Hello from the Victory Team!

This month we have an exclusive interview with Greg Howe, talking to us about why he loves the MKX and more. Below you’ll also find the latest product video roundup including a brand new video on our YouTube channel.

As festival season is in full swing we also have an update about which Victory artists have been playing where including Niall Horan, Chris Buck and more!

As always, please keep an eye on our socials for the latest news as it drops (details below!).

It’s been a scorching month for Victory artists ☀️ with festival season in full swing!

Niall Horan brought the heat to Capital’s Summertime Ball 👀 his V40 Deluxe Combos looking every bit as stunning as they sounded. Over on the European festival circuit, High Vis have been flying the Victory flag with Rob Hammaren rocking The Super Duchess, while James Monteith has been putting the PowerValve 200 through its paces out on the road with Cage Fight.

We’ve had Lewis Blake from thrash-metal band OVERPOWER join the artist family 🤘 with a PowerValve 200 & lunchbox cab – the MOST compact tour rig, ready to go out on the festival and tour circuit. Make sure you check out Lewis’ unboxing video! 🎥

Back home, the artist showroom has been buzzing with new video content 🎬, we also had in 11-year-old guitar phenomenon Phoenix ⭐, plus Rikki Glover, Phil Short, Ed Clarke and Danny Dela Cruz.

Rick Graham has shown some love for the MK Series 💚, posting with his MK Overdrive & Chris Buck is about to hit the road across the US 🇺🇸 with the MK Clean 2×10 Combo in tow.

We recently welcomed Greg Howe back to the Victory family. Greg has an incredible reputation and we were thrilled when he started using the MKX. We recently caught up with Greg and discussed everything Victory!

You’ve built one of the most recognizable guitar voices in modern fusion. What are you chasing in your tone these days, and how has that evolved over the years?

GH: I’m still chasing many of the same qualities I’ve always loved in great instruments and players – fullness, harmonic richness, clarity, dynamics… the kinds of things that make a piano, saxophone, or violin feel expressive and alive.

With guitar, especially the way I play, the challenge is always balancing gain and openness. I rely heavily on a legato approach, so I want enough gain for the instrument to feel fluid and responsive under the fingers, but not so much that the tone loses clarity or dynamic range. A lot of high-gain sounds can start to feel compressed or closed-in. I’m always looking for that balance where it both feels great and still breathes musically.

You’re currently using the Victory MKX with a pair of custom Victory 2×12 cabinets. What immediately stood out to you about this setup, and why does it fit your playing style?

GH: What immediately stood out to me about the MKX was that it delivers a great high-gain sound without leaning into that ultra-modern metal character. There’s nothing wrong with that style of gain, but I’ve always gravitated more toward the vintage plexi-inspired feel.

Years ago I had an old Marshall Super Lead, and the sound I loved came from pushing the output stage hard – basically everything on 10 with an attenuator between the amp and cab. There’s a certain bloom, sustain, and responsiveness that comes from that kind of power amp saturation. Somehow the MKX captures a lot of that character in a lightweight modern amp format, which is pretty impressive.

The custom 2×12 cabinets also really complement the sound. They have this focused midrange growl that I’ve always loved from V30-style speakers, but the overall response still feels open and musical.

Your playing balances incredible technique with feel and phrasing. What advice would you give guitarists who want to focus less on speed and more on developing their own voice?

GH: Developing your own voice starts with learning how to recognize what genuinely moves you musically, which isn’t always easy because we’re all influenced by other players. One thing that helps is trying to listen to yourself almost as an outsider – like someone who simply loves music rather than someone analyzing guitar technique.

A question I often come back to is: “What would I want to hear if I weren’t a guitarist, but just a fan of expressive instrumental music?” That tends to steer me back toward what feels authentic.

I also think it’s important to spend time listening outside your own genre, especially music where expression and phrasing are the primary focus. Technique is valuable, but ultimately it’s personality and expression that people connect with most.

Your sound has always pulled from a mix of rock, fusion, and beyond. Are there any players, records, or influences that continue to inspire you today?

GH: Absolutely. The players who inspired me early on still inspire me now, which is why they’re considered the greats in the first place. Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Scofield, Allan Holdsworth… the list goes on and on.

Great music tends to stay great, and I think those influences continue to reveal new things to you over time.

Looking ahead, what projects, music, or creative directions are you most excited about, and what can fans expect next?

GH: I’ve been doing a lot of work with the DarWin project alongside musicians like Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Matt Bissonette, Derek Sherinian, and others, which has been really rewarding creatively.

I also know I’ve been talking about a new solo album for quite a while, but it truly is a major priority for me and something I’m actively focused on.

Beyond that, I’m also working on a very exciting new project that I can’t say much about yet, but it’s definitely something different for me creatively – and if everything comes together the way I hope, I think people are going to be very surprised by it.