Brisbane, CA(June 28, 2009) — VHT is proud to announce the release two new tube amplifiers: the Lead 40, a powerful 2-channel all-tube amp perfect for both classic and modern overdriven tube tone, and the Classic 6, a simple, low-wattage amp with a big sound. Both amps have been carefully designed and tested in VHT’s Brisbane, CA workshop.

The Lead 40
The Lead 40 is a powerful 40-watt RMS 2-channel amp with separate Clean and Overdrive channels. It has reverb and a master volume. Both channels have a shared EQ. VHT engineers have carefully voiced both channels so that they can effectively share the EQ. When switching channels, the frequency response is unaffected, so no EQ adjustment should be required when channel switching.

The VHT Lead 40 is based around the same design as VHT’s Lead 20, with double the tubes, providing 40 watts RMS from four EL84 tubes. The cabinet is fitted with one 12” Celestion G12H30 speaker and one 12” VHT Special Design speaker, deliberately chosen for their complementary sound. The Celestion’s great midrange sound fits perfectly with the VHT speaker, which has been specially designed to reinforce the highs and lows of the amp. An 11-ply birch plywood cabinet covered in classic black tolex houses the chassis and speaker.


The VHT Lead 40 is a loud, great sounding, versatile amp. The Clean channel stays crystalline until it is turned all the way up, when it starts to color the sound with a little grit. The Overdrive channel picks up where the Clean leaves off, allowing for a highly overdriven, crunchy sound perfect for today’s modern rock music.

The VHT Lead 40 lists for $1699.99 and is available now.

Classic 6
The design of the Classic 6 was inspired by stories of famous records that were recorded with a low-wattage single-ended amp that sounded gigantic. The Classic 6 is designed for players who want a sound that they can make their own. With this in mind, VHT designed the Classic 6 with a 12” VHT Special Design speaker. The VHT engineers based the design on the assumption that 12” speakers are easiest to find, which allows for a broad range of customization options to reflect the player’s personal taste, though the company says the amp sounds great with the stock speaker. The signal path is uncluttered and simple, and the output transformer was designed so that the amp could be turned up loudly without getting fried.

The Classic 6 has two controls, Volume and Tone, and has both high and low inputs. The preamp is a single 12AX7 tube, and the power amp is a 6V6. It’s really a sweet sounding, versatile amp. If you don’t drive it much, it sounds like a classic American-style tube amp, but if you crank it, it starts to break up like an old-school British amp.

The tone control is also simple. It’s basically a high-frequency cut, so when players open up the tone all of the way, the amp produces a lot of harmonics, and players can use the tone control to carefully adjust for the harmonics they want. This amp is as simple and straightforward as possible, so players can get as much out of their guitar as possible, and it can be used comfortably and effectively for recording, practice or small gigs.

The VHT Classic 6 was specifically designed with simplicity in mind, for players who just want to plug in and sound great. It’s an amp that allows players to get the most out of their amp to enhance their individual sound. The Classic 6 lists for $549.99.

For more information:
vhtamp.com