Victoria Amplifier Co. 518

I recently acquired my used, but immaculate, clone of a Fender Tweed Champ on ebay after reading about vintage Tweed Fender Champs being used on numerous studio recordings to capture that REAL natural overdrive you can only get from low-watt tube amplifiers, and reading up on how the Victoria Amplifier Company has perfectly recreated the Tweed era Fender amps. Although I had never played one in person, I was inspired by the praise these little babies receive and the grade of musicians who use them. For what it is, it's perfect. One channel, one knob, tone-city! There is no effects loop, but it loves every pedal I've put in front of it (which is where I prefer to place effects anyway). Even though I recently purchased a SUPERB Top Hat Club Royale, I also wanted a bluesier, non-vox design amp for playing blues and rock at low volumes in my apartment. I'm not sure if it's 5 watts or 8, but this thing sounds great at level 4-6 and burns past 12 o'clock. A 1-10 rating is misleading here -- if you want pure blues/classic rock tube driven sound, it's a 10, but if you want versatility and channel switching it's a 1. For my needs it's a 10.

I use an American Fat Tele, Reissue '57 Goldtop Les Paul, and Gibson Custom Shop all-mahogany Les Paul with P-90s. Like all calss-A tube amps, this baby really brings out the inherent qualities of each guitar and your personal strumming intensity (or lack of skill). For blues, you can't beat it with the tele -- particularly the bridge pickup. For serious chunk and aggression, either of the Les Pauls will do(the hi and lo inputs are very handy in this department). The thing to keep in mind is that this amp is really made for blues and classic rock, so if you also play radiohead and other contemporary classics (like me), you're going to need more of a modern designed amp -- in my case, the Top Hat. I haven't had any problem with noise, even at high volumes (and trust me, this amp can really scream!), so it's perfect for practicing in my apartment, playing with another guitarist, and recording (although I haven't had a chance to record with her yet). I have used distortion pedals with it (TS-9 and Rat), but they aren't really necessary -- unless you're trying to get a more artificial sound. The amp has such amazing sustain and clarity, even when pushed naturally, so pedals are almost redundant -- unless volume level is a concern. Oh, and for what it's worth, I have no plans of disconnecting my electro-harmonix holy grail reverb pedal -- they were made for one another.

So far so good. Craftmanship doesn't get ANY better than this. The Tweed is fabulous, the leather handle is quite handsome, the purple light is an eye catcher, and the wiring job is a work of art. I keep the amp prominently displayed in my living room if that's any indication. I don't know if anyone has mentioned that the amp is also relatively small, light and transportable -- an A+ in my book.

I called the company before purchasing the amp, and they were extremely friendly and helpful.

I have been collecting quality gear for several years. A quality amp or guitar will last longer, sound better, and get you fast cash if you're ever in a bind down the road. However, I don't plan on selling this baby anytime soon. I love my Top Hat dearly, but when the mood catches me, I find it easier to grab my tele and turn on the one knob Victoria -- such big sound in such a small, quick and easy package. Just plug in and adjust to taste with your guitar volume. I wish it call be this easy. Do I wish it was bigger? No. More controls? Not for my needs. If it were lost I might consider a real Vintage Tweed Fender Champ -- if I could find one that didn't smell, wasn't worn, and was in one piece with its original parts. Nah, I'd probably just buy another Victoria, and not have to worry about any of that! This amp is exacly what I was looking for in a practice amp and the perfect compliment to my current arsenal. The amps are expensive, but if you have the means and opportunity, I highly suggest picking up a Victoria 518.

The epitome of simplicty. Plug in; turn on; play your soul in, out, and back in again. No bells. No whistles. Just pure, sweet, glowing tube music. In previously incarnations of myself I lived and nearly died by my Marshalls (WHAT on earth was I thinking? HINT: I wasn't, thinking, that is. . . .). Boogie? (Sorry Randall; you claim to be the purveyor of the "brownest of tube-tones," but the neither the .22 CAliber nor the 50 watt "Boogie" that I owned even began to come close to rating a palid taupe.). Sorry. Ah . . . me most venerable Fenders? (Sigh. The tone is there, on occasion--such fickle beasties, my venerable blackfaces--but the Victoria has such a super-high ultrafabcoolish groove factor going on. Simplicty has become my narcotic.) Less is more. THAT is the best feature of all.

