The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

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

** 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

Our 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. 

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/vintageamps

Some 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. 

It's the 120th 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 in a nutshell: Is this the Fender Yale?; lots of Fretboard Summit love; Skip sneaks a mower across the border; magnifiers; tomato gravy; and rumblings of a possible Oregon Truth About Vintage Amps meetup! 

Special Note: Our friends at Amplified Parts are having a Labor Day Sale right now. Use the code LABOR10 to save 10% off your order, but act fast.  https://www.amplifiedparts.com/

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/vintageamps

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 

:00 Fretboard Summit recap (thanks, Kevin!); a gift of Del Cabo mangos; Rob Abernathy's robots (https://rodabernethy.com/); our sponsors (Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.

10:30 Donny Hathaway plays "The Ghetto" (YouTube link); Skip brings a Tweed Deluxe back from the dead (and possibly a Princeton Reverb), lousy amp repair people

16:22  A Fretboard Summit recap; a transitional Gibson Falcon find

21:40 An Ampeg SVT CL that sounds sort of like the opening to the Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic" when you turn it on

24:46 Offshoot amp brands we can spot in the wild

26:43 Magnifiers, redux! Recommended: YOCTOSUN Head Mount Magnifier on Amazon (link, on sale for just 16 bucks right now); LED garage lighting (Costco link)

29:55 How do self-split output stages work? Kalamazoo KEA amps

32:30 Help me make sense of this Bell PM33 Pacemaker schematic

37:53 Speaker-driven line out and reverb, together; a Seattle TAVA meetup?; an Oregon Coast TAVA meetup at Pelican Brewing?

41:01 Skip's contraband riding lawn mower

49:01 Is this the Fender Yale? John Peden's Sidetrack Liner Notes podcast (Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sidetrack-liner-notes/id1162344630)

53:05 Kate Wolf; Eminem

56:25 Transformer windings and tomato gravy

1:02:12 The Silvertone 1484 TwinTwelve input section; Fender Musicmaster Bass amp mods

1:06:17 The Gibson tone-sucking circuit in the GA19RVT Falcon (Instagram link)

Recorded August 31, 2023. 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.  

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 119th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp. 

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.

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 

2:32: This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 4:27 Special call-in guest: TAVA listener Brian McAllister (vintagetubeamplifiers.com, @vintagetubeamplifiers): Finding TAVA while hospitalized; amps on Brian's bench; tips on making a pre-amp out of a Conn Strobotuner (or a Bogen PH10); Skip is building a tube pre-amp for the Chicago Fretboard Summit!; what's the most improper fuse you've seen in an amp?

29:00 Using magnifiers / magnifying glasses while working on amps

33:19 Installing a fuse in a 1973 Fender Musicmaster Bass amp; preventative maintenance on replacing electrolytic caps that work?; using an audio transformer as a phase inverter instead of a tube; Datsun pickups; what happened to the Ford Aerostar?

46:51 Are all Selenium rectifiers bad?

50:34 Hand-painting the value onto Domino Mica caps

55:43 Best way to test speakers on a Gibson GA8 and  RB17T Scout

58:06 Handling unused taps on a power transformer

59:38 An all-tube tremolo circuit: the Tone God's Bullit (link); removing the skin on salmon

1:01:18 How do I reduce the B+ on my Dynaco ST-35 clone project? 

1:05:27 An Amaro cocktail for the TAVA set 

1:08:46 Recommended viewing: The Pharmacist, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed; Hidden; The Art of the Steal

Recorded August 4, 2023. 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.  

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

This week, we’re joined by the one-and-only Ben Harper, who has a couple of questions for Skip right before his Lyon, France concert. Ben regales us with tales of a rare Weissenborn spotted on a Disneyland ride, Dumbles, and pre-show skateboarding (which Skip is a little worried about). He also spills the beans on his new touring amp of choice… a Two-Rock.

Before Ben joins us, we’ve got our usual assortment of listener-submitted questions on tremolo and speaker impendence, Larry Chung references, and a tamale suggestion.

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.

