The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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176 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Ep. 172: "A Schematic of Life"
24 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 30 min
It's the 172nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions about tube amplification...and life. Lees meer
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:53 What's on Skip's Bench: A Silverface Vibro-Champ with all-new parts; the importance of capacitors, even for tremolo; a Gibson Falcon with no reverb
8:25 How many people fix amps thanks to this show?
11:33 Jason goes for a neighborhood stroll and spots some free tube gear
14:57 Garnet amp book nuggets (order the Garnet book here); schematic art; Jason's Land Cruiser; Skip's boots, redux; managing expectations
21:48 Barn finds: A Sunn PA head; an Ampeg V4B bass amp; a guitarron; and more!
24:56 Skipapalooza update
29:30 Ampeg: The Story Behind the Sound by Gregg Hopkins & Bill Moore (order it here); the Ampeg R12RT
33:57 Bill Krinard and the new Divided by 13 BW 1969 amp (six position rotary switch that changes the gain of the pre-amp)
40:02 What should I do with my 1973 Traynor YRM-1?
50:44 Purslane and a Hammond homebrew amp
59:39 Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
1:00:40 Selling or keeping a 1962 Brownface Princeton? Why would a power transformer need to be replaced?
1:04:50 An AI apology; keyboard monitors; boneless chicken; an RCA MI-38480
1:13:16 Amp tech tips: Speaker spade connectors and #11 / #12 switchcraft jacks; simple tofu
1:15:58 A vintage Silverface Vibro-Champ in a head cabinet; a Harmony 303 and more
1:22:12 A mystery Tweed Deluxe
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 171: "Zombie Hoof"
24 september 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
Skip is back from a long-overdue road trip and has tales to tell and amps to fix. We also hear about the Fretboard Summit's vintage amp room (watch that baby Leslie video), Christopher Guest in the new Fretboard Journal and so much more. Lees meer
New Truth About Vintage Amps discount from Amplified Parts on all Apex matched-tube products: TAVAAPEX10 gets you a one-time discount of 10% off Apex products now through October 31, 2026. Stock up! https://www.apexmatching.com
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
2:21 Skip hits the road to Pendleton, Oregon and Spokane, Washington: White's Boots (link); the Pendleton Roundup (link)
Kirishian rug cleaning (Instagram)17:22 Why do DC-powered amps need a vibrator, explained!
21:37 Summit recap from Brian McAllister (follow him on Instagram); more Skip road trip highlights
27:01 Figuring out the taper on NOS pots, how does the hum control work on my Bell Pacemaker PM10?, and jalapeno salsa
34:00 I want a tweed 5F1 Champ: Should I build one or buy one?
37:59 What should I do with this Peavey Classic? Ludwig, the TV series
44:54 A K&F pickup restoration (find it on our Patreon)
45:33 Putting a harmonica mic into a guitar?
48:53 Amp tech knowledge gaps; Uncle Doug and cheap solder (YouTube video), Solder Smoke Remover (Amazon link)
56:02 Vintage Sound 50; a potential guest Peter Miller?
1:02:23 Help for my Harmony H306A; 7408 power tubes
1:07:40 Paul Simon guitarist Mark Stewart (Wikipedia); more roadtrip talk (Hwy 395); Christopher Guest in the Fretboard Journal 60 (order it here)
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 170: "I Only Have a Minute"
31 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 10 min
New Truth About Vintage Amps discount from Amplified Parts on all Apex matched-tube products: TAVAAPEX10 gets you a one-time discount of 10% off Apex products now through October 31. So stock up! https://www.apexmatching.com Lees meer
It's the 170th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your guitar amplification questions (or at least the ones involving tubes).
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:32 What's on Skip's Bench: A Voice of Music 8810
2:40 Jason's Fretboard Summit 2026 report (thanks, https://vintagetubeamplifiers.com!!)
10:13 Recommended reading: Willie Dixon's 'I Am the Blues,' 'Bo Diddley: Living Legend,' and 'Buzz Busby: Father of Washington DC Bluegrass'
12:35 Is this Fender Super Champ safe to use?
20:06 Aotearoa New Zealand Amplifier History Project (support it here); New Zealand pop and punk; building guitars in the Congo (Fretboard Journal #56)
25:19 MusicMan HD130; Sun O))); a typewriter at the 2027 Summit?
33:34 Who made Rickenbacker amps? Talk to me about my Rickenbacker M11
41:14 Bix Beiderbecke's birthday (August 6); conversing with your amp heroes; frozen udon noodles and mushroom stock powder; Red Norvo's "In a Mist"; Donald Brosnac's 'Guitar Electronics for Musicians'
50:06 Warming up a two-pronged amp through a Variac; if a Jenson speaker has been reconed, can I stop worrying about its value?
55:35 Listener recommendation: A cheap Amazon wall outlet meter (link)
57:36 Mark Bartel's prototype line-out interface (see Instagram pic!)
58:24 The magic of purslane
1:00:29 Why a vibrator? (on old DC amps/PAs)
1:04:19 The Savage Croaker amp; Bloodstone's "Natural High;" Mesa Boogie Mark I repairs and Jim Washburn
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech…
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Ep. 169: "They Always Went to Carl's Jr."
15 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 44 min
It's the 169th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions. This week, returning guest Steve Soest joins us for a chat about the vintage days of vintage guitar buying; playing alongside Chuck Berry and Dick Dale; Leo Fender's dining habits; and more. Lees meer
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:55 What's on Skip's Bench: A messed-up Masco MA-17
4:06 Special guest: Guitar and amp legend Steve Soest (Soest Guitars)! A meeting of the amp minds, Danelectro tales, Standel heads, David Lindley, G&L, consulting for Fender, Dick Dale tales, and so much more!
1:16:25 A possessed Ampeg, redux
1:18:26 Skip's Disney picks
1:20:57 The Tone Quest Report
1:22:58 Woodinville in the WSJ
1:24:43 Gain knob/master volume 101, cleaning Tolex
1:34:02 Hollywood Bob's Bandmaster
1:39:40 A fire near Skip's!?
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 168: "Mustard on Your Tie"
26 juli 2026 · 1 uur 21 min
It's the long-awaited episode 168 of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions. This week, we kick things off by interviewing one of Skip's clients, Sebastian from Vintage Inspired Pickups! Also: possessed Ampegs, shipping forecasts, and Fender repairs and so much more. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Special Guest: Sebastian Gruenberg of Vintage Inspired Pickups (link); molecular biology; winding pickups, making potentiometers; cryo-tuning magnets; Emerald City Guitars; Gibsonette input jack ground issues; and more!
30:57 What's on Skip's bench: Magnatones; a Sears 40XL Danelectro; Traynors
34:07 Jonathan Richman, charming singer-songwriter and stone mason
36:17 An early National Dobro amp for sale; where's Larry Chung?
38:51 The Fretboard Summit, August 20-22 in Chicago (register here); this year @vintagetubeamplifiers is bringing out a bunch of old & rare amps along with various other contributors/listeners!
39:50 A kitchen cleaning tip, Dutch ovens, Skip's typewriter repair
44:07 Optocoupler repair in a classic Fender
45:57 The BBC's Shipping Forecast (link: https://www.bbc.com/weather/coast-and-sea/shipping-forecast)
48:54 Rattlesnake Milk's 'Midnight Train', quick Asian rice, and TAVA buzzwords
50:54 Output tubes for Skip's Mega Champ amp build (Champ with Soursound transformers)
54:38 A demonic Ampeg B-18N
59:04 A new caster for my 1966 Fender Pro Reverb, 'The Magnificent Charlie Parker' compilation; homemade gumbo; Mike Watt
1:06:12 What should I do with this Masco A-10 project? using a Hammond 166M12 as a Variac; do old black metal pre-amp tubes like the 6SJ7 have glass inside?
1:12:02 A tie story; how can I slow down the tremolo on my modded Silvertone 1484?
1:17:46 Gourmet dog treats
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or w…
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Ep. 167: "Little Baby Barbells"
25 juni 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
It's the 167th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Skip's refrigerator dies (but lives!), taking the train to the Chicago Fretboard Summit, electronica band Chessie
10:09 The LA vintage guitar show
13:52 'The Angel's Share' movie
16:18 Our sponsors and a great 2026 Fretboard Summit amp giveaway (thanks, Andy!)
19:19 A non-tech tip: Silverface control panel amps with peeling film
21:59 What's on Skip's bench: Magnatone amps; an early Dickerson amp; using a Trace Elliot Velocette shell for a tube amp build
26:38 How long would it take Skip to build a tube amp (on a game show)?
28:31 Starting an amp repair business, redux (Ahuntsic Amplification https://amplificationahuntsic.ca/homepage-en)
32:45 Solder Smoke Absorber Remover (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3QPSuv6)
36:16 Modding a Silvertone Powermaster PA for guitar, dogbone resistors, 6J7 tubes
45:21 Novak hybrid guitars; did I fry my transformer?; AI Skip; cooking with duck
53:51 What to do with my dad's 1959 Gretsch 6161 Electromatic Twin amp?; Uncle Doug on TAVA?
1:00:05 Serge Gainsbourg with a bunch of smoking kids (https://youtu.be/unYu22Ign1E?si=VkCNtOaDbloJqh63)
1:01:03 Warehouse speakers for a 1976 Silverface Vibro Champ (Instagram: @cwg_guitars)
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 166: "Seattle, Loma Rica, Amsterdam"
11 juni 2026 · 1 uur 33 min
Before talking amps, we talk life! Longtime friend of the show John Vanderslice (Tiny Telephone) joins us to talk about moving to the Netherlands, the life of an expat, the equipment that he moved to Europe (and didn't), staying curious with your gear, and so much more. Lees meer
Around 50 minutes in, we get the answer to last episode's Baffler, field various questions and do the usual TAVA amp troubleshooting.
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Special guest: John Vanderslice!
50:28 Our sponsors!
51:47 What's on Skip's bench: A Supro Galaxy
1:01:19 The O.W. Appleton guitar (link)
1:02:33 The answer to episode 155's baffler: Two types of hum
1:07:03 The high and low power switch on a Music Man HD150
1:10:34 How can I swap the speaker on my 1949 Spiegel 79-C, pre-heating cast iron
1:14:35 Ranch Style beans, Herdez guacamole salsa, Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 mic-pre, Peavey Valverb, using an iso cabinet, using both jacks in a Princeton
1:24:37 Terry Foster at the 2026 Fretboard Summit
1:26:11 How many speakers can a Silverface Champ drive safely? Why did Fender keep changing the Princeton schematic?
