The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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176 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Ep. 72: "You Look Older"
19 juni 2021 · 1 uur 18 min
Episode 72 of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where amp tech Skip Simmons reminisces about cheap regional beers, smooth trailin' and Brazilian cocktails. As always, he also fields your questions on all-things-tube-amp. So keep the questions coming... Lees meer
This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
2:46 Sam Plecker from Pulga
4:51 Skip's music recommendations: Jim Hall & Paul Desmond; Chuck Wayne; Kenny Burrell; Luiz Bonfa; Phil Baugh; Pat Martino
8:24 Skip's Red Foley Guitar, a Vox book giveaway
16:06 Analog Outfitters, redux
17:11 Funky tremolo on a 6SL7 Ampeg Rocket
23:44 Vingtor amps, Part Fire (that's "four" in Norweigan); East German PAs
27:45 What does the cathode follower do?
31:20 Magnatone 480 reverb fix , NPN transistors (thanks Chris at guitaramptech.com.au)
34:40 Premier 100R; Vega and Ampex amps
37:12 RIP Ned Beatty, Fat (not Short) Monroe
37:38 The magic of Kalamazoo Model 2's, Fender-style inputs
41:37 A 1970 Traynor YGM-3 with howling reverb
47:01 Why the plus in B+ voltages
50:35 Recommended reading: Allen Furst's Night Soldiers
51:50 Skip needs an horologist
53:20 WD-40, again; moisture on a Mesa Boogie PCB board
1:00:39 The Oroville McDonalds
1:03:11 A Yamaha EM-100 mixer (free), a Remington Model Five, California Typewriter
1:07:08 An in-person taping of TAVA? Jason heads to California; the Crumb Brothers from Reno
1:10:21 Booze talk: Leblon Cachaca from Brazil; caipirinhas
1:13:17 Recommended replacements for Astron caps; Mallory 150s; regional cheap beers
1:17:23 Josh Yenne's extended family?
Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron (yes, Skip does get the money) and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends.
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Ep. 71: "I Analyze My Spectrum"
4 juni 2021 · 1 uur 25 min
It's the 71st installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps, featuring noisy Fenders (and a Vingtor!), clip-on fans, more candy cigarette talk and other surprises. As always, tech Skip Simmons is here for you, fielding your questions on all-things-tube-amp. Lees meer
This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:26 Jury duty
7:14 Cool tools: Using a rifle brush to clean a 1/4" input jack (thanks Acmeverb.com!); feeler gauges; Jay Knox's film roll hack; Pinnochio
14:50 Skip is an idiot; a sleeper '60s Gibson amp
19:44 Mr. Valco
22:44 Ned Boynton; variable intensity vibrato on a Magnatone
24:54 A 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb with fading volume
32:51 A 1972 Fender Deluxe Reverb versus a Silvertone Twin Twelve in a band setting; the Clientele's 'Suburban Light'; Ilegal tequila mezcal
40:12 Chewing matches
42:27 A damp and noisy Norwegian Vingtor amp
48:45 Instapot talk; ground switch redux; using a Variac to break-in speakers; Bob Newhart; Nelson Riddle; sweet potato fries
58:35 Grant Willis (valveheaven.com); using halogen lamp isolating transformers as output transformers
1:01:15 Restoring a free vintage Precision ES-550 oscilloscope
1:07:58 Multiple output taps and negative feedback loops on a Fender clone build
1:11:49 Fender Super Twin opinions
1:17:38 A hot transformer on a boutique tube amp in (Analog Outfitters The Road)
1:20:58 Allen Encore amps
1:23:22 A Magnatone M-12 with one channel that doesn't work
Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends.
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Ep. 70: "Everything Matters and Nothing Matters"
20 mei 2021 · 2 uur 7 min
On this very special TAVA episode, Skip and Jason welcome audiophile guru Michael Fremer (Analog Planet, Stereophile) for a lively talk about modern day hi-fi, tube vs. solid state stereo systems, vinyl's comeback, affordable stereo gear and more! We also field a few questions that actually involve guitar amps, talk tomato paste, Bathyspheres and more. Don't worry amp purists, we'll get back to all of your gear questions on Ep. 71. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy! Lees meer
As always, we're also sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
5:04 7199 to 6GH8 tube adapters from Amplified Parts
14:34 Customer Tom picks up a Fender Bassman with a 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza
20:08 Herbie Mann and Duane Allman
20:44 Deluxe's 200th El Pato-Tone practice amp (farewell video here)
21:40 Special Guest: Audiophile writer Michael Fremer (analogplanet.com!): Michael's lefty Strat; Max's Kansas City; tube vs. solid state audiophile gear; vintage Saabs, CDs vs. vinyl; Elac speakers; AR turntables; Schiit SOL turntable; U-Turn phono pre-amp; A/C cords; double-blind tests; Quincy Jones vs. Michael Jackson; the size of the audiophile industry; recommended records (Herbie Hancock's 'My Point of View', Duke Ellington's 'Masterpieces', 'Plastic Ono Band'); cocaine; reel-to-reel players!
1:21:24 Skip's book pick: 'Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss,' by Brad Matsen
1:26:27 Aftermarket transformer picks in a post-ClassicTone world
1:33:14 How to test a bunch of tubes, easily; old tubes in new amps
1:38:03 Using a loop pedal to voice amps
1:39:30 When Fender eyelet boards go bad
1:44:31 A Magnatone 480 baffler
1:47:07 "Medical grade" 12AX7s?
1:52:13 Amp packing 101
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Ep. 69: "Candy Cigarettes"
7 mei 2021 · 1 uur 26 min
The 69th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Once again, amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all-things-tube-amp. Lees meer
Use the discount code TRUTHV150FF to save $15 off Caddis readers.
As always, we're also sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
3:09 Skip gets his Caddis readers
5:52 Skip's $260 Ampeg Reverberocket 2; vintage mono hi-fi speakers
11:53 Skip's Champ mod, redux; radial caps instead of axial caps
16:37 A Gibson GA-5 reissue with extra stuff between the coupling capacitor and the second stage of the 12AX7
22:32 Wandering Boy Guitars (link)
29:00 Why velcro on the speaker grill cloth? John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series
35:07 Jason's new podcast: Sweep the Floor (link)
35:42 Presence control versus top cut control
42:10 The Gibson Hawk's one-tube reverb circuit
46:29 Mismatching speaker impedance on a 1959 Gibsonette GA-8; Roald Dahl's 'Kiss Kiss'
51:37 Maximum efficiency speaker mismatching with a Supro 1610RT and a Dr. Z Maz 38 S; washing white rice
55:58 Music recommendations: Blackalicious' "Feel That Way;" Steve Wonder's 'Talking Book,' Sam Plecker's "Mr. Gray Cloud"
1:00:50 Using keyboards and synths with vintage tube amps
1:05:00 All-Clad's factory second website (homeandcooksales.com)
1:05:42 What to do with 100v line output transformers in old PA amps
1:09:49 Filter cap values in relation to power transformers; Arnica gel
1:15:44 The three pillars of BBQ sauce; basquecompany.com
1:19:25 Bulging caps in a Bogen DB-130 amplifier; La Costena Salsa Taquera
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends.
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Ep. 68: "All Will Be Revealed"
23 april 2021 · 1 uur 38 min
The 68th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with special guest Jef Brown! Lees meer
Use the discount code TRUTHV150FF to save $15 off Caddis readers between now and April 30, 2021.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
7:30 The details you should never annoy your amp tech with
12:23 El Pato references, explained; the El Pato-Tone practice amp (almost sold out); Knorr bullion cubes
19:19 A reissue Fender Twin Reverb with an irritating noise floor and vibrato
23:42 What to do with old 2 ohm Rola speakers; funky capacitors from a vintage Yamaha organ
30:96 Special guest: Jef Brown (Leighton Amplifiers; Southside Guitars) with more amp hacks and troubleshooting knowledge: The 3.3 meg resistor mod to 5E3s (revisited); Southside Guitars; Gibson KEA amp hacks; chokes in a power supply; a Super Reverb soaked in WD-40; new parts gone bad; a buzzy Princeton Reverb; a Fender Tone Master with misplaced grid stop resistors; a Marshall Plexi with a bad LCR filter cap; lead dress; filter caps on a clone Princeton; when to move on from a new speaker; using Fela Kuti/Burning Spear to break in a new speaker; the proper way to wire a three-prong cord to an amp with a fuse.
