The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp repair, restoration and collecting. Often hilarious and always insightful, it's like no other guitar podcast out there.

  1. SEP 24

    "Check for Ticks"

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line.  Some of the topics discussed this time around: :58 R.I.P. Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag, Mike Bloomfield) 3:08 Our sponsors: Amplified Parts, Emerald City Guitars, and Grez Guitars. (Watch Emerald City Guitars' Fretboard Summit video here.)  5:32 The 2024 Fretboard Summit in a nutshell  10:29 R.I.P Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instrument); read our tribute here 18:42 R.I.P. Stephen Fitzstephens, member of our Kegger Facebook group 19:18 What was Skip listening to as a kid? 22:08 Skip’s Music vintage gear headed to auction  24:42 When to use old, mismatched resistors?  26:39 The 2003 interview in Vacuum Tube Valley with Steve Carr (PDF link) 27:41 Removing surface rust from transformers  30:27 A 1964 Ampeg Reverberocket that pops when you turn it off 31:10 You all need a Variac  33:03 A pig farm mini-baffler; Papa Murphy’s in a Weber grill 36:56 Dropping the B+ with a solid state rectifier  39:47 Flattening a Fender eyelet board, redux; how to flatten a ‘70s Fender grill cloth frame?  42:52 Aux phono input on a tube amp; replacing plastic knobs; movie recommendation: 'As It Is In Heaven'  46:48 An original 1963 Fender Vibroverb in the UK with a switchable voltage panel; John Kelly amps; Rainer Ptacek  52:33 How to select an output transformer for an amp when you don’t know its specs  1:00:55 The wrong tube in Danelectro amplifiers (12AU6 vs 12AV6) 1:04:02 What’s on Skip’s bench? An Alamo amp; kudos to Larry Chung  1:05:43 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.

    1h 20m
  2. JUL 27

    "Release the Curd"

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars. Don't forget, we have a Patreon page.  Some of the topics discussed this time around:  1:11 A Big Boy locomotive chugs through CA 3:42 What's on Skip's Bench: A Valco/National/Airline amp-in-case; a single-ended Soundmaster PA; a Premier Twin 8 10:55 Another round of TAVA shirts? (coming soon) 13:06 Milkman to produce a JBL K120 replica speaker (link); re-coning by Hempopotamus (and Weber) 16:56 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, featuring Blake Mills, Josh Scott (JHS), Colin Hay and so much more https://fretboardsummit.org (Aug 23-25, 2024 in Chicago) 20:29 The Davis Guitar Scene 20:51 Is there a new speaker comparable to the JBL D130F? Artie Shaw 22:43 VHT amps, redux; homemade cheese 28:05 Why did Leo use RCA plugs for his speaker jacks? 32:20 I miss lo-fi Skip; help me isolate the hum on my Magnatone 410 39:45 Favorite solder; avocado toast 43:26 Recommended movie: 'All That Is Sacred' featuring Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, and vintage Key West (link) 44:58 Help me ground my Pepco Riviera 725 48:15 Does the phase inverter tube contribute gain? 49:47 AIMS amplifiers, redux; Don Randall 53:59 Skip (almost) fixes a church organ 1:00:03 Should I wax pot these old output transformers? 1:04:55 Why is there chicken wire in my amplifier? finding the outside foil on a cap Recorded July 25, 2024.

    1h 10m
  3. JUN 26

    "Liquor, Candy, Model Airplane Magazines..."

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Some of the topics discussed this time around:  1:24 Another hopeful story; Winters, California 7:44 The fifth-ever Fretboard Summit: Blake Mills, Adam Levy, vintage amps, new amps, 80 luthiers, JHS and so much more. www.fretboardsummit.org 13:25 One of the greatest boxes of all time: thanks, Ben from Chattanooga! 15:01 Lynn Wheelwright reaches out to Skip 16:33 The very first Standel amp; Tacoma, Washington's Guitar Maniacs  18:53  Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars (watch the Dumble video here), Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.  22:10 Thank you, John Ross 23:41 Gibson's GA-45 "Velvet Touch"; Terry Dobbs (Mr. Valco) https://valcoamp.com 27:32 The answer to Ep. 134's Baffler: A Tweed Vibrolux 31:44 A Body & Soul El Pato fuzz giveaway? https://www.instagram.com/bsinstruments/ 34:00 The last remaining Big Boy locomotive is moving through California; Skip's hobo days  https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm 37:26 How to satisfy your customer when only one power tube needs to be replaced? CE Distribution; pimento cheese 47:04 A 5E3 build with too much Fender "bacon;" Ken Fischer 49:51 A Rickenbacker M11 with a 60 cycle hum out of V1 57:22 VHT Special Six, redux 1:03:51 A simple cocktail: A Boyhattan; bitters 1:05:15 The history of AIMS amps; 5 ohm amps; The Mosquito Supper Club's boiled shrimp (link) 1:13:34 The pronunciation police; modding a Silver Panel Fender Champ with a Magnatone 213 tone control 1:17:11 Elemental knowledge; California-built Vox amps; Clarkson's Farm 1:25:00 Is variable input impedance worth experimenting with? Bogen guitar amps 1:29:41 Is the two-prong hat offensive? Are fixed-bias amps more touch-sensitive? the phono input in old PAs; GM/IP on tubes 1:33:15 Recommended reading: The All-Music Guide  Recorded June 21, 2024.