1:31:13 Skip at the Fretboard Summit?
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 165: "There's an Ethos?"
17 mei 2026 · 1 uur 38 min
Episode 165 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
00 Jason and Nigel
6:26 Our sponsors!
10:42 A letter, two beers, some washers, and a crossroads: Follow Joe here and on Instagram
17:10 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb project with a replaced power transformer; a shorted reverb transformer
31:36 A baffler: Two kinds of hum
36:16 What are "getter" and "wings"? The Barkely Marathon (Wikipedia)
40:31 Has anyone put the tweed Princeton tone circuit in a guitar? swaddled meat is tender meat, cast iron
44:15 A Fender Super Reverb that kept blowing fuses; the 1972 Sacramento Farrell's Ice Cream parlor plane disaster (Wikipedia)
53:33 Federico's pizza dough recipe on the TAVA Patreon; the Tone Quest Report; Tin Can Valley Letterpress
55:08 Replacing the foam gasket on my Traynor YGM-3 reverb's tank; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware
1:00:04 Rickenbacker M-11 thoughts; King Sunny Ade
1:04:51 What's on Skip's bench: Slim Dossey's Tweed Bassman and another Bassman
1:08:59 Skip's potential barn sale ponderings
1:12:29 Once an amp has replaced caps, do you still need a Variac? rice balls
1:15:28 Skip still needs a wooden Epiphone Electar Zephyr schematic (all-octal tube with vibrato) schematic!
1:17:01 1964 Fender Princeton 6G2 with non-working trem
1:20:16 Adding a stereo headphone jack to a Princeton clone
1:24:04 Jenson transformer website schematics (link)
1:27:38 What should I do with this untouched 1976 45-watt Fender Pro Reverb?; cornbread
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 164: "Kern County Wool Growers"
25 april 2026 · 1 uur 20 min
Episode 164 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:37 The Garnet book and Garnet ponderings (order the book: http://www.garnetamps.com/order_b.htm), bias supply voltage in optocoupler tremolo
6:13 Our sponsors!
8:21 Two Fretboard Journal videos to check out: Ryan Richter on playing Coachella with Dijon (YouTube link); Gabe Noel playing a Rickenbacker bakelite tenor guitar with matching amp (YouTube link)
14:12 Beginner's corner: Amp switching, comparing different cabinets; reheating white rice; Basque soup
23:25 Can I use my Champ as a bass amp? Bass amp hacks
28:02 Does anyone have spare silverface Fender pilot lot washers, or a toggle switch washer for a Fender?
30:23 Having built a tweed Princeton, Harvard and Deluxe, what should I build next? Spam and Dr. Pepper
32:48 Can you convert the XLR speaker jack on an Ampeg B-15N to a quarter-inch jack?
35:29 The week of three curveballs: A Princeton Reverb drawing too much current; codependent electrolytic capacitors; a reverb unit that eats power transformers; Dave Segal needs an amp on the Oregon coast
44:26 A black panel Fender reverb unit with a two-prong cord
47:17 A two-prong plug needed in Norway (postscript: Jason already sent him one); reading It to your kids, redux; science fiction recommendations?
52:40 The TAVA bookshelf: An '90s Guitar World article on Cesar Diaz; Loomis, California's High Hand nursery
57:06 Plate current on a Suhr Bella 44; Tucana (https://tucana.bandcamp.com/); homemade apple cider
1:05:27 What's with the deal with the little rubber donuts for tubes? Jason is running through the night
1:10:36 Why are the plate voltages so different on my tweed Fender Deluxe clone?
1:16:35 Skip's pre-barn sale barn sale (just call Skip)
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advic…
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Ep. 163: "Thoughts Go to Cornbread" (Special Guest: Roy Rogers!)
11 april 2026 · 1 uur 39 min
Acclaimed guitarist Roy Rogers joins us this week to talk about his unique gear choices, working with John Lee Hooker, vintage amps and so much more! Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:56 Eric Barbour's the Tube Dumpster in Vacuum Tube Valley: 6K6, 6F6, 6Y6 tubes
2:39 A flea market Tweed Bassman
8:51 A Garnet book giveaway!
13:42 What's on Skip's bench: A distribution pre-amp
17:12 Special guest: Roy Rogers: 'The Sky's the Limit' (his new album, out now!); Mesa Boogie Mark IIB and Epiphone Electar Zephyr amps; DeArmonds in flattop acoustics; Martin New Yorkers; his custom Chappell Guitars double-neck; Johnny Shines; working with John Lee Hooker; the Hot Spot soundtrack (with Roy Rogers, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, and Taj Mahal!!)
Get Roy's new album here: https://royrogers.hearnow.com/
Order 'Gaynell's Kitchen - Down Home Cooking from A Wayward Southern Belle': https://amzn.to/41mcZBn
1:27:45 How can a Traynor Bassmaster Mk. II be rated at 90 watts, while the same power-tubed YBA-1 is only 40?
1:32:14 Is Skip related to Chris Shiflett?
1:33:01 Never trust, always double-check; output transformers
1:34:29 An October meetup at Skip's, maybe
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 162: "The Temple of Music"
20 maart 2026 · 1 uur 29 min
Episode 162 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! This week, we go deep on Canadian amps, tremolo tweaks, and tech tips. Plus: Rumors of a possible TAVA meetup at Skip's and a poetry slam! Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. Use the discount code TAVA10MOD for a one-time, 10% discount on Mod Electronics orders at https://www.modelectronics.com. Usable on speakers, amp kits, pedal kits, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Skip has a cold
2:04 SF's The Fab Mab (Wikipedia), 1971 Guitar Player magazine advice; changing the vibrato speed on a Fender Super Reverb
8:42 The answer to last episode's baffler: The Canadian Standards Association; TAVA merch
11:30 Caveat emptor: A UTC output transformer; why is my reverb not working?
26:12 Lead dress 101
31:40 An amp sale/TAVA gathering at Skip's?
40:01 Harmony H410 and speaker impedance
44:10 Why is the tremolo on my 1969 Traynor YSR-1 Custom Reverb head not working and how can I slow it down?
50:38 Can you put variable capacitors in a guitar circuit?
53:11 Series filaments and a Berlant Concertone MCM-2; the Epiphone Rivoli EA-65 schematic
1:00:27 Gibson Falcon mods; whatever happened to the reissue Falcon?
1:07:24 Tech tip: Hammond 154M chokes (Amplified Parts link)
1:12:10 Guitarist Chuck Wayne
1:14:05 Spaghetti sauce with meat; getting Skip an iPhone; tremolo using bias modulation on the power tubes; the Ampeg Supereverb
1:22:21 Garnet amps and Kale; the Garnet Herzog
1:24:43 A listening room for Dynaco amps and Acoustic Research turntables
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Want to support the sho…
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Ep. 161: "Tremolo Thursday"
2 maart 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
Episode 161 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. Use the discount code TAVA10MOD for a one-time, 10% discount on Mod Electronics orders at https://www.modelectronics.com. Usable on speakers, amp kits, pedal kits, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:42 Phil Upchurch and 'What It's Like to Be a Musician'
3:25 On the Bench: A non-working outboard tremolo by Skip, a unique Massie trem circuit, putting trem in a Bassman 100, bias modulating tremolo
9:57 A TAVA giveaway (Thank you, Union Tube & Transistor and Exile!)
14:44 An Electro-Music Baffler, answered; a vintage Roberts electric mandolin; Tiny Moore; Bob Wills in Sacramento
25:12 Follow our Instagram page and help us get to 10,000 followers, the Garnet amp book (link), the Garnet Herzog
28:16 An amp tech for Guam
36:12 Working on a Johnson Celestion, why were some volume pots in front of the first tube? the best spare 6V6s to seek out
42:02 Talking Micro-Frets guitars on the Fretboard Journal Podcast (link)
43:13 Why is my Fender Super 60 so noisy?
49:30 A 1968 Fender Super Reverb with replaced transformers, using the extra secondaries? bias talk
56:03 Homemade salsa
59:19 Recommended reading: Proper Records' 'Hillbilly Boogie' box set (Amazon link)
1:00:33 Recommended watching: 'The Life We Have' (YouTube link, warning: it's a tear jerker)
1:01:46 The Webster-Chicago 166-1 vs. the Voice of Music 160 amp schematics; homemade chicken wings
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line,…
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Ep. 160: "Some People Can't Stand an Unused Triode"
16 februari 2026 · 1 uur 22 min
Episode 160 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your questions about tube amps. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:09 Fishing and weather report, Tule fog
4:43 Skip's amp backlog
5:19 A West guitar amp with a Dynaco 454216 transformer, a paper plate breakfast hack
10:45 Our sponsors!
12:56 What's on Skip's bench: A 1950 Princeton, a White amplifier, a Tweed Deluxe AND a Vibrolux; Electromuse amps
14:39 The Lonesome Captain's music video (YouTube link)
17:31 A Webster-Chicago 166-1 with a post phase-inverter tone control
20:36 The Valco/National/Supro single 6V6 with reverb and tremolo
28:06 A Silvertone 1472 with replaced parts; terminal strip grounds
30:55 Two filter cap Princetons (link to TDPRI forum)
32:11 An original Garnet Session Man; modding a Masco ME-27; recommended reading
39:49 The Wood Wire & Volts show; the Benson Babylon (as mentioned on episode 158!)
44:16 Speaker impedance mismatch on a Danelectro amp and its effect on tone, Spanish rice, Goya pasta
50:21 Suggestions for an unused triode in a Geloso G226A amp
54:32 Bill Krinard's return?; Dr. Z's new, single-ended PhD amp; Emery Sound amps
57:18 A new speaker for my Traynor YGM-3?; Peavey amps; smoked pork tenderlions
1:03:35 Making a baby Leslie speaker at home and adding caps to filter out EMI/interference (check out more pics on our Patreon)
1:11:00 Getting spray paint off a grill cloth (3M Safest Stripper); fixing a Fender speaker baffle; and a cursed reverb unit
1:16:50 A Cunningham CX322 tube giveaway; Alembic stereo pre-amps, redux
Note: Starting around minute 60, our Zoom connection went bad and Skip can be a little hard to hear. We tried to clean it up as best we could. Sorry!