Technical Note: Around 28:00, Jason's good mic somehow stopped working. Thankfully, this episode becomes the Jef and Skip show shortly thereafter so it won't affect you too much.
There's a lot of deep knowledge in this episode; dig in!
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
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Bonus: Mini Wall of Sound Builder Anthony Coscia
14 april 2021 · 51 min
TAVA Discounts: Use the discount code THETRUTH10 to save 10% off your order from Amplified Parts between now and April 15, 2021. Lees meer
Use the discount code TRUTHV150FF to save $15 off Caddis readers between now and April 30, 2021.
The Truth About Vintage Amps' Skip Simmons and Jason Verlinde talk to Anthony Coscia, who just completed one of the wildest passion projects ever: a working, 1/6 scale model of the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound, the audiophile-grade PA system the band employed during their concerts in 1974.
Coscia, a deadhead who makes speaker cabinets and guitars as Coscia Guitars (Facebook link) ended up spending over 200 hours building cabinets, individually soldering and installing 390 tiny speakers (some meant merely for cell phones), and even creating a lighting rig for this miniature PA. He posted the updates to followers on his "Petite Mur De Son - Mini Wall of Sound" Facebook page (link).
Upon completion, Coscia donated it to non-profit HeadCount, where someone contributed $100,000 to be the next Mini Wall's owner.
With momentum and a recent Wall Street Journal front page article (link) celebrating his accomplishment under his belt, Coscia is already plotting his next, even bigger Wall. It's the real life tale of one of best pandemic projects we've heard of.
Apropos of nothing, Skip and Jason also go over the Geloso G-18R discussed on Ep. 67 of TAVA.
We hope you enjoy this joint Truth About Vintage Amps / Fretboard Journal Podcast bonus episode.
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Visit fretboardjournal.com for more photos and a partial transcription of this episode.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Grez Guitars, Amplified Parts, Caddis, Folkway Music, Retrofret Vintage Guitars, and Mono Cases.
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Ep. 67: "Space Food Sticks"
9 april 2021 · 1 uur 39 min
The 67th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Lees meer
TAVA Discounts: Use the discount code THETRUTH10 to save 10% off your order from Amplified Parts between now and April 15, 2021.
Use the discount code TRUTHV150FF to save $15 off Caddis readers between now and April 30, 2021.
Highlights: Capacitor talk (leaking and otherwise), fancy square dance rigs, more reverb taming and a special guest from the craft beer industry!
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:29 Colleen Fazio's YouTube channel (YouTube link; listen to Colleen on TAVA 44)
:40 Recommended amp tech in Seattle: Jesse at Acmeverb.com
3:07 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars, Amplified Parts, Caddis
6:12 Taming the reverb in a combo amp with a tone circuit, redux
10:39 The '68 Custom Line from Fender
16:14 Vintage capacitors in Fenders: Myths and realities
20:26 What to do with leaky caps that sound great?
25:24 Replacing electrolytic capacitors with exact value matches or close enough? Plus: Eric Johnson's pilot lamp hack returns!
31:08 Skip's "George Thorogood" story
35:05 Skip finds a Red Foley cowboy / stencil guitar
36:55 Can too much boost hurt your amp?
39:39 Special guest: Marty from the Oregon Coast (Martin Bills, Director of Brewing Operations, Pelican Brewing!): Everybody's Brewing, the Mini Wall of Sound, the actual Wall of Sound, McIntosh Amps, Jerry Garcia's onboard buffered effects loop (Wolf Guitar), Deluxe Reverbs with 6L6s, gumbo explorations
1:13:00 Ampeg B-15/B-12 reliability, blackened cabbage
1:18:43 Putting a 6SL7 tube in a Gibson BR-9
1:22:35 Taming the "Traynor tang" on a YGM-3
1:26:04 The two-amps-in-one Hilton HP-95
1:28:56 Turning a low-watt amp into a harp amp, Kalamazoo Model 1s
1:31:48 What's going on with the Geloso G-18R; 6N7 tubes (Note: We'll walk through this schematic on our next episode)
1:35:16 Test equipment for grabs: a Ballantine volt meter; a Hickok 532 tube tester
Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-dep…
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Ep. 66: "The Doves and the Turkeys"
26 maart 2021 · 1 uur 38 min
TAVA Discount: Use the discount code THETRUTH10 to save 10% off your order from Amplified Parts between now and April 15, 2021. Lees meer
Skip takes a fall, but still manages to help you troubleshoot your tube amps. Plus: Our long-awaited Deluxe schematic primer, recommended short stories, obsolete bass lures and more.
1:33 Skip and the haystack
5:30 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars, Amplified Parts (Watch Josh Yenne demo a Grez Mendocino here.)
9:57 Jason's new podcast on makers and creators: Sweep the Floor (Apple Podcasts link); plus: The Truth About Recording & Mixing podcast (Apple Podcasts link)
12:35 The new issue of the Fretboard Journal (link)
16:54 A 1965 Ampeg G-12 with screeching reverb; a Silvertone 1484 with a rusty transformer, eddy currents
26:59 Is it worth restoring a Tweed Tremolux that works but has all-new caps and resistors?
34:34 The Johnson Silver Minnow
36:12 Putting Bozak audiophile speakers in a guitar amp, making a hi-fi into a guitar amp
43:06 Taming a Bogen PA head-turned-5C3-Deluxe style amp
47:33 Is canned salsa the circuit board amp equivalent of Mexican food?, Diana Kennedy
53:06 Two nearly-identical 1960 5G9 Fender Tremolux amps... one sounds way better. Why?
1:01:13 Potential guest: Roy Rogers
1:02:39 What to do with asbestos in your amp?
1:05:50 Goldentone amps, redux, and a music recommendation (Eddy Current Suppression Ring's "That's Inside of Me" Spotify link); get Mat Fitzwilliam's Goldentone amp book here
1:08:27 Taming a Fender Blues Deluxe reverb with a reverb volume control box
1:13:05 Baxandall tone stacks in a 1972 Traynor YGM-3
1:18:26 Skip's Deluxe schematic walk-through, part one (Robrobinette.com has the 5C3, 5E3, etc. schematics you may need here)
1:31:52 Skip's literary pick: Tim Gautreaux's 'Same Place, Same Things'Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fret…
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Ep. 65: "Aim High"
11 maart 2021 · 1 uur 31 min
Bribed with cans of El Pato, guitarist Nels Cline joins Jason and Skip on this week's Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast for a transparent talk about amplifiers and hot sauce. Lees meer
Plus... listener questions, PA conversions, upcycling all those holiday spices, animal husbandry and more.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
0:12 Special guest, Nels Cline! Amplifiers (Webster-Chicago, Milkman, Studious, ZT Lunchbox), hot sauce (Mellow Habanero from heatonist.com), and music (Wilco, resonator sextets, Oregon, Ralph Towner, Weather Report, Ohmme, and more)
45:01 Today's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars
46:07 Poll: Skip walks you through Tweed Deluxe and Brown Deluxe differences OR Fender Princeton iterations
47:59 Schematic Heaven (link)
49:49 The answer to last week's Where's the Fender Death Cap? baffler
51:10 Fine tuning the reverb on a Gibson-made Maestro Reverb Echo
57:58 Marriage advice
1:02:53 What to do with a 100-watt Lafayette PA with the expander circuit? Make a Sorrel cocktail with old holiday spices (link)
1:09:21 How to determine when capacitors need to be replaced
1:15:06 Fixing a Gibson EH-150, in pieces, with a bad field coil speaker; putting a field coil speaker in a non-field coil amp
1:22:02: Is a Gibson EH-150 Class A Push-Pull? What is Class A?
1:24:34 The Country Side of Harmonica Sam (YouTube link)
1:25:52 Streaming radio stations on the internet
1:27:15 Why do so many amps in the Jack Darr book have the volume in the front of the first stage?Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.
Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
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Ep. 64: "Little Tiny Kites"
27 februari 2021 · 1 uur 10 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: iZotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your order), Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
1:36 What's on Skip's Bench: A Magnatone / Estey T-32 amp; Digs of Marysville, Calif.
7:51 The TAVA Patreon page (link)
11:04 The TAVA Index Page: See nearly every topic we've ever discussed (link)
15:28 Tolex tips
20:52 Gibson EH-150 vs. EH-185, Larry Chung, trebuchet hobbies
26:01 Changing the tone of a reverb tank on dual-channel Fenders, speaker-driven reverb
30:54 Going two-prong on a 1963 Fender 6G15 reverb tank, re-installing carbon-comp resistors
35:21 Baffler! Why don't reverb units have a death cap?
