Model
Tonally the amp is very versatile if you know how to use it.
1 channel, 2 volume, 1 tone...all you need with this amp.
An output for an extension cabinet would be nice, but really not needed.
A standby switch would be nice in order to extend tube life, however this amp is meant to be true to the original.

The sound quality is outstanding. The amps tone is very warm without the ice pick to the ear sound you get with a lot of amps. The tone knob is perfect for dialing in just the right amount of brightness. Otherwise, the tone is so well balanced that it really sounds perfect without any tweaking. At low volumes the amp does clean well and breaks up nicely with a tube screamer in front. When you push the amp past 4 it gets nice natural tube distortion which I use as the basis for my tone.

I think this amp could be used for any type of music except metal. With a tubescreamer I can even get Black Sabbath type tones. Generally, however I play straight forward rock n roll which this amp is perfect for.

I actually bought this amp shortly after the purchase of my Fender 57 Twin Reissue. The Fender really opened my ears up to what real old school rock tone was all about, however it was way too loud for band practice and most the gigs I play. Because of this I sought out the lower wattage victoria.

The tone is simply rich and creamy...this amp doesn't come with reverb and quite honestly it doesn't need it. The sound that comes out if this amp is so thick and rich on its own that reverb is not required at all.

I've owned a ton of amps over the years including a Peavy Classic 50, Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue (which sounds like garbage next to the Victoria), JCM 900 (great for metal)...but this one is by far the best sounding and most usable amp I own.

Once you play a handwired amp like Victoria, Matchless or Dr. Z you will never play a reissue circuit board amp again. There is no amp modeling device out there that comes even close to sounding like any one of these amps.

Mine has worked great and has really become my workhorse amp. Back in the 50's amd 60's these amps were considered to be bullet proof as most problems were related to bad tubes. I don't worry about this amp breaking down at all.

Warning: Inherent in the design of these amps is that they can be noisey and the cabinets will rattle. I understand it is essencially exepted as a given that some of this amps will ship with cabinet issues. Be sure to try out your amp before you buy it...I would avoid picking one of these up on ebay for just this reason. Also, if you live in the midwest you should stop buy the factory and buy one direct. I actually live about 20 minutes from the factory so if I have issues I'll take the amp right back to Victoria for repair.

I've talked to Mark Baier over at Victoria and he is a cool cat. Until I have a problem with the amp my rating will be no opinion.

Worth every penny paid. If you are serious about music and having great tone pick one of these up. If you are a casual hobbiest you should probably look elsewhere.

Bought new in '06 5E3 Fender "tweed" Deluxe AKA narrow Panel replica.
12" Jenson AlNiCo (made in Italy).
Plenty of power for the girls I go out with.

Often touted as the quintessential Blues amp, but I use it slightly lower in output where it has more charming complexity in each note's morphology.

I use it for general guitar duties in a quieter Jazz/Popular quintet, in resturant/bars, etc. Some mic'd Showtunes jobs in bigger venues too.

It is sized just right for levels I play at for about the last 25 years, and quite light to schlep.

I'm giving it a ten in this catagory because it is just the right size and volume, and the tone is beautiful at any volume level I need.

Beautiful lacquered tweed suitcase linen. Leather handle. Solid finder joined pine cabinet underneath. No rattles.

This amplifier has the best sound I've ever heard.
The original Fender version is legendary, and on many recordings.

I have played an original Fender tweed Deluxe in decent (technical) shape and THIS Victoria 20112 NAILS the sound exactly. The breakup spot: everything!

Some players will use this amp as a starting point and tailor their sound through tubes and speaker changes to be more tight in the bass, or more clean headroom, etc.

But as-is with the Italian Jenson, it is as true a replica of a real '50's Fender tweed Deluxe narrow panel as you could reasonably hope for: which is to say it sounds just like one (to my ears).

