VHT Special 6 Ultra Effects Loop Question

[Cousin Muely]

Wondering if anybody has experience with this amplifier or may have a suggestion. I have the head unit. It was a Musicians Friend buy and there weren't any low wattage amps with an effects loop so i bought it for that feature. Lucky for me I do like the tone of this amp but the problem is i do not have an effect that works well in the loop. I like using delay for like a doubling effect (think 70s Ernie Isley is a good example) so my delay needs are not complicated. First thing i tried was my Carbon Copy. The signal clipped that pedal. At least that's the way i took it. Almost sounded like when you put one in front of a distorted amp. Wasn't musical. Did some reading and realized "Ok, CC is instrument level, loop is line level...." so I bought a TC Electronic Nova Repeater. The selling point besides being a well thought of delay (I agree) was the "High" input feature for using it in an effects loop. It does perform better than the CC but i am still not satisfied. The amp just sounds better with out it but of course it is a very dry sound. I also tried my old Boss DD2 but it performed much like the CC. I briefly considered buying the Boss DD20 but it has a lot of features that I in no way need but it does have sorta the same "High" input for loops but after the TC didn't do it i changed my mind. I don't want to end up with a half dozen delays laying around not being used. Already have too many pedals as it is even though that might be considered heresy with us guitarists. Do please forgive me. I had changed the stock tubes to JJ's when the amp arrived. Replacing the 12AX7s and 6V6s. I also had ordered some ECC81s (12AT7?? I think as i am typing) so i put those in to see if i could tame the signal going through the loop but i really can't tell a whole lot of difference. I kind of hate this because for the money spent this is all i can find fault with on the VHT. I have plenty of dirt pedals to try (love the Treble Boost), Good Wah, Script Phase 90, Tuner, Guitar and thats really all i need. Get this Delay issue fixed and with a good mike i wouldn't be ashamed at all to play out with it. I run it into a Celestion Blue and i don't think the tone is bad at all. Les Paul sounds good, Strat sounds Really Good, V as well. Give me some slap back Echo and i am in the ball park of what i like. Anybody got any suggestions?

[LesPauI+SG=Win]

I'm sorry that this has nothing to do with your post man,































































but I am in love with my VHT....

At least this will bump your post higher up for someone to see!

[Cousin Muely]

Hey man! I remember you from a few days ago. Appreciate the bump. You know, I am starting to think we are the only 2. Oh well, I like mine too!!

[wwit]

Huh, kinda odd problem. I ran my M13 threw the FXloop in my Sp6 Ultra and had 0 issues with it for delays, reverbs, modulation. Like any other FX loop it didnt take distortion or dirt pedals at all. I accidently pushed 1 of the dirt presets I had and it got scary nasty fast

Im wondering if you might be fighting a ground lift problem?

[Cousin Muely]

Dont be confused when i mentioned dirt pedals, Wah...etc. I certainly didn't mean to imply those were in the loop. That's kind of a given. Yeah i can only imagine what that sounded like when you hit distortion with the M13 in the loop. When using your M13, were you mostly using the normal or ultra channel in the S6U? With my delay, in the loop, i find it kind of getting washed out when playing single note lead phrases. Just not the "Doubling" effect i am looking for. I know adding a circuit (effect) in the loop of an amp is bound to change something tone wise. Hard to get around that but for a bedroom/occasional small gig i am very happy with this amp. Just finding the loop will not cooperate like i thought it would. Again, was the reason i bought it in the first place. Guys with some experience with this amp is what i am looking for. Since you mentioned the M13 i am going to give it a look as well although that again is overkill just to get a good sounding echo through this head. Not a complicated tone/effect that i am looking for. I appreciate your response

[wwit]

I tinkered around with both channels for delays and the other non-dirt FX. No problems either way.

My tube set up is: JJ's 6L6 and 2 12AT7's with a balanced tube in V1. All just standard tubes...nothing hot or distortion based. No other wiring mods or anything. I messed around with lots of other tube configerations and settled on this one as it has the most controlable OD when diming out the Ultra channel and watts/volume. But in the clean channel it has a ton of headroom and chime. I found the 12AX7's to be way over the top gainy and not as freindly with pedals as my current set up is.