NAMM 2020: Victory reveals V4 The Duchess - a portable and compact 180W powerhouse

NAMM 2020: Victory has unveiled V4 The Duchess - a portable and compact amp in a pedal format - at this years trade show. The company hopes to enable guitar players to achieve the classic Duchess tone at a more affordable price and in a more compact and lightweight design.

V4 The Duchess features an all-valve preamp and 180W Class D power section, all housed within a small pedal-sized form factor. The amp weighs just 1.7kg / 3.75lbs, so will inevitably appeal to guitarists seeking portability while maintaining the tone of a much larger head.

In 2019, the company introduced the V4 pedal preamps, an ideal solution for players who want a pro-standard valve preamp/front end to augment their existing amps.

“The new V4 Guitar Amp was the obvious way forward: let’s add a lightweight power section to that all-valve front end," said Martin Kidd, Victory's Chief Designer. "We knew we could design a superb sounding amp that wasn’t compromised by a lack of power, lifeless tone or burdened with endless options that you never use."

The amp also features an effect loop, an onboard digital reverb and a tremolo for ambience.

Victory has intentionally opted to exclude speaker emulation and IRs from the unit. Kidd said of the decision: "Everyone we talk to seems to prefer their own personal IR solution, whether that’s hardware or software. There are a great many options available and the pace of development in that world is vertical."

For more information, head to Victory.