38:04 Making reverb less bright with a volume pedal hack
40:45 A DeArmond's volume controlled via a pedal
42:30 Skip's cocktail sauce, Jason's kale (h/t Frank Prisinzano on Instagram)
46:37 Ronald Reagan's Press Secretary
49:29 What to do with an Epiphone Futura and speaker reconing, Ted Weber recone parts (link)
56:03 Removing extraneous parts in a PA conversion, making an Ampeg B-15 clone
1:00:00 Sticking an amp in an old Conn StroboTuner, power cords, amprepairparts.com (link)
1:05:41 The tone of a 1959 Bassman, without the BassmanHave a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
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Ep. 63: "Chapter Four: Handles"
11 februari 2021 · 1 uur 50 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: iZotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your order), Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
1:13 Three nightmares left
7:17 Sam's Wurlitzer 920 combo amp from Ep. 62, revisited
9:14 Special guest: Ian Moore (Austin, Vibroluxes, Deluxe Reverbs, Marshall mods and salsa dona!)
44:26 What to do with an unusual 1968 Gibson Falcon chassis missing a cabinet?
48:48 Building a clone of Ampeg R-12-R Reverberocket
56:21 A vintage Jenson P-15Q with a quarter inch jack mounted on the speaker frame
58:14 Mary Halvorson
59:31 A Dukane PA with a low B+ voltage
1:03:21 How did Skip accumulate a barn full of PAs?
1:09:09 "Historic" or "historical;" a Bogen Challenger CHA33 with pitting on the chassis
1:15:00 How to properly use an ESR Meter; the Anatek Blue ESR meter (link)
1:19:00 The dwell on a reverb tank
1:21:02 Where does distortion come from; author C.J. Box
1:23:12 Testing a vintage power transformer before you install it
1:26:46 Mathew Fitzwilliam's Goldentone Amp book, revisited (link)
1:27:15 Restoring a Goldentone 1761 Soloist; ozvalveamps.org
1:30:33 Chris from Deluxe Amplifications' amp chassis holder (YouTube, blueprint available on our Patreon)
1:33:39 Guitar Shorty
1:36:36 The smallest mountain range in the world
1:37:32 Installing a separate filtercap eyelet board in a BF Fender
1:41:19 Using a vintage Jensen C12S speaker in a Princeton Reverb clone; bean pasta
1:49:15 Shrunken model airplane tissueHave a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 62: "Just Call Me Ike"
28 januari 2021 · 1 uur 35 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: iZotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your order), Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
1:00 California weather and old dogs
3:08 Sharpening knives, Carter Cutlery (link)
8:51 How not to ship amps and amp parts
13:09 SAMS Photofacts and obscure schematics
18:36 Making the reverb in a Fender-style amp less bright
23:05 Why are boutique amps so expensive; Benson Chimera (link); improving an amp's tone by unplugging the reverb tank; a DYI Ice Cube; El Pato
30:58 The layout of Skip's workspace
37:00 Building an amp out of a tape deck with 250k volume and tone pots, redux
43:21 An Ampeg M-15 with a thumping tremolo
46:36 A vintage Weller 8200 solder gun with a smelly tip
49:41 Adding speaker-driven reverb to a 5E3 clone without using a second amp
52:13 Converting a Kalart 7015 projector into a guitar amp, Filmosound conversions, Tex Amps
58:19 Recommended reading: All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (Amazon link, thanks Brian in Seattle)
59:40 Recommended watching: Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself (on Hulu)
1:02:14 British amp heads at 16 ohms, Rick Beato's YouTube channel (link), leftover holiday spices
1:04:59 What to do with a Wurlitzer 920 combo amp?
1:09:22 Preserving a completely original 1953 Gibson GA-20
1:15:35 Sweet potato fries
1:16:05 A Masco MA-35 powered up with no speaker, dried white onions
1:23:46 The grounding switch on a Fender, spiking store-bought ranch dressing with Balsamic vinegar, death caps
1:31:44 Slowing down the vibrato of a vintage Magnatone 440
Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to …
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Ep. 61: "Less Than Zero"
19 januari 2021 · 1 uur 13 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
6:15 Jason gets a Martin 110 amplifier
13:24 A DeArmond amp anomaly
15:47 The Truth About Recording and Mixing (link)
16:15 Skip's speaker-driven reverb / speaker-driven line out schematic (see our Instagram for the image)
39:19 Figuring out the distortion profile in a scratch-built amplifier
43:39 Skip makes a tube fuzz; Rustoleum Hammered paint
45:12 Updates on Skip's model plane, gopher bait
47:37 Herniating amps via speaker changes
53:17 The mystery oil in a Standel echo unit
57:44 A 1967 Fender Bassman that keeps shattering tubes
1:05:05 Saving a cracked two-prong plugHave a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 60: "10 and Up"
3 januari 2021 · 2 uur 8 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's episode:
2:35 Skip gets a new knife (Carter Cutlery)
6:21 Restoring a 1961 Mercury Comet
9:13 Mathew Fitzwilliam's book on Australia's Goldentone amps (link)
21:24 What to do with a Masco MA-35 PA head, 7-series loctal tubes
29:40 The Bogen RP-1 Mic Pre-Amp
35:39 Keith Cary's mic pre-amp / headphone hack
38:44 Early Fender Princeton GZ34 rectifier tube alternatives
45:11 Shielded wire vs. unshielded wire in the circuitry of old PA heads
50:23 Converting a Webcor reel-to-reel into a guitar amp
59:19 Keeping a vintage reverb tank alive (Gibson Maestro M216-RVT amp, MOD tank upgrade, shortening a vintage reverb spring)
1:08:51 Skip builds a Piper Cub model airplane
1:21:28 Speaker recone kits (link)
1:27:59 Proper tremolo speed / depth on a Fender 6G3
1:32:08 Klon pedals and outboard tube-driven overdrives
1:36:52 Is my Gibson GA-9 parallel single-ended?
1:44:01 Doing the Vibro Champ mod to a Stromberg Carlson Model 290, Doris Troy's "What'cha Gonna Do About It" (link), and stuffed eggplant with crispy beef (link)
1:45:40 Mike enjoys the podcast (Mike's band: the 6L6s)
2:06:16 The Art of Basque Cooking by Clara Salaverria Perkins
Recorded on the morning of January 1, 2021, which explains a couple of possibly inebriated callers.
Coming soon: The Truth About Recording & Mixing with Johnny Sangster (Apple Podcasts link)
Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 59: "Paper Airplanes and Some Soup"
18 december 2020 · 1 uur 29 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
Some of the topics discussed on this week's show:
5:13 The Truth About Recording & Mixing (launching January 2021!)
9:16 Building mic pre-amps
12:42 A "ripping" overdrive sound on a converted Vibro-Champ
17:51 A Red Bear amps service warning
21:36 Dr. Z Z-Air Brake, revisited; Joel Patterson; El Pato in Maryland
27:09 Jason ponders a new Patreon tier, tortillas on a cookie sheet, un-flavored Doritos
29:26 Safely packing amps for a cross-country (almost) move
35:05 Eau de Tweed
38:15 Traynor amp values
40:35 How long does the death stay in a death cap?
44:33 What to do with a Knight PA system?
50:30 Skip's (un-modified) PA liquidation
53:27 Oatmeal with jam
53:50 Crisped chickpeas in spiced brown butter
56:30: Book recommendations: 'A People and Their Music: The Story, Behind the Story, of Country Music'; 'Highway 99: A Literary Journey Through California's Central Valley'
1:02:18 A three-prong, ground loop question with a 5E3 and a 6G15 Reverb
1:09:22 The right goo to fix a cracked two-prong plug
1:15:07 The differences between the Deluxe V1 and V2 plate voltages, redux
1:18:03 A prototype Twin Reverb
1:20:25 The white powder on vintage amp partsHave a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 58: "Beards and Flattops"
4 december 2020 · 1 uur 25 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
3:57 Skip announces his retirement (not really)
10:50 The Roxy Theater's "Wall" sound system finds a new owner
23:20 Preserving an all-original Fender 5F10 Harvard
29:05 The non-Fender amps Skip sees the most
31:05 Salvaging a submerged Red Bear amp
37:18 Special Guest: Barry Grzebik of Grez Guitars!
