Hfan Posted January 14, 2017 Posted January 14, 2017 I'm not really in the market but am curious more than anything. I just heard about these amps. Specifically the VHT 12/20RT. Seems to be a lot of amp for the money, lots of love on the internet for them too. I have read that they are point to point as well. And after wrestling with a Blues Jr (modding and "fixing") for some years I have resolved no more PWA's for me. I see them pretty cheap especially if you use a coupon etc for a big box music store. And you can use different power tube types. Too good to be true at this price point? Here's an old review from Guitar Player Mag in a comparison with other combos. There is a small pic of the circuit http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/5-tube-combo-amps/22014a and another review: http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/VHT_Special_1220_RT_Amp_Review and if you search VHT Special 12/20 is Great there is a monster thread out there on another forum,,have not dived in yet
Hfan Posted January 14, 2017 Author Posted January 14, 2017 Here is a GC link.. with a 20% coupon potentially even less $. http://www.guitarcenter.com/VHT/Special-12-20-RT-20W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp-Black-1334587635548.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=CjwKEAiAtefDBRDTnbDnvM735xISJABlvGOvatG5TESv7uqmK-ajcU9duRDXcoUEJ5ZVbBcOuAeCPhoC2avw_wcB&kwid=productads-adid^78244844802-device^c-plaid^139028877387-sku^1334587635548@ADL4GC-adType^PLA It is obviously an import and may (at least back in 2012 anyway) come with cheap power tubes.
HANGAR18 Posted January 14, 2017 Posted January 14, 2017 It seems that there is a lot of competition this year for small and affordable amps. PRS just announced their small, do everything tube amp called the Sonzera. http://prsguitars.com/products/sonzera
schundog Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 Sorry to tempt you further, Pete, but here you go on a used one..... http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/VHT/Special-12-20-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp.gc
PunkKitty Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 I have a VHT Special 6 (or something like that). It's a little hand wired amp. It sounds good and is designed to be easily modded.
t0aj15 Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 Keep in mind that VHT of today is NOT the original VHT . The original VHT was founded by Steve Fryette who has dropped the the VHT name and is now building gear under his own name "Fryette Amplification". IIRC the 'new' VHT is some chinese company that jumped in and took over the VHT label and has nothing at all to do with Fryette. The real McCoy: http://www.fryette.com/
JeffB Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 Inside 2weeks. Thats how long I give Hfan before he caves in and buys something. Can almost smell the GAS from here. I used to sell MIC VHT amps. They had a cult following. They were okay from a stockists point of view, there wasnt a stream of warranty repairs like some of the other cheaper MIC tube amps.
big bob Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 Steve Fryette was a circuit board pioneer. Check out this work from an old pit bull https://www.google.com/search?q=vht+circiut+board&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=QsVpmDrxcshiZM%3A
Hfan Posted January 15, 2017 Author Posted January 15, 2017 Inside 2weeks. Thats how long I give Hfan before he caves in and buys something. Can almost smell the GAS from here. I used to sell MIC VHT amps. They had a cult following. They were okay from a stockists point of view, there wasnt a stream of warranty repairs like some of the other cheaper MIC tube amps Very perceptive of you Jeff...yes indeed, the smell is in the air. The VHT deal is not really GAS though as I am pretty well set in the amp dept. I was just curious. After that local Fender Concert popped up on my local Craigs List and I broke out a few of my amps that have not had their covers off in a while it cured my amp GAS for now at least. My old Twin Reverb with a little OD in front was pretty wonderful. It may have at least limited it to trying a new spring reverb unit for my Deluxe Reverb build....about $20 or so. Talking about the GAS is somehow therapeutic for me and helps control it some ha ha. I am actually now working on anti GAS aka selling some gear. Interesting history on Steve Freyette as well. I know that there are great amps with PCBs..Tone King comes to mind. And there are great arguments that a well designed PCB can perform very well and be more consistent than a point to point build but I've been burned by them. I'd say that if the zombie apocalypse came and took all my current amps and I had $600 to spend on a replacement I'd consider one of these VHTs
212Mavguy Posted January 16, 2017 Posted January 16, 2017 Cork sniffer alert... Don't buy a MIC amp to play an American made guitar through...period. That MIC VHT is an insult to Steve Fryette.. The guts look like a bad dose of spaghetti thrown together by a chef that ate the brown acid. Stacked boards are not necessary. They are the result of not wonderful engineering. Yes. Boutique amps for boutique guitars! Boutique guitars for boutique amps! Buy American for America.
Hfan Posted January 16, 2017 Author Posted January 16, 2017 Cork sniffer alert... Don't buy a MIC amp to play an American made guitar through...period. That MIC VHT is an insult to Steve Fryette.. The guts look like a bad dose of spaghetti thrown together by a chef that ate the brown acid. Stacked boards are not necessary. They are the result of not wonderful engineering. Yes. Boutique amps for boutique guitars! Boutique guitars for boutique amps! Buy American for America. No need to mince words, what do you really think?? All my amps are US built even one with a PSP heritage.. from our own KBP.. I agree that lead dress etc was unsightly.
212Mavguy Posted January 17, 2017 Posted January 17, 2017 Awesome! That's what I think about your US built amps! Those cork sniffers can be pretty opinionated...and most of them are pretty mediocre when the fingers operate the instrument...oh,wait a minute, I resemble that remark!
DetroitBlues Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 If I'm not mistaken, VHT amps are owned by the same people as AXL guitars. The original owner who made the VHT Pitbull lost the naming rights and AXL owners bought the rights. They have some cool amps, at least for awhile there, I believe it was their Handwired Series. Some were based upon the Marshall 1974x design. They've cut down their offerings in recent years.
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