NAMM 2026: Vox has unveiled the VTB-1 Treble Booster, a super-simple boost pedal with a single dial, one switch, and yet perhaps everything a the AC30 owner needs to recreate the iconic electric guitar tones of Rory Gallagher, Brian May et al.
Inspired by the Dallas Rangemaster that Gallagher used to such devastating effect that May simply had to add one to his rig, the VTB-1 is described as the perfect complement to Vox’s tube amps – yielding the kinds of juicy harmonic drive tones you’ve heard on countless Queen records, and giving players that touch-sensitivity that makes it such an expressive addition to a rock or blues guitar player’s rig.
Furthermore, Vox says that the VTB-1 will be a more reliable proposition than the original vintage units. That is to say that Vox has swapped out the germanium architecture of the O.G. Rangemaster circuit, on account of germanium being germanium, a little bit finicky with big changes in temperature, a little inconsistent, and on occasion noisy.
The thing is, however, for all its foibles, germanium is a key ingredient in the recipe, and the R&D team at Vox’s biggest challenge was to create a circuit that yielded that same “nonlinear” behaviour of a germanium circuit.
They chose a “hand-selected” Silver Can BC108 silicon transistor. In the circuit, it had that same vintage Rangemaster feel and it had it with a lower noise floor.
Vintage Rangemasters, boost pedals of all stripes – even our overdrive pedals too – they are all about improving the relationship between your instrument and the amp, giving you more juice, opening up the quote, unquote sweet spot when what you’re playing just feels more alive.
We’ll need to try one of these to hear how all this works out in practice, but Vox says it has expanded the sweet spot, “ensuring a broad and expressive ‘edge-of-breakup’ region that responds naturally to player touch, or, to your guitar’s volume knob.
Rolling that back should make your VT1-B and Vox AC30 combo (or any tube amp of your choosing) clean up nicely.
All that sounds great. The VTB-1 looks great, too. It’s hard to argue with a pedal that has just one big chickenhead dial marked “Boost” plus a Fat switch that simply collects more frequencies to be boosted, widening the oomph applied to your amp. Easy.
But then this is a primal guitar effect, old-school, from a more simple – nay, a more civilised time.
The VTB-1 Treble Booster is priced $149. See Vox Amps for more details, and if you are at NAMM, you can visit the British guitar amp brand’s stall at #6802 and look at this and more in person.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.