Hey Fellers,
Just curious because I am loving all things Gretsch right now: Are the new Gretsch amps by Victoria worth the money? I like a little bit of hair on the signal, do these get stupid loud before they break up?
Just curious. Seems like most folks are talking about the old ones.
Thanks! :)
No... to me, and this is my opinion only, they are not worth the money... many other better amps to be had. I personally lean toward Fender tube amps. I guess much has to do with what style of music you enjoy... and of course "sound and tone" are very subjective. Have you tried one of these out? Do some sort of comparison test... it would be fun to have you report back on this forum with your thoughts after a test! 
I haven't heard every amp in the world.
Of the ones I've heard, the Gretsch Executive and Variety are at the top of the heap. They respond beautifully throughout their ranges, are always rich and musical, have world-class reverb (and, on the Variety, gorgeous tremolo), and have an ideal ratio of clean headroom and great push.
They're expensive, and there's no amp going I'd rather have. (I can't compare them to vintage amps, because those vary too widely from one example to the next.)
If there's nothing else like them, and they're the best you've ever heard, are they worth the money?
If you have the money - or can get the money - absolutely.
However, no one believes any of this if they haven't heard (and preferably, played) them in person.
I thought I recalled that the Gretsch amps were rebadged Victoria's.
Does anyone know?
I have to confess I lust after the big 3X10 one, but after someone who knows what they're talking about looking at the schematic and saying it's somewhat like a 3X10 Super Reverb with tweaked brownface tremolo, I do think they're a little expensive. (lust's still there though!!)
While the specs on paper are hip enough to make me drool, I just know I can get more amp for my money in the vintage, second-hand boutique, and kit-amp market(s) - which is what I've always done, when I think about it.
wow proteus , thats a pretty glowing review. i have a guitar shop buddy that can get me a super low deal on an unsold executive, and i'd been poo pooing it...thinking that i'd probably be spending too much for something that wouldnt sound a whole lot different than what i have....but now after reading that , it may be worth test driving......i will be back....
RoP, it's WELL worth test-driving, at a minimum. And if you don't want the super low deal...someone will! Let us know.
Hobie, they're made by Victoria, yessir. But they're not just rebadged. They don't exactly match any existing Victoria models.
I have to say that, when I heard these amps at the NAMM show early this year, I was amazed at how good they sound. There is a certain spaciousness to the tone that seems to envelope you as you listen to it. I mean, it is REALLY good.
I recently took delivery of an Executive from Rocky at Street Sounds. I got a GREAT price on it (don't pay list price with anybody on these), but due to work constraints and some time when it was unavailable to me, I haven't had the chance to really hit it hard at home.
But, next week, I intend to get on it and really put it through its paces.
By the way, I spoke with Mark Baier, the owner of Victoria Amp Company, and, if I understood him correctly, there was a conscious effort to try to create some design features in these amps that were along the lines of the older Valco amps. I could be mistaken on that, but that is what I thought that I heard him say.
And, while Proteus mentions the tremolo on the Variety, which is somewhat different design than on the Executive, the tremolo on the Executive is also quite nice. Certainly much nicer sounding than anything that you can achieve through a stompbox.
The only Gretsch amp I have heard was the Executive. When I saw Paul Pigat last weekend he was raving about his. I don't know what they cost but they look and sound awesome. So if you can afford it and it is the right wattage you need I would give one a try.
I own an Executive. I agree with Proteus's comments 100%. Here is the link to the review I posted last year... http://gretschpages.com/forum/gretsch-amps/executive-amp-field-checkroad-test-repo...
When I went to the dealer's showroom to try it, I was not anxious to buy it.... mostly curious. When I first plugged in, it sounded OK but didn't exactly knock my socks off. Then I realized that I was looking at the tone controls upside down and that all 3 (bass, treble and middle) were practically in the "off" position. So I ran them about 75% (to about 3-o'clock) and.... WOW!! Curiosity instantly turned to NEED, and I knew there was no way I would leave the building without that amp!