    1h 36m
  4. MAY 29

    "A Little Debbie Swiss Roll"

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Some of the topics discussed this time around:  1:23 Triple E jerky and freeze-dried ice cream (link) 2:36 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.    6:06 What's on Skip's bench: An Electar Model M with 6N6 power tubes; a National Dobro amp with 2A3 power tubes 13:06 Skip has a Falcon for sale; Mumbo Gumbo 13:58 I put the electrolytic capacitor in backward on a 5F2A build; how coupling caps work; what to do with this Gregory Mark 1? 19:16 Natural year-round lemonade 20:21 How to fix the broken reverb on a vintage Gibson Falcon; open secondaries, someone needs to make a replacement Falcon transformer 22:20 What do you do if you need to replace a capacitor and its original part is different from the schematic? Steve Albini's Gear Dork Videos (Garnet, Samamp) 28:58 Special guest: Jonathan Stout (link)! Field coil speakers; traffic sounds; Gibson EH-150/185 amps; Vintage 47 amps (link);  Combs Guitars JJ-150 pedal (link); Quilter 101 heads; the evolution of amplifiers; Junior Barnard; the Echo Speaker jack on a Gibson EH-150, Knott's Berry Farm, Fender Tweed Pros; Marie Sharp's hot sauce; pizza stones; pizza tips 1:03:38 David Lindley; Jackson Browne; Greg Leisz on the FJ's Steel Podcast (link) 1:04:11 Revisiting the Ice Cube 1:06:39 Non-reverb Princeton love; the Brown Box voltage attenuator 1:08:21 This week's Baffler: What amazingly killer amp can you turn a non-reverb Princeton into? 1:08:49 Waiting for a ferry in Snowdonia; early mountain biking 1:14:46 A VHT Special 6 with a useless tone knob 1:18:45 6L6s in a Fender Deluxe Reverb; acceptable idle current range; 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!

    1h 27m
  5. MAY 3

    "A Spicy Tomato Sauce"

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Some of the topics discussed:  1:14 Skip's 1950 Ferguson tractor, the Truth About Lawn Mowers 7:28 A zebra on the loose in Washington State 9:30: This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars. 12:28  Grez Guitars sends Skip Quique Gomez & Little Charles Baty's Cookin' At Greaseland   16:51 What's on Skip's bench? A 1953 Fender Tweed Pro that needed nearly a complete rebuild   24:14 One solution for the multiple Pignose-amp quandary from ep. 132: Radial Engineering's Shotgun 4-Channel Amp Driver (Amazon link); 100 Vintage Hawaiian Songs (Spotify link)   30:35 Tom Gunterman's lithium battery pack picks from ep. 132, prunes   33:51 RIP Gerald Weber (Kendrick Amplifiers) 35:56 Book recommendation: 'The Birth of Loud' (Amazon link) 37:39 Jason has a jdflyback handblown tube amp! (YouTube link)   40:19 A Fender Vibrochamp that doesn't like my Les Paul, volume-dropping   45:11 Anything worth rescuing from old tube car radios?   48:55 A 1569 Altec power amplifier for guitars? Grange Hall and self-published cookbooks   53:30 A Music Man 115RP with a broken reverb   59:17 An update on last episode's 1972 Fender Princeton Reverb, a homemade signal tracer (based on this Kley De Jong video); 'Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass' by Merlin Blencowe (Amazon link); tahini; 'Servicing by Signal Tracing' by John F. Rider   1:04:24 Why can't I pry this tone pot off of my Harmony H-200?   1:07:10 What does using a tube pre-amp unit in front of your guitar amp actually do? Tube swapping a 6V6 or 6L6 (note: we'll get back to this next week)   1:14:09 Skip's handiwork on the new Taylor Swift album? (Instagram link)    1:17:24 Making a closed cabinet for my Fender Princeton   1:21:19 Are amp techs divas?  Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!

    1h 35m
  6. APR 2

    "Start Dark"

    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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Some of the topics discussed:  1:31 What's on Skip's workbench: Valco amps with a resistor and a normal speaker instead of a field coil 3:46 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy, StewMac, Izotope, and Grez Guitars. 5:04 Thrift store: Revere Ware 8:01 What's the deal with this Leslie Model 18 circuit 15:41 Daisy chaining four Pignose amps to a backpack, tuna salad 20:46 What to do with these orange capacitors? Vacuum Tube Valley, Mexican Martinis 25:38 Skip has a nice mono hi-fi speaker cabinet for sale 27:07 Do speakers ever go out phase on their own? 28:32 Fender Princeton Reverb vs. Tremolux gain stages 31:22 The truth about vintage Sano amps (gumbo recipe found here) 35:47 Seventh-grade Skip; the glider that never touched down 40:11 A source for El Pato in Australia (link: productdistribution.com.au) 41:16 Ampeg Jets and Rockets "with the knobs that point straight up" 43:04 Spotlight on Paradise, California 48:32 Powered vintage speakers, El Pato chili  53:05 Film cap orientation hack and the EH Hum Eliminator/Debugger  58:35 Spotlight on glue  1:03:04 The joys of using lithium-ion batteries onstage to power your tube amps  1:09:43 A 1972 Princeton Reverb that doesn't like a wireless transmitter; a simple fish recipe  1:16:11 How do the dual rectifiers work in the Angela Super Single Ended amp  1:19:17 Rainier beer  1:21:21 Claude Thornhill Orchestra Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!

    1h 22m
  7. MAR 4

    "Sandy Soil"

    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

    1h 48m
4.8
out of 5
462 Ratings

About

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp repair, restoration and collecting. Often hilarious and always insightful, it's like no other guitar podcast out there.

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