Episodes
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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!
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 [email protected].
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 loads35:41 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 MateHosted 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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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!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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 pots20:45 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 to the front of the question line.
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Missing episodes?
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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!
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 [email protected].
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 Recommended reading: 'The Feather Thief' (Amazon link); TAVA listener and winemaker William Downie (link)
1:10:36 Using Meguiar’s Convertible Top Cleaner to clean up a Premier amp
1:11:35 A Pepco Riviera 725; Frazey Ford
1:14:04 Posters by Serifs & Whiskey (link)
1:15:10 Blossom Valley Foods' Pepper Plant sauce (link)
1:15:37 Fixing a reverb tank by changing the transducer; Fender’s specific use of European tubes
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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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!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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. -
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!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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. -
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.
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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 Recommended reading: The All-Music Guide
Recorded June 21, 2024. -
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.
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 [email protected].
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; Revere Ware; Cameo Copper Cleaner; Chuck roast instead of brisket; spicy Italian sausage in pasta sauce; Brussels sprouts; beer
Special thanks to Tim Le Blanc for his help mixing this episode. Recorded May 24, 2024.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! -
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!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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 by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Want to support our show? Join our Patreon! -
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.
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].
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 chili53:05 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! -
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.
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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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.
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 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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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.
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 Show4:20 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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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.
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), pupusas33:46 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 content and surprises:
https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps
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We're closing out 2023 with special guest Bill Krinard of Two Rock!
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 [email protected].
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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Transformer talk, spaghetti carbonara, goat horn jazz, and more transformer talk...it's the 126th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps!
Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to [email protected].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 of Soundmasters; Sacramento ska band Filibuster; how a family of amps can basically have the same pre-amp circuitry; 807s vs. 6L6s or EL34s
1:24:43 Thoughts on the 2024 Vintage Guitar Price Guide
1:27:57 What could cause DC voltage to build up on the grid of a power tube aside from leaky coupling caps
1:35:10 Shoutout to the Fender greats: Richard Smith, Bruce Zinky, Lynn Wheelwright, Terry Foster; a circuit baffler of sorts!
1:37:47 Spaghetti carbonara & Los Pericos Quadradas redux
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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It's the 125th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].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-15NHosted 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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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!
Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].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 beerHosted 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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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.
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 [email protected].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 terrible
1:15:04 What is this Marshall 100-watt head?
1:19:17 Do I need to replace all the resistors on my 1940s Masco MA-25; SF's Kilowatt Bar (link)1:24:45 Baking butternut squash as per the 'Joy of Cooking'
1:25:54 The magic of vintage pots, Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series; the Bros. Landreth 'Let It Lie'
1:32:31 Adam Levy's 'Spry' (link)
1:35:28 Troubleshooting a Masco MA-25/ME-27 with a loud hiss
1:44:13 Larry's book recommendation: Norman Maclean's 'Young Men and Fire' (Amazon link)Recorded October 9, 2023.
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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** Note to the Amp Purists: There is virtually NO amp talk on this episode. If that's what you're seeking, stay tuned for TAVA episode 123, out tomorrow, where we'll have two hours of deep amp knowledge with special guest Larry Chung. Everyone else: Enjoy a very special TAVA featuring Skip's son, Will!**
What's it like to have amp tech Skip Simmons as your dad? We find out on the 122nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps featuring special guest Will Simmons!
Will shares tales of growing up alongside a bunch of amps; Skip's parenting style; Will's love for art; and his his current work as an art critic. Also discussed: Drawbridge tales; photographer Laurie Simmons (Wikipedia link); Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture (Wikipedia link); Wynton Marsalis' "Blood on the Fields" (YouTube link); Brice Martin; Lo Moon (link); "Are You Awake?" by Lauren Mayberry (YouTube link); Wood Belly (link); Dean & Britta; Lady Gaga vs. Lana Del Rey; and so much more.All-told, it's a very sweet father & son (& podcast cohost) chat. Plus: Jason learns about diet pills!
Amp related topics:1:19:27 Soursound transformers
1:20:09 Are there any classic Fender amps that Skip hates?
1:21:51 Congratulations, John Vanderslice!
1:22:34 MTI Tubes effects unit, redux
1:26:55 A Peavey Mace 2x12, what are matched tubes? 1:32:31 Recommended: Replica tweed cabinets by Armadillo As always, keep the amplifier questions and voice memos coming to [email protected] and thanks to everyone who listens to our show. If you love it, leave us a five-star review over on Apple Podcasts.
Join our Facebook group, 'A Rustic Kegger in the Woods':
https://www.facebook.com/groups/164889374531738
Join the TAVA Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageampsOur sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.
Recorded October 6, 2023.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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It's the 121st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp.
This week: Special guest Jim Kelley joins us (around the 28-minute mark)!
Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome.
Don't forget we now have a Patreon if you'd like to support the show featuring weekly installments of what's on Skip's bench, random eBay finds, and surprise content: https://www.patreon.com/vintageampsSome of the topics discussed in this episode:
5:31 What's on Skip's bench: A Bogen mixer from the 1940s
6:35 What to do with a vintage MTI Tubes overdrive preamp stompbox
10:02 What's the deal with Fender Ultra Linear amps?
14:33 Australia's National Vintage Guitar Show (link, October 7-9, 2023); the Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show in January (link; Skip will be there!)
17:26 Repurposing old power transformers
22:16 Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein; Russell Malone; Adam Levy; RIP Sammy Ash
23:17 A "brown" Deluxe that needed repair from San Quentin State Prison!
25:56 What to do with a 1973 Fender Princeton Reverb ground switch?
28:39 Special guest: Jim Kelley! 4x6V6s, plate voltages, Fortune Amps, Line, using a great reference speaker; Dumble; the Kelley prototype head at Emerald City Guitars; Jim's preferred parts; Vince Gill
1:26:00 Tubes for a Marathon amp clone
1:27:50 Building a point-to-point wired amp inside of a PCB Vox AC15VR chassis
Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.
Recorded September 20, 2023.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
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