# VHT Pittbull UL Thoughts/Photos



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

A week or two ago I literally woke up thinking about how much I loved my ENGL Fireball head, that same night I lucked out and picked up a VHT Pittbull UL. I still have warm sentiments for my ENGL, but when I A/B'd the two, I felt like tossing it through a window. That's just how great this amp is. I've never played the EL34 model, but my Ultralead w/ KT88s is just pure bliss. 

Random thoughts:

-Features are out of this world, and all are usable. There is almost no unusable range for the various controls. You can max out or zero out basically any control and you will still get an amazing tone (well maybe except cutting all the mids out). Sometimes I play with a lot of treble/presence, sounds great, obviously bright but never harsh. I've also played it with the treble set low and it still had plenty of attack but just had a smoother sound. I was amazed the attack remained nearly completely in-tact even with the treble at 25%. Likewise, the bass or depth controls never get to a level where it turns into mud or flub.

-The 6 band EQ is incredible. Right now I just keep most things about neutral, I boost the 100hz a few dB, 250hz neutral, 600hz cut slightly (eliminates some of the V30 unpleasantries bigtime), 1.2khz neutral. 2.3khz neutral/tiny boost, 5khz healthy boost. With the EQ disengaged via the footswitch, it still sounds great, but man it really helps.

-Being able to choose from a parallel or serial loop is really cool. There is also an "Edge" button which according to VHT adds some bite/gain only on higher frequencies. It's subtle but it does sound cool. 

-It has ancient tubes, at least 4-5 years old. I can't imagine this thing when I retube it and GC gets the Black Shadows we ordered in. This is the first amp that 100% tames a Mesa 4x12 cab loaded with v30s, no harsh 'death zone' to speak of. This amp is just so warm, musical, complex and brutal. 

-The ENGL was tight and had great tone, but its like 2D compared to what's offered here. I honestly had no idea an amp this good existed, I tried just about everything else and in my opinion nothing comes close. 

-For the record I still use an Ibanez TS808 in front of it. So far I've played my Rico Jr Vixen 7 Custom w/ the Duncan Invader and my ESP SC607B w/ the EMG 81-7s through it, they both sound phenominal but the Invader sounds better. That pickup sounds like ass with some amps but not with this thing. I'm looking forward to trying it with more Duncans and DiMarzio pickups.

Anyways, I'm just so elated with this thing, I wish everyone could feel this way about their gear. If I was rich I'd buy all of you guys one just because. Here are some pics. Peace.


----------



## goth_fiend (Jan 31, 2007)

I would seriously kill for either of those amps, very much looking forward to getting myself a decent tube amp, this rack has got to go


----------



## Shaman (Jan 31, 2007)

I have always wanted to try one out, and now I want to try one out even more!

That review was great  

And oh, congrats


----------



## metalfiend666 (Jan 31, 2007)

I'd love to try either one of those amps, let alone both. You're a lucky guy Nick.


----------



## svart (Jan 31, 2007)

since you've tried a lot... how is the VHT compared to the mesa triple recto?


----------



## D-EJ915 (Jan 31, 2007)

Considering how awesome you make it sound, why does the Unearth III's tone suck so bad  ... actually I think that whole cd just sounds bad, so nevermind 

congrats on liking it though, lol


----------



## HighGain510 (Jan 31, 2007)

Very cool... however:


This thread is useless without clips!


I'm interested in hearing this amp as I tried getting clips on the VHT board and half of them that people were like "OH THIS IS KILLER!!!" are links that have been removed/deleted from wherever they were stored.


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

D-EJ915 said:


> Considering how awesome you make it sound, why does the Unearth III's tone suck so bad  ... actually I think that whole cd just sounds bad, so nevermind
> 
> congrats on liking it though, lol



That record is not made with Pittbull UL I believe. I know -for a fact- that there's 5150s on there, but not sure what else. Also the VHT they use is the "Deliverance" model. Also, perhaps they scoop the mids or the EMG 707s sound bland with it. Who knows. Either way you're kind of silly for even making that point 



svart said:


> since you've tried a lot... how is the VHT compared to the mesa triple recto?