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 

:34 Special thanks to Shure for that MV7 that Skip uses; the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26 in Chicago; www.fretboardsummit.org)

1:51 PSA: Skip is retired through September

2:23 A forthcoming Danelectro documentary, early Nat Daniel-built Epiphone Model M amps

15:32 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 

19:05 Peter Jensen’s Magnavox 12" speakers

20:54 Don Pepino canned tomato sauce (thanks, Rob), Remington Model 5 typewriters

22:27 A 1964 Fender Vibrolux Reverb with a replaced power transformer…but not really; Skip gets a visit from Larry Chung

29:46 The dangers of playing a bass through a small guitar amp; Versatone amps; Los Hernandez tamales in Union Gap, Washington (https://www.loshernandeztamales.com); Bruce Harvie & the Sound Flea’s ‘Overhead at Darrington’ (Bandcamp link)

38:47 A humming Ampeg GS-12 Reverberocket: Was the speaker affecting the reverb spring?

43:26 Changing the tremolo depth on an Ampeg Jet

46:12 Skip’s favorite trem circuit; a Massie that modulates the guitar signal; Chris Vincent  (https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/)

51:03 Tube amp kits (Mod 102 and Mod 102+ from AmplifiedParts.com https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/amp-kit-mod-electronics-mod102-guitar-amp ); grilled asparagus; the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast

59:54 The rising cost of everything

1:02:17 Speaker impedance for a Gibson Falcon GR-19RVT Crestline

1:02:53 What to do with the reverb on a Silvertone 1484; JHD Audio Ice Cubes

1:06:09 Special guest: Ben Harper! Forestry; a vintage Weissenborn spotted on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride; Ben’s new Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive; Marcus Eaton; Jimmy Page seeing David Lindley’s Kaleidoscope; Liuteria Guarnieri guitars (https://www.liuteriaguarnieri.com/en/acoustic-guitars/); Dumbles are like Basquiats; skateboarding before a concert; kicking Princeton Reverbs; tech Bill Webb; and vintage Gibson amps 

Recorded July 19, 2023. 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30. Ben has a huge feature in our 53rd issue! 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 117th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair! 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. And don't forget we now have a Patreon.

This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 

This week's topics:

1:18 Jason goes to NYC (and Montana)

4:43 Special thanks: Listener Doug, QSL cards, Micah 9:18 Skip's movie, music and book picks of the week: 'Little Miss Sunshine,' an Arhoolie Records box set (link), "A Hero's Death" by Fontaines D.C., "Cleanin' Out My Closet" by Eminem; 'Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests' by George E. Gruell

16:34 The amps Skip has seen the most often and why

21:51 When to NOT just service it first, should I gut this Stromberg Carlson AU-42? Daniel Romano; Premier Amps

29:45 Can I actually use the AC outlet on the back of my vintage Fender?

32:43 Extending the leads on a Mojotone Tweed Princeton kit, what are turret boards made of?

38:08 Do I need to replace all the resistors on my 1953 Gibson GA-20?

42:52 Coupling cap orientation, redux

44:30 Sourcing a parts kit for vintage amp servicing

51:17 John Vanderslice visits Skip, Gibson resistors again

54:02 Using the vintage speakers found in the walls of my midcentury modern home's intercom system

59:06 Hope for the Fender Musicmaster bass amp, GSS Speaker Repair Services in Los Angeles

1:05:50 Plate voltage versus screen voltage on a power tube; @thevalvinist on Instagram; a Hohner / Sano combo amp for sale; the 2023 Fretboard Summit (link)

1:14:14 Modding the tone control on a Silvertone 1482, using a tip ring sleeve jack to bypass a cap

1:22:40 Fat Tire Amber beer

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 116th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair! 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. And don't forget we now have a Patreon.

