November 2000

GIZMO ALERT - GUYATONE VT-X VINTAGE TREMOLO

By Joe Gore

As solid-state pedals from Boss, Demeter, Diaz, and Rocktron have ably demonstrated, you don't need a tube for great sounding, tube-style tremolo. But man, it's hard to argue with the 12AX7-driven Guyatone Flip Series VT-X Tube Tremolo ($249, including 12-volt power supply). The rugged VT-X provides lush pulsations that could have come straight from an early-'60s Fender amp, but with a far greater range of modulation speeds, sounds, and functions. Delivering everything from super-slo-mo wobble to a hummingbird flicker, the VT-X also gives you a choice between triangle-wave and choppier square-wave responses. The tone control lets you dial in extra sparkle or swampy darkness, and a second output jack permits stereo panning between two amps. An excellent choice for sexy, vintage-style tones or newer, more extreme sounds, the flexible VT-X packs a lot of tremolo power into a small, affordable package.