1:01:57 A smelly Silvertone 1484 thanks to an attenuator, hardshell taco tips
1:06:20 Decade boxes
1:10:03 Skip's movie picks: Straight Story, Dual
1:12:45 The hum balance pot in a 100-watt Fender Quad Reverb
1:15:29 Buying a 1952 TV panel Fender Deluxe with a replaced output transformer
1:21:06 Music recommendations: Bing Crosby with Eddie Lang; Cindy Cashdollar with Arlen Roth; Carla Bley's "O Holy Night"Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 57: "Turn That Baby Down to Zero"
17 november 2020 · 1 uur 10 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.
2:15 Baffler Corner: The power tubes on a transitional 1963 Fender Showman head; enchiladas without breaking tortillas; last week's noisy Marshall
9:22 What's on Skip's Bench: A Gibsonette
14:35 The entire 1996 Angela Catalog, now available as a download! (link here, proceeds go directly to Steve Melkisethian)
17:29 Reversing the tube pin order in a Princeton 5F2A
19:53 Removing paint from Tolex
21:45 Recommended reading: 'Antique Radio Restoration Guide'; shimming a speaker with a rubbing dust cap
25:00 Watkins Dominators, using a Variac in front of a step-up transformer
30:41 Plate voltages on a Deluxe Reverb AB763
32:24 Modulus Music's free 5E3 cabinet plans; Skip's tomato sauce; Fender Harvards
38:55 A/B box updates; HAB hot sauce
41:06 Lectrolab S600s
43:42 Modding the first channel of a silverface Fender Super Reverb
46:43 Changing the cap value on a 5F2A tone control
48:38 Wall voltage variabilities and using a Variac
54:55 Song recommendation: "Call Me" by Aretha Franklin
55:48 Enchilada talk, fast pumpkin Thai curry soup
1:01:03 Are forums useful?Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 56: "I Want People to Dream"
3 november 2020 · 1 uur 20 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
2:05 Skip checks out a Paul Bigsby-built tenor guitar, free stuff sent to your favorite podcast hosts
14:06 Revisiting Grez Guitars' pickle jar hack
15:13 Grounding 101
22:27 Antique Electronics Supply/Amplified Parts' Tolex sample packs
26:13 Advice on Ampeg M-12 / Mercury amps
29:16 Drawing a schematic from scratch
33:30 "Two Words:" A vintage Marshall baffler
35:34 Mis-drawn schematics revisited: The UREI 1176 Compressor
39:10 A 1960s Honda 305 Scrambler project
42:42 6L6G tubes in a 5E6 Fender Bassman?
47:29 RIP: Classic Tone transformers
48:32 Adding an isolation transformer to a Harmony H400A
52:44 Meatloaf on a grill
56:23 Cleaning grill cloth or Tolex
59:07 Stokes and Paul C mods on a Fender Princeton
1:03:29 Converting a Masco MA-50 and MA-17; Skip has a Gibson Falcon for sale
1:08:28 Guitarists versus harmonica players
1:09:12 Functional differences between spade connectors and soldering for speaker leads?
1:13:36 Turning a Conn ST-6 strobe turner into an amp... or something
1:18:02 Keeping corn tortillas intact while rolling enchiladasRecorded November 2, 2020.
Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
And be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 55: "Surfeit of Stuff"
22 oktober 2020 · 1 uur 26 min
Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp. Lees meer
This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts (use the discount code TAVA10 when you check out to save 10% off your order!) and Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
6:50 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon Page: New contributions from Jesse at Acme Instruments
10:00 Trusting a repair tech and what to do with old, removed parts
12:40 A driver for a horn speaker; dogs chasing golf balls, Specimen Audio
19:10 Ceramic fast-acting versus glass fuses
25:56 Putting two single-ended output transformers in series to make a larger single-ended output transformer
36:56 Solid state watts versus tube watts
39:07 A Garnet G15T Gnome with a 6V6 that fluctuates in time; the Garnet Herzog
42:56 Fender Super Reverb tremolo disconnect mods
48:09 Employing a Cetron CE-25C photocell tube to make a Theremin (or something like it)
51:40 More bean talk: Teasdale beans; Instant Pot revisited
56:57 Using two lower-value pre-amp plate load resistors in series
58:53 Pete Millett's online tube book reference library (link)
1:04:34 Skip's book picks: Patrick O'Brian, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke, Martin Cruz Smith
1:09:43 Gary Gulman's "The Hierarchy of Cookies" (link)
1:10:13 Getting a Gibson "Charlie Christian" EH-150 amp serviced properly; Orange Drop caps
1:21:30 "Sodder" versus "solder," yet againHave a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
And be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.
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Ep. 54: "A Great Big Tent"
14 oktober 2020 · 1 uur 10 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
4:12 A new Tony's: Pappa Earle's (link)
6:03 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts
7:43 Eddie Van Halen (link to Zocala Public Square video mentioned)
14:45 The answer to Ep. 53's Baffler
18:30 A cabinet conundrum
20:23 Another Baffler!
21:36 Cleaning chrome Gibson faceplates, Metal Rescue
24:00 A Vibroverb reissue with ringing reverb... fixed
27:42 Restoring amps that have been underwater
34:17 The harmonic tremolo and pre-amp tubes in a brownface 1960 Fender Super
40:47 Hammond organ amp conversions
45:21 Taming a Super Reverb clone; Instant Pots
40:49 Skip's traveling coffee rig
51:15 Mat's Skip-inspired iPhone to guitar amp interface
57:08 Getting analog warmth into a digital recording chain
1:00:11 Brian's protein-packed smoothie; Rasta Kevin; homemade tomato sauce; Burning Spear
1:03:35 Supro tube tremolo
1:08:13 "Sodder" versus "solder," the final wordHave a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts. Use the discount code
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Ep. 53: "Kids Love It"
1 oktober 2020 · 1 uur 29 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
1:11 A new TAVA Baffler
4:41 An Angela Super Single Ended amp group build?
10:28 Mrs. Simmons' favorite amp?
13:16 Identifying the work of Fender's Lily, Lupe, Eileen, etc.
14:43 Strategies when you discover an amp with few original parts
19:50 Saving amps with fire/smoke damage
26:07 Driving larger power tubes 101
29:14 That tube amp fizz / hiss
34:25 Why smacking the top of your amp sometimes fixes it, microphonic tubes
39:22 Vintage Guild amplifiers and homemade taco seasoning
49:18 Why did 1955 tweed Deluxe shock me?
54:27 Sticking new caps inside of an old capacitor
57:59 New USA-made tubes, revisited
1:04:27 Cleaning the lead wires on old parts
1:07:07 Numb mouth after eating El Pato
1:07:50 Adding the tone control of a Magnatone 213 to a Magnatone M2 Custom
1:10:39 Selenium rectifiers going bad
1:13:49 Al Di Miola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia 'Friday Night in San Francisco 1980'
1:14:14 Sleeper amps that need a boost or overdrive pedal to shine, Harmony H415
1:16:58 Zep Smoke Odor Eliminator Pro
1:18:22 Using a 6 volt rectifier in place of a 5 volt
1:24:06 Converting the power tube bias modulating tremolo on a Princeton to the pre-amp tube bias modulation of a Vibro Champ; recommended dining: Shan Dong in Oakland, Calif.Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts (who happen to have Jack Darr's 'Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook' in-stock now), with special audio help from Izotope. Use the discount code RUIN10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.
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Ep. 52: "Dogs Riding Bicycles"
19 september 2020 · 1 uur 33 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world, except this time we're joined by special guest, Jef Brown!
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
8:54 'Practical Amplifier Diagrams' (1947)
17:02 The grounds on an all-original 1962 Fender Tweed Champ
22:34 Power section filtering
26:30 Special Guest: Jef Brown! (Jef's band, Jef's amp blog)
1:13:32 A Gibson GA-25 RVT Hawk that smells
1:19:23 Bass-ifying a single-ended amp build
1:23:00 A Silverface Princeton Reverb missing its foot switch
1:25:15 El Paso fajita seasoning
1:26:04 Turning your amps on-and-off during the workdayHave a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts (who happen to have Jack Darr's 'Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook' in-stock now), with special audio help from Izotope. Use the discount code RUIN10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.
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Ep. 51: "Generator Edition"
14 september 2020 · 1 uur 10 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
4:35 Soundmaster PAs, revisited
16:20 Turret boards versus freestyle wiring
21:24 Adjectives for the tones of tweed-era Deluxe and 4x12" Bassman
27:37 Matching a 16 ohm speaker to a 4 ohm amp output with a transformer
31:20 A schematic, but no layout
33:33 Power tubes in series (Milkman amps)
35:54 A Gibson GA-15 that rattles its tubes out
40:54 Silvertone 101
45:50 Advice on a 1966 Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve: Watts, speakers, tips
52:26 A Silvertone 1474 and desoldering components from terminal strips
1:05:50 Using Telefunken EAM86 indicator tubesin an amp application
Special thanks to Derek Taylor for the intermission music.
Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 50: "Another Hobby, Another Hobby, Another Hobby"
5 september 2020 · 1 uur 57 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
It's the long-awaited, prize-filled 50th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast! And, once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
6:11 Pyko de Gallo
7:09 Deluxe Amplification's El Pato Tone practice amp (link)
11:51 A circuit to investigate: the Kay K550
15:34 DJ Cruise Ship Derek
22:48 Hy Bloom, founder of Soundmaster, redux
28:36 Is the RCA Manual the reference for tube specs?
32:11 Can amps be cursed?
36:01 An Ampeg that gets mushy
37:39 Skip's fallback job
38:14 Model airplanes
39:28 Netflix recommendation: 'John Was Trying to Contact Aliens'
40:13 When caps go on a 1964 Fender Champ; El Pato & yogurt
45:23 Win stuff from Manbroidery, Voyager Guitar Cabs and Chris Vincent of R2R Electric!!
49:44 Special guest Chris Vincent (DJLavalamp on Instagram, R2R Electric)
1:06:26 Occasionally farty bass on multiple amps
1:11:04 A Philly Roast Pork Sandwich
1:12:19 The bologna sandwich from Oklahoma
1:13:27 A Fender Champion 600 with a disconnected pilot light
1:15:55 Special guest: Matt Clouston of Clouston Amplifiers
1:31:18 Music to solder by: The Peddlers
1:33:56 Australia's Goldentone 1750 / Broadway amplifier and the 6GW8 tube
1:37:48 Schematics in the public domain?
1:39:28 A reissue Fender Vibroverb with a reverb that rings with a C-note
1:43:09 A life changed thanks to Skip
1:46:58 Ranch Water; pico de gallo
1:48:58 Skip's riff when testing out an ampHave a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 49: "You Could Have Just Left It in the Trash"
21 augustus 2020 · 1 uur 19 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
3:32 A brief moment of despair
10:34 Our new Patreon page: Hear Skip's actual voice!
21:30 Colin Cripps' Filmosound, revisited
25:15 Skip's chassis stand
30:37 Changing the linear taper volume pot on an early '80s Princeton Reverb
34:53 Putting a guitar input into the pre-amp of a Hammond L-100 organ
40:33 Salvaging tubes from a free Lowry organ
43:40 The 5F10 Fender Harvard
47:17 "Peekofarad" or "pykofarad"
48:35 The light-dependent resistor on a Gibson GA20-RVT tremolo
52:30 Replacing the 6CA7/EL34 power tubes with new old stock Sylvania/RCA or brand new Electro-Harmonix
57:40 Bass cut on a Tweed Deluxe clone
1:02:20 Vibro Champ tremolo revisited
1:06:17 Boutique parts & homemade ramen
1:17:32 Patton fansHave a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 48: "Looking Out the Window"
14 augustus 2020 · 50 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons also fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
2:55 Special guest: Greg Cravener from Amplified Parts (watch the video on how Amplified makes can capacitors here)
33:27 Plate load resistor function
39:00 Power conditioners and vintage amps
41:23 Building a simple hi-fi from scratch
44:52 Building an amp with two different power sections and two different output transformersHave a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 47: "You Played for Money"
6 augustus 2020 · 1 uur 11 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Once again, Skip Simmons also fielding guitar amp questions from around the world. This week, we are also joined by special guest Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo, the Jim Cuddy Band, Kathleen Edwards), who helps shed light on some of the very special amplifiers to come out of Canada.
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
:55 "The unluckiest dude that there ever was," Skip's advice to fellow amp techs
10:16 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon page (fireside chats, a Skip grab bag of vintage "stuff"!)
16:24 Special guest: guitarist/producer Colin Cripps (Bernie Raunig's Filmosound amps, Johnson Amplifiers, TEX amps)
55:07 Music Picks: Emitt Rhodes, Esquerita, The Melodians
58:31 Replacement pots of choice
1:00:18 A Magnavox amp with a push-pull output but no phase inverter stage
1:02:10 What to do with a busted 1962 Fender Deluxe output transformer
1:04:39 Vibro Champs that lose volume when tremolo intensity is increased, revisitedHave a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 46: "Man-Made Interference"
29 juli 2020 · 1 uur 50 min
Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps Lees meer
Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments makes his eagerly anticipated second Truth About Vintage Amps appearance and it doesn't disappoint. Included: Tracking down vintage Marshalls in the UK, selling gear to U2, Ken Fischer, tube sockets, recommended books, Orange amps, Jesse Quitslund of Acme Instruments, Jef Brown, Steve plays drums for the Cramps, and more!
Note: Steve recommends two books by author Pete "The Jukester" Sheridan. You can read about them via his website. Both can be purchased by sending him a check/money order to the address on the homepage.
Special thanks, as always, to our sponsors Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.
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Ep. 45: "I Sheared a Lot of Sheep"
21 juli 2020 · 45 min
Once again, Skip Simmons also fielding guitar amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
10:24 Chris' Tone Scoring System
14:12 The three colors of El Pato
17:07 Silverface vs. late Blackface Champs
21:46 A Sherwood Master 8422 amp
24:55 Installing a pre-amp switch on a pair of tube amps
30:05 A TAVA handbook?
35:32 Modding the volume on input two of a reissue Princeton
39:06 "Expansion Control" on a Knight PA amp
43:23 Dan's summer BBQ marinade -
Ep. 44: "Heavy Rotation at the Prison Library"
12 juli 2020 · 1 uur 39 min
Once again, Skip Simmons also fielding guitar amp questions from around the world, but this week we have a special guest: Colleen Fazio of Fazio Electric! Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
:54 A silverface Twin left on without a speaker
3:44 A tweed Deluxe with two serial numbers
5:58 Meet our new sponsor: Amplified Parts
16:57 Deluxe Amplification's 1949 Ford and car radio reverb units
21:14 Special guest: Colleen Fazio of Fazio Electric (mid-century modern inspired amplifiers, repair tips, Vero amps, pasta sauce!) Follow her on Instagram and subscribe to her new YouTube channel.
1:03:10 Fender Vibro Champ XD pre-amp tubes; extending transformer leads
1:08:45 The tonal impact of a loose ground connection with a three-prong replacement cord
1:13:55 Free green onions forever
1:15:15 Recommended combo setup for an organ and guitar player
1:19:21 Using an extension cord with a GFI outlet
1:22:50 An underwhelming Massie 966 Squire amp
1:28:09 A Peavey Vintage 4x10 with compaction 6C10 tubes
1:31:37 Appreciating the Fender Bassman 70 -
Ep. 43: "We Need a Lifeline"
1 juli 2020 · 1 uur 16 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
3:11 Making an amp cabinet out of a beehive, a new baffler
8:23 Winding your own power transformer (YouTube)
9:54 Flot-A-Tone Amplifiers
23:11 Octal tubes revisited
26:30 A kit Vibrochamp with an intensity problem
30:02 A one-string b-bender, the Pitch Pilot
31:32 Helping fellow pro amp techs, a motorboating tweed Bassman
38:28 A low-watt 2x12 combo amp?
41:03 Plate dissipation differences for cathode-biased, Class A and Class A/B amps
44:48 Alamo amps
48:01 Megger cables and a 1968 Fender Bandmaster for bass
50:51 "Bumble Bee" capacitors & Mass MOCA
55:42 Itemized invoices
58:45 Powering a pair of speakers with a Fender Blues Jr. IV
1:03:44 The TAVA Big Index Page
1:08:16 A loose tube socket on a homemade 5F2A circuit
1:13:05 How episodes get named -
Ep. 42: "The Other Half of the Class"
20 juni 2020 · 1 uur 11 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
1:20 A request for the sold-erers
9:00 A "don't just think about it, do it" project: A Strat pickup on an acoustic
12:37 An input 2 fan from Ireland
15:30 DIY wiring harnesses for a speaker cabinet
18:52 Extra radio interference on master volume amps
27:23 Skip's long-awaited hot & sour soup recipe
33:00 Building a first amp with a 15-year-old
39:07 What to do with Bozak speakers
43:30 Safe to use A/B/Y to test two amp heads into one cabinet?
