VHT SPECIAL 6 ULTRA

6-Watt Vacuum Tube High-Gain Guitar Amplifier

User Manual
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION.................1

OVERVIEW.............................................................2
FEATURES.............................................................3
CONTROL PANEL FUNCTIONS.....................4-5
REAR PANEL FUNCTIONS.............................6-7
BLOCK DIAGRAM................................................8
TONE CONTROL GRAPHS..........................9-12
DEPTH CONTROL GRAPH..............................13
TEXTURE CONTROL GRAPH.........................14
SCHEMATIC........................................................15
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS......................16
 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS VHT SPECIAL 6 ULTRA
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions. MORE GAIN! MORE FEATURES! MORE FUN!
3) Heed all warnings. With its additional preamp gain stage, amazing power-attenuating Watts control, tube-driven effects loop, Line Out jack, 11-position Depth
4) Follow all instructions. control and 3-position Texture switch, the new high-gain Special 6 Ultra rockets the popular Special platform to the next level.
5) Do not use this amplifier near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth. The Special 6 Ultra’s added gain stage provides plenty of overdrive for searing leads, bone-crushing crunch, and gristly grind, while its amaz-
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. ingly effective Watts control can reduce the volume to whisper-quiet bedroom practice levels — while maintaining the same overdriven tone,
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. texture and dynamic feel. We think you’ll agree — it’s truly amazing.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A
grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided The Special 6 Ultra features the same unique Volume and Tone controls as the original Special 6, the same footswitchable Boost, High/Low
plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet. Power switch, and a similarly mod-friendly eyelet board.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from
the apparatus. The Special 6 Ultra also features a unique 11-position Depth control that fine-tunes the low-frequency depth and extension. Similarly, the 3-po-
11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. sition Texture switch fine-tunes the high-frequency extension, harmonic content and texture. Inspired by vintage studio EQs like the legendary
12) Unplug this amplifier during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. Pultec EQP-1A, etc., these innovative tone-sculpting features allow you to precisely fine-tune the amp’s output stage frequency response and
13) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the amplifier has been damaged in any way, such as power- character to perfectly suit a wide range of guitars, pickups, speakers, and musical styles — like a built-in post-production Pultec mastering EQ.
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the amplifier, the amplifier has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped. The Special 6 Ultra Combo and Head share the same chassis, circuit design, and component layout.
14) The amplifier shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the amplifier.
15) This amplifier shall be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.
16) The power/mains plug or amplifier coupler is the disconnect device which must remain readily operable.
WARNING To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this amplifier to rain or moisture.

1 VHT 36W Handwired Head • Manual 2

 VHT SPECIAL 6 ULTRA FEATURES CONTROL PANEL FEATURES
6 Watts Maximum Output Power 4 6

One 6V6 Output Tube

Two 12AX7 Preamp Tubes
Ultra (high gain) and Clean Inputs
Ultra (high gain) Control
Volume and Tone Controls
Footswitchable Boost Mode
Tube-Driven Effects Loop
Tube-Driven Preamp Line Out
11-Position Depth Control
3-Position Texture Switch
High/Low Power Switch 1 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 11 12
Watts Control
12” VHT ChromeBack Speaker, 60-watt, 16 ohm (Combo Only)
Switchable 4, 8, or 16 Ohm Speaker Output
Mod-friendly Eyelet-Type Board 1. Power Switch: This switch turns the amplifier on or off.
Hand-Wired in China 2. High/Low Power and Standby switch: The Low-Power (triode mode) setting reduces the amplifier’s maximum output power to approximately
one-half of the Full Power (pentode mode) setting. Low-Power mode produces a richer and smoother tone, with earlier breakup than High-
Power mode. The middle position is Standby mode.
3. Watts Control: The Watts control adjusts the output tube’s operating voltage and maximum output power. Maximum Output power ranges
from ½ watt (fully counterclockwise) to 6 watts (fully clockwise).
4. Jewel Light: This light will be illuminated when the Power switch is in the On position; the jewel light will be off when the Power switch is in
the Off position.

