VHT Classic 6 Club!

Welcome to VHT Classic 6 owners! Here's a place for discussion of the amp and all that pertains to it!

Classic 6 - low wattage and big sound!


I found this amp at a really good price, glad I got it. I love the simplicity and the birch ply cab is rattle free. Not driving it too much will make it sound like a classic American-style tube amp, and cranking it up makes it break like an old-school British amp. The tone control is basically a high-frequency cut .


6 Watts
Preamp: 1 x 12AX7
Power Amp: 1 x 6V6
12" VHT Special Design Speaker
Black Tolex
11 ply High Grade Finger-Jointed Birch Plywood Cabinet

Cool!

I have to start off with Will's review as it is a good one:

http://www.frugalguitarist.com/post/2009/08/16/VHT-Classic-6.aspx

What's a club thread without some pics? (Okay, these are the same stock photos I once put up in a NAD thread re this amp, but until someone (or I?) takes some actual pics, these will have to do as an introduction to the amp:

http://www.vhtamp.com/images/VHT-6C_1.jpg
http://www.vhtamp.com/images/VHT-6C_3.jpg
http://www.vhtamp.com/images/VHT-6C_2.jpg

I'm digging mine even though I've only had it about a week. Love the range of tones you can get. And it's nice being able to drive the tubes to beautiful distortion without icepicking my ears. And there is something to be said for simplicity of design and layout.

Has anyone swapped in a different 12" speaker? Just curious. Someone else's drive to mod might save me a couple bucks if it didn't make that big of a differance or messed up the tone.

Heck, while I'm at it, has anyone done any mods to theirs? Not that I don't like mine stock, I love it. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a low watt tube amp. It's just my desire to mod is hard to contain. HA!

I'm out of town on holidays right now but when I get back , i'll get some pics up of mine. Only thing i've done to mine is pull the name tag off at Steve G's suggestion.
I still have the original tubes in, just running an overdrive, reverb and delay through it, when desired.
I find it doesn't really need effects to sound good , as the cab, speaker and tone control can bring in a full sound. With the tone control down to about a 1/4 and the volume up it sings. Also, using the volume and tone controls on my guitar brings out the variety.
This is old school simple and cool!

Well now I know this little sucker, a VHT EL84 adapter, works in our Classic 6 models too. http://vhtamp.com/avspad.html Not sure if I'll ever use it but I'm snagging one at the local music shop. It's always nice to have options.

It was confirmed by VHT's customer support through email. They responded very quickly.

"Special 6
EL84 Adapter

The Special 6 EL84 adapter reconfigures the Special 6's 6V6 output tube socket to accept an EL84 output tube. Now Special 6 players can enjoy the earlier breakup, distinctive midrange complexity and legendary top end chime that only an EL84 can provide.

The Special 6 EL84 adapter works in other 6V6 amps as well. Check with your amp tech to be sure your amp's voltages don't exceed the maximum ratings for an EL84.

Model: AV-SP-AD"

Yes sir!
I've had her just over two weeks and am still in love. I still can't believe what I got for the money. I bought a Danelectro EQ for it but it didn't stay on long, I like this amp that much.

I've had mine for a short while(a couple weeks already...man, time flies) and love it. I have been experimenting with the line out and running my vcxd as a wet amp along side this and it really makes for a great sound. Though probably overkill for my small playing area.

I did swap out the stock speaker for a Eminence Legend 1258 I had sitting in my closet, not so much for any reason other than I was bored. It sounds great either way, but it never hurts to have a nicer speaker. Though it does make the amp just a bit heavier. I don't like to speak for what exactly it did for the tone because I pulled the stock speaker only a couple days after getting the amp so I really had very little time with it in stock form.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y168EurJaY4/UAXCiLS6hAI/AAAAAAAAAO0/kPJvwAN2qPw/s720/0717121251.jpg

Anyone try 6L6 tubes yet? VHT e-mailed me that they can be used so long as the pin configuration is the same, said larger bottled tubes may not fir in the chassis. I'm new to tubes so I don't know how it would sound.