48:16 When to put on a grounded cord and would a polarized two-prong plug work?
53:06 What to do with a Grommes Little Jewel LJ2
59:02 Dave Miller, (check out his new video here), Newcomb PAs and Skip on TMZ
1:03:17 Converting a PA amp to a spring reverb
1:07:14 Circuit Corner: Leslie speaker amps -
Ep. 41: "He's a Family Man"
10 juni 2020 · 1 uur 38 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
4:46 Bill Krinard's Silvertone Twin Twelve reverb fix (tease)
20:23 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (watch RJ Ronquillo's demo video here)
21:20 Whatever happened to Jason's Stew-Mac Champ kit?
25:03 An input no. 2 aficionado
31:11 Re-gluing a Fender faceplate
34:00 A '54 Champ and a VanAmps Reverbamate
41:11 A test cabinet for field coil speakers
44:39 A patch bay for multiple amp outputs
49:33 The magic of JBLs
56:09 A Subaru Outback with an oil leak & Toyota Land Cruisers
1:05:17 How long can an amp sit without needing a voltage ramp-up
1:07:14 9-pin or octal tubes for a Fender 5C3 Deluxe
1:14:09 Scavenging parts from an inherited Heathkit Thomas organ
1:17:59 A blonde Fender Bassman with a single 12" speaker; the "Helmholtz Resonator"
1:22:05 Yellow Jackets converters in a 1971 Fender Vibroluxe Reverb
1:26:18 Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'
1:31:08 An outboard 110 to 240 converter for a New Zealander -
Ep. 40: "The Boogie Dumpster"
29 mei 2020 · 1 uur 48 min
Vintage guitar and amp dealer/repairman Steve Soest joins us for a very special Truth About Vintage Amps episode. Steve shares stories of meeting Leo Fender, Doc Kauffman and other legends from the world of electric guitars; he recounts of some of his days of vintage gear buying and selling; and he even walks us through the time he joined Dick Dale's band. Plus: What to do with a free Hammond M-3 organ, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and much more... Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
http://www.soestguitar.com
http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com
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Ep. 39: "I Assumed He Was a Bass Player"
26 mei 2020 · 1 uur 26 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
4:00 Satan & Adam on Netflix
5:38 How to pronounce Tony Chachere (link)
7:13 A step-up transformer for a guitar
10:54 Tubes on a drawbridge?
13:27 Reversing the pilot lamp in your amp, again
16:42 Flux remover for turret boards and PCBs
18:15 Preventing pitting on an amp chassis
19:54 Hitting a power chord to discharge the caps on an amp
22:25 Vintage Hilgen amplifiers (link)
25:32 Tiny Moore's Music in Sacramento
26:28 A clone Deluxe that unexpectedly cuts out
30:32 A 1982 Vibro Champ with a '60s power transformer
34:37 Increasing gain on a Valco-made Gretsch 6150 amp
37:30 Skip thanks you for all the gifts; Steve Soest and Michael Lee Allen
40:50 Chili oil from Xi-An Famous Foods (link)
41:55 A Gibson Falcon picking up radio signals
46:26 The Baxandall tone stack and a Japanese karage recipe
54:18 Sierra Nevada Summerfest beer
55:28 Lead dressing and salsas
1:00:55 A pre-amp circuit for an RCA MI-12188A theater amp
1:07:54 A Fender Vibrolux with a loose 5U4 rectifier tube
1:11:17 'Moby Dick,' Tony Hillerman, 'Bosch,' 'Happy Valley,' 'This Sporting Life'
1:18:20 A vintage Japanese "Reverb Master" tank
1:22:30 A reverb fix for Silvertone Twin Twelves
1:23:48 Skip's grooming tips -
Ep. 38: "Thousand Dollars or Get a Job"
12 mei 2020 · 2 uur 20 min
The elusive, highly influential Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments joins us on this week's episode for what is quite possibly our most entertaining episode to date. For decades, Angela has provided DIY tube amp and hi-fi enthusiasts with tubes, parts, and brutally honest advice. Melkisethian tells us about the history of the company, his love for music (from John Fahey to Roy Buchanan and Fugazi), and shares plenty of stories from the vacuum tube frontlines. Lees meer
Submit your tube amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Some of the topics discussed:
0:00 Addendum: The tubes on Springsteen's Mesa Boogie
3:25 Why Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments, this week's guest, is important
6:56 This week's TAVA sponsor: Grez Guitars
7:58 The Danelectro DM-25 reverb trick, redux
13:41 What's on Skip's bench?
17:02 Jason buys a Garnet
18:50 Pronouncing Tony Chachere, again; El Pato and Herdez
23:05 Speaker driven reverb schematic
29:06 Special guest: Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments (www.angela.com) -
Ep. 37: "Bury It in the Yard for a Year"
8 mei 2020 · 1 uur 13 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
4:26 Carter Vintage's under $1000 amp shootout (YouTube link)
7:40 Satan & Adam
9:32 Tom Ball
11:44 Updates on Drew's Fender Tonemaster
17:54 We're doing a good job
19:48 Phil Lee
21:00 Tube condensation during cold weather
24:12 The Fender Bantam Bass amp
26:26 Eric Johnson's pilot light placement, redux
29:44 A 1973 Fender Princeton Reverb with a sticky speaker
32:52 Swapping out a phase inverter tube versus swapping out a pre-amp tube
35:17 Recommended tool: OXO turner for skillet cleaning (link)
37:38 The gain stages of the Fender 5E8-A preamp
42:10 Replacing the handle on a '60s Gibson GA-5 Skylark
46:09 Footswitch 101 and an '80s Rivera-era Fender Princeton Reverb 2
50:29 Using EQ to lower the volume on a 50-watt Mesa Boogie Mark II
56:05 A 1968 Fender Vibro Champ with a hum that goes away
1:01:56 Power = Voltage × Current
1:03:38 A 5881 or a 6L6GC power tube in a 5F1
1:05:48 Speaker recommendations for a 1966 Ampeg Gemini II -
Ep. 36: "They Only Gave Me One Night"
1 mei 2020 · 1 uur 33 min
Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode:
4:41 One for the Tweakers: Putting a filament transformer in a HiWatt, backwards
7:38 Unfreezing pots with rubbing alcohol
11:53 Turning a Rogers Cadet hi-fi into a guitar amp
13:19 A 1953 Massie Woody on Reverb (link)
15:59 Red lacquer on solder joints
17:30 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (check out the video with Tim Lerch and Tommy Harkenrider here)
21:27 The stereo-to-mono conversion box project
31:56 The only thing you'll remember from this week's podcast: How to say "Tony Cachere's"
32:58 The Danelectro DM-25
35:56 Josh Yenne and the Gmail / Comcast guys
37:45 The hairy overdriven, brown sag sound for pedal steel (Charley Pride's "Cotton Fields")
44:45 RIP: Brian Dennehy (crooked cop in 'Gorky Park')
46:40 Lodge: The Blues Junior of cast iron pans?
49:00 Tips for repairing Tolex and tight-fitting chassis
50:35 The language of amp feel
54:47 Will this Kay 703 kill me?
59:59 Ry Cooder's Instagram page
1:00:18 The tone difference of PCB vs wired amps
11:04:25 A Victoria with a thumpy tremolo
1:08:04 An early '60s Fender Princeton with an extraneous noise
1:13:00 Different tone controls for a Gibson Falcon (link, link)
1:17:45 Getting rid of the bias resistor in a Vibroluxe clone; super-simple, homemade hot sauce
1:20:03 A Brown Box for an Aussie?
1:25:20 'How to Hot Rod Your Fender Amp' book, DLabs
1:29:40 Why Skip hates pentode triad switches -
Ep. 35: "He Just Crashed Into the Ground"
27 april 2020 · 1 uur 25 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
2:39: Special Guest: Bill Krinard (Two-Rock Amplifiers): Troubleshooting a Fender Tonemaster that pops when turned off; Bodega red potatoes; Bill's current projects; flipping the pilot light)
34:45 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link, get a behind-the-scenes Grez shop tour here)
35:39 Tips on buying a tube tester (Skip's fave: B&K 700)
45:05 Speaker recommendations for a Champ
47:58 Troubleshooting an early '70s Fender Bassman 50 with hum
1:00:57 Choke talk
1:05:31 Cast iron cleaning
1:10:55 Vacuum Tube Valley online (link)
1:13:53 RIP Art Dudley (FJ and Stereophile contributor)
1:14:10 Skip's hi-fi setup
1:18:14 A Garnet Pro with built-in Stinger fuzz that sounds worse as it warms up
1:22:49 Skip's book tips -
Ep. 34: "I'm Not Waking the Baby Up"
18 april 2020 · 1 uur 49 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
(Apologies for the Skype noise/buffering at the start of the podcast... our small town internet needs some WD-40.)