3 4
 CONTROL PANEL FEATURES CONTINUED REAR PANEL FEATURES

5. Depth Control: This 11-position rotary switch selects the output tube’s low-frequency roll-off point. Set fully clockwise for the deepest low-
frequency extension. Lower settings (counterclockwise) expose more midrange texture and detail; the lowest settings emphasize more pres-
ence and bite.
6. Texture Switch: This 3-position rocker switch selects the output’s high-frequency roll-off point. The middle position provides maximum
top-end extension and the most harmonically complex texture; the left position provides subtle high-frequency roll-off for a slightly smoother
texture; the right position rolls-off more high frequencies for the smoothest texture.
7. Tone Control: This control adjusts the balance of the high and low frequencies.
8. Volume Control: Turning this knob clockwise increases the preamp drive and overall sound level. The Volume control is functional when
using either Clean or Ultra inputs.
9. Pull Boost: Pull this knob to partially bypass the internal tone shaping/voicing circuitry, which boosts the preamp gain and increases the
midrange emphasis. This feature can also be accessed by the footswitch.
NOTE: THE BOOST FOOTSWITCH WILL ONLY FUNCTION WHEN THE VOLUME KNOB IS IN THE PULLED POSITION.
10. Clean Input Jack: Use this input when cleaner lower-gain tones are desired. (When using the Clean input, turn the Ultra knob off to reduce
1 2 3 4 5 6
preamp noise.)
11. Ultra Control: This control adjusts the level of the extra gain (the Ultra control only functions when using the Ultra input).
12. Ultra Input Jack: This input engages the additional Ultra gain stage for maximum overdrive.
1. Footswitch Jack: Plug the Boost footswitch into this jack.
NOTE: THE BOOST FOOTSWITCH WILL ONLY FUNCTION WHEN THE VOLUME KNOB IS IN THE PULLED POSITION.
s2. Effects Loop Send and Return Jacks: The post-preamp Effects Loop can accommodate a wide range of effects. The send level is depen-
dent on the preamp gain. High preamp gain levels may overdrive some sensitive guitar-level effects pedals.
3. Line Out Jack: The preamp Line Out is in parallel with the Effects Loop Send and Return jacks, it can be used to send a tube-buffered
low-impedance (unbalanced) signal to other equipment such as mixing consoles or other amplifiers. Multiple Special 6 Ultra amplifiers can be
linked by connecting the Line Out jack to the Effects Return of the second amplifier. Several Special 6 Ultras can be linked in this manner, with
the first amplifier’s preamp serving as the master preamp for all additional amplifiers.

5 6
 REAR PANEL FEATURES CONTINUED BLOCK DIAGRAM

4. Impedance Selector: This 3-position slide switch selects the appropriate output impedance to match your speaker cabinet’s impedance.
Line Out
5. Speaker Output Jacks: These two jacks are wired in parallel. The Special 6 Ultra combo has a 16-ohm speaker that is connected to the
internal speaker jack. The combo’s speaker remains connected when using the external Speaker Output jacks. When using the combo with an
additional speaker cabinet, switch the Impedance selector to 8 ohms.
6. Power IEC Receptacle: Use the included power cord with this unit in accordance with the AC line voltage and frequency ratings listed on
this manual and rear panel of this amplifier. For lowest noise and safest operation, always provide the amplifier with proper AC grounding.
Ultra Input V1A Ultra Level Clean V1B Tone Stack Pull Boost Volume Tone V2A Send Receive V2B V3 Depth Watts Texture Speaker

7 8
 TONE CONTROL - CLEAN INPUT (NO BOOST) TONE CONTROL - CLEAN INPUT (PULL BOOST)

9 10
 TONE CONTROL - ULTRA INPUT (NO BOOST) TONE CONTROL - ULTRA INPUT (PULL BOOST)