I wouldn't even know where to start on that one. I'll have to get back to you on that. They're both good amps, very different sounds is all I can say for now.



HighGain510 said:


> I'm interested in hearing this amp as I tried getting clips on the VHT board and half of them that people were like "OH THIS IS KILLER!!!" are links that have been removed/deleted from wherever they were stored.



Sorry but clips in general are fairly useless. I've yet to hear any web clips for any amp, even ones I know I love in person, that sound very good. We're about to record our CD so you can hear it in action then


----------



## noodles (Jan 31, 2007)

D-EJ915 said:


> Considering how awesome you make it sound, why does the Unearth III's tone suck so bad  ... actually I think that whole cd just sounds bad, so nevermind



I've heard horrible recordings made with some of the best amps in the world, and I've heard amazing recordings made with complete junk. You can't really judge an amp by someone else's settings, playing, guitar, micing, recording, mixing, and mastering. It is just way too many factors.


----------



## D-EJ915 (Jan 31, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> That record is not made with Pittbull UL I believe. I know -for a fact- that there's 5150s on there, but not sure what else. Also the VHT they use is the "Deliverance" model. Also, perhaps they scoop the mids or the EMG 707s sound bland with it. Who knows. Either way you're kind of silly for even making that point


not really, it's a valid point, they've been the same way as you using practically every amp every and the tone on their last few records was much better.


----------



## budda (Jan 31, 2007)

i like the latest tone the best. im not a huge fan of the tone as i am of other bands, but it suits them.

i reeeeeeeeeally want to try out a UL now.


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

No, your point was not valid. You made a comment about my amp, they don't use that amp on their record. As Noodles pointed out its pointless anyways.


----------



## InTheRavensName (Jan 31, 2007)

back on topic...invader through the vht... ?


----------



## Leon (Jan 31, 2007)

looks cool. and yes, i feel that way about my Nomad


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

InTheRavensName said:


> back on topic...invader through the vht... ?



Yes, amazing. The Invader is in an alder, neck-thru maple, ebony fb guitar, which is really one of the only configurations that's well suited for it, because its an extremely growly fat pickup with a cool treble response. It can be muddy through some guitars/amps, but not this. The VHT is so tight, articulate and warm that it sounds amazing through it. It sounded great through the ENGL too though... but this is even better. I'm really looking forward to trying out the JB with it next.


----------



## InTheRavensName (Jan 31, 2007)

aha awesome, I was considering an Invader for my Moser (alder/maple neckthru with rosewood board), which I'm hoping will add a little bass to the ENGL/Rocktron rig, sounds good, but quite trebly and uhm...I think fragile suits my tone at times...just lacks some of that real thunder...if that makes any sense

...anyway, I'm babbling, nice score...thanks for the GAS


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

The Invader is a great pickup. People generally badmouth it without having played it in an alder/maple/ebony setup or don't use a Tube Screamer or something to tighten up the sound. The Invader in my setup has absolutely the most menacing tone I've ever heard. There might be some better pickups out there, but this one is fantastic.


----------



## B Lopez (Jan 31, 2007)

First off, 

Secondly, KT88?

Does it really blow the ENGL away _that_ bad?

Also, clips!


----------



## THE VILE (Jan 31, 2007)

D-EJ915 said:


> Considering how awesome you make it sound, why does the Unearth III's tone suck so bad  ... actually I think that whole cd just sounds bad, so nevermind



Adam Dutkiewicz > Terry Date, as far as Unearth records go.


----------



## noodles (Jan 31, 2007)

B Lopez said:


> Does it really blow the ENGL away _that_ bad?



Having played both, I would agree with that statement.


----------



## B Lopez (Jan 31, 2007)

noodles said:


> Having played both, I would agree with that statement.



Cool cool. Ive played the VHT, absolutely blown away. Never played, let alone seen any kind of ENGL. Just want to make sure Im not missing out on anything.


