Victory Amps V1 The Jack Preamp is the most Exquisite Smooth Liquid Distortion Pedal

Victory Amps recent V1 Preamp Pedal Launch was a total triumph, and among those 5 superb candidates - The Jack was the one that stood out the most for both engineer / designer Thorpy and my good self. The legacy of this pedal dates back to a 2014 collaboration between Martin Kidd and one Guthrie Gowan - for whom the original was sort of designed as his ’flying amp’ and was the first lunchbox format amp head produced by Victory Amps.

It was launched in very early 2014 as the V30 MKII Countess, but later had a gender-swap to ’The Jack’ to highlight that amp’s incredible versatility - where that range now covers 5 devices. The most recent version of the V30 MKII, then the V130 The Super Jack, V4 The Jack Guitar Amp (floor-based), V4 The Jack Preamp (floor-based), and finally the V1 Jack Preamp pedal you see here.

Controls - Volume, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble.

The controls are incredibly straight-forward and with predictable and even tapers - and moreover there is no surprise inner trimmer or dip-switch - everything you need sits on the surface - and works beautifully. Thorpy and Martin have really done tremendous work on the Tone Stack here in particular which has enormous range, but is still so easy to dial in.

Thorpy likened this pedal to a sort of Super Smooth Soldano SLO sounding distortion - and there is a degree of overlap is some of the tonality with my new Soldano Super Lead Overdrive pedal - but that in itself is a lot more of a conventional distortion.

What The Jack does beautifully is those super smooth liquid distortion tones - derived through really cleverly manipulated natural compression. You get a superb sounding harmonically textured output which is just beautifully smooth and rounded - it really is an exceptional and distinct tone.

And while I typically use my Soldano SLO pedal fairly cranked up as a proper searing High Gain Distortion, I feel The Jack is at its best lower down the gain range.

I spent a long time dialling things in to be totally perfect for my preferences, and the dials are fairly fused to the following current setting values - Volume @ Max, Gain @ c10:00 (10:15±), Bass @ 9 o’c, Middle @ 3 o’c, and Treble @ 3 o’c. The key dials here for me are Gain and Middle - you need to do a sort of safe-cracker action with fairly small movements of those dials - the Gain around 10 o’c, I have mine at around 10:15 to be precise - and for the Middle control the magic happens between 3 o’c and Max. You will know when you hit that sweet-spot as it just sounds glorious - and with just the right amount of syrup on those tones!

It’s the singing sustaining smooth liquid distortion which makes this pedal so special and pretty unique - which is why of the 5 V1 Preamps I feel this is the one that everyone should try to get hold of first as it’s really that special.

I really love my V1 Kraken too - and that review will follow soon enough - while I’m pretty blown away by The Jack. In fact so impressed have I been with these two that I’m determined to get the whole range now. I will probably get the V1 Copper and Sheriff next, and then end with The Duchess. Thorpy has already advised me that I will really love the Duchess, and that there’s far more to it than those pristine low gain / sparkling clean tones.

The Victory Amps V1 The Jack Preamp Pedal is available direct from the Victory Amps Webstore, and at leading dealers worldwide for £199 / $249 and equivalent. This is a must-have pedal for me, and I expect it to be in high rotation in my pedal-chain.

Any more Jack fans out there?