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your vo…
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Ep. 159: "TAVA, Again...Exclamation Point"
17 januari 2026 · 1 uur 26 min
Episode 159 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Beans, two-prong ASMR, peeling diodes (and faceplates) and more! Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts. And honarary mention to Rancho Gordo beans.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:32 Rancho Gordo beans in the WSJ, corn sticks
8:13 What's on Skip's bench: All the early Fender Princetons; a baffler!
11:20 Our sponsors: and (unofficially) Rancho Gordo beans
15:15: What should I do with this extra Bell Sound 2122-C hi-fi amp?; hear the TAVA All-Stars: Bob Armstong, Keith Cary, Charles Batey, Leff Jeffries (YouTube link, audio only)
25:20 How can I remove and save my tube chart when I replace the baffle?
30:09 Comparing a 5F2A kit schematic to the original; cargamanto beans (see below)
40:34 What does Skip always replace? Sello Rojo coffee; Lustre Craft pots
47:48 A Tweed Vibrolux with rusty faceplate; WEST amps transformers?
55:48 A broken, yet soothing two-prong plug question; Stephen King's 'It'
1:01:57 Are the diodes in my Premier B-220 Custom Bass amp okay? Can Switchcraft jacks go bad?
1:10:50 Real death caps; Fantastic Fungi
1:13:05 Kraft dinner; replacement transformers for 50-watt Rickenbackers; WD-40 for joint pain
1:19:28 Homemade (mostly) pizza hacks
Danny G's carmanto bean recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 can cargamanto beans rinsed and drained
avocado oil in the pan
1⁄4 green pepper chopped
1⁄2 yellow onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 can El Pato hot tomato sauce
1⁄2 tsp. cumin
1⁄2 tsp. paprika
salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil in the pan
Add pepper, onion, garlic
Saute for about 5 minutes until softened
Stir in the beans, El Pato, cumin, paprika
Season with salt and pepper
Add 1 cup water or broth
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer
Reduce for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to preferred
consistency
Serve over rice with some avocado or sour cream
This is great as is, but carnivores may want to add some meat.
Living in the Polish neighborhood that … -
Ep. 158: "Not Just Living in Their Mom's Basement"
24 december 2025 · 1 uur 6 min
Episode 158: Chris Benson of Benson amps and Bryan Sours of Soursound transformers make their long-awaited returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps. Why? They want to tell us all about the logging truck of an amp they are currently building, a 700-watt(!) all-tube beast dubbed Babylon! Lees meer
The Babylon will feature 14 KT88 tubes, 16 total speakers, three knobs, and two power cords. It's literally the most powerful tube amp they could make without requiring a dryer outlet.
Check our Instagram for a sneak peek at the creation.
https://www.bensonamps.com/
https://soursound.com/
and honorable mention to...
https://bottosbbq.com/Hear the Babylon in person at the 2026 Wood, Wire & Volts festival (or anywhere within a mile or two radius of the show).
https://www.woodwirevolts.com/Deep cuts: Bryan's first appearance on our show can be found here (it's pretty epic) and Chris originally appeared on our 30th episode.
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts. And happy holidays to all of our listeners and Patreon members for their support! We'll be back in 2026.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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Ep. 157: "Coyote and Deer"
18 december 2025 · 1 uur 34 min
It's the 157th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:42 Atmospheric rivers
3:52 Skip's appearance at the Bay Area Guitar Show (Jan 10-11, link)
8:46 Fretboard Journal 58 (coming soon!)
9:57 Unsung electronics hero (and possible con man) Lee De Forest (read his memoir here); power conditioners
17:44 Skip's new trail cam
20:47 One man's trash: Repurposing the square capacitor/resistor found in a Gibson GA-19 RVT/Falcon
22:44 What's on Skip's Bench: A clean early 1969 SF Fender Vibro Champ with a trem that didn't want to go slow; an Ampeg J-20
29:11 Advice on an amp road trip (New Orleans, Phoenix, LA, and Denver)
34:25 What's louder: Two 50-watt halves or one full 100-watt stack of amps
37:29 Using the potentiometers in hi-fi speaker units from the 1950s; the Christmas Jug Band; ukuleles
42:10 What's up with this Winson combo amp? EL84s vs 7189s; garlic bread; Roy Buchanan's The Messiah Will Come Again (YouTube link); Roy Clark and Joe Pass; Van Morrison's "You Are My Sunshine;" The Fretboard Journal's You Are My Sunshine project (link)
50:29 Gigging a 1947 Fender Deluxe 5A3, Brookwood leather
55:40 6L6s in Deluxe Reverbs and Princetons? wild mushrooms
1:00:43 Are all trebles created equal?
1:05:38 Greetings from Canada; Slow Horses (redux); Life on the Line featuring John Travolta (Wikipedia link); chicken curry
1:13:26 Questions re: a Knight 93SX670 PA amp and the phono wiring
1:17:23 WD-40 musings
1:19:33 Just completed my Mojotone Tweed Princeton kit, but what's with this hum?
1:22:50 An RCA MI12155 PA head with no output; Chuck Prophet; Mosquito Coast cocktails; recommended book: 'The Night Train to Nashville' (Amazon link)
1:26:40 The Whole Earth Catalog; Stewart Brand (Amazon link)
1:30:30 Vacuum Tube Valley
Want amp tech Skip Si…
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Ep. 156: "A Hoop and a Stick"
26 november 2025 · 1 uur 47 min
It's the 156th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Special guest Jack Weston joins us with a great Allman Brothers story. Lees meer
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:43 What's on Skip's Bench: a Fender Princeton with reversed input jacks
5:41 Special Guest: Jack Weston, author of 'The Allman Brothers Band: Classic Memorabilia, 1969-1976' (Amazon link)
46:17 The Magnatone Triplex; ultralinear output stages, redux; Bob Wills' The Tiffany Transcriptions
47:35 Raising kids and running a small business; tractor rollovers
51:13 A cooking baffler: Potatoes cooked in resin
52:30 Will my Airline 9003 amp kill me?
55:11 Traynor YGL-3A amps
56:43 Is it possible for a fuse to blow when the amp is fine? Best-case scenarios for a speaker mismatch? Jerry Portnoy's autobiography, 'Dancing with Muddy' (Amazon link)
1:03:02 Movie recommendations: Come See Me in the Good Light; The Lost Bus
1:05:28 The greatest Thanksgiving side dish of all-time? A corn-bread concoction; the 2026 Fretboard Summit (www.fretboardsummit.org); the TAVA Cookbook (Dropbox link)
1:07:37 Good goo: Oxalic acid/wood bleach (Amazon link); Permalac sealer
1:10:43 Using a 6SL7 as a long tail pair
1:13:03 Amps made with 6N2P pre-amp tubes and 6N6P power tubes? Ashen amps
1:15:16 The resurrection of Australia's GoldenTone amps? https://goldentone.com.au/
1:18:39 What should I do with this West Mini IR combo amp?
1:23:37 Hopefulness and despair with a reissue Twin Reverb and a Silverface Champ
1:31:06 What should I do with my Wilcox Gay Recordio recorder
1:38:31 A Califone SP-30 powered speaker; chili
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjourna…
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Ep. 155: "Realistic Carnival"
1 november 2025 · 1 uur 46 min
It's the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended) and more! Lees meer
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal (link); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal?
5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton's 'The North Beach Sound;' The No-Mads (nomadsband.com)
7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (and Mr. Microphone)
18:12 What's on Skip's bench: A Bogen GA-5; a Realistic Carnival; Masco C-6; 6AQ5 tubes
22:53 A listener baffler, answered (speaker re-coning); Vintage 47 amps (link)
26:18 Skip's ep. 154 baffler, answered: What does Skip do when he's modding the second input of a Fender Champ? Supro Spectators
32:51 New Accutronics reverb tanks by Revisit (link)
34:52 What's the low input doing in a Marshall JCM800; green chile on everything
39:20 Lowering the B+ on a 1971 Fender Bassman 10 project; ultralinear transformers; cactus salad
48:43 The long-awaited dog story
51:35 Colin Hay's "Overkill" with Choir! Choir! Choir! (YouTube link); Traynor amps
54:52 Should I treat the pitting on a Soundmaster 600 PA?
1:00:17 Lab Series amps
1:03:39 Smoke-damaged MusicMan HD-130
1:09:20 The dangers of old tractors (and drawbridges)
1:15:34 Modifying the power section of a Twin Reverb for lower volume playing; fixing a Filmosound 385 with hum; Evan Crafts (Instagram)
1:21:26 TAVA listener spotlight: Children's book author Matt James! (Order his new book, The One About the Blackbird (Amazon link)
1:23:56 How to raise kids and run a small business; Mae Ploy curry paste
1:31:16 Barn finds: Spring-loaded input jacks; a 1947 Fender Princeton amp and matching lap steel
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voi…
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Ep. 154: "Compromise the Windings"
17 oktober 2025 · 1 uur 28 min
It's the 154th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. Lees meer
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:42 Skip is back on the Ferguson TO-35 tractor; Roy Clark & Joe Pass
7:04 What's on Skip's bench: A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Marshall bright caps, the Pet Shop Boys
11:43 Our sponsors Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; more Fender Champ mods; a Champ gain input baffler; Soursound transformers
23:51 200 more power cords; IEC hijinks; Steve Soest
28:13 A 1954 Fender Tweed Twins and the low-powered versus high-powered Twins; Tweed Pros; Fender Champion 600 amps
31:49 A Lafayette PA with ECL82 tubes (watch on Instagram)
33:45 A 1960s Airline 62-9021A amp; how to tell a Supro/Valco from a Danelctro amp
37:33 Skip's advice for a future repair business; liability insurance; the Boilermaker; the amp that couldn't be fixed
49:06 A listener-submitted baffler: A Supro that needed a speaker recone?
52:29 What should I do with my new Knight 93350 PA head?
58:03 Should I build a 6G4 or a 6G4A in this Northern Electric PA-20 with six pre-amp sockets?
1:04:28 Wiring a Danelectro DS-100 speaker output for use with other cabs
1:11:10 Recommended media: The Birth of Loud; The Sweeney; Taggart
1:12:52 Burning up chokes in a Princeton Reverb
1:14:13 Listers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo
1:15:18 ESR meters and ceviche
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.