This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 

This week's topics:

1:02 Making amps out of little intercoms, redux

4:01 Amplified Parts' Potentiometer Adapter Sleeve (link)

8:34 Join our Patreon and hear a lost episode with Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instruments): https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

9:19 What's on Your Bench: A 1952 low-powered Tweed Twin found on eBay

12:00 Retiring the word "blackface" when talking about amps

16:10 Coupling capacitor orientation, redux

20:28 Jonathan Stout (check out 'Pick It and Play It'); "For the Good Times" by Al Green

26:19 Sellers turning vintage amps on with no speaker load

29:55 The best DIY Fender Princeton kits around; roasted cauliflower with curry powder, Soursound transformers (link)

40:28 Does a lower B+ keep an old amp happier?

43:58 How quickly could you build a Champ? The Fretboard Summit (August 24-26 in Chicago) and JHS's Germanium Chef competition (attend by registering here: www.fretboardsummit.org), wiring a part board before you put it in the amp

46:59 Chris at Deluxe Amplification (deluxeamplification.com)

50:08 A horse-powered IBM Selectric typewriter (Facebook post link)

52:06 Silvertone 1484 amps; in defense of metal film resistors, a forthcoming Ampeg documentary, Ampeg Jets and Rockets, the Jackson Audio 1484 - Twin Twelve pedal (link), a Guild 66-J amp with a Pyle Driver speaker

1:09:20 The Fret Files podcast capacitor test (link); the terminology of pickups

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 115th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair! 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. And don't forget we now have a Patreon.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

2:07 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars (check out the Jim Kelley prototype), Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

6:58 Listener Matt gets the Heathkit Stereo Signal Generator kit

9:27 Skip sees a Bald eagle 

11:33 Waking up a 1980 Musicman 112 RD after a long hibernation

14:05 Acceptable DC leakage in capacitors, puppies attacking sprinklers 

17:11 Epiphone Pacemaker desirability versus its Gibson Skylark counterpart

20:04 How to blow up an amp, heating tortillas, and Masco ME-27s

32:31  A Weber Proluxe 5E3 amp kit and reducing hum by changing coupling cap orientation; Leighton Amps/Jef Brown's blog post (link)

43:33 Octal 6F5 tubes 

38:55 An Operadio Model 1030 

45:34 An Orange AD-30 with an EL84s that run hot; Servisol Super 10

51:07 A late '80s Fender Vibroverb with a burning smell and a glowing 6L6 

56:47 Thoughts on a Symphonic MA7-1?

1:00:51 Thoughts on modern reverb tanks  

1:04:06 A really quiet Frenzel HBX-AC30 

1:10:42 What to service on a recently-purchased 1968 Univox U235?

1:17:18 Changing values in the preamp of a SF Champ to reduce bass 

1:26:09 Non-stick pans 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 114th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair. 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

3:49 Skip gets more gifts (thank you); Studio Slips (link); Dragonfly USB-stereo connection; Connie Converse (Bandcamp link)

9:41 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon (link)

9:54 Josh Scott (JHS) plays the El Pato Tone practice amp (Instagram link), which you can buy here on Reverb; the 2023 Fretboard Summit featuring Jeff Parker, Jorma Kaukonen, JHS, Tommy Emmanuel, vintage amps and much more! (register for the Summit today: fretboardsummit.org)

10:59 Electrolytic bypass capacitors in Marshalls?

15:58 Spicy popcorn; best speaker load for a Black panel Fender Dual Showman head

21:05 The return of Leo Quan?

21:53 Standel has a new owner, Owen Duffy

22:49 What to do with a Matchless DC30 that sounds great, but runs really hot

32:33 A Princeton Reverb with weak reverb

35:54 Why you shouldn't use a Variac as an isolation transformer

38:40 GZ34 rectifiers and standby switches

46:24 Grounding issues on a hand-wired Fender Tweed Twin reissue, redux

48:56 What to do with an Aireon Model 1221A juke box amp with 6SK7, 6J5, 2x 6L6, and 5U4G tubes?

51:10 Preferred plate voltages on a 5F2A build; 5F2A vs 5F2 circuits

55:05 How would you measure an output transformer to know its preferred speaker load?