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

Yeah, the ENGL is great and it has its own signature sound. The best thing I can say is, yes it really does blow it away. Once again, it's like going from 2D to 3D. The VHT just has mountains of complex tone and harmonic qualities that the ENGL or really any amp I've ever played comparitively does not. Maybe it has something to do with those KT88 tubes I don't know. In addition to the 12AX7 pre-amp tubes, it also has some random tube in there I've never heard of, like 12AU7 or something like that. No idea what that does.

I don't know, I could analyze things forever, I just love this amp.


----------



## noodles (Jan 31, 2007)

I seriously doubt it is the KT88's. I've played Pittbulls with 6L6's and EL-34's, and they all sound good. What it comes down to is Engl is more in the league of Peavey and Marshall, while VHT builds expensive, high quality amps, like Bogner and Mesa/Boogie.

The 12AU7 is probably the phase inverter.


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

I see. I'm sure the KT88s do add something cool the sound though, although I'm sure it sounds great with the other tubes too.

I actually played a Bogner Ubershall recently and was left VERY unimpressed. Much like the Framus Cobra. I'm sure some will disagre but I think the VHT is a lot better. This is definitely my favorite amp of all-time, followed by the TriAxis/2:90 setup and then the ENGL/5150/Etc. I will say I've never played a Road King though.


----------



## InTheRavensName (Jan 31, 2007)

you preferred the triaxis setup to the fireball?


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

Yes. I always thought the TriAxis setup I had was better, I only really parted with it because I got a ton of cash for it, almost triple what I paid for the ENGL. The ENGL was better for what we do in my band though, but I always preferred the tone of the TriAxis/2:90. Thing is, I didn't know the glory of Tube Screamers when I had the Mesa... nor did I have Black Shadows. I'm pretty sure if I had what I had now with that rig, I'd probably like it close to as much as I like the VHT.... but I have no regrets


----------



## InTheRavensName (Jan 31, 2007)

that's cool, to be honest I'd expect a triaxis rig to smoke most things 

nice to see you're happy anyway

...this week


----------



## 6077dino (Jan 31, 2007)

My friend bought a VHT classic few months ago. That thing sounded just way better than anything prior that. Now I´m a proud owner of two VHT pittbull One Hundred heads. It is basicly same as ultra lead, it just has two KT88 in the power amp section. It is still a 100w head. 

VHT is just so clear sounding and tight!


----------



## bulb (Jan 31, 2007)

see this is why i own a vht clx (el34 ultralead hehe) AND an engl powerball!
best of both worlds!!


----------



## kmanick (Jan 31, 2007)

Damn I've got to try one of these.
Nick, When my Carvin gets here we need to get together


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

kmanick said:


> Damn I've got to try one of these.
> Nick, When my Carvin gets here we need to get together



Okay man 



bulb said:


> see this is why i own a vht clx (el34 ultralead hehe) AND an engl powerball!
> best of both worlds!!



IMO The Pittbull UL is already the best of both worlds in one package


----------



## DSS3 (Jan 31, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> That record is not made with Pittbull UL I believe. I know -for a fact- that there's 5150s on there, but not sure what else. Also the VHT they use is the "Deliverance" model. Also, perhaps they scoop the mids or the EMG 707s sound bland with it. Who knows. Either way you're kind of silly for even making that point




No, he's right.

I talked to Ken after I saw them last year, and asked him specifically about it - it was an Ultra Lead, with some odd overdubs with the 5150.

Oncoming Storm was all 5150, though.


----------



## Richardscuro (Jan 31, 2007)

I tried an Ultra Lead and was amazed! It sounded unbelievable. It had the tightest low end I had ever heard in a tube amp. Their only downfall is that they are very expensive, atleast in my opinion.


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

They are expensive. I never would have been able to afford it if it wasnt over half off new price.