I got my first amp about 55 years ago. I have owned at least 6-7 Fender tube amps (and others) over that time. I have never owned a Victoria although I have road tested a couple. For my tastes, the Executive is simply the best amp I have ever owned or played.
I have never tried a Variety amp only because I've never seen one "in the flesh". For my playing I was more interested in something in the 20W +/- range with a 12" or 15" speaker.
If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said, um, no, probably not. There are a lot of really good amps out there for that kind of money.
After playing with one a bit, they've moved squarely into my "things that are expensive yet worth every penny" category.
I don't see me having one--I just can't justify that kind of scratch for my ham-fisted ploinkings--but good God, they are NICE amps.
Seems a pattern here.
I will also chime in that Paul Pigat raved to me about his Executive. To me it sounded great, but I don't have that much of an 'ear'. The real kicker to me was that Paul said he could get rid of most of his pedals now because the amp did most everything he wanted it to do without pedals.
I'm happy with my Super Champ XD, thankyaverymuch!
yer killin' me.....
I'll say this, I've been curious about the Gretsch amps for a while, but remember thinking "there's no way they're worth the money..."
Then I heard The Rev playing through one. Whoa. Instant GAS. I wants/needs it. And a RHH 6120. drool Seriously G - A - S'ing.
The Rev with a Gretsch amp at the Texas Rockabilly Revival last weekend:
I'm crazy about the Gretsch Executive. I want to try the others as well before I make up my mind. I can honestly say that it is the best clean sound that I have ever heard. I don't know what it sounds like with some hair on it, but I bet it is nice.
The best sound I have ever heard was a guy playing a RHH through a Victoria amp in a store in New York. Then I tried it--and it was still great!
Absolutely phenomenal, actually.
I'm pretty keen on the playboy myself, has anyone run a playboy flat out?
I'd like a Variety but I'm nowhere near to afford one.
I head Buzz Campbell live through a Gretsch amp and I heard the Rev and Paul Pigat in the clips. Amzing tones.
You can get a Gomez El Sonido for a lot less. Also Godly tone.
If money grew on my back I'd buy a Variety. If I had the extra money, I'd buy a Gomez. For now, I'm really happy with my Engl Classic.
I've resisted even looking closely at these because of the price, but now my curiosity is piqued. However, unlike guitars, I try & keep my amp GAS under incredibly strict limits, and there's very little -- that I would want to do -- that I cannot do with one of my current amps, aka the Holy Trinity: Clark Beaufort (tweed Deluxe), Headstrong Li'l King (Princeton Reverb), and Vox AC15HW.
Further, my experience with Victoria -- I've owned a Regal II and a Reverberato -- hasn't been overwhelmingly positive. But lots of folks whose ears I trust rave over them, so...
Like anything and everything else, they are not for everyone.
From my (more than) half century of buying/owning amps, the best advice I can offer is to try one, then decide if they are worth the money. For me, that decision process took less than a minute.
Fortunately (for me) the dealer was selling the Executive for more than 50% below MSRP. That was because it "sat" in his show room for about 2 years. Per threads from 2008, I believe that was due to Gretsch's failure to advertise and promote these amps.
Just the question U would expect from me... how do these new Victoria Gretsch amps do w/ the lo-signal from Hi Lo Trons? Guess I just have to try one.
I use a custom made thing made by the late great J Martin of Phila -- It's a MusicMaster Bass amp hotted up to almost 25 w. 2 6v6s basically at the max, and it just does well with the hi lo scene. we tried some diff. speakers and the celestion vintage 30 kicked ass over all the others... super efficient and clean.
Volume, Treble, Bass. 3 KNOBS MAN that's all ya need.
No.
Again just an opinion. A great deal more could be had for the dough. The cosmetic design MIGHT make it worth the money, but the cosmetics also make them weigh a ton (unnecessarily, I might add).
HOBIE MY MAN ! Long time no see.
Yes they are Victorias.
NOTE #1
If you get a BARGAIN on one, by all means they are great pieces of equipment.
NOTE #2
I'll bet my left nut that RHH also has a Fender Super connected at that same time (he always uses 2 amps).
