This VHT Pittbull was made in the era when Steven Fryette still owned the VHT name. It was serviced and retubed at Fryette Amps about a year ago and has only seen a couple of hours of use since then. Otherwise, it's in all original condition.
This Fifty/Twelve is a 2x12" combo 50-watt version of a Pittbull circuit. This one has EL34 power tubes in it. It can run in class AB or class A modes and has loads of options for the effects loop as you can see from the photos. The power amp is switchable to run with either EL34 or 6L6 tubes and you have a choice of tube or solid state rectifier. It's a super versatile amp.
It has great cleans and overdrive that gets into high gain territory, easily doing the Helmet Unsung territory if thats what you're into. If you like an overdriven to high gain amp with an exceptionally wide dynamic range, this is easily a top choice. Like most Fryette amps, these don't compress nearly as quickly as most amps. It has a great reverb too.
The four button footswitch is included, but seems to have a bit of a loose connection in the plug that these are prone to, but once the wire is oriented in the right position it will work. The plug should probably be rewired, but it's not even necessary to use the amp.
FROM MANUAL:
1. PRESENCE – Rear panel Presence control on EQ equipped models only.
2. EFFECTS LEVEL/MIX – Sets effect return level in Series Mode, effect blend amount in Parallel Mode.
3. EFFECTS SEND – Preamp out to external effects. Also serves as preamp output for recording and
slaving.
4. EFFECTS LEVEL - Sets overall send and return level (LOW = -10dB, HI = 0dB)
5. SERIES/PARALLEL – Sets loop for Series or Parallel operation. See FAQs at for
a complete explanation about Series and Parallel loop operation.
6. EFFECTS RETURN – Power amp input for return of external effects or other signal sources.
7. EFFECTS - Activates F/X Loop. Also activated by footswitch jack. Rear panel button must be OUT
for footswitch to operate.
8. FOOTSWITCH – Connector for footswitch controller.
9. LINE OUT - Power amp line out jack.
10. LINE LEVEL - Power amp line level control.
11. SPEAKER OUTPUT - “Use First” jack must be plugged in for output to operate.
12. IMPEDENCE SELECT - 4,8,16 ohm (speaker jacks wired in parallel)
13A. POWER AMP MODE: ENHANCE/NORMAL/AUTO – ENHANCE operates power amplifier from a Silicon
Rectifier for crisp tone and increased power amp dynamics. NORMAL operates power amplifier from a Tube Rectifier for smoother tone and increased power amp compression and distortion. This is accompanied by a slight reduction in output power to about 40 watts. AUTO ties the MODE SWITCH to the front panel or foot-controlled channel switching function. In this mode NORMAL operates on the CLEAN channel and ENHANCE operates on the DRIVE channel.
13B. POWER AMP MODE: Class AB/Class A – Class AB operates power tubes in fixed bias mode for full power
for crisp highs and deep low end. Class A operated power tubes in Cathode Bias mode for full slightly reduced output (30 Watts in Class A/NORMAL Mode) and softer highs and lows.
14. EL34 / 6L6 SWITCH (Mounted on top of chassis) - EL34: Sets bias for operation with EL34 power
tubes. 6L6: Sets bias for operation with 6L6 power tubes.
It's best to consider this a local pickup item only. Special arrangements can be made for shipping, but considering the size and weight of this amp as well as the additional care needed for packing, it will be quite costly if requested and will take longer than the usual preparation time.