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The VTB-1 answers the demand for authentic vintage tone by preserving the musical response, touch sensitivity, and expressive drive associated with historic designs, while eliminating the temperature sensitivity, noise issues, and performance inconsistencies that defined early Germanium-based pedals
The VTB-1 revisits one of rock guitar’s most defining sonic relationships: the energetic, harmonically rich overdrive achieved when a treble booster pushes an amplifier into its sweet spot. Traditional treble boosters achieved their character through Germanium transistors, celebrated for their nonlinear behavior but infamous for fluctuating performance. VOX engineers approached this challenge from a purely tonal and technical standpoint, performing detailed analysis of multiple original units and spending months modeling their characteristics to authentically capture the wide nonlinear operating zone that players value without relying on outdated technology.
Central to this design is a carefully biased single-transistor gain stage, built around a hand-selected Silver Can BC108 Silicon transistor chosen specifically for its consistency, low noise, and convincingly vintage playing feel. Rather than narrowing the sounding range, VOX engineered the VTB-1 to expand the pedal’s sweet spot, ensuring a broad and expressive “edge-of-breakup” region that responds naturally to player touch. This delivers the smooth, progressive onset of drive, singing harmonic content, and exceptional cleanup via the guitar’s volume control that defines great treble booster tones. Supporting components, including modern thin-film resistors, further contribute to the pedal’s exceptionally low-noise performance, helping it remain remarkably quiet compared to period designs.
In operation, the VTB-1 stays intentionally simple yet musically flexible. Players can roll back their guitar’s volume for sparkling, chiming cleans with clarity and articulation or increase the Boost control to drive their amplifier into harmonically saturated overdrive with focused presence and impressive headroom. A thoughtfully implemented Fat Switch widens the boosted frequency range when desired, allowing the pedal’s voice to move from crisp, cutting vintage articulation to a fuller, more powerful tonal footprint tailored to different instruments and playing styles.
The VTB-1 is designed as both a homage and a modern tool. It keeps the spirit and immediacy of traditional single-transistor boosters yet delivers predictable, stable performance, integration with modern pedalboard power supplies, and flexible placement within the signal chain. Housed in a compact, rugged enclosure with a subtle vintage aesthetic, it is built for studio use, stage reliability, and long-term durability. When paired with VOX amplifiers, the VTB-1 unlocks the dynamic, touch-sensitive, harmonically rich overdrive that helped shape the golden age of British rock tone, now presented with a level of refinement suited for today’s players.
With vintage treble boosters historically rare, costly, and often sonically unpredictable, the VOX VTB-1 brings their expressive sound and unmistakable presence back within reach, delivering an authentic yet modernized interpretation designed to live confidently on contemporary pedalboards.
Where to buy:
For more information on the VOX VTB-1 Treble Booster, please visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.voxamps.com.
Street Price: $149.99 USD
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