Anyone try 6L6 tubes yet? VHT e-mailed me that they can be used so long as the pin configuration is the same, said larger bottled tubes may not fir in the chassis. I'm new to tubes so I don't know how it would sound.

I haven't tried swapping any tubes yet. I'm still just playing it and running different pedals through it. I would like to hear if an EL84 really does make that big of a difference though...

Wow! There is life still in this club!Half the people talking about it in amp central never joined , so I just never checked back...

Think i'll just stick with the tube type it came with.

I just ran a Mesa 12ax7 through mine for an hour.... turned it on the next day and it was dead. I put the original Tung Sol in and it's fine.
What tubes did yours come with new?
I'm wondering if those guys shipped me a used one claiming it new, as the tung sol 12ax7 and EH 6V6 GT were in it when I got it.
Also the corner - metal protector had a nice dent in it.
No pics yet, will try soon....

my tubes are a EH 6V6GT and a Sovtek 12AX7.

I had an EH 6V6GT as well don't know what 12AX7 I have yet. I did change the the EH to a JJ6V6, just for fun, and I think I like the JJ better.

got a new classic 6 on order should be here next week:razz:

Congrats! Let us know how it turns out.

It is a great amp, hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine.

It is a great amp, hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine.

yeah got it!, well i feel the original tubes were pretty bad sounding , so i turned it off and swapped the 12ax7 to a jjecc83s and a tungsol 6v6, now it sounds pretty sweet,not as harsh as it was standard, got that voxy sound low, and cranked is pretty awesome:lol: roll back the treble to 1/4 and volume 3/4 to full and it goes off, will try a jj 6v6 later and maybe a speaker swap as well, might try and do a mod so i can run a cab thru it later, anyone tried this yet! but in the meantime i will run the speaker in and go from there.:cool:

Welcome,officially, to the club. I bought an ECC83 also, just haven't put it in yet. Glad you like it.

yeah got it!, well i feel the original tubes were pretty bad sounding , so i turned it off and swapped the 12ax7 to a jjecc83s and a tungsol 6v6, now it sounds pretty sweet,not as harsh as it was standard, got that voxy sound low, and cranked is pretty awesome:lol: roll back the treble to 1/4 and volume 3/4 to full and it goes off, will try a jj 6v6 later and maybe a speaker swap as well, might try and do a mod so i can run a cab thru it later, anyone tried this yet! but in the meantime i will run the speaker in and go from there.:cool:

that is the one thing I have been considering. The placement of the jack really has me wondering what they were thinking on the layout. I can't even remove the plug from the jack to try it through a cab. I wonder if it is because I installed a different speaker. I honestly didn't even try it beforehand. I have a Switchcraft 12a jack just sitting ready if I do decide to add an external speaker out. Then I wouldn't have to worry about that.

Only thing i've done to mine is pull the name tag off at Steve G's suggestion.

That's all I've done to mine too. Visually, it's much more of a streamlined, clean look. Tonewise, it didn't change much, HA!

I'm sure I'll eventually swap out the tubes and speaker after a while. Right now though, the stock unit and pedals are keeping my interest. The amp sounds good with everything I've ran through it so far; reverb, OD, fuzz/distortion, and flange.

Hey guys, first time poster here. I joined this forum just for this amp because no one else seems to have this uncommon but awesome little monster! I don't have a Tele but I do have a Strat and my friend's Les Paul that I'm trying to buy and they both sound great through this amp!

I have a TC Nova system that I'm planning to run through this, currently use a TC ND1 Nova delay and Timmy with great success.

I plan on experimenting with some JJ tubes, probably a 12ax7 or a 12at7 with a 6v6. I'm also planning on hearing this bad boy put through a celestion vintage 30. The bass of the stock speaker is too loose for me. Will let you guys know how it sounds.

That's all I've done to mine too. Visually, it's much more of a streamlined, clean look. Tonewise, it didn't change much, HA!

I'm sure I'll eventually swap out the tubes and speaker after a while. Right now though, the stock unit and pedals are keeping my interest. The amp sounds good with everything I've ran through it so far; reverb, OD, fuzz/distortion, and flange.

