The Dave Hall Amps VT-1 Spitfire is an all-valve preamp in a pedal: a preamp, overdrive and EQ unit built around a single onboard 12AX7 tube, which the maker says is there for an authentic tube sound. It is a guitar version of Dave Hall Amps' VT-1 Pro Bass Drive, tuned for guitars, and its sonic character is intended to appeal to guitarists looking for clean and crunch sounds for blues and rock.1
What it does for a player
The Spitfire covers two jobs at once. As a preamp it can take the place of a valve amp front end, and its XLR DI out means the signal can be tapped and connected directly to a mixer or digital audio interface, so it works as a direct recording or live front-of-board solution. As an overdrive it supplies the clean-to-crunch range the maker aims at blues and rock players.1
Shaping that tone is an active 3-band EQ with a Q-filter, which lets you fine-tune the overdrive section's EQ.1
Practice and silent playing
The pedal also doubles as a practice tool. Its Line In accepts a CD player, iPod, MP3 player or smartphone, and the incoming signal is mixed with the headphone signal, so you can play along to backing tracks through headphones.1
Origin and price
Dave Hall Amps launched the VT-1 Spitfire in October 2017 as a brand new UK-manufactured all-valve preamp in a pedal, built in Devon, England. The reported RRP at launch was GBP 189.1
The launch price was given in pounds sterling, GBP 189, as reported at the pedal's October 2017 launch.1
Questions
Is the Dave Hall Amps VT-1 Spitfire a real tube pedal?
Yes. The VT-1 Spitfire is an all-valve preamp in a pedal, with a single 12AX7 tube onboard. Dave Hall Amps describes the tube as providing an authentic tube sound, and the pedal combines the preamp stage with overdrive and EQ in one unit.
What tube does the VT-1 Spitfire use?
The VT-1 Spitfire uses a single 12AX7 tube. The 12AX7 is the dual-triode preamp tube found in many guitar amplifiers, and here it sits onboard the pedal to give the preamp and overdrive its tube character.
Can the VT-1 Spitfire go straight into a mixer or audio interface?
Yes. The pedal has an integrated XLR DI out, so its signal can be tapped and connected directly to a mixer or a digital audio interface without a microphone in front of an amp.
Can I plug a phone or MP3 player into the VT-1 Spitfire?
Yes. The Line In accepts a CD player, iPod, MP3 player or smartphone, and the incoming signal is mixed with the headphone signal, so you can play along with backing tracks through headphones.
Where is the VT-1 Spitfire made?
The VT-1 Spitfire is manufactured in the UK, in Devon, England, according to gearnews.com's 2017 report on the pedal's launch.
Sources (1)
- Jef's Pedal Round-up this week: Spitfire VT-1 preamp and Specular Tempus delay/reverb, gearnews.com, 2017-10-29