VTL MB-450 "Generations"

Hi Bruce: You've done more on your own with your old tube guitar amps than I've done myself with mine. The VTL circuit board seems pretty spacious and easy to access as far as modern hi-fi tube amps go. This is a job that I personally want to enlist a tech with skills and knowledge I don't have for, but you may be able to take care of it yourself. In either case, the cost should be far lower than what VTL wants, not even figuring in shipping. Just don't expect to get any help or advice (including parts or schematics) from VTL under any circumstances other than sending your amps to their factory, regardless of whether you buy new and are in warranty (in which case you'd be told to go through your dealer) or whether you buy used with no warranty expectations and are willing to pay.

My experiences with tube swaps are detailed on Albert Porter's system thread and some other archived threads, in addition to the experiences of others, so there's plenty to read on that around here. I haven't tried everything, but I can tell you that it's not just a 6550 vs. KT88 question; different brands of each sound different from each other.

I checked with VTL today and they never put infinicaps in the stnadard MB-450's. The only do it as a special mod. The standard is the MIT Multicaps.

The infinicap upgrade is $1,200 for both amps. I am going to have it done when they are less busy. Right now the wait time is 3 to 4 months.

Good info on the not-quite-DIY cap upgrades as well as VTL's price and timeframe. Zaikes you mentioned Michael Percy who I hadn't heard of but found his web site, is that where you get your parts? He's more or less in my neck of the woods (about an hour north of here). Don't suppose he does tech work?

On the "softstart" feature would having or not having this affect ones ability to install these amps remotely? That is leave the power switches on and turn them on/off via a power conditioner.

"I checked with VTL today and they never put InfiniCaps in the stnadard MB-450's. They only do it as a special mod. The standard is the MIT MultiCaps."

That sounds right, however, I believe if you go back far enough, even the MultiCaps were an optional upgrade, but I don't know the time frame on this.

Bruce: Michael Percy is a well-known parts-seller in the industry. He is not a tech for hire as far as I know, but I suppose he may be able to recommend someone fairly local to you.

Your question about remote turn-on, whether via the soft-start modules or not, is one you'll probably have to ask VTL.

Just to make this thread more complete, I've since learned that besides the $1200 Infinicap upgrade NRostov wrote of, the factory will also do the "Super Balanced Input" upgrade for $1200, as well as a "Tube Saver" upgrade for $500.

A question they didn't answer was: Would the "Super Balanced Input" do any good if your were running single ended? (you'd have to consider Albertporter's comments if you wanted to do it anyway - especially at that price)