Mine sounds way better without the logo, especially with my debadged squier tele. :lol::mrgreen:

Mine sounds way better without the logo, especially with my debadged squier tele. :lol::mrgreen:

Heck, I was surprised that chunk of logo was so heavy. And I mean weight not tone! :grin:

Yeah, its pretty solid!

hey anyone know if you can swap the power tubes.. eg 6L6, EL34, 6K6, 6P3S Etc like the egnater tweaker, it does say its a self biasing amp?

Also here's the schematics, that vht sent me if interested:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/77uysezmg5e9

hey anyone know if you can swap the power tubes.. eg 6L6, EL34, 6K6, 6P3S Etc like the egnater tweaker, it does say its a self biasing amp?

Also here's the schematics, that vht sent me if interested:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/77uysezmg5e9

I'd also like to know this!!

it is a single ended amp so it would most likely be cathode biased. So as long as the OT can handle it, it should be fine.

hi, guys here is the reply from VHT about the classic 6 being able to mod with the swapping of power tubes:

VHT Amps : Hey John, the Classic 6 is cathode biased, like the Special 6.
Cathode biased amps are "self biasing," so you can substitute other tube types without adjustment.
And the Classic 6 transformers are sufficiently robust to handle the increased current requirements of these higher-power output tubes.
In short — no worries, feel free to experiment.


Heres my classic 6 with a custom cover and the badge taken off:razz:

Ryosuke and Aussie,I was told by VHT via email you can use any tube as long as the pin configuratioin matches. Still loving this amp.

Ryosuke and Aussie,I was told by VHT via email you can use any tube as long as the pin configuratioin matches. Still loving this amp.

VHT Amps Response:
Hey John, here's the response directly from our head engineer:
Terry Buddingh:

I responded to VHT with kleuck's comment in another section (Shock Brother's DIY Amps) section.

The amplifier technician's optimum bias and output impedance thoughts are definitely correct in the most theoretical sense.
It may be helpful to recall that Leo Fender's amps had extension speaker jacks, but only one output transformer tap, inferring that Leo wasn't very concerned about real-world output impedance mismatches.
There are textbook values for every tube parameter, and there's also a certain amount of flexibility within these parameters that a designer, or experimenter, can play with.

Our tests have shown that you can experiment with different tube types in a Classic 6 without any problems. The numbers might not be ideal by textbook standards, but you may like the sound anyway.
No harm, No worries. Have fun.

aussie, honyock, and gatorfiend, thanks for the info!! I'm really liking this amp and lots of my friends have been impressed with it (especially since I only paid $180 for it). I can't wait to play with some tube swaps.

Well, I've been playing this fine amp darn near everyday since I got it. The speaker is nice and broken in now and I haven't had one problem with the amp. The amp sounds great clean running a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Jag (2 x P90's) and a Fender Telecaster through it. Humbuckers or single coils, they all sound sweet through this VHT. The amp really loves pedals too. The tones you can achieve with this little sucker is impressive. That being said, the mod bug has bitten me.

I've been thinking about swapping out the tubes for a JJ Electronics set (1 x 12AX7, 1 x 6V6) and putting in a new speaker. The Eminence Swamp Thing sounds pretty cool. Any recommendations on a good 12" replacement speaker?

Any recommendations on a good 12" replacement speaker?

Last chance to help a brother out before I take the plunge on the Eminence Swamp Thang!

Hey folks. I can't find much info about VHT's anywhere, so I thought I'd ask in this thread. I just got a VHT Classic 18 and I'm really liking it. I see posts about tube swaps and things like that. Can someone give me a general idea of what could be done with this amp in terms of tube changes and what effect that actually has? Maybe that's too open-ended, but I'm curious. I can't find schematics or any chatter about modding this amp, but I see lots of talk about the Classic 6, so I assume the amps must be similar in design.

Feel free to link me to other discussions/sites if there is some talk about the Classic 18. Much appreciated!

Today, 04:48 PM #26 (permalink)
Thedirtygirls
NEW MEMBER!

Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wyong Australia
Posts: 2
Hey guys I've just bought one of these, wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for a tube swap, hoping to get closer to the supro thunder bolt tone, led zeppelin one album. Was thinking about a 12ax7 and a 6l6cg yes or no? I'm not really that knowledgable as far as tube selection goes...

I have the Special 6, which I like a lot and I'm intrigued by the Classic 6. Has anyone here been able to A/B them?

Anyone still modding these things?

Just got one of these on CL, so I'm in. Love it. Great tone, and really terrific with a pedal. Great tone.

Hey guys anyone tried a speaker swap in this amp yet? So far I have swapped the preamp tube to a electro harmonix 12ax7 and the power tube to a jj el84 via the vht tube adapter, and to be honest I still think this amp sounds like CRAP... Very lifeless, muddy and boomy, the higher frequencies are ice picky. The tone knob does nothing except enhance the thickness of the mud. And even cranked to full volume there really is very little gain/tube breakup. (I can live with that, I don't use much gain tbh)

I really want this amp to sound good, I can't afford a boutique amp, and all the other small amps I've tried (marshall c5, vox ac4, fender champion 600 and so on) all have their own individual levels of suckyness.

Any idea if a speaker swap would wake this thing up. Maybe a celestion v30 or jensen p12q??,

*UPDATE* today I wired in one of my old celestion g11m70 16 ohm speakers and wow what a difference.

Although the celestion is far from the right speaker for the job, it highlighted just how bad the stock vht 12" speaker really is. I mean this vht speaker is a dead set dog of a speaker.

I will definatly be investing in an 8ohm wattage appropriate speaker I'm the next few days. Maybe a vintage 30 or something.

G12m70 sorry

How do you run your effects loop(s) with the VHT Special 6 Ultra?

I've always ran with option #1 in my example below, but now trying option #2 in an attempt to solve some stray 'intermittent' note decay noise oscillation issues. Here are my two senarios:

Option #1: Fender Malmsteen Strat, Boss NS2 Noise Suppressor > NS Send > NeoClassic 3080 Compressor > NeoClassic 741 Overdrive > NS Return > NS Output > VHT Special 6 Ultra Amp > Amp Send > MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay > Boss RC3 Loop Station > Amp Return

Option #2: Fender Malmsteen Strat > Boss NS2 Noise Suppressor Input > NS Send > NeoClassic 3080 Compressor > NeoClassic 741 Overdrive > VHT Special 6 Ultra Amp > Amp Send > NS Return > NS Output > MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay > Boss RC3 Loop Station > Amp Return

After I decide which works best I'll have to update my sig below, LOL.

Dude every classic 6 thread turns into a special 6 or special 6 ultra thread, please leave this one to the classic 6 owners

Sorry my bad wrong thread

Alright, after fiddling with this amp for a few months, I have now settled in to what I think is a great sweet spot for it.

Tone and volume at about 11 o'clock. With single-coils, a compressor at about 20%, and TS or RAT dialed in as desired makes this amp really come alive.

Light compression without any OD makes single coils shine clean, as well. There is just the very hint of breakup--really just the nice tube tone--with the knobs at the above settings, and with a Tele bridge pickup or Strat neck pickup, (although it sounds great with all positions) it's a fine fine thing.

Buckers work great with the above knob settings as well, and the clean sound is awesome with BB pros. Creamy jazz tone on the neck, and really lets you use the volume and tone on your git to sculpt what you need. With some OD pushing the front, it snarls like a beast as well. Love it!

I still think this amp sounds like CRAP... Very lifeless, muddy and boomy, the higher frequencies are ice picky. The tone knob does nothing except enhance the thickness of the mud. And even cranked to full volume there really is very little gain/tube breakup. (I can live with that, I don't use much gain tbh)

Any idea if a speaker swap would wake this thing up. Maybe a celestion v30 or jensen p12q??,

Were you able to get the amp the way you wanted it? I found that just a little EQ and compression on the front end (not much) really wakes this amp up. Also, 10-11 o'clock on the knobs is where (IMO) the sweet spot on this amp really lies. Hope it's working out for you. After reading your post--and after a couple of days at first--I was worried that the tones I had on this amp were pretty bad, but after finally dialing it in, it really comes back to life.