----------



## bulb (Jan 31, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> Okay man
> 
> 
> 
> IMO The Pittbull UL is already the best of both worlds in one package


haha the vht can do metal very well, but imho the powerball does it best, it is by far the djentiest amp out there, the vht's djent isnt as metallic or edgy sounding, but i think as far as every other style of music it pwns the powerball. It has a super warm and friendly clean, a crunch that goes from that warm clean to metal and an oh so sweet lead voicing, one hell of an unforgiving amp tho, but it sounds godly with a tubescreamer boosting it!


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 31, 2007)

bulb said:


> haha the vht can do metal very well, but imho the powerball does it best, it is by far the djentiest amp out there, the vht's djent isnt as metallic or edgy sounding, but i think as far as every other style of music it pwns the powerball. It has a super warm and friendly clean, a crunch that goes from that warm clean to metal and an oh so sweet lead voicing, one hell of an unforgiving amp tho, but it sounds godly with a tubescreamer boosting it!



I don't like 'djenty' so there lies our differences  I like my attack/palm mutes to be thick crunchy heavy palm mutes, but not in the metallic/djenty way. I agree for those stylings the ENGL is the best. I like the tone on your songs but its not my style personally  When I said it had both of the best worlds, I meant that its super warm and thick, yet also has great attack and is SUPER tight like an ENGL. 

Powerball is great, as is the VHT. It must be awesome having both


----------



## Brord (Feb 1, 2007)

I concur


----------



## budda (Feb 1, 2007)

is it wrong that im still drooling?


----------



## Mark. A (Feb 2, 2007)

My fav amp, I will have one of these...one day.

Congrats man!


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 2, 2007)

Wow, you are some gear Maniac, Zim!

Going to sell the Fireball now?


----------



## bulb (Feb 2, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> I don't like 'djenty' so there lies our differences  I like my attack/palm mutes to be thick crunchy heavy palm mutes, but not in the metallic/djenty way. I agree for those stylings the ENGL is the best. I like the tone on your songs but its not my style personally  When I said it had both of the best worlds, I meant that its super warm and thick, yet also has great attack and is SUPER tight like an ENGL.
> 
> Powerball is great, as is the VHT. It must be awesome having both



yeah if you arent into djent (or as djenty or "processed" a sound as the engl does or the podxt do on my recordings) i would say that the vht is the best and most rounded amp out there (mine doesnt have the eq but i got very similar results with a ge7 in the loop). I wanna try mine with some 6l6's to see how i like it as well, and i think im going to tung sol the v1 of both the vht and the engl because noodles cant praise those enough. Seriously if you havent played an ultra lead yet play it now, and keep in mind the gain is very tight and unsaturated so that you can build on it, so if you are into tight gainy chug, get a tubescreamer!


----------



## jaredowty (Feb 3, 2007)

Congrats on the new amp. How does it do on lead tones? You'd think since it's so tight that it's best for rhythms.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

bulb said:


> yeah if you arent into djent (or as djenty or "processed" a sound as the engl does or the podxt do on my recordings) i would say that the vht is the best and most rounded amp out there (mine doesnt have the eq but i got very similar results with a ge7 in the loop). I wanna try mine with some 6l6's to see how i like it as well, and i think im going to tung sol the v1 of both the vht and the engl because noodles cant praise those enough. Seriously if you havent played an ultra lead yet play it now, and keep in mind the gain is very tight and unsaturated so that you can build on it, so if you are into tight gainy chug, get a tubescreamer!



I actually do like the ENGL characteristics, it's just the way I pick, I don't get djenty sounds. I can if I try but thats just not my technique. I just like the warmer yet still brutal and tight sound of the VHT more.

Yeah the EQ is key, thought if you use an external one I'm sure that's cool too. I tried using 6L6s with the Pittbull and I would recommend against it. It still sounds good, but the sound is considerably thinner and less ballsy with it. This amp was designed with KT88s in mind and it sounds like it too. That being said your model is the EL34 model so thats a different story. The Ultralead is better off w/ KT88s IMO.