+10 +10

+5 +5

+0 +0

-5 -5

-10 -10

-15 -15

-20 -20

d -25 -25 d
B B
r -30 -30 r

-35 -35

-40 -40

-45 -45

-50 -50

-55 -55

-60 -60

-65 -65

-70 -70
20 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k
Hz

11 12
 DEPTH CONTROL TEXTURE CONTROL
+20 +20
+18 +18
+16 +16
+14 +14
+12 +12
+10 +10
+8 +8
+6 +6
+4 +4
+2 +2
+0 +0
-2 -2 d d d
d
B -4 -4 B B B
r r r r
-6 -6
-8 -8
-10 -10
-12 -12
-14 -14
-16 -16
-18 -18
-20 -20
-22 -22
-24 -24
-26 -26
-28 -28

-30 -30
20 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k

13 Hz
14
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

B+4 B+4 B+3 B+3

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
300mV AC
C52 R4 R10 R25
C15 C18 TP8 220K
102/500V 100K C6 120mVAC 100K C23
221/500V Mica (Cy2-2A) 471/500V Mica (Cy2-2A)
8mVAC C5 222/630V TP4 C12 R13 472/400V
10P/500V 10P/500V

6
FILM 180K FILM
TP1 Mica Mica R11 G JK6
CLEAN
100K R14 TONE G NC
D VR2 VR3 C19 V2A LINE OUT D
R5 R8 27K T NC R23

3
2 7 C16 1M 2 12AX7 7
JK1 T 470K C9 JK2 T C13 2 2 1M T
T NC R1 C7 152/500V T NC 33K 101/500V FILM 33K
68K V1A V1B 103/630V 104V DC V2B
104/400V

472/400V
Mica
ULTRA G NC 101/500V FILM CLEAN G NC R15 FILM 12AX7 1.2V DC
12AX7 12AX7

1
Mica
G R6 G 33K R17 TP6

Name/Model: VHT Special 6 Ultra

C17 TP10
5.6K C49 470K

3
3

8
C2 R2 2 C11 R7 FILM R18 C20 R22 R24
473/400V C22
C1 101/500V 1M R3 C8 C10 101/500V 1M R9 C14 R16 1K5 1M

6-Watt High Gain Vacuum Tube Guitar Amplifier / VHT Special 6 Ultra
Ceramic R20 224/630V JK4 JK5 1K5 4u7/63V
103/500V 1K5 1u/100V VR1 103/500V Ceramic 1K5 2u2/63V 6K8
T T

1
Ceramic Ceramic FILM
FILM 1M FILM 1K5 T NC T NC
Ultra 220mV AC S1/VR1 R19

R21 G NC G NC C21
T R12 100K
TP3
T NC 68K
Push/Pull Pot 100K G G 103/500V
Ceramic
1.5V DC 1.5V DC G NC
Push=Shunt (Clean) SEND RETURN
JK3 Pull=NC (Boost)

Power Requirements & Consumption: 100/115VAC, 50/60Hz; 120VAC, 60Hz; 220VAC/230VAC240/VAC, 50/60Hz
G
TP2 TP5 FOOT SWITCH 300mV AC 300mV AC
TP7 TP9

B+1
6V AC
TP12
Maximum Output Power: 6 watts
Red T2 Orange 16 ohm
1P-11T ROTARY SWITCH T
T NC
DEPTH G NC
C Brown 8 ohm
G
JK9
C
Speaker (combo only): One 12” VHT ChromeBack (60-watts, 16 ohms)

3
Blue
Yellow 4 ohm INTERNAL SPK
S1A S1B S1C S1D S1E S1F S1G S1H S1I S1J S1K 4 R40 470R 3W 12" 16 OHMS
R26 R27 R28 R29 R30 R31 R32 R33 R34 R35 R36 R38 16ohm JK7
5
1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M 1M

Amp Type: Hand-wired high-gain single-ended tube

(0.5W) 5K6 V3A Black 0 ohm EXT SPK1
6V6GTW T
T NC
19V DC 8ohm

1, 8
R54 G NC
TP11 15R 10W G
C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 R37 R39

Tubes: Two 12AX7; One 6V6

224/100V 334/100V 474/100V 684/100V 1u/100V 2u2/63V 3u3/63V 4u7/63V 10u/63V 15u/63V 22u/63V 220K 470R 5W
FILM FILM FILM FILM FILM T
T NC
S4 G NC
4ohm
TEXTURE G
JK8