Heritage 575
Fender Stratocaster

The amp sounds like an instrument, not an amp. If yours is a desire to sound like someone else, then don't buy this amp. If you are in search of your musical self, your true musical heart and soul, then this amp will take you there and beyond.

Sheeeeeesh! This is a joke, right? Look, if the entity that invented, say, hmmmmmmmm. . . earth, wind, fire, and water were to build amps, then this amp would be the fifth element. There just isn't anything to break, here. The quality of the components is second, if possible, only to the amp's construction. This is a true quality product.

Why ask me? You are free to call or email Mark yourself. He'll get back with you, personally--that's P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L-L-Y--usually the same day. Hmmmmmm . . . do you suppose there just might be a correlation between quality people and quality products?

What follows is the email I sent to Mark ('Nuff said!):




Dear Mark,

Recently, by way of Winter Sound, in Gloucester, VA, I was able to "adopt" one of your creations: an absolutely gorgeous tweed tone machine that you may better know as Serial Number 001099 (a model 518). I say "adopt," as I place this amp in the same category as my wife, of whom I am equally fond: not mine "to have and to hold," neither to own nor possess; but mine to cherish, care for, and appreciate--on loan from a Higher Power.

What this little purple-jeweled gem (I oh-so dig the light!) does with the vibrations emanating from my Heritage 575 is ineffable. And my old "Oh-if-only-this-guitar-could-talk!" Stratocaster? Sheer profundity. (Is that a real word?)

The point of all this is that I absolutely love the amp. The sound is just incredible, regardless of the guitar. Tone, timbre, and CHARACTER unlike any of the other amps I've used in the studio and on stage over the decades--this from a guy who, among other "things," has a pair of original Deluxe blackfaces, and a blackface Princeton in his stable. The only thing more amazing than the sound I get in the studio is the sound of my amp miked-up on stage. Yes, I play out with my 518, dialed in at somewhere between 3-1/2 and 5, depending on the room: the only thing between my amp and my guitar is a Pro-Co cable. Bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

Oh, and lest I forget, that tweed! Yes, THAT tweed! Mark? If amps wear tuxedos, then yours are hands-down the best-dressed out there. All things considered, the 518 has to be the epitome of the "purist's purist's amp." Such simplicity. Such tone.

You know, in 1921, where Parsons Street meets Edwards Street in my boyhood hometown of Kalamazoo, MI, someone's hands oh-so lovingly massaged life into the pile of woods, nickel silver, and abalone that became the Gibson F-4 Mandolin that I so cherish and, like my amp, "care for." I'll never have the chance to thank that person, at least not in this life. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't let the opportunity to thank you for the amp pass me by. So, thanks for building my amp, Mark. It's a pretty cool thing. For some--several--inexplicable reason(s), playing through this amp gives me great pleasure and seems to instill in me a sense of tranquility, both of which have become difficult if not impossible to find in anything at any price. The best things in life are the simplest. This is one such thing.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Tice
Richmond, VA

None!!!!! Well, actually yes there are but not control wise. There is just a lone volume control, high and low inputs. That's it. But, it's got NOS tubes!!!! 1 Phillips 12AX7, 1 GE 6V6GT, and a GE Rectifier tube (cant remember the model). It's a perfect reproduction of a late 50s Fender Champ. Jensen 8in Speaker as well.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a little 5w tone monster!!!!!! I was looking for a nice low watt tube amp and this is IT. PERIOD. Incredible cleans. Nice and sparkly like a Fender. Around 5 or six with a Single coil Strat you get a great SRV type tone. I can nail a Setzer rockabilly tone here with my Gretsch as well. About 7 is where the great overdrive kicks in. Just amazing. Pure, all tube overdrive. Simplest signal path there is. About 10 with P90s or a Les Paul you can get a nice crunchy overdriven sound. Leads sound great through this little beast. To me, it's like a little mini Bassman (I got 2 66 Blackface heads so I know). I can't believe the tones out of this thing. All that tone with 3 tubes and 5 watts??? YOU BETTCHA!!!!!! You gotta try one of these things. On some days this is my favorite of the 8 amps I own.