I should also note I too used the Tung-Sol in the V1 of mY ENGL, definitely does help but it's somewhat subtle. I haven tried it with the VHT yet but I will. It's a good tube.



jaredowty said:


> Congrats on the new amp. How does it do on lead tones? You'd think since it's so tight that it's best for rhythms.



Awesome for leads. I play rhythm and lead, it's very clear yet super complex and fat. I could go on forever with adjectives, just rest assured it's amazing 



Karl Hungus said:


> Wow, you are some gear Maniac, Zim!
> 
> Going to sell the Fireball now?



I already sold it on eBay yes.


----------



## The Dark Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

Sounds like you need to update your 'Rig' field, Nick.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> I already sold it on eBay yes.



Traitor! 

Seriously though, you're giving me GAS for a VHT.

Still, I had an excellent time messing around with my Fireball yesterday. I dialled in a very smooth Dream Theater kinda tone, which was very nice. The K-7 sounds really good though it, but I think either the Evo7 or Lundgren sound best. 

I'd really love to get some JJ's and a Tung Sol at some stage, because it's all still stock tubes.

With reguards to someone saying that ENGL are more in the same field as Peavey or Marshall, I think that's half true, and I'd definetly compare the Fireball to a 5150. But some of the higher end ENGL definetly competes in the realms of VHT, Bogner, Diezel and higher end Mesa Boogie amps.

Take the Special Edition head for example, or the Invader. Not to mention any of the high end rackmount stuff.

If I was getting another amp, the Special Edition would be tops on my list.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

Karl Hungus said:


> Traitor!
> 
> Seriously though, you're giving me GAS for a VHT.
> 
> ...



1) Yes I was very sad to see the ENGL go, I never had a bad thing to say about it. As I've said ad nauseum, I woke up the day I got the VHT in tonal bliss with my Fireball. Fate just intervened.

2) I didn't like the K7 thru the ENGL as much as I did w/ my TriAxis. I can tell you with absolute certainty the Evo does like the ENGL more than the DS7, at least in mahogany.

3) I used the stock ENGL tubes in the power section, I just changed the pres. I tried JJs in the power section and actually thought it sounded worse. Maybe it just needed to be biased.

4) I think the quality of the ENGL is higher than that of a Peavey or a Marshall, I think it's up there with Mesa and the like.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

I may have to invest in another Evo7. Definetly one of my favourite bridge pickups ever. Have someone interested in buying a Blaze Custom off me, so if that sells, I might go ahead with it. 

Hmm, that's odd, I've heard from a few people locally who've gotten JJ's with their ENGLs that it absolutely smokes. I'm definetly eager to try a Tung Sol though, so I'll probably get that first.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

I generally like JJ 6L6 as well but for whatever reason it made my Fireball sound harsh. Might have been a bias issue or I didnt have the amp setup right (back then I didnt know about the 'putting the presence down to 9o'clock" thing).


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> I generally like JJ 6L6 as well but for whatever reason it made my Fireball sound harsh. Might have been a bias issue or I didnt have the amp setup right (back then I didnt know about the 'putting the presence down to 9o'clock" thing).



Ah yeah, that could explain things. The presence on the Fireball really does make things incredible harsh. Mine's just under 9 O'clock.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

Yeah me too. I set my presence about 2.5 out of 10, treble around 7.0 out of 10. Mids usually around 6. I loved it.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> Yeah me too. I set my presence about 2.5 out of 10, presence around 7.0 out of 10. Mids usually around 6. I loved it.



I think you mean to say treble at around 7.0? Yeah, sounds about right for me too, with bass around 3. I'll turn the treble down to around 5 though if I want a smoother tone.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

Oops, yes. It's very late at night here sorry  I used the bass at 3 too until I got my Tube Screamer. That sucks out a lot of the bass so I can put it up around 4-5 depending on the guitar with it engaged.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

I think we're taking this thread off in a whole ENGL binge again (Usually happens when i'm talking about amps) so I'll shut up about it for now.