21:39 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
22:33 A Musicmaster Bass amp in a Vibro Champ cabinet (and vice versa)
25:19 The crest on a Gibson Crestline-era Skylark / the Gibson amp book (link)
27:49 A resistor to bias a tweed Vibrolux; power transformers in a 5F2A
38:51 Using the speaker of a Deluxe Reverb with a Quilter head
42:34 A Silverface Vibro Champ with a weak tremolo; the Capacitor Wizard
47:55 This week's quote: "The mind that is not baffled, is not employed" -Wendell Berry
49:19 The popping Fender Tonemaster update
55:01 A gridleak bias mindworm
1:02:06 In defense of Lodge cast iron; crisper potatoes
1:07:37 Pickups and how they interact with tube amps
1:11:59 Music recommendation: Skip James' Today!
1:13:01 Free video time killers for the DIY set: Camel Finds Water (link), Resurrection: Rescue of a 1955 VW panelvan (link), The Beast of Turin (link)
1:16:56 Rogue Hoe gardening tools (link); symptoms of a bad bias circuit
1:23:46 Dialing in your tone on a Mesa Boogie Mark IV
1:30:58 Tubes for a Fender reverb tank
1:34:33 "Chitlins Con Carne" rhythm revisited: Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together," the Police's "Deathwish;" Gibson Falcon mods
1:39:12 Modifying a '60s hi-fi home kit amp, plus Vinnie's mashed potato recipe (see below)
1:48:17 Movie pick: 'Pow Wow Highway'Keep the questions coming and please leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts or share the podcast with friends.
Vinnie's Mash Potato Recipe
500gm Floury potatoes (in New Zealand I'd use Agria)
300ml single cream
200gm butter
salt
nutmeg
butter to finishpeel and cut the potato in 3cm dice
bring to the boil (just covered) in heavily salted water…
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Ep. 33: "I Can Deal With Nuts"
10 april 2020 · 1 uur 27 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
5:24 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
6:01 Jimmy from the Deadlies and his 5D3 Tweed Deluxe
8:13 Rustic Kegger in the Woods origin
8:48 Recommended reading: 'White Bicycles' by Joe Boyd
9:42 A 1960 Gibson GA-6 Lancer with inputs that keep cutting out
15:34 What's the deal with the 1954 Fender Super?
20:02 Who was Glen Quan?
21:56 Servicing a Sears Silvertone 1482
30:05 The Magnatone 280 owner's manual
32:23 A Fender Tonemaster with a pop
41:30 The roots of tremolo with Hammond, DeArmond, etc.
44:13 A 1987 Marshall JCM-800 2210 picking up ham radio signals
52:40 Special guest: Sam Bolle (Dick Dale!)
1:09:10 A Hammond AO-35 amp conversion project
1:14:11 Seasoning cast iron pans
1:15:18 AmpRX BrownBox attenuator use
1:19:00 A steel player's pre-amp tube needs, spiral filament design
1:22:26 What's on Skip's bookshelf (Trustee from the Toolroom; All Music Guide to the Blues)
1:25:16 Cartoons that adults want to watch -
Ep. 32: "Let's Make Cookies"
3 april 2020 · 1 uur 27 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
8:04: Good Goo: TR3, SiliKroil
11:53 Our new Facebook Group (link)
13:13 Vacaville, CA's hardware store (Pacific Hardware)
15:32 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitar
16:44 The Fretboard Journal's #FJFest (TAVA listeners will enjoy seeing DJLavalamp's Treble Booster operation or TJ Thompson's shop tour)
19:30 The lettered squares on an amp layout
21:05 Skip's starter kit for aspiring amp tinkerers: Solder iron, solder, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, a stainless steel brush (and the Jack Darr book, of course)
26:06 Modding a 5F2A from China / Reverse Feedback
29:52 Jim Campilongo's Silverface Princeton woes (NOS tube problems)
34:30 The Mullard Factory Tour on YouTube (link)
35:04 Damage from looping through a vintage amp?
41:40 Fixing a buzzy 1979 Musicmaster Bass amp
46:30 Skip's desert island amp
48:25 How did Skip and Jason meet?
52:21 Troubleshooting white noise on an amp
56:40 Running a dummy load on a stereo amp to go mono
1:00:00 1974 Fender Champ with a cat in the amp
1:05:48 A new Baffler! Ralph Shine & Sylvia Massy trivia!
1:07:38 NOS tubes recommendation: Fbenkor on eBay
1:08:26 Otis Amps
1:13:41 Skip makes a service call to Roman Coppola (Story & Clark "Storytone" Electric Piano)
1:18:35 Skip's travel toolkit
1:20:30 Sticking reverb in a Vibrochamp (link and link)
1:21:19 A Premier 90 Reverberation with stretched-out springs
1:23:58 Groovy tunes: Skip Mahoney's "Wherever You Go;" Grant Green's 'Street of Dreams;' William de Vaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got;" Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together" -
Ep. 31: "And You Thought We Had Problems"
26 maart 2020 · 2 uur 16 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Note: We now have a private Facebook group for TAVA listeners: Search for "A Rustic Kegger in the Woods" or click here.
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
1:32 Skip tries to stay in the middle
5:04 Little Charlie Remembered
13:47 The hillbilly amp bought on eBay by listener @scschooling on Instagram (link)
14:49 Adam Grimm (Satellite Amps) builds a motion controlled boost with a mercury thermostat
16:08 Skip on Selmer amps, again
18:42 Making a Fender Acoustasonic Junior road worthy
24:13 Play through an amp while you're warming it up with a Variac?
29:43 Cramming a 10" speaker into a Champ kit
31:21 A 1956 Gibson GA-40 Les Paul amp that doesn't match the schematic
36:38 Smoked glass tubes
39:40 A project for a late '40s / early '50s Magnavox mono amp; plus, beans
46:38 "Why is Mesa Boogie so bloody minded and contrary?" asks an Australian listener
52:28 Special guest: Executive Chef Chris Robertson (Southpark Seafood, Portland, Oregon)
1:11:36 Harmonic tremolo and tremolo vs. vibrato circuits; Travis Wammack, "It's Karate Time" (YouTube link)
1:15:54 Pots that say 250k, but are actually 120k
1:18:25 A Brownface Princeton with 250k volume pots
1:21:52 Breakup on a Fender Deluxe 5E3
1:28:08 Comparing a 1962 Magnatone Custom 440 to a Fender counterpart
1:33:20 A Magnatone M7 with a mysterious foil wrapping around a coupling cap
1:37:35 Don't Be Me: A listener's speaker-replacing follies
1:42:30 Options for replacing a reverb tank in a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb
1:46:44 Recommending reading: 'Shop Class as Soul Craft,' 'Trustee from the Toolroom'
1:52:08 Recommended watching: The Repair Shop (Netflix), homeschooling hacks
1:56:35 A 1963 Gibson GA-5T Skylark (Crestline series)…
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Ep. 30: "That's What We're Having"
19 maart 2020 · 1 uur 45 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Note: This episode was recorded on February 28, 2020 and pre-dates the passing of Little Charlie Baty, as well as much as of the news we now have on the coronavirus. (We just recorded a new show on March 19 that discusses both topics and we will be posting that next week.)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
4:10 The hillbillies from Olivehurst: A cursed Gibson GA-15RVT and an early '60s Gibson Melody Maker
11:09 A 1951 Fender Tweed Pro with a factory field coil speaker (with one end on the B+, the other end grounded)
14:38 A TAVA Facebook group? Looking for moderators (inquire within)
18:44 Frito Chili Pie
20:42 Biasing for Class A Fixed, Class A/B and Cathode biasing; A Fender 5F2A's inverse negative feedback
30:49 Built-in power attenuators
35:40 Installing a headphone output jack on a vintage Fender Champ
37:16 The future reputation of modern amp builders (Carr, Dr. Z, Bartel, etc.)
47:04 More on Skip's Retropolitan amps
50:35 Breaking-in a speaker with a looper pedal
53:49 Music recommendations: Stanley Turentine, Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, Shirley Scott
55:21 What's wrong with Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's amp on his 1946 recording "That's All Right"?