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Ep. 153: "A C in Chemistry"
18 september 2025 · 1 uur 34 min
It's the 153rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps and Skip is having a happy day fielding your amp questions. From cleaning tweed to Magnatone varistors and all points in between, it's 90 minutes of tube amp knowledge, laughs, and some serious California trivia. Lees meer
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:27: The 2025 Fretboard Summit; the importance of repair tags
6:55: Thanks for the mangos, John! And a food preservation tip
8:30: Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!
14:15 What's on Skip's bench? 60 amps in August; great Loma Rica deals; far out tubes
23:29 The big TV tubes in Standel amps (6DQ6 tubes, regulator tubes)
25:49 Skip's near-death experience; The Edwin Hawkins Singers' "O Happy Day" (YouTube)
31:05 Colman's Hot Mustard
31:49 A giant yard sale in Dixon
34:23 More TAVA t-shirts; whatever happened to Jason's Honda Scrambler?
38:04 An antique radio museum in Marysville, California
41:38 Calculating output transformer primary impedance
47:37 Cleaning tweed
49:58 Replacing the varistors in Magnatone/Americana amps; luthier Ken Bebensee; North San Juan, California; the Malakoff Diggins
56:53 Going to Guitar Center, a Gibson GA-20...or was it? Sierra Nevada Brewing Oktoberfest beer
1:01:20 The Rustic Kegger community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tavapodcast
1:02:51 El Pato in Alaska
1:03:41 Fender Tone Ring cabinets
1:05:54 A brown 1962 Fender Super with an 8516 transformer from a TV-front Super
1:11:01 Building a shell for a Falcon chassis
1:12:55 Building a Deluxe 5E3 clone in Brazil
1:20:17 Verellen's solid-state Octal tube (link); how power attenuators work; Benson's Monarch Plus power scaling
1:24:41 Recommended music: Texas Alexander & Lonnie Johnson's "Crossroads" (YouTube); KZFR; Julian Lage; Bill Frisell
1:26:19 Noel Boggs and his Day Sleepers' "Steelin Home" (YouTube)
1:27:16 Recommended reading: The RCA RC-30 tube manual (Amplified Parts link); California's two Sebastopols…
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Ep. 152: "Gridley Bias"
4 september 2025 · 57 min
It's the much-delayed 152nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Lees meer
Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
3:53 Real musicians ARE gearheads (redux)
5:47 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!
6:40 Tom Gunterman gets two Grez's
8:21 Yellow Jacket tube converters
10:27 Standel amps (redux); Todd Clinesmith; National Dobro amps; driver transformers and pre-war amps
17:35 Using an A/B/C switcher box to flip the phase on amp channels
21:45 Thanks to Chicago's own @vintagetubeamplifiers for stocking the TAVA room at the Fretboard Summit
23:28 Building a clone AB763 with more headroom, ultralinear transformers
29:20 Yellow Jacket YJRs; eggs in ramen
32:42 Tom Gunterman, redux!
33:43 Finding joy with a John Kelly amp, until a loud zap and hum; the Western States Endurance Run
42:20 Playing guitar with accordion; the Joe Mooney Quartet; collard greens with kale
47:59 Speaker-to-power ratio on speakers; classic rock; album covers
Note: This was supposed to come out in mid-August (pre-Fretboard Summit), but your overextended co-host messed it up. Sorry. We'll get back on schedule. -Jason
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.
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Ep. 151: "It Starts Out Cool"
25 juli 2025 · 1 uur 20 min
It's the 151st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Lees meer
Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:03:05 What's on Skip's bench: A pile of Standel amps; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware (redux); a baffler of sorts
8:28 Tom Gunterman (Instagram); Kevin from Ohio; Joe Walsh
11:30 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Marshall Capris; Christopher Guest
19:07 Julian Lage and Leo Kottke (tour dates here)
22:45 The Fretboard Summit August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago: https://fretboardsummit.org
23:57 What to do with the unused bass control on a modded Vibrochamp?
31:38 Weak tremolo on a late 1970s Fender Deluxe Reverb; optocouplers
36:36 The Bastard Instrument (Amazon link); the Ampeg book
44:57 A Teisco Melody amp; Takt amps; installing an isolation transformer
55:49 ESR / Multifunction testers
59:51 Channel jumping on a black panel Fender; Yellow Jacket tube converters (Amplified Parts link, we'll revisit this on our next episode...sorry)
1:05:30 The Soundmaster 600; Traynor YGM-3; Fender PS-400 and the Allman Brothers
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.
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Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"
5 juli 2025 · 1 uur 41 min
It's the 150th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! How did that happen? Lees meer
Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (link); salvaging organ pedals
6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (link); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run
11:46 Standel amplifier quirks, voltage regulator tubes, Dave's Hot Chicken kale slaw
16:36 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Amplified Parts is having a Fourth of July sale right now (act fast)
19:17 The Fretboard Summit Pinewood Derby race
22:03 Honorary sponsor: Tin Can Valley Letterpress (link)
23:10 Recommended reading: Matthew Zapruder's 'Story of a Poem' (Amazon link)
25:22 An Ampeg V4 / V4B bias circuit baffler
28:07 Single-ended amp 101; Stouffer's Hotel cherry chocolate cake
41:19 Channel jumping on a Silvertone 1482 and other amps; Neil Young
46:00 Music recommendation: Round Eye from Shanghai
47:11 Why do these homebrew 5F1 clones have blackened input jacks?
49:31 The Fender 400PS schematic
54:18 Harmony 420 amps, making a pre-amp out of a Heathkit volt meter
1:00:05 The Fretboard Journal's Dumble short film with Ben Harper (YouTube link)
1:01:46 Dave Hill at the 2025 Fretboard Summit!
1:02:34 Redwood cabinets on Gibson Falcons; Lima, Peru's Los Saicos band
1:12:21 A-Z Darts in Sacramento (link)
1:16:04 Getting a mono tube hi-fi for music playback
1:23:56 Listener Yann at Body and Soul Instruments (Instagram); the new Robert Johnson book (Amazon link)
1:25:24 Keeping the 12v DC power supply on old PA amps? Doug Hoffman
1:30:54 How far should I mod this 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb?
1:37:24 Ishi in Two Worlds (Amaz…
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Ep. 149: "Have Fun" (Special Guest: Jim Campilongo!)
18 juni 2025 · 1 uur 9 min
Support our sponsors: Amplified Parts; Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars! Lees meer
Acclaimed guitarist Jim Campilongo joins Skip and Jason to talk about his music and gear journey, vinyl treasures, George Barnes playing "Little Rock Getaway" (link), Vance Terry & Jimmy Rivers, Silverface Princeton Reverb love; Celestion G-10 speakers; Laika and the Cosmonauts; and so much more. Plus frozen meatballs!
Follow Jim Campilongo: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/
Jim's Lessons: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/lessons.html
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.
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Ep. 148: "Lining Up"
1 juni 2025 · 1 uur 35 min
We're back with episode 148 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Jason survives a month in Peru; the schematics of acupuncture; speaker break-in; and more! Lees meer
Our sponsors: Amplified Parts; Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars
Topics discussed:
:00 Jason goes to Peru, Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal
11:20 What's on Skip's Bench: A roasted Tweed Harvard
13:18 Spotted on eBay: Packard Bell teaching tool / working schematic
16:13 A 1952 Champion 600 with a 1952 Telecaster
18:54 Skip doesn't hang out with Jack White
24:22: Our sponsors: Check out this groovy Showman at Emerald City Guitars!
31:33 Barry & The Remains; what should I do with this Bell 2122C integrated mono tube amp? slow-cooker chicken breasts with salsa; Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers
41:40 Congrats to listener Marcus, Master of Public Health from Harvard!
42:44 Non-polarized electrolytics
45:58 Alternatives to 6V6s
47:50 Acupuncture point charts vs tube amp schematics
51:01 Deciding on a good speaker; mir a poux
1:03:05 Modding a Harmony 420
1:08:00 DIY cooling fan tips Mouser part numbers: Mouser #490-CFM-4010-13-22, FAN AXIAL 40X10.6MM 12VDC; Mouser #576-01500322H, Fuse Holder ACS INLINE FUSE HOLDER; Mouser #709-APV8-12, Meanwell 8W, 12V, 0.67A power supply
1:11:32 What should I plug a Fender Bass VI into?
1:14:22 Getting a good tone out of a master volume Silverface Fenders? Hal's Grub Steak BBQ sauce?
1:20:16 Pedal steel through JBL D130Fs, breaking-in speakers
1:25:46 Replacing the red module in a 1969 Standel solid state amp; vinegar, syrup and seltzer shooters
1:31:19 Movie recommendation: Steven Spielberg's 1971 film 'Duel'
Recorded May 30, 2025.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Su…
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Ep. 147: "Kosher Sound"
26 april 2025 · 1 uur 48 min
Episode 147 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Jason is headed to Peru, hemp speakers, resistors, modding PAs for harps, Lilly vs Lily at the Fender factory, kosher sound, and more! Lees meer
Fluidics: https://acoustics.org/pressroom/httpdocs/132nd/2aaa8.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ5wZRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA4eUxOc0djNTJqWnJRVVBTAR7SSMwDpCna1oRbSpuMLYDJrD1VRKzf8vbj3V6WOi3icH6LldxBvnOYopsKzw_aem_I4XGzFLTK-gXim_txcL4ig
Our sponsors: Save $20 off Amplified Parts' new MOD vintage amp kits with the discount code TAVA20! (expires April 30, 2025); Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars
Recorded April 24, 2025.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.
