VHT Special 6 AV-SP1-6 Tube Combo Guitar Amp 6W 1×10 9Discontinued) - Gearank - Music Gear Information for Live Performance or Studio

GEARANK

90 out of 100. Incorporating 250+ ratings and reviews.

Street Price: $479.99

Manufacturer: VHT

Gearank High Notes

2019.07: Equal Highest Rated Tube Combo Guitar Amp between $300 and $500 Tied With:Fender Super Champ X2

Gearank Recommended

See our Current Recommendation

Rating Source Highlights
Website	Source	*Rating Value
Guitar Gear	GoofyDawg	96/100
The Gear Page	Trotter	94/100
Sound On Sound	Sam Inglis	88/100
Audiofanzine	Ti	100/100

*Displayed values are prior to adjustments made by the Gearank Algorithm when evaluating the source.

AV-SP1-6 Overview

As the name implies, the VHT Special 6 Hand-Wired is an affordable tube amp with old school point-to-point wiring, ideal for those who want to customize their own amps. But it’s not just for tweakers and modders because its default setup is already good enough for most guitarists, as evidenced by its high ratings. This amp comes in a compact combo configuration with a 6W amplifier and a 10″ speaker. It doesn’t stray too far from familiar territory with its 12AX7 preamp tube and 6V6 output tube. What sets it apart from other tube amps in this price range is its footswitchable gain boost (in addition to its push-pull gain knob), which gives you the flexibility of a 2-channel amp, albeit in a small and affordable package. It features a High/Low power switch that lets you attenuate the power down to 3-watts so you can drive the amp at lower volumes when needed. You can use it with a 4, 8 or 16 ohm speaker cabinet, and when you do it automatically disables the internal speaker. An interesting application that we came across while compiling hands on reports was a blues harp player who put his miked harmonica through this amp and was very pleased with the results.

From “Complete Guide to the Best Guitar Amps Under $500 in 2024” Boutique quality tube amps are usually beyond the reach of this price range, but thanks to companies like VHT, you can get your hands on a hand-wired amp like the Special 6 at a very accessible price. This compact all-tube combo is meant for intimate venues and recording, with a 6W amplifier section that drives a 10″ speaker. At the core of this amp is a single 12AX7 preamp tube and one 6V6 output tube, and it has a very simple set of controls, one for tone and the other for volume. In addition, VHT added a boost channel which can be accessed by pulling the volume knob. Interestingly, the amp is being marketed as a good base for customizing your own amp, thanks to its streamlined and hand-wired configuration; VHT even provides a PDF of the schematics. Overall sentiment towards the VHT Special 6 is very positive, with most users praising it for churning out good tones with minimal tweaking. It also gets a lot of thumbs up for its build quality. While there’s not much to tweak, some users are surprised that its single tone knob configuration offers good enough flexibility. The most common concern with this amp is the quality of the tubes that it comes with. Some users report improved overall tone and response after they swapped out the tubes. If you’re looking for a budget friendly hand-wired tube amp that you can tinker with, then this is for you

Specifications:

Power: 6W
Speaker: 10″
Amp Modeling: None
Effects: None
Input: 2 x 1/4″ (Lo/Hi)
Outputs: 3 x 1/4″ (Speaker Out)
Weight: 25 lbs.

Specifications

Power: 6W (Hand-Wired Circuit Board)
Preamp Tube: 1 x 12AX7
Poweramp Tube: 1 x 6V6
Speaker: 10″ VHT Speaker
Input: 2 x 1/4″ (Hi-/Lo- Gain)
Output: 1 x 1/4″ (4, 8,16 Ohm) Speaker Jacks, Footswitch
Cabinet: Open Back
Controls: Power Switch, Hi-/Lo- Switch, Volume, Tone
Weight: 26.75 lbs

Support

Demos

About the Author

Alexander Briones

I have been writing about and researching music gear for many years, all while serving as a music director at my local church. I engage in guitar playing and singer-songwriter stints, in addition to mentoring young musicians and teaching guitar and bass.