I mostly use a stock '96 (10-1303) Fender AV '52 RI with the original AlNiCo 5 pickups that came on these.
Occasionally a Tele with CS Nocaster pickups, or rarely an archtop Jazz guitar (ES-175) with a Rio Grande Texas humbucker.

For Jazz duties I use the "normal" #1 input, with the tone at about 9.5, and the channel volume at 5 - 6.

For wider ranging styles I use the #1 bright input with the volume about 8 - 10 and turned down on the guitar, and the amp tone at about 5 - 6.

I have tried daisy-chaining the channels at home, but rarely play a job that way. I prefer the breakup and tones more with just single inputs in use, for clarity and complexity.
Too much preamp seems to compromise this amp's marvelous depth and chime a bit, sacrificing it for a nice smooth breakup, but I just love the spot right below that, where you can barely detect the distortion, but it's there if you listen for it on the trebles.

Excellent for keeping the "icepick-in-the-ear" Telecaster highs at bay.
The AlNiCo 5 polepieces in the early '52 RI's are great pickups with this amp.

On other amps I prefer AlNiCo 2's (SD Antiquities) or 3's. Fender CS '51 Nocaster pu's, and the 10-0202 AV '52 RI's have AlNiCo 3 polepieces.

Set as described, I get just the gradual breakover into mild distortion that keeps my trebles fluffy for Jazz, and the basses snappy. Very three dimensional and almost swirly and alive sounding.

Less than a year old at this writing.

Lifetime guaranty (Mark Baier's life).

It has never failed to deliver its sound in any room I've played yet.

I keep a repair kit and fuses, tubes, soldering iron, etc. in the car.

This is my main amp.

If I'm out of town I keep a Blues Jr in the trunk of my car.

The store I bought it at is just down the street from my place. They stock the whole line of Victoria Amplifier Company amps.

Once they leave the store I've never seen a Victoria returned for any reason.

They just gave me the receipt and the little red & white Victoria tag, and said never worry as long as Mark's alive it's guaranteed.

I don't think a hand wired amp of simple proven design requires a rocket scientist to fix.

I'll give it an eight just because I've heard encouraging things about their customer service. No real experience myself however.

I've been playing guitar continuously since 1960.

Also own a Kustom '36 Coupe for outdoors unmic'd, and the aforementioned Fender Blues Jr just as a last resort spare. It's dreadful sounding compared to the others.

I like the sound of the bigger tweeds too, like the tweed Bassman, Tremolux, Trem D'La Trem. But I like the lightness and tonal complexity of the Deluxe just a bit more.

I like a simple amp with a minimum of controls and a good tone that stays good loud or soft.

Mine is a very early model. I had my amp tech make a few changes recommended by Mark to get rid of a scratching sound I got when I changed volume on my guitars. After the update the amp worked with no problems. It has no features to speak of, but it does what it is intended to do... be a simple amp loaded with good old tweed tone. It is not a clean amp so if you want tons of clean volume look elsewhere. Its a 20 watt amp with 2 inputs and 1 tone control. I don't rate the feature department but I think you know what this amp is all about.

I use this mostly with a strat, gibson 335, or Gretch Horton Heat. It is perfect for classic rock and roll, blues, or rockabilly. The amp breaks up starting around 4 on the dial. You can also jump the inputs 2 ways... normal #2 to bright #1 and plug into normal 1. Or jump normal #1 over to bright #2 and plug into bright 2. The later is a cool way to use the amp. I will leave the amps set on 7 with the tone on about 6-7 and do everything else from the guitar. Roll down to 5-6 and play cleaner.... move up to 8-10 for more overdrive. I am currently using the newest alnico tone tubby speaker and I could not be more pleased. It just has the sweetest tone and breakup you can get. This amp is just a real winner. I am currently using a 5751 tube in V1 which gives a little less volume but sweetens the tone and opens the amp up a little.

Built great, should last a very long time.