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Ep. 146: "Where the Spot Is"
7 april 2025 · 1 uur 30 min
Episode 146 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Troubled drummers, bulk Gatorade, more typewriter and Rockford Files talk, and a bunch of amp questions. Reminder: Amplified Parts now has amp kits! Lees meer
Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:43 The Ampeg book (Amazon link), George Barnes and 'Guitars Galore'
3:43 A 1982 black panel Fender Champ
4:43 A Super Reverb that sounds like a dying motorcycle
6:09 Jason goes to Peru, vicuñas, alpacas
10:23 Some TAVA announcements: Sam Plecker has a new album ('So True'); congrats to John Vanderslice; RIP to Michael Hurley; thanks to Tin Can Valley Letterpress printing (link)
14:37 Ep. 150 idea: Skip's amp guru on the podcast?; servicing a hybrid Standel
18:24 Our sponsors: Save $20 off Amplified Parts' new MOD vintage amp kits with the discount code TAVA20! (expires April 30, 2025); Grez Guitars; and Emerald City Guitars
25:40 Recommended pedal: The Catalinbread Topanga reverb pedal (note: Skip said "Tropicana," but it's the Topanga)
27:45 Replies to last week's Rockford Files Baffler; Jim Gordon, 'Drums & Demons' (Amazon link); Hal Blaine's 'Buh-doom!' comedy album (it's on Spotify) and other Hollywood gossip; more Rockford Files (and letterpress!)
35:46 Accidentally injecting positive feedback into a Precision single-ended amp; tools for measuring plate current
40:23 Cleaning motor oil off of tubes and a vintage microphone; Gatorade and Tang; running a Traynor off of a gas generator
47:37 A smoking 1980s Fender Super Champ and fried resistors
52:51 A 6-watt Princeton Reverb / Vibro-Champ clone in a custom beetle-kill pine tree cabinet
59:02 An amp cabinet with sympathetic strings (Reverb link), explained! Vulture Amplification video one and two; Treeh…
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Ep. 145: "I Have a Swimming Pool"
15 maart 2025 · 1 uur 23 min
Episode 145 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Kahlua brie, replicating Nirvana's In Utero sound, hissy reverb units and more! Lees meer
Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:17 Skip makes even more stuff for John Vanderslice & Tiny Telephone; Skip's take on the MTI Tubes pedal
8:18 Skip's Premier 90-inspired reverb unit
15:20 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Get the Amplified Parts' Spring Reverb Kit here.
19:06 What's on your bench: A Fender Deluxe and Pro; how to work on old Tweeds; orange drop caps
26:20 The Joyo American Sound pedal, redux; SansAmp pedals; Kurt Cobain's 'In Utero' sound (hear listener Brian play the Joyo on YouTube)
27:27 Vintage amps and PAs at the 2025 Fretboard Summit (register here)
28:32 Adding a resistor to bump up the values when measuring on a Fluke multimeter?
31:49 Using a carb cleaning kit for octal sockets (Amazon link); working on Filmosound 385s
34:19 Skip's car restoration; the Swamp book (Amazon link); Benny Hill
40:20 No delete on typewriters; Mitch Hedberg and steamboats (YouTube link)
41:37 A 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket with a hiss
45:21 Skip made the ticking go away; a 5F2A build inspired me to buy a 1961 Fender 6G4-A Super; Kahlua brie with pecans
54:02 A noisy 1970s tube Fender Reverb unit, the magic of NOS pre-amp tubes in single-ended amps
59:02 To be continued: What's the deal with this amp cabinet on Reverb? (Reverb link)
1:01:00 The Garnet amp book (link), the Gibson Amp book on Blue Book's site (cheaper than Amazon!), Gibson Falcon talk, the doldrums of being a flight service specialist (or drawbridge operator)
1:10:21 Recommended reading (at least for the Canucks): Robert Dayton's 'Cold Glitter: The Untold St…
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Ep. 144: "You've Got to Feed Those Things"
24 februari 2025 · 1 uur 36 min
Episode 144 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Flashing Flukes, reflections on NAMM, variable plate capacitors, hot buttered rum (and popcorn!), and more! Lees meer
Need some help with your tube amps? Be a part of our show by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com!
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:13 Jason goes to the NAMM Show, the Dumble relaunch (watch our Instagram video here); Grit Laskin's 'The Stradivari Formula' (link); Wood Wire & Volts (link)
11:49 What's on Skip's bench: A late 1940s Danelectro Vibrovox; Wandre Guitars
20:57 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!
25:14 A confused Fluke 26 Series III meter trying to measure coils and output transformer windings
33:07 The parallel between an acoustic guitar's soundboard and an amp's speaker; recommended reading: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain by Joe Boyd (link)
39:17 A custom-made, single-ended 10-watt 800 JCM-style amp; variable voltage regulators vs. a variac
44:30 Keggers Got Talent: Walnut-maple cabinets from listener Niel F. (check our Instagram for pics)
47:42 Should I use the variable plate capacitors I pulled from a HAM radio?
51:25 Skip on the phone versus Skip on the mic
52:41 Breaking food news: Cuisinart Microwave Popcorn Maker (Amazon link)
57:19 Neko Case's new memoir, 'The Harder I Fight the More I Love You' (Amazon link)
59:18 A Garnet Lifco "stencil" amp, the Garnet amp book (order link)
1:03:07 Taming a reissue Princeton Reverb, redux; the Joyo American Sound pedal (link)
1:07:31 An idea for the "pedal" room at the 2025 Fretboard Summit: https://fretboardsummit.org
1:11:15 Want to attend a Bay Area amp workshop with Skip this Spring? Email us!
1:11:47 Accidentally creating an arc with the probe when checking plate voltages on power tubes, hot buttered rum
1:17:17 Recommended reading: Conquering the Electron (link); making a pre-amp out of a Silvertone Twin 12; Greenlee knockout punches
1:28:45 Who sent S…
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Ep. 143: "The Girl Who Never Rained"
29 januari 2025 · 1 uur 30 min
A throwback, lo-fi landline episode just for the purists! Caller waiting beeps, the state of the guitar show, an energized Skip, and more. Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Recorded on January 13, 2025.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:31: The LA fires
3:34: A recap of the Bay Area Vintage Guitar Show; are guitar shows just for eating now? estuaries and prison proposals
34:00 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!
36:56 The origins of goop; Standel amps and their little plastic boxes, Mark Sampson (aforementioned amp here)
43:24 Skip's death caps (not that kind)
44:56 The ideal workbench setup
50:36 Poetry corner: "The Girl Who Never Rained" by Cole Swensen
54:46 An all-original Setchel Carlson with Flechtheim 2uF British-made filter cap blocks, gas rectifiers
58:15 Can I use the second set of speaker lugs on this amp to use a test cabinet?
1:03:33 The "Larry Revival Process" and modding the standby switch on a Marshall JMP50 Plexi
1:07:52 Why is my 1971 Fender Champ making noise? 1:16:11 Randall Smith's YouTube channel (link); what happens when you pull the V1 12AX7
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line.
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Ep. 142: "Paul Jerky"
24 december 2024 · 1 uur 19 min
It's the 142nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Join Skip and Jason as they field all of your pressing guitar amp questions. Plus...recipes, music and book recommendations and more! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Jingle Bell Rock and other Christmas classics
1:14 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!
5:37 Supermarket Sweep; The Office
7:27 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon page; listener John's Angela parts list
8:27 Another Tweed Harvard by Skip?
9:33 Let's celebrate the TAVA makers; the TAVA Cookbook (Dropbox link)
11:09 A 1970 Davis PA Head with a "tube saver" switch; the Dixon Amp Company (link)
14:17 A Princeton Reverb-inspired amp with a foot switch that won't stop ticking; Vesper martinis; Body & Soul instruments (link); the $1000 tube lot
22:29 Should I be worried that one of my Silverface Champs draws more amps than the others?
26:27 Which diameter Kester solder?
28:39 Inflatable hot tubs; adding trem to a 5E3 kit; Rotel and cream cheese dip
33:48 Angela Super 6V6 Build tips
36:50 Tolex; Little Charlie's Rice redux; Jason on Guitar Magic (link)
40:02 Bomb cyclones, a Tweed Harvard serviced by Skip, homemade cranberry sauce, Weber speaker reconing (link)
45:06 Pique hot pepper sauce (link)
46:39 Bell 2325 hi-fi amp with cathode feedback; pepperoni rolls; Andy Williams
55:19 Charlie Hunter's hybrid guitars with two output jacks; Audio Guild Versatones
1:04:08 Using the reverb driver transformer as an output, Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, redux; making Mexican crema at home; taking the output of a reverb tank and using it in the normal channel for volume, treble and bass controls on the reverb
1:07:59 Two identical amps, but one sounds crappy
1:09:46 Holiday reading/watching recommendations: Joe Smith's Off the Record (link); Donald Brosnac's Guitar Electronics for Musicians …
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Ep. 141: "I've Got an Alamo That I Want to Forget"
28 november 2024 · 1 uur 12 min
Missing your rambling relatives this holiday season? You're in luck! Tune in to Jason and Skip as they ramble through weather reports, amp fixes, book recommendations, reflective impedance, reverb-driven line-out and more on our 141st episode! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:48 Weather report: Rain in the West, bomb cyclones in the PNW
4:32 A 1968 Heathkit catalog with DIY Harmony Guitar kits
6:35 Thanksgiving at the Simmons house
7:09 A noisy Alamo; Pathfinder, the band (link); bands named after amplifiers
8:49 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (Jensen speakers are currently on sale!)
10:58 Deluxe Amplication's red can El Pato Practice amp! (link, I said green on the podcast...my bad)
11:50 Pre-order William J. Simmons' new book, 'Love and Degradation: Excessive Desires in Queer-Feminist Art' (pre-order link)
12:51 Recommended reading: 'The Golden Ocean' by Patrick O'Brian
14:33 What's on Skip's bench? The secret solid state guru in Sacramento, not to be confused with the washing machine guru
18:54 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon page; guided tours of the Skip universe?
20:50 Jason interviews a yogi on the Fretboard Journal podcast (link)
22:35 Adding a half-power switch to a push-pull amp?, tortilla chips
29:48 Would a variac set to 110v help new amps?
31:49 Mullard 10M tubes; going back to school; Skip has all the NOS Amperex 12AX7s
37:58 A Denver TAVA meetup?; one filter cap or two in a Gibson GA-25? Replacing non-polarized electrolytic caps by twisting two regular negative caps together
41:03 More on Skip's new (old) Fender Duo Sonic
48:26 Using your Fender's reverb circuit to drive a speaker; Sherlock Holmes' lazy brother
52:36 Skip is going to make an outboard tremolo pedal
53:09 Why do some reverb tanks have bags?
52:22 A non-alcoholic cocktail featuring ginger ale and cranberry juice
…
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Ep. 140: "Tiny Bits of Tingle"
5 november 2024 · 1 uur 9 min
It's the 140th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons eventually fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! Lees meer
As always, use all advice at your own risk.