Had it for about 4 months now. Not one prob. I would gig for blues and rockabilly with an external cab plugged it. I tried it with a 2x12 when I bought it and it just cranked.

This is where Victoria shines. A little story how I found it. I was in the market for a Bassman head (Blackface). I'm from Chicago so when I came through town I called Victoria to see if they would mod one when I found one. Mark Baier already had a 66 Bassman head at his shop already modded that he invited me to come check out and buy if I liked (I loved and bought it!!!!!). I came out to his factory and fell in love with the Bassman and saw this little beast in the corner. I asked about it, he gave me the info and I plugged in. I talked with me for over an hour and showed me how everything was made and awnsered many Tube ???s. Amazing guy (and he smokes on guitar too!!!). Best customer service ever. He even gave me a discount since I bought direct from him. Thanks Mark!!!

I've been playing for 13 years and own 8 amps and about 20 guitars. My amp collection includes 3 Fenders, 2 Marshalls, 1 Mesa, 2 Soldano's, and now the Vicky. This is the best low watt tube amp I've ever heard....although I would like to try the Top Hat sometime. Amazing!!!! If you want pure tube tone at a low volume, check it out. I cant say enough. All Vic's reproductions are made just like the originals. You oughta hear the Bassman repro. See ya Fender 59 RI (although it's nice for the price). This company is amazing, as is this amp. Cant' say enough about it.

No features here...one knob does all(unless you count the fine workmanship and the handsomely applied tweed covering).

This is one little crankster. Plug-in and turn on. It responds equally to single coils and humbuckers. It loves pedals as well. Sometimes when when I am playing, I just have to stop and look at it. I would give-it an 11 in this category, if I could.

I've been inside...nothing much that can go wrong here. Solid construction. Hopefully, it will outlast the limited lifetime warranty.

Baier and company may entertain a few piddlely-xss questions, but I wouldn't expect much from them if there is a glitch in your transaction. Specifically, the Jensen re-issue it came with had a severe case of cone rub...this perpetual, high-end harmonic buzz that just wouldn't quit. After swapping all tubes, I politely notified Victoria of this particular little dis-pleasure. Mark Baier reponded with a curt little note stating he had spoken with his Jensen representative about quality issues at the last NAMM. His e-mail contained no hello, no apology, no thank you, just that they would send a replacement. I received and intalled the (used) Jensen re-issue...same thing. Well, I ordered and installed a Weber C8RS (best spent $30 in the world) and the amp peformed the way a new Champ is supposed to sound. I politely notified Victoria and company how I resolved the problem and would they mind trading me one Jensen that worked properly for the two that didn't. No response. I re-transmitted the message. No response. Well, shame on you Mr. Baier. And, I didn't even complain to you about the cheesy little Chinese 12ax7 that polluted the preamp slot.

Well now, lets see...one month (and an additional $30 plus )screwing around trying to get this little gemster to work properly; I'm stranded with two defective Jensen re-issues that probably need re-cones; and one crappy little preamp tube from a communist nation. But, what the hey...they did throw-in that little kazoo player at no additional cost.

I have had my "Victoria" model 518 for a few months now and it is an exact recreation of the classic late 1950s 5F1 Champ . I find it better to do either CD or product reviews only after I have spent some quality time with it to slowly absorb either the music or time to familiarize my self entirely with the amp and all of it's components .

