The Vox V846 Vintage is a wah pedal from Vox, introduced at NAMM 2024 as an authentic recreation of the company's second-ever production wah, the original V846 of 196712. Vox developed it from a mint-condition 1967 unit that the company refers to internally as the "Holy Grail," and the all-analog circuit uses a bespoke recreation of the famed Halo inductor along with a vintage-accurate BC109 transistor2.
Vox describes the pedal as voiced with an assertive tonal profile, an extended frequency sweep and a strong emphasis on high frequencies, positioning it for classic rock tones and pairing with fuzz2. Guitar World's reviewer Paul Riario called it, by far, his favorite-sounding wah of the pair he reviewed3.
How it works and how it is powered
Like the original, the V846 Vintage is a treadle wah: rocking the pedal sweeps a bandpass filter across the frequency range, producing the vocal "wah" effect. The circuit is all-analog, and Vox says it captures the bite and clarity of the original 1967 model2.
Two components do most of the character work:
- Inductor: a bespoke recreation of the famed Halo inductor, the part Vox identifies as central to the vintage V846's voice2. Guitar World's Paul Riario wrote that "the soul of both wahs is the Halo inductors, which replicate the distinct nasally voice of the Real McCoy or the more assertive expressiveness of the V846 Vintage"3.
- Transistor: a BC109, chosen for being vintage-accurate, with identical numbering and appearance to the transistor in the 1967 unit2.
Power comes from a single 9V dry cell battery (types 6LF22 or 6LR61), sold separately. The current draw is 540μA at 9V, and Vox states battery life of approximately 100 hours or more with alkaline batteries2. Vox's specifications list no DC power jack, so there is no adapter input: this is a battery-only pedal.
There is no DC power jack. If you use the pedal regularly, keep a spare 9V battery on hand, though at 540μA a fresh alkaline should last roughly 100 hours or more2.
Where it came from
Vox introduced the wah-wah pedal in 1967, and the design stemmed from the Midrange Boost feature of a Vox amp design. It was initially marketed as a way to emulate the sound of a muted trumpet, then revoiced for rock guitarists and rereleased as the V8462. Analog Man's history dates the V846 to April 19674.
The V846 Vintage project began when Vox acquired a mint-condition vintage V846 from 1967, referred to at Vox as the "Holy Grail," and worked from it. The recreation extends to the exterior: the body is molded from a 3D scan of the vintage model, with attention to details down to the screws and the font on the underside2.
Original V846 production spanned years and factories, and components varied. TONEHOME's pages on original units document a 1973 Italian-made example with a red Fasel inductor, tropical fish caps and two CDIL BC109B transistors, and a 1976 Italian-made unit with a TDK inductor and FBC 318B and MBC 239C transistors5. TONEHOME notes that although inductors, transistors and caps changed over the course of production, the specific sound of the V846 stayed largely consistent5. Vintage Guitar's 2001 history adds that the US-market V846 used a Japanese TDK inductor in place of the Italian-made part6.
How it differs from the V846-HW
The V846-HW is a separate Vox product, also a wah pedal from the same maker7. The V846 Vintage, announced alongside the VRM-1 Real McCoy recreations, is an all-analog wah with an extended sweep range, with extra focus on its high frequencies for a sharper, more biting effect281. It lists at $279 / £2593.
The two share a battery type and similar weight, but the Vintage carries the recreation further, down to the enclosure details23:
| V846 Vintage | |
|---|---|
| Effect type | Wah-wah2 |
| Circuit | All-analog2 |
| Sound | Extended sweep range, extra focus on high frequencies for a sharper, more biting effect2 |
| Current draw | 540μA (9V DC)2 |
| Dimensions | 102 x 252 x 80 mm (W x D x H)2 |
| List price | $279 / £2593 |
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Paul Riario reviewed the V846 Vintage alongside the Real McCoy wah and found the Vintage the stronger of the two for his taste3:
"It is, by far, my favorite-sounding wah because, if you're going to use a wah, it needs to poke out prominently. It's unapologetic in producing a vintage-style quack."
Guitar World's NAMM 2024 coverage characterized the pedal by its extended sweep range, with extra focus placed on the high frequencies for a sharper, more biting effect1, and Guitar.com's Crystal Koe described the same extended sweep range and high-frequency focus at the launch8.
The original V846 also earned praise over the years. Vintage Guitar's 2001 roundup called an original V846 the tester's favorite for its almost human vocal quality6, and Analog Man's history describes an Italian V846 with nasal, piercing highs and an excellent tonal sweep4. TONEHOME calls the original V846 series the benchmark pedals for generations of players5.
Videos
Michael Banfield
The Riff w Nik Sevigny
Grant Pritchard
Questions
Does the Vox V846 Vintage have a DC power jack?
No. Vox lists the power supply as 9V dry cell batteries (6LF22/6LR61), sold separately, with no adapter jack mentioned. The pedal draws only 540 microamps, and Vox says an alkaline battery lasts approximately 100 hours or more, so most players will rarely need to change it.
What transistor does the Vox V846 Vintage use?
It uses a BC109 transistor, which Vox describes as vintage-accurate, with identical numbering and appearance to the transistor in the original 1967 V846. Some original 1970s V846 units used other transistors, such as the FBC 318B and MBC 239C, but the Vintage follows the earliest specification.
Does the V846 Vintage use a Halo inductor?
It uses a bespoke recreation of the famed Halo inductor, built by Vox for this pedal rather than a vintage original. Guitar World's reviewer Paul Riario identified the Halo inductor as the soul of the pedal, replicating the more assertive character of the vintage V846.
How is the V846 Vintage different from the V846-HW?
Both trace back to the original V846, but they are separate products. The V846-HW is a hand-wired version introduced in 2012, while the V846 Vintage, introduced in 2024, is a recreation of the second-ever Vox production wah, developed from a mint 1967 unit and built around a recreated Halo inductor and BC109 transistor.
How long does a battery last in the Vox V846 Vintage?
Vox states approximately 100 hours or more with alkaline batteries, and notes that actual life will vary depending on conditions. The pedal draws 540 microamps at 9V, which is low enough that a single battery should last most players a long time.
Sources (8)
- Vox's Real McCoy & V846 Vintage recreate early wah pedals, Guitar World, 2024-01-19
- VOX V846 Vintage Wah Pedal, Vox Amps (voxamps.com), 2025-09-30
- Vox V846 Vintage and Real McCoy Wah review, Guitar World, 2024-09-10
- Wah Wah Pedal article, Analog Man Vintage guitar effects (analogman.com), 2015
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Wah-Wah Pedals, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2001-06-05
- V846-HW Wah Pedal, Vox Amps, 2025-09-30
- NAMM 2024: Vox unveils recreations of first-ever wah pedals that are built “as they were”, Guitar.com, 2024-01-23