57:35 Vintage Australian amps: Goldentone, Vase & Moody
58:34 A Fender Blues Deville with too much reverb
1:00:58 The "tone expander" switch on a Gibson GA30RV "Invader"
1:02:20 Vintage Gibson cabinet talk: Redwood? Any available reproduction cabinets?
1:05:54 Music recommendation: 'Unshaven: Live at Smith's Olde Bar' by Shaver
1:07:34 A John Vanderslice / Tiny Telephone update
1:09:07 Mac & cheese revisited
1:10:15 Picky goats
1:11:12 Selmer Triumph Reverb schematic
1:13:50 Grounding schemes, halloumi cheese
1:21:17 Speci…
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Ep. 29: "Filter Capacitors and You"
2 maart 2020 · 1 uur 36 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
3:34 Skip goes to see Temple Grandin
10:20 A Facebook group for the TAVA Podcast?
10:48 Manbroidery's Two Prong Hat update
11:16 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars
12:57 A noisy reverb thanks to vintage tubes
15:55 Cooking (on amps) with Billy Cowsill; a hot Flotatone
21:41 Using DC voltage to heat tubes for quieter operation (the 2020 Soldano SLO-100, Otis amps, other examples)
26:58 Using an amp as a pedal platform (tube vs solid state)
32:39 A successful 5F1 copy and liability concerns when selling boutique tube amps
38:42 Why can't they fit reverb into a Fender Vibro Champ?
41:51 Evolution of the Fender Deluxe Reverb reissues
45:15 Power for an outboard EQ section DIY project
48:28 A new DIY project: Changing the power transformer of a Fender Twin Reverb and modifying it for 6V6s to reduce weight
52:17 What to do with a non-working Gibson Hawk?
55:09 Why do tube amps sound better after a few hours of use?
58:59 Correct fuse for a 1973 Fender Champ
1:02:21 Replacement speakers in a vintage Gibson Skylark
1:06:18 Where to grab a chassis before removing it?
1:08:08 Laurens Hammond vs Donald Leslie
1:12:00 Tips on speaker cabinet construction
1:15:26 Discrepancies in the Angela SSE schematic
1:23:06 Listener Nate's favorite hot & sour soup recipe (link)
1:23:36 A failing 5Y3 rectifier at a gig
1:28:51 Troubleshooting a weak channel on a 5D3 Tweed Deluxe
1:35:07 Coffee from Mechanicsburg, Ohio (Hemisphere's Redline Roast, link) -
BONUS EPISODE: Satellite Amplifiers
5 februari 2020 · 35 min
Jason and Skip get Adam Grimm (Satellite Amplifiers) on the line. Lees meer
https://www.satelliteamps.com
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Ep. 28: "It's the Cranberries"
5 februari 2020 · 1 uur 20 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
Pre-order today: The Truth About Vintage Amps Two-Prong hat collaboration from Manbroidery and Ebbets Field Flannels (link)
This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
2:13 Skip gets a $25 guitar; Jason goes to NAMM
11:05 Marc Silber's inventory
14:16 Skip meets Grez
17:43 Tyler wins of our Union Bean Counter Tone Druid pedal giveaway (correct answer: Tom Waits)
19:17 Tyler's fish taco recipe (email us)
20:29 A very clean Fender Tweed Deluxe
22:00 Joe Craven and Bruce MacMillan covers the Dead
23:24 Australians respond to Skip's Robert Hughes query
23:51 More on Brent's bargain Variac with a current meter hack
26:46 Leaving an amp on for a week
29:33 Vintage wire that just won't solder
31:33 The Fender Greta as a pre-amp
34:02 The JHD Ice Cube Sustain Coupler (link)
37:43 The dangers of running an effect between an amp and a speaker cab
38:43 Changing a 1952 Gibsonette GA-8 from a field coil to regular magnetic speaker
42:30 Increasing the headroom on a Peavey Classic 50
45:45 Substituting a 5Y3 with a 5V4 in a 5E3 Deluxe
49:16 A 1950s Gibson GA-6 with an adapter for a 12AX7 pre-amp tube; more rectifier tube talk
51:50 Marshalls versus Fenders and the difference between 6V6/6L6 and an EL34/EL84
54:26 A Canadian Gibson Falcon that needs a massive overhaul
55:47 Choosing an amp for re-heating food
59:49 Little Charlie's Chile Colorado, revisited
1:02:05 Export model Silverface Fenders
1:04:16 Questions on Angela's Super Single-Ended Amp -
Ep. 27: "A Big Grizzly Bear with a Duck Head On It"
15 januari 2020 · 1 uur 51 min
Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Lees meer
Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
**Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here.**
This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
1:20 Skip's A/B box setback
3:00 A winner for our Stew-Mac Champ kit
4:40 A question for our Australian listeners
6:07 A glitchy Ampeg Reverberocket
7:09 Skip heads to a vintage guitar show
12:00 @manbroidery two-prong hat update, let us know if you want one (Instagram link)
15:22 Old carbon comp resistors and Domino caps in an amp kit build
20:23 Testing caps for leakage
24:58 Running a synth through a tube amp
28:33 The timing on Kenny Burrell's "Chitlins con Carne"
30:07 Music recommendation: The Joe Mooney Quartet (YouTube link)
31:17 The rationale for crazy amps like the Baldwin Exterminator
35:53 The sushi boat amp update; Rob Robinette's tube amp page; micro amps
40:40 1960s Guild Thunder series amps
43:52 New cast iron (link, link, link); rum & tonic
46:24 The Big Index page: fretboardjournal.com/tavaindex
46:58 Wear and tear from maxed out amp settings
48:25 Restoring (and storing) a blown Oxford speaker
50:52 Where the magic happens in a non-master volume tube amp
59:00 Tips re: Little Charlie's Chile Colorado
1:04:43 The speaker driven out / monitor jack on a Gibson Falcon
1:09:34 Tinkering with a one-tube reverb circuit
1:12:11 Modding a Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Jr. reissue amp
1:18:01 Thoughts on the Fender Musicmaster Bass amps
1:23:10 A cheap Variac hack with a current meter (eBay link; eBay link)
1:29:00 Safely using a '60s Supro Bantam "widowmaker" amp
1:33:08 Adding a polarity switch to an amp without one
1:35:36 Effects pedals between an amp and its speaker?
1:37:50 ART tube pre-amps (revisited) and Skip's preferred tube preamps
1:42:00 Output transformer spec ba… -
Ep. 26: "The Benny Goodman Stare"
26 december 2019 · 1 uur 56 min
Special guest Charles Baty returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast for our final episode of 2019. Lees meer
Submit your vintage amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.
* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS *
Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here.This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
1:46 An update on the Angela 5F2 Princeton schematic/article
4:23 TAVA Podcast Giveaways: A Stew-Mac Champ kit; an A/B box from Skip (winners to be announced during episode 27)
12:43 Reserve one of Manbroidery's two-prong TAVA hats (Instagram link)
14:33 More cast iron
17:26 Triad Electronics' return to guitar amp transformers, plus Benson Amps
25:02 Charles Baty returns: Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, Chico Hamilton, Red Garland & Chile Colorado!
48:21 Gibson GA8T (Discoverer) amps
51:14 A 1966 Fender Vibro Champ with a mystery hum
57:02 Silverface Fender Champs versus 1960s Gibson Skylark / Atlas / etc.
59:11 Sonic variations between vintage matching, serviced Fender amplifiers
1:03:59 Using a Variac and a power strip to power up multiple amps simultaneously
1:07:53 Vintage guitar amps with built-in legs
1:12:25 A request for a single-episode Champ schematic walk-through
1:12:46 25uf cathode bias 12ax7 cathode-bypass caps on Champs
1:17:19 Getting up to speed on electronics basics
1:20:08 Amp class
1:23:14 Buck Nickels and Loose Change – "Makin' Wine" (Larry Cragg in action! YouTube link.)
1:23:39 A new speaker configuration for a Danelectro DS100 cab
1:28:08 Gibson Invader amps
1:31:11 Grid leak biasing vs. cathode biasing
1:34:56 Modifying the Angela dual-singled amp with Russian 6P1P-EV tubes
1:36:35 Australia, Toyota Land Cruisers and fly fishing guides
1:38:43 Swollen caps in a 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb and tips on drilling holes in a chassis
Special thanks to TAVA listener Eric Casimiro for helpin…
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BONUS EPISODE: Larry Cragg
10 december 2019 · 38 min
Jason and Skip get special guest Larry Cragg (Santana, Neil Young, Magnatone) on the line. A companion to our 25th episode.