I'd love to hear more about the Pitbull, it sounds like an awesome amp. I usually dig amps that have their own inbuilt graphic EQ, I think that's why I love the Mesa Mark IV so much, an amp that I promised myself I'd buy if I ever got rich. You'll have to throw us up a few sound samples, or maybe even a video at some stage.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

Karl Hungus said:


> I think we're taking this thread off in a whole ENGL binge again (Usually happens when i'm talking about amps) so I'll shut up about it for now.
> 
> I'd love to hear more about the Pitbull, it sounds like an awesome amp. I usually dig amps that have their own inbuilt graphic EQ, I think that's why I love the Mesa Mark IV so much, an amp that I promised myself I'd buy if I ever got rich. You'll have to throw us up a few sound samples, or maybe even a video at some stage.



Yeah, we're going to be recording heavily soon with the VHT. It will be layered with a Mesa as well but once I have that stuff recorded it will be easy to just mute the Mesa and you can hear the VHT in action. Most likely we're going to have 4 guitar tracks. 

I could try to make a crude video, but those youtube videos don't really capture the real sound of an amp too well. The frequencies in cheap webcam mics are often filtered out.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

Oh yeah, which model Tubescreamer is it you use? I've been wondering that.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

It's the Ibanez TS808 Reissue. It's the green one like in the pic on page 1, they sell here for around $160. I hear the Maxon OD808 is the same thing and that one costs less but I've never used one to be sure.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

Oh yeah, I see it.

If I ever get that Mark IV (Which I don't see happening any time soon), a Tubescreamer might be something to invest in.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

It helped considerably with the ENGL too IMO.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

Yeah, you've said that before. I might check one out at some stage, but it's just not high on my priorities right now.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

Karl Hungus said:


> Yeah, you've said that before. I might check one out at some stage, but it's just not high on my priorities right now.



Just to veer further off topic, I'm listening to the Minibosses album. It's an album of metalized NES tunes... classic stuff... I highly recommend it. It makes you appreciate how amazing those little 8-bit midi musicians were in the 80s programming this stuff. The music in Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden alone is better than Megadeth or Metallica has ever done IMO 

Btw I'm still trying to figure out what the "depth" control on the VHT actually does.


----------



## Karl Hungus (Feb 3, 2007)

Just checked their site now, good stuff indeed.


----------



## the.godfather (Feb 3, 2007)

The Minibosses are awesome!

Their Megaman covers were great.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 3, 2007)

The Ninja Gaiden one off their official cd actually had me headbanging.


----------



## siggy14 (Feb 15, 2007)

See and I have heard just the opposite, the power ball and fireball are really cheaply made. I have read more then once on a forum of there cheap PCB's and having alot of trouble. 



Karl Hungus said:


> Traitor!
> 
> 
> With reguards to someone saying that ENGL are more in the same field as Peavey or Marshall, I think that's half true, and I'd definetly compare the Fireball to a 5150. But some of the higher end ENGL definetly competes in the realms of VHT, Bogner, Diezel and higher end Mesa Boogie amps.
> ...


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 15, 2007)

I have heard that too but i had no problems with the Fireball. Sounded great and worked perfectly.


----------



## sakeido (Feb 15, 2007)

Karl Hungus said:


> I think we're taking this thread off in a whole ENGL binge again (Usually happens when i'm talking about amps) so I'll shut up about it for now.
> 
> I'd love to hear more about the Pitbull, it sounds like an awesome amp. I usually dig amps that have their own inbuilt graphic EQ, I think that's why I love the Mesa Mark IV so much, an amp that I promised myself I'd buy if I ever got rich. You'll have to throw us up a few sound samples, or maybe even a video at some stage.



I just bought my Mark IV and I'm not rich  You have every right to really like them though! I love it! A thread about it is still forthcoming though. I think every amp I buy from here on out will need a graphic EQ, which cuts things down to a Mark IV and a UL hahaa ... so zimbloth, any clips yet?


