VTL Service ??

Hi Steve: Just let me add that I haven't had any issues with the reliability of the MB-185 Sig's themselves, just the now-replaced and amperage-uprated fuses (which are uprated for better performance [amperage-wise] and protection [voltage-wise, which I don't have yet] on current production), and the switch removal business, which I knew about when I bought them. Oh - and they sound pretty darn good, too.

With all the fine tube amps out there, why would anyone buy one from a company that stiffs its customers?

From what I read on this thread, they break down alot, and you can't get decent service, or even reasonable behavior from these VTL folks.

Who wants an amp with common breakdown problems, and a poor service policy? There are plenty of other amp makers out there who make amps just as good-sounding or better than VTL, and will treat you like a person.

I've had good experience with VTL. Maybe because I bought new, I don't know. My VTL IT 85 is a really nice unit, and sounds great. Very well built, and very well thought out. For it's retail price of $2500, I still think it's a bargain. The unit has performed flawlessly. And when I had questions, VTL always answered the phone, took my calls, and gave me the info I needed.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that if I change my tubes to NOS, it voids the warranty. Otherwise, good experience all around.

Zaikes, that's a nice amp. I've recommended it before and a friend of mine had one so I'm familiar with it. Do you have the 805 output tube version?

On the breakdowns, old VTL not so good, new VTL as good as the rest.

I'd say that the manuf is still acting like he's a small outfit operating out of a garage, but when I was reviewing I was thinking about some tiny triodes and called three times and never got a response. Something about being out of the country, then this then that. This is EXTREMELY unusual behavior for a manuf - and not too bright given how many many reviewers penalize manuf's for such behavior, although that wasn't my MO - so I wouldn't take this too personally in the sense that its directed at dissing customers or used buyers. It seemed endemic to me and I never called again.

That said, they are nice sounding amps with many happy customers. A used VTL, sound-wise, is very hard to beat in many systems, so you have to balance it out I suppose.

Asa, the only MB-185 Signature I'm aware of is the model I own with 6550 output tubes. I don't know which of their amps may have used the tube you refer to, but I believe VTL streamlined their range down to 6550's and EL-34's at the time they introduced the "Signature" transformer models a few years ago.