Here is some info on the "Victoria" 518 off of their websitewww.victoriaamp.com . "Victoria" even offers a limited selection of NOS or reconed Jensen 8" speakers. The model 518 uses one 12AX7 , one NOS 6V6GT , and one 5Y3WGTA . If a early 1950s Champ is more to your taste , "Victoria Amps" can do that too . Their favorite is the 5C1 that uses a 6SJ7 octal preamp . As the website states , these little babies are LOUD ! My 518 is louder than any other 5 watt amp I have, and is even louder than two 20 watt amps in my collection .

You only have one on/off volume nob that goes to 12 , 10 is awesome cranked overdrive , and two inputs , low and high gain , the high gain is the one I like . It is just like the old bluzmen say and if are not hip to it yet you are not wise enuff yet , "Less is MORE " !

These amps amps are built even better than the old ones that they are patterned after . My 518 that I brought from "Fatsound Guitars" www.fatsoundguitars.com came with a "Phillips" Jan 5Y3WGTA , one "RCA" 6V6GT/G tube and one "RCA" 5751 Command tube . Like I said , I've had my 518 for a few months now and it is my favorite amp in my collection of 13 total new and vintage amps . At first I was a bit skeptical about it , I was so use to my other amps , two in particular , that had very velvity overdrive but they lacked penetration and attack . That is where I begain to appreciate this "Victoria" champ model , not only can it get loud , but it has tons of bass for a small cabinet and wattage , but it is sensitive to how I attack and articulate the notes on my harmonica . I know , this is what guitar players usually say , but the amp helps me to swell my notes and sound, just the slightest more aggression or volume from ME , and the amp sounds like you have switched to a lead channel with a foot pedal .

The overdrive that I start getting around 8 or 9 on the volume is different than any I have ever heard and it took me about three months to begin to appreciate this and like I said , it is now my favorite amp , sometimes after playing I just look at that little amp and shake my head , it is incredible ! My amp came with a "RCA" 5751 and has a bit less gain than a 12AX7 but I like it the way it is , but will order a 12AX7 just to experiment with. This little amp is like Superwoman on steroids , really , in all my 49 years I have never heard an amp capable of the sounds that this "Victoria 518" is capable of.

The amp is lovingly made with four layers of lacqer on the immaculantly applied tweed covering and wheatstraw grill cloth and the burgandy "Victoria Amplifier Co." metal logo matches the grill cloth perfectly . This amp even looks sexy , yes , I compare my amps to women , I love them all for the different things that they are and can do . I have a feeling that ladies may be the same way , name certain things or compare them to men , you can find something good in all of them but some are just BETTER than some .

My amp came with a "Jensen" P8R eight ohm speaker and it sounds great , perfectly matched to the amps components . Mark Bair takes his amp building seriously and both Mark and his wife have answered several questions that I had and the customer service is excellent , just read the reviews on Harmony Central.
Yes , these amps are a bit pricey , but you get what ya pay for in life , go out and test run one at your nearest dealer and you will find yourself saving your lunch money and selling off all that junk equipment to get the only amp you will ever need .

The 518 can push two 12 inch speakers with awesome authority , I restored a two/twelve Sears/Silvertone ext. cabinet with two Jensen early 60s made in Chicago speakers and the "Victoria 518" sounds as loud as any 15 watt amp that I have ever heard , I am still amazed at what this little tone beast is capable of . If tone and that sound you can only get from an overdriven small tube is what you are looking for , then your TONEQUEST has come to an end . I am excited about trying out one of their Deluxe models with 6V6 tubes , around 20 watts , I hear that they are the ultimate in small club amps .

I use a "Shaker" dynamic harmonica mic set on full volume in this review and I used "Hardwood Harmonicas" .I noticed yeras ago that I needed to be as honest and true in my CD and product reviews as I possibly could , try to be as objective as possble but still give my readers the "Big Daddy BluzHarp's" subjective edge because when I was teaching most of my students were interested in how I got my sound . As Jr. Wells/James Cotton and William Clarke all told me , sound like yourself , or you will always be second best . To the best of my abiliti

This amp will easily last several generations if cared for properly , I have had mine for several months and has seen plenty of action.No problem yet.