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 15, 2007)

sakeido said:


> I just bought my Mark IV and I'm not rich  You have every right to really like them though! I love it! A thread about it is still forthcoming though. I think every amp I buy from here on out will need a graphic EQ, which cuts things down to a Mark IV and a UL hahaa ... so zimbloth, any clips yet?



Nope, there'll be clips when we start recording/re-amping which is imminent.


----------



## LordOVchaoS (Feb 15, 2007)

Could you please provide some death metal clips? For some reason this amp has me DROOLING, I just don't know how well it will work for what I do.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 15, 2007)

LordOVchaoS said:


> Could you please provide some death metal clips? For some reason this amp has me DROOLING, I just don't know how well it will work for what I do.



Well there's plenty of death metal elements to my riffing/songwriting eventhough we're not a dm band, so it should clue you in more than enough


----------



## AVH (Feb 16, 2007)

A co-worker has a Pitbull 100CL head, no EQ, with EL34's that sounds unreal. Tight as shit, one of the best tube heads I've heard. He might sell it soon, and I'm seriously thinking about scoring it somehow. And he's only selling it to fund the new top line VHT, he raves about these amps, so when I finally heard his, I was floored. Dig in with the pick and I had no trouble getting lots of djent.  Chug, chug, chugadda-chug.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 16, 2007)

Yeah if you like that, imagine *with *the EQ and the mighty KT88s


----------



## skinhead (Feb 16, 2007)

VHT rocks!

Here El Tano Marciellos use them, i listen to him live, and the amps are awsome.

But are freaking expensive.


----------



## B Lopez (Feb 16, 2007)

Anyone ever contacted VHT by email before? How long do they generally take to respond, seems like Ive bee waiting forever for one.


----------



## ohio_eric (Feb 16, 2007)

B Lopez said:


> Anyone ever contacted VHT by email before? How long do they generally take to respond, seems like Ive bee waiting forever for one.



I e-mailed once and never got a response.  Not exactly endearing customer service.


----------



## B Lopez (Feb 16, 2007)

Dang  Guess Ill have to call then


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 16, 2007)

VHTusers.com is a good place for info


----------



## B Lopez (Feb 16, 2007)

Thanks, Im taking a look around but I cant sign up becasue I use gmail.  

What a load of crap.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 16, 2007)

What is it you want to know?


----------



## B Lopez (Feb 16, 2007)

If there is a big sound difference between the Pittbulls, UL, CL, ST... And if I can get the extra eq on a 50w.


----------



## jforsythe (Feb 17, 2007)

The UL is a 3-channel KT88 based amp. It has no power amp saturation and sounds very "tight" or "dry" as some put it. For a good example, go to http://www.daveweiner.com/ and listen to the clips in the "Media" section. Take note that Dave Weiner uses cabs with V30's so the sound is "woofier" in my opinion, but an awesome tone nonetheless. These amps were optimized for the VHT cabinets.

The CL is an EL34 based amp and has more power amp saturation, so it sounds "warmer" or "fatter". Also, the CL series has no clean channel. If you want the CL-type sound with a clean channel, check out the CLX. That is their flagship amp; they build very few per year and is their most expensive.

Some say that the CLX and UL can be sound pretty similar if both have the graphic eq installed.

I have never tried out the ST, but if you are playing heavy stuff, stay with either the UL, CL, CLX, or Deliverance.

According to the VHT website, I think only the UL, CLX, 100/CL and 50/ST are optional with the graphic eq. Their website is highly outdated though, so I don't know how accurate this is.


----------



## B Lopez (Feb 17, 2007)

Sweet, thanks dude. Im going CL most likely then, and that explains why I couldnt find a clean channel for the life of me when I gave it a test run.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 17, 2007)

I wouldnt say the KT88s get -no- saturation. Theyre also warmer than EL34s are typically. But otherwise good info :


----------



## jforsythe (Feb 17, 2007)

Steve Fryette specifically used the KT88's because of their big bottom end and tons of headroom. The saturation of hard-driven KT88/6550-style tube is not very pleasant sounding and would require a hotplate or an amp to be turned up at deafening volumes. Push the Master Volume on your UL past 2 o'clock and you'll see what I mean.