Very high marks in this area. You can always get what you need from Mark directly or one of his very fine techs. They have answered every question I have had, and gave me detailed instructions on how to bring my amp up to current specs to solve the issue I mentioned above.

I'm kind of a gearhead so a lot of stuff. Old fenders, modern boutique etc. All kinds of guitars from single coil, p90, and humbuckers. If you like a amp that can growl and just plain give up the goods early... get this one.

This is a clone of a late fifties Fender Deluxe. The construction is top notch as are the components except for the tubes and speaker. It has two channels (Normal & Bright) along with a tone control. Very simple yet very complex. You can dial in almost any sound you want. You can also jump channels and get some really great sounds as well. It came with Groove Tubes instead of the advertised NOS tubes. I called them and was told they have run out of NOS tubes and will be putting Groove Tubes in their current production models (too bad).

The amp I demo'd sounded good BUT had a noticable hiss to it. Since it had the Groove Tubes in it I attributed the noise to them. When I bought my amp I immediately replaced ALL the Groove Tubes with NOS. I put two matched Bendix Red Bank 5992's (6v6GT 50's era military) tubes and a military 5Y3WGTA rectifier tube. I also put in a 7025 and a 12AY7. This got rid of the annoying hiss and made the sound of a good amp even better. The next thing I did was order a Weber vst 12A125 speaker and replace the stock Jensen Italian made model that came with the amp. The Weber speaker is a re-creation of the vintage Jensen P12Q's that were standard on the original Deluxes. Once the Weber was installed the quality of sound went up through the roof. I cannot tell you how much better the Weber sounds vs the Stock Italian Jensen. THERE IS NO COMPARISON. After making these changes I can honestly say this is the best amp I have ever owned or heard. It sounds like butter. Creamy smooth overdrive or the classic fender sparkle when you want it. It is truly amazing. The new speaker opened up the sound at least 50% IMHO. I will never part with this amp. I also own a Fender Super Reverb RI, 66 Fender Champ, 70 Fender Vibro Champ and a Mesa F-50. This amp sounds better than all of them.

Victoria does not skimp on the internal components. They are all top shelf. It is also a very simple circuit so I cannot imagine having any troubles with it at all that could not be dealt with quickly and easily. Their warranty is good for the life of the owner/product.

I called them to ask about the tube situation and they were easy to reach and talk to. I do not agree with skimping on the tubes or speaker but I guess in their business model it's what they feel is necessary.

I have played classical piano for over 35 years and took up the guitar about 5 yrs ago as a hobby. I'm not great on the guitar but I have been blessed with perfect pitch and know what sounds good. This amp sounds great!! If you can make the changes I did it will sound even better.

I got mine used so I am unsure of the vintage. Two volume knobs and a master tone. Two inputs each of normal and bright. FOr blues and classic rock this is all you need. IF you need reverb just get a 99 dollar holy grail, the amp takes pedals very well. Mine also has a modern jensen alnico speaker which is wonderfully inefficient.

I use the amp with a CS 56 Stratocaster as my main guitar and also a Gibson 335 and PRS soapbar II. I play blues and classic rock for the most part and dabble in jam band and surf. It is absolutly the best blues amp ever! Full dweedy compressed tone that is thick yet articulate. I got mine used so I spent some of the money I saved on nos tubes and wow did it wake up the amp. I put in an old 50s rca for the 12ay7 position and marconi 6v6 for the power tubes. I also put in a Raytheon tube in the 12aX7 position. If you get one of these amps at least change the 12ay7 to an old RCA as it makes the amp more hi-fi and useable with humbuckers.

THe amp takes pedals very well and I run an xotic effects ac booser and a roger mayer spitfire fuzz. It works great with wahs and other toys like phasers. If you play at club volume you really dont need anything but a good cord.

The normal channel is great for Fender style guitars and p90s and humbuckers shine in the bright channel. You can also jump channels for more tones and the tone control gets brighter until about 8.5 then is acts like an overdrive tone as you move it to 12.