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
2:35 What's on Skip's Bench: A modified ES-150 Charlie Christian amp with a non-field coil speaker
4:22 Smilin' Skip's: Stuff for Sale
5:15 Loma Rica's Aztec Recording Studio; the Ralph Shine Blues Band; Skip's new guitar; Sylvia Massy (Sylvia's shop); Weed, California; the Fretboard Summit 2025 (register here)
18:01 Our sponsors (and baby goats): Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (Jensen speakers are currently on sale!)
23:42: Alamo and other budget amplifiers; the COVID gear boost has deflated
25:35 Amp bargains (look for two transformers); a black panel Super Reverb; Silvertone Twin-Twelve and optocouplers
28:53 The Alembic Pre-Amp in a pedal (or two): Frog Pedals (link); Sushi Box FX (link); Mexican Pizza with Boboli pizza crust; starved plate loads
35:41 PSA: You can buy WD-40 by the gallon
38:22 Should I put the original transformer back in my 1966 Fender Princeton?
44:07 Preferred replacement 12AT7 reverb driver tubes
47:26 Two-prong shock in the studio
50:35 A converted Stromberg-Carlson; speaker-driven effects channel? Rudy Van Gelder; the usable range of a bright cap
57:55 A Plush 3000G tubes and tremolo with a mystery rectifier tube
1:03:08 What's with the lettering on my 1950s Rauland Lyric transformer
1:06:47 Putting a JBL in an Ampeg Rocket 2; a Traynor Studio Mate
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line.
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Ep. 139: "I'm Going Negative"
18 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 22 min
It's the 139th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:48 On the bench: A 1974 Alembic pre-amp, a Showman head in disguise
3:58 Webb's Music and a hang gliding pioneer
6:08 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; the Wood Wire & Volts Show in Anaheim (link); Bruce Harvie of Orcas Island Tonewoods
11:10 Skip has a warning for the TAVA Kegger Facebook group...and others
14:38 A luthiers' pet peeve
16:55 Bias modulating tremolo, intensity pots
20:45 Skip works on a Dan Torres-modded amp
21:35 Jason screens his Ben Harper Dumble film in Seattle; Ben Harper on TAVA (ep. 118)
25:34 When does Skip use his tube tester?
28:17 Should I turn this jukebox amp into a guitar amp?
30:52 A monitor out a la GA17RVT; Quilter amps; full-fat Greek yogurt
36:24 When do we get a Marshall/Vox expert on the show?
37:58 A Kroker Triple Toad amp
40:13 Warming up a Nat Daniel-designed amp; separately mounted pre-amp tubes
42:17 Late '60s Fender biasing (AC568)
43:54 Skip's new guitar: A 1966 Fender Duo-Sonic
49:51 The Fender Files on YouTube (thanks, Larry Chung)
52:17 Using 5V4 rectifier tubes in a Matchless DC-30; Nduja mayonnaise (link)
1:00:17 Recommended reading: "There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings" (Amazon link); subbing a 6SL7 for a 6SN7 in a Gibson BR9
1:02:42 Transformer Corner: Using US amps overseas
1:11:07 Recommended music: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley's "Sweet Sunny North;" Steve Melkisethian remembered
1:13:01 A cheap and easy output transformer dynamic test; rebuilding reverb tanks
1:19:54 Skip's map collection
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get…
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Ep. 138: "Check for Ticks"
24 september 2024 · 1 uur 20 min
It's the 138th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! Lees meer
This week, we pay tribute to Angela Instruments founder and former guest Steve Melkisethian (1950-2024); talk resistors and transformers; catch up on the 2024 Fretboard Summit; and much more.
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line.
Some of the topics discussed this time around:
:58 R.I.P. Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag, Mike Bloomfield)
3:08 Our sponsors: Amplified Parts, Emerald City Guitars, and Grez Guitars. (Watch Emerald City Guitars' Fretboard Summit video here.)
5:32 The 2024 Fretboard Summit in a nutshell
10:29 R.I.P Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instrument); read our tribute here
18:42 R.I.P. Stephen Fitzstephens, member of our Kegger Facebook group
19:18 What was Skip listening to as a kid?
22:08 Skip's Music vintage gear headed to auction
24:42 When to use old, mismatched resistors?
26:39 The 2003 interview in Vacuum Tube Valley with Steve Carr (PDF link)
27:41 Removing surface rust from transformers
30:27 A 1964 Ampeg Reverberocket that pops when you turn it off
31:10 You all need a Variac
33:03 A pig farm mini-baffler; Papa Murphy's in a Weber grill
36:56 Dropping the B+ with a solid state rectifier
39:47 Flattening a Fender eyelet board, redux; how to flatten a '70s Fender grill cloth frame?
42:52 Aux phono input on a tube amp; replacing plastic knobs; movie recommendation: 'As It Is In Heaven'
46:48 An original 1963 Fender Vibroverb in the UK with a switchable voltage panel; John Kelly amps; Rainer Ptacek
52:33 How to select an output transformer for an amp when you don't know its specs
1:00:55 The wrong tube in Danelectro amplifiers (12AU6 vs 12AV6)
1:04:02 What's on Skip's bench? An Alamo amp; kudos to Larry Chung
1:05:43…
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Ep. 137: "Walk Around the Yard"
20 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 39 min
It's the 137th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! This week, we talk to special guest, Steve Carr of Carr Amplifiers! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. And come to the 2024 Fretboard Summit.
Some of the topics discussed this time around:
2:22 Steve Carr (Carr Amplifiers) joins us for an enlightening talk about prototyping, speaker cabs, Solen caps, tone controls, and so much more. He even fields a few of your questions!
1:14:17 Big M speaker cabinets
1:16:08 Red Norvo "In a Mist"
1:17:49 Did a rubber tube amp mount just fix my microphonic amp? Easy Brussels sprouts
1:21:45 On the bench: An Epiphone Electar Zephyr
1:23:16 Pre-amps in front of amps that already have pre-amps; the WEM amps used at Live at Pompeii (link); Selmer reverb tanks; was this Philco amp made by Bogen?; pizza stones
1:31:55 Out-of-range potentiometers
1:35:05 Ballast resistors in field coil amps
Plus Hurdy gurdys and more.
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Ep. 136: "Release the Curd"
27 juli 2024 · 1 uur 10 min
It's the 136th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
Don't forget, we have a Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed this time around:
1:11 A Big Boy locomotive chugs through CA
3:42 What's on Skip's Bench: A Valco/National/Airline amp-in-case; a single-ended Soundmaster PA; a Premier Twin 8
10:55 Another round of TAVA shirts? (coming soon)
13:06 Milkman to produce a JBL K120 replica speaker (link); re-coning by Hempopotamus (and Weber)
16:56 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, featuring Blake Mills, Josh Scott (JHS), Colin Hay and so much more https://fretboardsummit.org (Aug 23-25, 2024 in Chicago)
20:29 The Davis Guitar Scene
20:51 Is there a new speaker comparable to the JBL D130F? Artie Shaw
22:43 VHT amps, redux; homemade cheese
28:05 Why did Leo use RCA plugs for his speaker jacks?
32:20 I miss lo-fi Skip; help me isolate the hum on my Magnatone 410
39:45 Favorite solder; avocado toast
43:26 Recommended movie: 'All That Is Sacred' featuring Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, and vintage Key West (link)
44:58 Help me ground my Pepco Riviera 725
48:15 Does the phase inverter tube contribute gain?
49:47 AIMS amplifiers, redux; Don Randall
53:59 Skip (almost) fixes a church organ
1:00:03 Should I wax pot these old output transformers?
1:04:55 Why is there chicken wire in my amplifier? finding the outside foil on a cap
Recorded July 25, 2024.
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Ep. 135: "Liquor, Candy, Model Airplane Magazines..."
26 juni 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
It's the 135th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps. Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this time around:
1:24 Another hopeful story; Winters, California
7:44 The fifth-ever Fretboard Summit: Blake Mills, Adam Levy, vintage amps, new amps, 80 luthiers, JHS and so much more. www.fretboardsummit.org
13:25 One of the greatest boxes of all time: thanks, Ben from Chattanooga!
15:01 Lynn Wheelwright reaches out to Skip
16:33 The very first Standel amp; Tacoma, Washington's Guitar Maniacs
18:53 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars (watch the Dumble video here), Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
22:10 Thank you, John Ross
23:41 Gibson's GA-45 "Velvet Touch"; Terry Dobbs (Mr. Valco) https://valcoamp.com
27:32 The answer to Ep. 134's Baffler: A Tweed Vibrolux
31:44 A Body & Soul El Pato fuzz giveaway? https://www.instagram.com/bsinstruments/
34:00 The last remaining Big Boy locomotive is moving through California; Skip's hobo days https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm
37:26 How to satisfy your customer when only one power tube needs to be replaced? CE Distribution; pimento cheese
47:04 A 5E3 build with too much Fender "bacon;" Ken Fischer
49:51 A Rickenbacker M11 with a 60 cycle hum out of V1
57:22 VHT Special Six, redux
1:03:51 A simple cocktail: A Boyhattan; bitters
1:05:15 The history of AIMS amps; 5 ohm amps; The Mosquito Supper Club's boiled shrimp (link)
1:13:34 The pronunciation police; modding a Silver Panel Fender Champ with a Magnatone 213 tone control
1:17:11 Elemental knowledge; California-built Vox amps; Clarkson's Farm
1:25:00 Is variable input impedance worth experimenting with? Bogen guitar amps
1:29:41 Is the two-prong hat offensive? Are fixed-bias amps more touch-sensitive? the phono input in old PAs; GM/IP on tubes
1:33:15 Recomme…
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Ep. 134: "A Little Debbie Swiss Roll"
29 mei 2024 · 1 uur 27 min
It's the 134th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp. Lees meer
This week, we're joined by jazz guitarist Jonathan Stout where we talk EH-150s, field coil speakers and more!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this time around:
1:23 Triple E jerky and freeze-dried ice cream (link)
2:36 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
6:06 What's on Skip's bench: An Electar Model M with 6N6 power tubes; a National Dobro amp with 2A3 power tubes
13:06 Skip has a Falcon for sale; Mumbo Gumbo
13:58 I put the electrolytic capacitor in backward on a 5F2A build; how coupling caps work; what to do with this Gregory Mark 1?