59:54 I built a 5E3 clone but there's no volume until I get to 2 1/2

1:01:11 Why does my 1967 black panel Deluxe Reverb have a tube chart for an AB165 Bassman and why is it so gainy? A narrow panel 1952 Fender Deluxe

1:11:16 Pancakes with goat cheese

1:12:58 Tips on accessing the underside of a '40s Stromberg-Carlson AU-33 PA's terminal board; isolation transformers, redux

1:19:07 https://worldradiohistory.com/.

1:21:04 Repairing the plastic on an Ampeg footswitch; E6000 craft adhesive; http://schematicheaven.irridia.com/

1:24:16 A 1950 Gibson GB-CB with a power cord touching a tube

1:29:23 1957 Fender factory tour, narrated by Richard Smith (YouTube link)

1:31:14 Skip's voice cloned via AI; a 5F2A with weak volume

and much more... 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 113th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair. 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

4:11 Announcement: The Truth About Vintage Amps at the 2023 Fretboard Summit (www.fretboardsummit.org); Chicago's Kale My Name (link)

14:14 Should you use better or same-quality replacement parts when your amp needs a repair?

18:52 A real rustic kegger; Skip's favorite amp

25:20 Beginner's corner: How many speakers can my amp run? Cast-iron griddle grilled cheese

32:50 B+, redux; benefits of a separate filament transformer; UTC transformers; HAM radio transmissions

38:17 6X5 rectifier tubes

41:48 A HiWatt clone that keeps blowing fuses

47:17 Thank you for the coffee, Kevin!

48:26 Running an acoustic guitar through a tube amp (Bogen Challenger); El Pato's neighbor; cleaning tube sockets

52:54 Mistakes made while swapping tube sockets on a Fender Bassman 50; frozen Arby's french fries

59:53 The tornado and 1967 Fender Deluxe Reverb story, redux

1:05:12 Convincing a store to ship you a Gibson EH-150; Carter Cutlery (link)

1:11:23 Special thanks: Max in Spain; Bill from California

1:13:00 Need your reverb coil rewound? Check out Tom Brantley (@tombrantleyrewinds)

1:15:39 Help me pick out speakers for my tweed Twin; parallel vs. in-series speaker wiring, sleeper vintage 12" speakers, Weber speaker's grades of doping

and much more... 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Stringjoy Strings, Amplified Parts (use the code TAVA10 to save 10% off of their Mod kits) and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link. 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 112th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair. 

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [email protected]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

7:42 David Lindely on Dumble: Audio interview on our Patreon (link)

8:07 Shoutout to August from Otis Amps

8:46 Rancho Gordo Beans, redux (link), Herdez Salsa Casera, Juantonio's chips

11:42 What's on Skip's workbench: A Stromberg PA head; a 1910 Hammond Multiplex typewriter

16:39 More on David Lindley

19:31 A muted Tweed Bassman with a hiss in V2, testing test equipment; a brownface Deluxe at the flea market

27:15 What's the difference between silverface '60s Fender Pro Reverbs (drip-edge or not); the Cars; is the Pro Reverb the beginning of "logging truck" status

33:53 Amps that use 2A3/6A3 triodes as power tubes

40:01 ChatGPT wrote a poem about TAVA

43:11 Rob Robinette's recommendation to put a 1N4007 diode in series after the Secondary AC High voltage and the plate of the rectifier tube; 'Junior Bonner' with Steve McQueen; Better Call Saul; Hollywood gossip

47:49 Lighting your workbench, a dedicated filter circuit for testing amps?

50:39 Waking up amps that have not been used in a long while; using multimeters for the first time; inconsistencies in the volt readout on a variac

56:12 Does a variac provide the same shock protection as an isolation transformer?, the Silvertone 1485 circuit, the Hillbilly Rueben recipe

1:02:52 Hearing Skip's voice in your head while you're at your day job; a 1940s Navy soundsystem with a dynamotor

1:06:15 Fixing the crack in a 1972 Fender Deluxe Reverb cabinet, troubleshooting amps that have been dropped, index pins

1:13:13 The sound of octal tubes; the Baxandall EQ circuit explained; why did my Ampeg start smoking with an acrid smell when turned on?

