Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe

The Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe is a programmable bass preamp pedal from Tech 21, a six-channel version of the company's SansAmp Character Series VT Bass pedal¹. It combines an all-analog signal path with digital recall, so you dial in tones with analog controls and then store them in six program locations you can call up on demand²¹. Tech 21 positions it as a box that can serve several jobs at once: a preamp or stomp box with any amp, combo, power amp or speaker cabinet, and a DI with any mixing console¹.

The pedal's tonal range comes from its Character control, which sweeps through a broad range of bass tube amp tones, from early '60s vintage voicings to what Tech 21 calls classic super valve¹. You can program six of your own sounds, from vintage clean to gnarly overdrive to crushing distortion².

Controls and how it shapes your sound

The control set is built around the idea of a traditional, well-equipped amp. Level and Drive work the way they would on an amp front panel, while the Low, Mid and High controls are active, which Tech 21 says opens up a wider array of tonal possibilities than passive tone stacks².

The distinctive control is Character. It is continuously variable, moving seamlessly between different model voicings that cover vintage, high-gain and what Tech 21 calls face-melting lead tones². No Treble's launch coverage described it as a sweep through bass tube amp tones from the early '60s to classic super valve¹.

Presets, dual inputs and the FX loop

The Deluxe's headline feature is programmability. There are six program locations, and the dual inputs let you decide how to divide them: two instruments can be on-line at once with three programs each, or a single instrument can have all six locations ready to go¹². For a player who switches between, say, a passive and an active bass on the same gig, the two-instrument setup keeps a set of sounds assigned to each; for everyone else, six sounds on one bass covers a lot of ground.

The FX loop is programmable too. You can set it to engage your favorite effect each time a designated preset is selected, so an effect in the loop comes on automatically with that preset rather than needing its own switch²¹.

Four pop-free custom footswitch actuators handle the switching¹.

Analog or digital?

Both, in a hybrid arrangement. The signal path is all-analog, which Tech 21 credits for its warmth, while the recall of presets is digital, which is what makes the six stored programs possible²¹. This is the same combination of analog tone and digital convenience Tech 21 has used elsewhere in its programmable bass line, such as the SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe.

The wider VT Bass Series, including the original VT Bass pedal, is described in press coverage as featuring a 100% analog signal path with a 3-band active EQ, with the Character control common to all versions³.

Using it as a DI

The VT Bass Deluxe functions as a DI with any mixing console, and carries 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels³. That means you can run it straight to a desk or recorder while also feeding an amp, or use it on its own as your entire rig front end. It also works as a preamp or stomp box with any amp, combo, power amp or speaker cabinet¹.

Power is flexible: the box runs on phantom power, an optional 9V DC power supply, or a 9V battery¹.

History: the VT Bass family

Tech 21 introduced the VT Bass Deluxe as a 6-channel programmable version of its SansAmp Character Series VT Bass pedal, with availability expected in late April/early May 2010 and an MSRP of $350.00¹. The original VT Bass pedal came first, and the family has since branched in several directions¹⁴.

• VT Bass: the original SansAmp Character Series pedal that the Deluxe expands on¹⁴
• VT Bass Deluxe: the six-channel programmable version, with dual inputs and an FX loop¹²
• VT Bass Rackmount: an expanded version of the VT Bass pedal in rackmount format, with an effect loop offering parallel or series operation via a Mix 50/50 switch, an XLR output with selectable levels, and a buffered direct XLR output providing a dry signal⁵
• VT Bass DI: a later DI version with three outputs, 1/4-inch, XLR and parallel, which began shipping in 2013 and received a new look for 2026³⁶
• VT Bass 200: a 200-Watt bass combo amp with an all-analog SansAmp preamp and Class D power amp, including a switchable XLR direct output⁷

The VT Bass DI in particular was described by Premier Guitar as descended from Tech 21's earlier products, splicing the DNA of the SansAmp and the Character Series pedals⁸. Guitar Interactive Magazine's coverage of the DI noted that, like the original VT Bass, you can get "the same legendary tower of power tone pumping through a stack of 10-inchers," and that with it "you can go from clean SVT®-style thump to dirty earthquaking rump"³.

That verdict was for the later DI version rather than the Deluxe, but it reflects how the press has received the VT Bass line as a whole: a multi-functional tool rather than a single-purpose effect. The VT Bass v2 pedal, an analog circuit, carries the family forward in pedal form⁹.

Related Tech 21 bass gear

The Deluxe sits inside a broader Tech 21 bass lineup that includes the SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2, the SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI, the dUg Pinnick DP-3X Signature, the Red Ripper and the Killer Blue Wail Bass Wah, alongside bass pedals of every other kind.

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