19:16 Natural year-round lemonade
20:21 How to fix the broken reverb on a vintage Gibson Falcon; open secondaries, someone needs to make a replacement Falcon transformer
22:20 What do you do if you need to replace a capacitor and its original part is different from the schematic? Steve Albini's Gear Dork Videos (Garnet, Samamp)
28:58 Special guest: Jonathan Stout (link)! Field coil speakers; traffic sounds; Gibson EH-150/185 amps; Vintage 47 amps (link); Combs Guitars JJ-150 pedal (link); Quilter 101 heads; the evolution of amplifiers; Junior Barnard; the Echo Speaker jack on a Gibson EH-150, Knott's Berry Farm, Fender Tweed Pros; Marie Sharp's hot sauce; pizza stones; pizza tips
1:03:38 David Lindley; Jackson Browne; Greg Leisz on the FJ's Steel Podcast (link)
1:04:11 Revisiting the Ice Cube
1:06:39 Non-reverb Princeton love; the Brown Box voltage attenuator
1:08:21 This week's Baffler: What amazingly killer amp can you turn a non-reverb Princeton into?
1:08:49 Waiting for a ferry in Snowdonia; early mountain biking
1:14:46 A VHT Special 6 with a useless tone knob
1:18:45 6L6s in a Fender Deluxe Reverb; acceptable idle current range; Rev…
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Ep. 133: "A Spicy Tomato Sauce"
3 mei 2024 · 1 uur 35 min
It's the 133rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed:
1:14 Skip's 1950 Ferguson tractor, the Truth About Lawn Mowers
7:28 A zebra on the loose in Washington State
9:30: This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
12:28 Grez Guitars sends Skip Quique Gomez & Little Charles Baty's Cookin' At Greaseland
16:51 What's on Skip's bench? A 1953 Fender Tweed Pro that needed nearly a complete rebuild
24:14 One solution for the multiple Pignose-amp quandary from ep. 132: Radial Engineering's Shotgun 4-Channel Amp Driver (Amazon link); 100 Vintage Hawaiian Songs (Spotify link)
30:35 Tom Gunterman's lithium battery pack picks from ep. 132, prunes
33:51 RIP Gerald Weber (Kendrick Amplifiers)
35:56 Book recommendation: 'The Birth of Loud' (Amazon link)
37:39 Jason has a jdflyback handblown tube amp! (YouTube link)
40:19 A Fender Vibrochamp that doesn't like my Les Paul, volume-dropping
45:11 Anything worth rescuing from old tube car radios?
48:55 A 1569 Altec power amplifier for guitars? Grange Hall and self-published cookbooks
53:30 A Music Man 115RP with a broken reverb
59:17 An update on last episode's 1972 Fender Princeton Reverb, a homemade signal tracer (based on this Kley De Jong video); 'Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass' by Merlin Blencowe (Amazon link); tahini; 'Servicing by Signal Tracing' by John F. Rider
1:04:24 Why can't I pry this tone pot off of my Harmony H-200?
1:07:10 What does using a tube pre-amp unit in front of your guitar amp actually do? Tube swapping a 6V6 or 6L6 (note: we'll get back to this next week)
1:14:09 Skip's handiwork on the new Taylor Swift album? (Instagram link)
1:17:24 Making a closed cabinet for my Fender Princeton
1:21:19 Are amp techs divas?
Hosted b…
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Ep. 132: "Start Dark"
2 april 2024 · 1 uur 22 min
No guests or special theme this week...just an all-new, old-school episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp. Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed:
1:31 What's on Skip's workbench: Valco amps with a resistor and a normal speaker instead of a field coil
3:46 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy, StewMac, Izotope, and Grez Guitars.
5:04 Thrift store: Revere Ware
8:01 What's the deal with this Leslie Model 18 circuit
15:41 Daisy chaining four Pignose amps to a backpack, tuna salad
20:46 What to do with these orange capacitors? Vacuum Tube Valley, Mexican Martinis
25:38 Skip has a nice mono hi-fi speaker cabinet for sale
27:07 Do speakers ever go out phase on their own?
28:32 Fender Princeton Reverb vs. Tremolux gain stages
31:22 The truth about vintage Sano amps (gumbo recipe found here)
35:47 Seventh-grade Skip; the glider that never touched down
40:11 A source for El Pato in Australia (link: productdistribution.com.au)
41:16 Ampeg Jets and Rockets "with the knobs that point straight up"
43:04 Spotlight on Paradise, California
48:32 Powered vintage speakers, El Pato chili
53:05 Film cap orientation hack and the EH Hum Eliminator/Debugger
58:35 Spotlight on glue
1:03:04 The joys of using lithium-ion batteries onstage to power your tube amps
1:09:43 A 1972 Princeton Reverb that doesn't like a wireless transmitter; a simple fish recipe
1:16:11 How do the dual rectifiers work in the Angela Super Single Ended amp
1:19:17 Rainier beer
1:21:21 Claude Thornhill Orchestra
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!
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Ep. 131: "Sandy Soil"
4 maart 2024 · 1 uur 48 min
Illustrator/musician/underground comix legend Robert Armstrong (Mickey Rat, Couch Potato, the Cheap Suit Serenaders!) joins Skip and Jason this week for a very special installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps. Lees meer
Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!
Some of the topics discussed:
1:38 NOS military-grade green pilot light jewels from Gary Economy (Instagram); leave us an Apple Podcasts review and take a screenshot to enter to win one!; 5879 tubes
3:03 Where is George? (Danger UXB on eBay)
4:48 Rick Estrin and Dennis Gruenling's harmonica workshop, March 16 (link)
6:43 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars; Amplified Parts; Izotope; Stringjoy Strings; and Grez Guitars. Ordering from StewMac? Use this affiliate link to help us out!
11:26 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, August 23-25 (link)
11:49 What's on Skip's bench: A PA head; blown power transformers
13:44 A discount on Eric Daw's amazing Solid Sound guitar wiring book (use TAVA when you check out): https://www.solidsoundbook.com/
16:19 Taming the bass frequency on your amplifier
23:15 Resistors: What does Skip use?
27:27 Special guest: Illustrator/musician/friend/Mickey Rat & Couch Potato-inventor/record collector Robert Armstong (link)! Early Hawaiian guitar recordings; growing up in Fender country but gravitating towards the banjo; Coulter guitars; Hugo Ernst guitars; John DeLapp guitars; playing saw on the 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' soundtrack; animator Ward Kimball; 'Man in Space' (YouTube link); not working at Disneyland; seeing David Lindley at the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle contest; coining the term "Couch Potato;" Bob's tweed Fender Deluxe; Supro Dual Tones; Pee Wee's Playhouse; playing with Sourdough Slim; sheepherder conventions; touring Japan; Ben Pollack's "Two Tickets to Georgia" (YouTube link); playing 78 records today; Al Dodge
1:38:10 John Sebastian gets his dad's PA head back; a Disneyland tube PA
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Ep. 130: "America's Hat"
16 februari 2024 · 1 uur 45 min
It's a very special, all-Canadian episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair! This week, we have special guests Calvin McCormick (Hiwatt) and Mike Watson of The 6L6s along for the ride. Lees meer
Reminder: You should join our Patreon.
Some of the topics discussed:
1:06 Jason heads to the Phoenix MIM Museum (link); the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota (link); the American Banjo Museum (link)
3:20 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Izotope, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars.
6:05 Canadian amp builders worth following: Gary Economy (Instagram) & Lo-Fi Electronic Instruments (Instagram); Stromberg-Carlson 207; Pepco Riviera 725; Lifco Cobra Mark 2; how to make an amp less bass-y; Frazey Ford's "U Kin B the Sun" (YouTube)
13:10 The Velvet Touch
14:31 Our Facebook group (link); how did Skip first notice Johnson and Soundmaster amps?
20:18 Garnet quirks: What's up with the tone stack on this Garnet Revolution II?
23:22 Ted Weber speakers, field coil reconing
23:51 Niagra Falls
25:01 All things poutine; Suuns (link)
30:25 Special guest: Calvin McCormick of Hiwatt! (link)
53:01 Regional Canadian foods: Ketchup chips, coffee crisp, beaver tales, peameal bacon on a kaiser, Newfoundland Screech; the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist
58:23 Outside foil cap orientation on Soundmasters; DC leakage in grid leak bias input caps
1:03:10 The Kahayan 8x4 Selector (link)
1:05:30 What's the deal with this Soundmaster 086 schematic?
1:11:31 Slowing down the trem on a Traynor Custom Reverb YSR-1; Kevin O'Connor's books; Pepco amps
1:17:51 Reducing the noise on the Fretboard Summit Microtone pre-amp; Traynor YGM-3; El Pato chicken
1:23:07 Special guest: Mike Watson of the 6L6s; Lifco amps; Keil Amps; the Velvetone amp; Turner amps; Swampdonkey amps; amps with 6Y6 power tubes; Acrosound
1:43:23 Jimi Hendrix on a Marshall amp
Love the s…
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Ep. 129: "Summer of the Comet"
4 februari 2024 · 1 uur 17 min
Welcome to ep. 129 of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair. Lees meer
This week, it's an (almost) all-Fender episode! Reminder: You should join our Patreon.
Some of the topics discussed:
:44 Jason goes to the NAMM Show
4:20 Skip is fixing his 1961 Comet
9:04 What's on Skip's bench: Three Fender Concerts; 5C1 Fender Champ circuits; a 5-watt Oahu with a 40-watt transformer; a silver panel Fender Champ for sale at Skip's
14:27 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Izotope, and Grez Guitars.
20:36 Ceriatone amps; Divided by Thirteen Amplification gets acquired by Two-Rock
25:20 The art of drawing your own schematic; Robert Kidney's 'Jackleg'
29:56 Increasing gain on a Fender Princeton AA964
33:02 Isolated input/output jacks
35:45 A 1979 Fender Vibrolux with warped MDF baffle board, baffle replacement; good goo wood hardener
42:53 Should I recone the CTS alnico speakers on my rusty Fender Super Reverb or get new speakers? Slovakian Bwoop; Solfood's hot pepper sauce (link)
51:37 Why do my tubes have this crusty stuff around the base? Don Pepino pizza sauce; The Mob Run Pizzerias of NYC, N-Men: The Untold Story (link); Lake Berryessa's glory hole; Ben Harper (redux)
59:07 Help me understand why a tube amplifier needs a load?