The amp sounds great at low and high volumes which is often hard to find.

My wife has had a victoria 518 for four years and no trouble with that and my amp is probably the same age and works perfectly. Leos original Deluxes are still going strong after 50 years so I am pretty confident these will last longer than that.

I emailed them about my wifes amp, and about building me an extention cabnet. Very quick response.

I have been playing about 25 years and previously used a mesa boogie combo for 22 years. Due to a back injury I can no longer pick it up and am sadly going to have to sell it. I am fortunate to own 4 really nice electric and two acousitics so this amp really makes the guitars sound even better.

I would buy one again in a heartbeat. I LOVE this amp. Huge tone and low weight (about 27 lbs) so I can still move it around.

I havent tried any of the other 5e3 clones so I cant say how it compares, but I have been told that this is the most authentic sounding of the clones. My local dealer is a Victoria dealer and I was checking out guitars and came across this amp and just loved it.

Beware, if you try one you will want one.

You know the features from previous reviews. It is a very versatile amp considering the lack of features.

I play an American Series Strat, mostly Blues some Rock and Jazz jamming with friends. I use a TS-9 for distortion, which works out real good. The amp has all the old blues sounds and with the TS-9 it screams (use #1 brite channel with treble on the amp and pedal if you want to get loud). Don't buy this amp if you want clean head room. If you love mellow distortion and a light amp (27 lbs) to gig with this is it. This is an amp that loves pedals everyone I've tried sounded good. This amp is great for the old guys like myself for the weight and the classic sounds.

A very simple amp means less things to go wrong. Seems well built.

I tried to e-mail the mfg. it didn't work. I'll call someday with my questions.

I've been playing guitar since 1966. I have a Fender Champ 1970. I guess I love the 6V6 tube sound. When shopping for this amp I compared it to the Peavy classic 30 (too heavy and a little harsh sounding), Fender deluxe reverb RE (too heavy and only one sound) and a Carr Rambler (too much money and my playing is not worthy of such and amp). If this amp were stolen I would probibly replace it with a Peavy Classic 30 because of the cost and versitlity of the Peavy.

Made in 2000. Not a lot of features, but that's what you want if you are looking for pure tone. One interesting feature is that this particular Deluxe has more headroom than any other I've played. I have to put it up to 5 or 6 before it starts to overdrive. The less features and bells and whistles the better. I did install an Area 51 BMT-60 add on tremolo unit which sounds fantastic with this amp.

I use strats with vintage style pickups. The sounds coming out of this amp are nothing short of amazing. It makes me smile every time I play through it. Just a guitar and cord and nothing else. Turn it up to get that great overdrive then turn down the guitar volume to clean up. There's something about Class A cathode-biased amps. The natural compression and jangliness are outstanding. As I stated above, I did add on onboard tremolo unit as I did not want to use a pedal. I also replaced the speaker with a Celestion Blue Alnico, which I think is the best speaker for a tweed Deluxe. It came with a Naylor Special 50, which is a great sounding speaker, but I really wanted the alnico for this particular amp. All in all, the best sounding tweed Deluxe clone I have played. I used to have a Clark Beaufort and this blows that away as far as sound.

Since there are Fender Deluxes still out there working 45-50 years later, I have no doubt it will outlast me.

I have had to e-mail Mark Baier before and he has always gotten back to me very quickly. Try that with Fender.

I have always prefered the sound of Fender tweed amps. I think it's the simplicity of the circuits which, to me, gives a more pure tone. Plus they're a lot easier to work on. I have been playing for 33 years and have gone back and forth with blackface and tweed amps. But this one's a keeper. The only thing I didn't like about the amp is that Mark uses a ground switch in the interest of authenticity. But since his amps have a three-prong cord, it's really of no use. So I took it out and put in a standby switch. If it was stolen, I would definately look for another one.