The UL and Deliverance series, from what I understand, have nearly the name preamp design. The difference in the two is really in the power amp stage (output transformer, power transformer, driver stage, etc). How does this translate to tone? The two amps "feel" differently, with the Deliverance having a little bit more perceived "sag" when the power section is pushed hard (especially on the D60H). For some excellent examples of this "sag", check out Ed DeGenaro's clips of his D60H.

The VHT's are designed to saturate a bit differently, and the design of the Deliverance series was used to showcase this. To quote Mr. Fryette himself: "...KT88s were selected for two reasons. First to demonstrate that output saturation and distortion harmonics are much more a function of transformer and output stage design than tube type. In other words, they don't have to be EL34s the get that kind of voicing. And secondly they are great for fat clean sounds."

Sorry, guys. I'm addicted to VHT amps and could talk about them all day.

Just a small aside on the difference between medium powered tubes (EL34, E34L, KT77) and high powered tubes (KT88, KT90, 6550): I owned a JCM800 about a year ago that came with EL34's. The sound had that beautiful warmth when pushed hard. Then I decided to imitate Zakk Wylde's setup and have the amp modified for 6550's, and it ruined the sound for me. The amp stayed tighter for heavy riffing and would clean up better with the guitar's volume knob, but lost that "vintage" feel.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 17, 2007)

That's cool man, did not know that. All I know is I  my UL


----------



## guitarplayerone (Feb 20, 2007)

I heard VHT Deliverance amps for the first time at a gig i played recently (Thy Will Be Done were playing em i think)
Even those sound wicked.... blew away any boogies etc ive ever heard...

My mouth waters over the UL... i hope to find one used this summer otherwise i wont be able to get it


----------



## Regor (Feb 20, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> Yeah, the ENGL is great and it has its own signature sound. The best thing I can say is, yes it really does blow it away. Once again, it's like going from 2D to 3D. The VHT just has mountains of complex tone and harmonic qualities that the ENGL or really any amp I've ever played comparitively does not.





zimbloth said:


> I actually played a Bogner Ubershall recently and was left VERY unimpressed. Much like the Framus Cobra.



Well Zim, your review of the VHT just covered two amps I didn't get to try out for myself. And if the VHT > ENGL and Framus, then I didn't miss anything. Good to know.



> I will say I've never played a Road King though.



Or an H&K TriAmp  Either of these places close to you?

Crossroads Music
128 Rockland Rd
HANOVER, MA 02339
Phone: (781) 826-1619

Guitar Shelter
270 Main Street
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
Phone: (508) 743-0663
[email protected]
www.guitarshelter.com


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 20, 2007)

My VHT sounds unholy, I have no desire to try out any other amps at this point. Especially after the tube change I just made. Thanks though.


----------



## Regor (Feb 20, 2007)

Oh c'mon dude! LOL If you're anything like me, you wanna try out anything and everything. Just to know.


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 20, 2007)

Regor said:


> Oh c'mon dude! LOL If you're anything like me, you wanna try out anything and everything. Just to know.



Yes I am like you, I usually do go out of my way to try everything out. I just am so content with the VHT that my interest in other amps is basically zero. If I saw the H&K in a store I'd check it out, but I'm not going to go out of my way to check it out. Isn't the new "Amon Amarth" done with that amp? I love that record but not so much the tone.


----------



## Regor (Feb 20, 2007)

Dunno really. But have you heard Breaking Benjamin? They use TriAmps and I love their tone!


----------



## zimbloth (Feb 20, 2007)

Regor said:


> Dunno really. But have you heard Breaking Benjamin? They use TriAmps and I love their tone!



No I'm not too familiar with that band. I'm sure H&K is good stuff, I've just found the perfect amp for me. I am interested to play a Triamp though, I'm sure I will someday.


----------