1:03:11 The all-Fender episode
1:05:09 What's a good cheap alternative to the Fender Musicmaster I am looking at? Ampegs
1:09:20 Tweed Princeton kit woes … new Champ speaker
Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support us, get to the front of the line with questions, and get exclusive bonus content and surprises:
https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps
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Ep. 128: "The Smells Were Overwhelming"
20 januari 2024 · 1 uur 43 min
Welcome to episode 128 of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair. Lees meer
The first hour of this show probably belongs on our Patreon, but I'm feeling generous and sharing it with everyone. Reminder: You should join our Patreon.
(The amp questions kick in around 49 minutes.)
2:10 Skip goes to the Bay Area Guitar Show: Fancy Gibson ukes, a Martin 00-28, lots of amps, a shopworn Grez, Jimboys Tacos, the bar on San Clemente Island (Yelp), pupusas
33:46 Gibson reissues the Falcon (link)
40:03 Skip fixes a refrigerator
43:51 Skip loses his dentist and finds Trader Joe's; musician/illustrator Robert Armstrong (link)
48:52 A 1961 Harmony H322 bass amp that isn't loud enough
53:38 A vintage Gibson Falcon with a flickering pilot light; D-cell batteries
56:18 Using a thermistor to slowly ramp up voltage on old amps, the new Toyota Landcruiser
59:17 Do you want to be an old car guy? Skip's 1961 Mercury Comet; Jason needs a body shop
1:04:17 My house's dimmer switches are driving me nuts
1:07:47 Why did Fender change the plate resistors on the Bassman?
1:11:44 Using the signal from just before the phase inverter on a push-pull amp to drive another amp
1:15:31 Skip sees a bobcat
1:15:58 Draw differences between matched pairs of the same tubes
1:20:41 Distortion on the Normal channel vs Vibrato channel on vintage Fender amps
1:23:51 How to expand the volume range on a Masco PA; the Necromancer cocktail recipe; Groove Tube tube adapters
1:31:22 A low-watt amp for bedroom playing; power-adjusting amps; music recommendation: Issa Juma And Super Wanyika's 'World Defeats the Grandfathers'
1:36:39 A push-pull output transformer in a single-ended amp
Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, Izotope, and Grez Guitars.
Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support us, get to the front of the line with questions, and get exclusive bonus conte…
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Ep. 127: "The Rogue Hoe"
29 december 2023 · 51 min
We're closing out 2023 with special guest Bill Krinard of Two Rock! Lees meer
https://www.two-rock.com
I won't even attempt to annotate this episode but Bill joins us at 5:36 and fields a bunch of listener-submitted questions on transformers with dissimilar primary windings; Two-Rock's design process; how he uses oscilloscopes; Ampegs; Filmosound mods; potentiometers; harmonic content; and more.
Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars
Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support us, get to the front of the line with questions, and get exclusive bonus content and surprises:
https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps
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Ep. 126: "They Do Eventually Die"
16 december 2023 · 1 uur 41 min
Transformer talk, spaghetti carbonara, goat horn jazz, and more transformer talk...it's the 126th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:48 Skip types out a tube chart
3:16 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars; the art of bargaining at a guitar show; the Bay Area Vintage Guitar Show; Premier and Alamo amps
7:43 A Marshall Major PA-200 head at Emerald City (link)
11:48 What's on Skip's bench: an RCA PA head; Bill Krinard's return to the podcast?
15:08 RIP Earl Yarrow & Shep the dog
18:26 Junior Bonner
21:40 More Earl Yarrow
23:50 Brandy and soda
24:30 What to use in my Princeton Reverb clone: A Soursound 12-watt transformer or a Hammond 14-watt?
28:01 What to do with one single can of El Pato; avant-garde guitarist Havard Skaset; Los Pericos Quadradas chips (link); Norwegian goat horn player Karl Seglem's "Mytevegar" (Bandcamp)
33:23 Help my humming Vintage 47 Mini
37:52 What to do with a 1964 Magnatone 401, one-to-three input transformer, how to not get shocked
42:43 Should we be burning-in our amps after repairs?
46:21 Converting a Bogen MO30 to a Fender Pro circuit
51:44 Recording a tube amp at low volume by pulling the phase inverter
53:21 1952/1953 Fender Tweed Deluxes with low gain instrument jacks, input impedance
55:44 Armadillo Amp Works cabinets
56:20 Is this serviced 1970 Fender Bassman head still a Fender Bassman? gifting a tweed Bassman to your nephew
1:01:25 Thanks for the TAVA show notes; what's the deal with my one-knob, early 1960s Gibson Skylark GA-5?
1:06:50 What output transformer to use on my Trainwreck clone? Dynaco transformers
1:09:03 Heritage Auctions' typewriter sale (link)
1:10:49 Spaghetti carbonara; gutting a Peavey VTX Heritage 130 to build a bass amp with an ultra-linear transformer; Sunn amps
1:14:40 The magic o…
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Ep. 125: "Put Your Hands on the Hood"
21 november 2023 · 1 uur 9 min
It's the 125th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:51 Skip works on a Jim Kelley Amp, built-in attenuators, the magnetic field caused by a Tweed Bassman speaker
3:30 Skip needs an RCA MI-12155 schematic
3:56 Making stuff for the Bay Area Guitar Show
6:51 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars.
8:12 Our 2023 Voltic DTF pedal Dad joke winner: Keith F with "Why did Skip have to marry Mrs. Simmons? From the day he solder, he couldn't resistor."
9:34 A basic servicing check-list of what to do when you get a vintage amp
15:36 An early 1960s Tweed Princeton branded Harvard, tensioning the input jack
22:22 Modar-branded guitar amps; tube lineup of EF86, 6BQ5, EZ81
23:51 Trainwreck amplifiers; the tone difference between a single 8 ohm secondary winding vs four separate 1 ohm coils wired at 8 ohms
25:47 Should I buy this Peavey Triumph 120 combo?; five-pin footswitch replacement
28:15 Dummy load vs speaker when working on amps
30:55 How to replace the battery circuit on a Bogen E66 portable PA, ice cream truck-specific amps, the Fretboard Brewery
35:45 5Y3 rectifiers, demystified
39:00 Rancho Gordo beans, redux
39:46 An inspiring 1966 Champ and a vegan pumpkin pie
45:24 A hi-fi Eico ST-84/Dynaco ST-70 with the balance way off, RIP Earl Yarrow
55:22 Servicing a Carr Mercury; 12AT7 versus 12ZX7 pre-amp tubes
1:01:04 What to do with a 1980s Fender 30 with a weak second channel? a rare Ampeg B-15N
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. Happy holidays, everyone!
Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises:
https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps
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Ep. 124: "Night Train"
7 november 2023 · 1 uur 10 min
It's the 124th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons: Conductive paints, speaker impedance mismatches, pizza hacks and lots of dad jokes! Lees meer
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:57 Skip works on a Jim Kelley Amp
6:30 Rancho Gordo beans, redux
7:49 Converting a SF Champ to the Princeton schematic and recommended plate voltages; Skip makes a tweed Harvard out of a Champ; pilot light washers from Daniel Petrzelka (Instagram: @dpetrzelka)
13:39 The 1970s Whole Earth Catalogs are now online (link)
15:21 What makes a great A/B box?
17:24 A '55 Tweed Bassman with a replaced output transformer and 7025s; Skip finishes the Tweed Deluxe overhaul
25:41 Impedance mismatches in 1950s Fender amps, using the external speaker output
31:26 Did David Lindley play on the Rockford Files theme song? Toots Thielemans
33:43 Eminence, Kentucky and Colonel Sanders
35:07 Can anything other than tubes be microphonic; the one-wire mod to have the reverb and tremolo on both channels on a Fender
37:12 Fuse-eating rectifier tubes on a Victoria Bandmaster clone; 5U4 vs GZ34 tubes
39:38 Converting a '50s Philco record player console for guitar use; Commander Cody; the Louvin Brothers' 'Satan Is Real'
43:26 Bringing up an old amp on a Variac
48:49 Experiments with conductive paints
52:36 Very loud noise floor in a low-wattage amp
56:21 A tube amp setup to compliment the Fender Tonemaster Pro
1:00:00 Biasing an old record player amp
1:05:22 Homemade pizza hacks, pizza stones, buying dough, Don Pepino, Rainier beer
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises:
https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps
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Ep. 123: "Salt to Taste"
11 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 47 min
Today, we celebrate the millionth download of our podcast with one of our favorite conversations to date: Longtime TAVA contributor Larry Chung joins Skip and Jason to talk about the zen and art of early tube amp restoration and so much more. Lees meer
We also tackle a bunch of questions from our listeners about PAs, field coil speakers, guitar amp finds, and other surprises. Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:43 Thanks to you all, our Truth About Vintage Amps just hit a million downloads!
2:21 Our millionth download giveaway: Voltic Electronic Devices DTF fuzz (Instagram). Enter by November 1, 2023!
4:17 Special guest Larry Chung: Getting electrocuted on his first amp repair; Skip's OG appearance on Fretboard Journal Podcast #224 (link); a love for '30s and '40s PAs and amplifiers; the intrinsic joy of working on amplifiers; 'How to Repair Small Appliances' by Jack Darr; 6N6/6B5 tubes
29:43 Radio's Master and the hidden value of old catalogs
33:12 Why was the dark art of speaker reconing never documented?
35:20 Larry's unique approach to components when it comes to antique amplifiers; not rushing amp restorations
40:54 A not-so-stock blonde Tremolux; a White amplifier found at the dump; Soursound transformers (link)
48:08 The tone circuit in Gibson EH-150s with the high/low settings, collecting amps as a reference library
51:03 The sound of a field coil speaker vs. a standard speaker with the same amp
53:17 Do field coil speakers need maintenance beyond the actual speaker? the upper response of field coil speakers
57:58 Field coil into ground amplifiers
59:07 A Skip-serviced Masco Audiosphere 10 for sale in Amsterdam
1:00:15 How to dry out an amp that's been soaked by a storm; Kenny Vaughan's "Mysterium" (YouTube)
1:04:23 A Precision Electronics PE-25 PA head that sounds terri…