Victory V30 The Count Mk3 Settings Guide
The Victory V30 The Count Mk3 is a 30-watt, EL34-powered British boutique head designed by Martin Kidd. Single channel with controls for Gain, Master, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Presence. The Count's character is described as a highly refined, tighter-voiced Marshall — it captures the aggressive midrange and bite of a JCM800 but with more headroom, better dynamics, and a clearer clean window at lower gain settings.
The best Victory V30 The Count Mk3 settings start with: Gain at 5/10, Master at 4/10, Bass at 5/10, Middle at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Classic Rock: Gain 5/10, Master 4/10, Bass 5/10, Middle 7/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | 5/10 | Clean → Drive |
| Master | 4/10 | Silent → Loud |
| Bass | 5/10 | Thin → Full |
| Middle | 6/10 | Scooped → Forward |
| Treble | 6/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Presence | 5/10 | Warm → Crisp |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Gain 5, Middle 7 — the core of The Count's character. This sits perfectly for classic Marshall-voiced rock rhythm and leads. The EL34 power stage gives the warmth and sag expected from this voicing.
Gain 7 pushes The Count toward its compressed lead zone — still articulate, not flabby. Presence 6 adds definition on leads. The Count retains note clarity at this gain level better than many comparable amps.
Low Gain with higher Master — the amp at the edge of clean break-up, driven by the guitar's volume knob. The Count at Gain 3 produces a lightly compressed, warm clean that transitions smoothly into natural crunch when you dig in.
High Gain, boosted Middle — The Count's lead voice. Sustain is rich and compressed without losing the harmonic detail of the notes. A TS-style boost in front adds harmonic density for singing sustain at lower stage volume.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The Victory V30 The Count responds to a Tube Screamer in front like very few modern amps — it makes the already mid-forward character more aggressive and singing without thinning it. Use Gain 0, Level max on the TS for a clean boost into the amp.
- The Count's single channel has a very wide clean-to-drive sweep purely from the Gain knob — use this before buying an OD pedal. Many players end up using two amp settings (foot-switched via the amp's channel switch) rather than relying on pedals for gain changes.
FAQ
Victory V30 The Count Mk3 — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Victory V30 The Count Mk3: Gain at 5/10, Master at 4/10, Bass at 5/10, Middle at 6/10, Treble at 6/10, Presence at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Classic Rock: Gain 5/10, Master 4/10, Bass 5/10, Middle 7/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 5/10. Gain 5, Middle 7 — the core of The Count's character. This sits perfectly for classic Marshall-voiced rock rhythm and leads. The EL34 power stage gives the warmth and sag expected from this voicing.
For Hard Rock: Gain 7/10, Master 4/10, Bass 6/10, Middle 6/10, Treble 6/10, Presence 6/10. Gain 7 pushes The Count toward its compressed lead zone — still articulate, not flabby. Presence 6 adds definition on leads. The Count retains note clarity at this gain level better than many comparable amps.
Gain: Preamp gain. Below 4 produces clean to crunch; above 6 produces the signature compressed lead tone. (Clean to Drive). Master: Output volume. (Silent to Loud). Bass: Low-frequency EQ. (Thin to Full). Middle: Mid-range character. The Count's aggressive midrange is its defining characteristic. (Scooped to Forward). Treble: High-frequency EQ. (Dark to Bright). Presence: Power-amp high-frequency resonance. (Warm to Crisp)
The Victory V30 The Count responds to a Tube Screamer in front like very few modern amps — it makes the already mid-forward character more aggressive and singing without thinning it. Use Gain 0, Level max on the TS for a clean boost into the amp. The Count's single channel has a very wide clean-to-drive sweep purely from the Gain knob — use this before buying an OD pedal. Many players end up using two amp settings (foot-switched via the amp's channel switch) rather than relying on pedals for gain changes.
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