Controls: Ultra, Volume (with Pull-Boost), Tone, Texture, Depth, Watts, High/Low Power
EXT SPK2
C50 C51
2u2/100V (I) 3u3/100V (II)

FILM FILM

Cabinet: Finger jointed birch plywood

350V DC
TRIODE 308V DC 288V DC
TP13 326V to 26V DC 323V to 25V DC
C35 8.2n/1KV
STBY TP16 TP17
B PENTODE TP14 TP15 B
T0.5AL/250V SLOW BLOW S3
D1 F3 ON B+3 B+4
IN4007
STBY R49
R42

Cosmetics: Black vinyl and black grille cloth

C36 8.2n/1KV
ON 10K
R47 10K
STB FULL/HALF B+1 B+2
10R 5W R48
RED R43
D2 IN4007
D S
330R 5W 1K 3W

3
T1 VR4 Q1
2 MTP6N60E
C37 8.2n/1KV C39 1M

G
R41 C40

Dimensions (H x W x D): Combo: 18’’ x 19.5’’ x 10.5”

47u/450V
C48 104/600V C45 C46 C3 C4
POWER SWITCH 470K WATTS ZD1

1
T1AL/250V SLOW BLOW R46 C41 C42 C43 C44 22u/450V 104/600V 22u/450V 104/600V
D3 1N4007 12V 1W
0.1/630V

R44 R45 100K 47u/450V 104/600V 22u/450V 104/600V

(457mm x 495mm x 267mm)

AC F1 BLACK
470K 100K
J3 S2 BLACK C38 8.2n/1KV
BLACK BLACK
J4 RED D4

Head: 10.25” x 19.5’’ x 9.75’’

WHITE 1N4007
J5
J6 T6.3AL/250V SLOW BLOW
F2

(257mm x 495mm x 250mm)

IEC WHITE RT1 WHITE 6.2V DC
GREEN V1C
C53 V2C TP18
NTC(10R/5A) 12AX7
0.1/630V 2 R52 12AX7
YELLOW/GREEN NF72-10D15
V3B BR1 220R
GREEN
6V6GTW 25A

12000u/16V
7
TEST CONDITIONS: C47

Net Weight: Head: 26.5 lbs. (12 kg)

RED
1. WATTS & DEPTH TO MIN D5

4
9
5

4
9
5
A 2. TONE TO CENTER LED (RED) A

Combo: 37.5 lbs. (17 kg)

3. ULTRA & CLEAN VOLUME TO MAX WHT
R50 R51
100R 100R
Title
VHT Special 6 Ultra

15 16
Size Number: Revision
Rev5.0
A3
Date: 3/10/2011

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 Limited Warranty Information

This amplifier is warranted, to the original Purchaser, to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of five (5)
years, excluding the tubes and speaker, which are warranted for ninety (90) days, from the original date of purchase.

The manufacturer shall, at its option, either repair or replace the defective product if the product is returned to the original place
of purchase. If any product returned is not defective within this warranty, the manufacturer shall so advise the Purchaser and
thereafter shall dispose of said product in accordance with the Purchaser’s instructions and at the Purchaser’s cost. This warranty
is not transferable by the Purchaser.

The warranty shall not apply to wearable parts, these items include, but are not limited to, amplifier knobs, feet, and handles.

The warranty shall not apply, if the product has been misused or damaged as a result of neglect, abuse, alteration, improper
handling, unauthorized repair or modification, accident or causes external to the product, such as, but not limited to, excessive heat
or humidity.

The manufacturer’s sole and exclusive maximum liability for any claim by the Purchaser shall not exceed the wholesale
value of the product.  In no event shall the manufacturer be liable for any indirect, incidental, collateral, exemplary, or
consequential damages of losses arising out of the Purchaser’s purchase of the product. The above limitations may not apply in
some states (U.S.), international regions or countries.

VHT
AMPLIFICATION
HAND-WIRED IN CHINA