Have talked with Mark and his wife and they are very polite folks and very knowledgeable. They want you to be happy and take that part of their service very seriously.I was treated very nice all times I called and all questions answered to my satisfaction.

This is my favorite amp and yes, I would most defintely replace my Victoria 518 if it was lost or stolen.I compared my Victoria 518 to two early 60s GA-t and GA-T5/two Tophat low watters Portly Cadet and prince Royal/Crate VC-508 and one Sears 1484.

I sadly unloaded a 1957 champ a few years ago and have been dreaming
of the vintage tone. I knew Victoria made a "champ" of their own so I
ordered one in August 2000. I use it to practice at home with a 1960
Fender Strat and a Les Paul Elegant. This is the pure tube tone.

Wonderfully clean sounds through the strat and awesome blues tones
with my Les Paul. This sounds and reacts extremely close to my old
'57 champ but actually reminds me of what that amp must have played
like in 1957 were I alive then.

I have owned this amp for about 5 months

i've been playing guitar for 26 years but only within the last 5 have
I really been on the tone journey. This little 518 is a gem.

You know the story - Victoria amp are exact reproductions of their Tweed Fender counterparts, warts & all. This is the narrow panel tweed Champ. All tube, Class "A" 8 watts, Two inputs, Single volume control, 8" Reissue Jensen speaker, thats it! Not many features, but just like the original. You don't buy this amp if you want channel switching, effects loop, etc. Limited? I guess, but it delivers exactly what it promises -Tone!

Heritage 535, Semi-Hollowbody & AS Strat. Blues, Rock/Blues. It hums a bit, and it buzzes when cranked, but Boy does it sound good. It drips overdriven tone at bedroom levels w/o pedals, and screams when cranked (loud enough to get a not-so-friendly visit from the neighbors). Not loads of bass, bit it is only a 8" speaker. Play thru extension cab for more bass.

Vicky amps are simple, well built & look as good as they sound. There is no reason this will not last as long as an original, only more dependable b/c it is not 40 years old.

Called Mark & Maureen a few times. Questions always answered. Remember, they're busy.

This amp makes playing fun. there is nothing better than real power tube saturation, and at reasonable levels no less. I love the way this amps sounds, smells and looks. Real Tweed tone to the bone, but it comes at a price ($$$$). You get what you pay for, and with Vicky's you get the real deal.

This little tubester has 5 watts, an 8 inch speaker and a single volume control and that's it. If you are looking for a practice amp, you don't need much more. However, listing at $650, you must have too much money sitting around unused to consider it. I bought mine used for $250.

I played around with this for awhile with my Strat Ultra, a very versatile guitar. Though the amp can get loud for its' size, it distorts quickly and generally stays in the upper and upper middle tone range. You won't be vibrating the walls with this babe.

It did what it does with no problem. Being handwired and handmade, it should be solid.

I called once with some questions and they answered my questions and sent me some info.

I think there are many other, more versatile choices for a small wattage, practice amp. I am not sure why Victoria even bothers with this model at this expense, seeing the quality of their bigger models. I would say PASS on it. BTW, I sold the thing and now have a Vox Pathfinder

First, for those who don't know, Victoria is a small company with a zealous dedication to achieving the most exacting recreations of Leo Fender's crowning glory--the series of magical Tweed amps from the mid to late 1950's. This amplifier takes simplicity, in the context of today's two, three and even four channel amps, to radical extremes, with a grand total of ONE control on its elegant chrome panel (a volume knob that Nigel Tufnell would blush at---it goes to 12---which also functions as the on/off switch). This leaves room on the narrow, top oriented panel, for the fuse holder and a blissful, violet jewel-style pilot light. Other than that the only other kind of control you have over this amp is provided by the speaker-out jack, which is fairly easy to access, and allows one to escape the confines of the single 8" speaker which is stock. This amp, which is 5-watts, has only one tone---"it is what it is"---so don't go crying home to Mama when you can't footshitch in forty seven different amp simulations and you despair at finding no "Ninja-Boost" mode here. It's tube compliment is spare as well, consisting of one NOS 12AX7WA, one NOS 5Y3WGTA rectifier, and an NOS 6V6GT, all American made. Things get real interesting when you look inside the neatly wired chassis and find the custom Sprague capacitors, custom carbon composition resistors, precisely braided cloth covered solid core wire, and hand wound, paper bobbin transformer. This amp drips, oozes and generally sweats authenticity, which is what Mark Beier, Victoria's founder, has labored to achieve. The result, as far as I'm concerned, has little to do with puritanical bragging rights--save those for people who want to spend years and many hundreds if not thousands of dollars accumulating original Tweed Fenders---the glory of the Victoria is that it's demanding construction stadards pay off with the magical tone that REAL Tweeds (not the corporate clones passed off by the modern Fender company as "Tweed" reissues) have become legendary for.

I use a hollow PRS custom with a stock HFS lead humbucker and a Duncan Antiquity Telecaster neck single coil. The 518 can be pushed into moderate overdrive with the volume all the way up, but I prefer the sound either clean, or pushed to a more sutaining drive by a distortion pedal. I use a Tech 21 XXL for this, because it can successfully achieve and approximation of fully opened valve overdrive at very low volumes (I use this setup for recording). For these overdrive sounds I plug into a solid wood extension cab with one Weber VST 12" British voiced speaker. For clean sounds I now use the stock Mojo 8", which approximates a 50's Jensen, but I will soon switch to a Weber of similar design. I'll assess the sound in two parts:
Clean) Through the Mojo 8", the sound is very colorful and complex, with a sugary, snappy high end and a bubbly, round bottom; the mids being somewhat scooped. The wood in the guitar definitely shines through on this amp. There is no tone control so the tone color is consistent, and I would characterize it as balanced and well mannered with no frequencies really jumping forward. This amp gushes delicate character, with an almost acoustic richness, and seems to respond very favorably to finger picking, really alowing its tone to be shaped by the nuances of the style of plucking. Blues players use this quality of all Tweeds to great advantage.
Overdrive) With the XXL engaged and the drive up (harmonics control set all the way to even-order [class A, EL-84/Vox style drive]) the sound is brown, brown, brown---exploding with liquid sustain and dense with harmonics. Eric Johnson, holder of the coveted "violin tone", would drool puddles over this sound. My goal with this setup was to use the sustaining, overdriven sound of the gutar like a voice, and the musically rich, singing tone it creates makes this happen, resulting in lush leads brimming with personality which hold the listener's attention. Chords are well defined, punchy, and once again, browner than a loaf of Russian rye. One thing I would say about this sound, which is hard to put into words and very subjective, is that it has a "classic" sound to it that happens instantly without any fiddling. By "classic" I mean something that's hard to relate any other way, but it's a kind of rock gutar backdrop that forms a solid, warm, and somehow timeless backdrop for songs. A good example of a modern band sucessfully using this kind of sound can be heard on Fastball's "The Way" and "Fire Escape." Songs are deeper and more memorable with this kind of guitar foundation, IMHO.

I've only had this amp for a little while, but the cab feels rock solid and everything about the construction is along the same lines.

Haven't had a reason for this yet, but as far as I know, Mark stands by his product.

Tweed Fenders are called "classic" for a very good reason, and Victoria has brought that reason back to life. *Now Hear This* :if you are a gutarist who also writes and records, my advice to you is to scrape up $650 and snag one of these miniature gems. They aren't loud, but they are perfect for home studios, and no other amp can do better than match the musical giganticness of the Victoria line. Take this from me:your songs will simply sound better, and you will have more fun writing and recording them!