1:17:38 A Fender Hotrod Blues Deluxe that is muted until it has warmed up for 30 seconds, input jacks

1:22 Kenny Burrell’s ‘Soulero’, a 2006 Fender Tweed Twin (no reverb) with an intermittent volume drop

1:28:46 Balancing family life with amp projects, redux

Recorded March 15, 2023.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Stringjoy Strings, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link. 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

We're back and episode 111 has it all: Deep thoughts, a tornado, fried eggs, and power tubes gone bad. Keep the questions coming to [email protected] and enjoy! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:59 The TAVA Big Index page (link)

3:26 A pro chef hack, Rancho Gordo beans redux (link to the beans) 

4:34 A '64 Princeton Reverb clone with a switch that can convert it to a stock Princeton, redux (thanks Emcee Amps of Montreal); the Tweed Vibrolux tone control

7:44 What's on Skip's bench: A Stromberg-Carlson PA head

9:52 What did today's vintage amps sound like new? Pizza with an egg

19:00 A tornado-damaged 1967 Deluxe Reverb with a loose reverb wire

23:38 A 6G3 with a glowing power tube, when good power tubes go bad

28:41 Why does my hand-wired Vox AC4 hum more than my PCB version of the exact same amp?

32:18 Making a '63 Vibroverb reissue quieter; the Crazy Tube Circuit's White Whale reverb pedal (link)

42:13 Baffler: The usefulness of a 6AT6 preamp tube in old radios

46:16 What Skip's reading: Garrett Hongo's 'The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo' (Amazon link), a 12-volt powered dynamotor 

51:57 A psychologist chimes in; B+ voltage

Recorded Feb. 14, 2023.

This week's episode is sponsored by Stringjoy Strings, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link. 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to  [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

An episode that almost went off the rails (a missing special guest, talk of tragic balloon heroes, street tacos) but somehow gets back to amp basics.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

3:56 Skip's decision to quit being a drawbridge operator, Skip visits Eminence  

8:58 Austin Ribbon Mics, the Hot Holder Pro (link); book recommendation: 'How to Read Schematic Diagrams' by Donald Herrington

11:36 The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair, by George Plimpton (New Yorker link) 

12:22  Roqsolid amp covers (link); Vengeance

13:52 New to our Patreon: Listener Nick reads the Jack Darr (link)

15:30 The use of ferrite beads, redux; inductors versus capacitors 

18:20 A love for logging trucks; the Gretsch Fury, a not-quite-stereo-amplifier

24:00 The amp-related plotline on the fourth episode of Poker Face on Peacock 

25:10 Polarized electrolytic caps; using a dual-shaft concentric pot on a '65 Gibson Scout GA-17RVT to avoid drilling a new hole; musician Seth Walker   

30:21 Installing a switch to bypass the whole reverb circuit on a clone 1965 Princeton Reverb clone

34:12 Ampeg VT-40 60 cycle hum, even in standby 39:40 Skip's steak street tacos; Tortillaland tortillas; Rancho Gordo beans (link)

46:19 SOLVED: James' 1967 Twin Reverb with diminished volume, could this mistake be a desired mod?

53:38 Whacking a transformer with a hammer

55:40 Could you build an extension cab with a field coil speaker that has its own power supply so you can use it with any amp?

1:01:31 Seeking a budget hi-fi rig for classic country; Mezzetta garlic-stuffed olives; cream cheese-filled eggrolls, Granzella's Restaurant in California

1:08:08 Dutch kale in heavy cream; using a thermal camera to diagnose faulty amp parts, puppies as relationship testers; thermometer guns

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link. 

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100+ episodes found here. 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to  [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Episode 109: A long build-up to the amp troubleshooting, but plenty to discuss, including a new puppy, the realities of vintage guitar shows, grandmothers getting run over by reindeer, and ferrite beads. Some of the topics discussed this week:

:34 Meet Junior

5:59 Skip's report from the 2023 Bay Area Amigos Guitar Show; Dr. Elmo buys a Grez (Wikipedia link); the dangers of parking at a produce stand

23:26 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars; Amplified Parts (Hammond products are currently on sale!); Iztotope (use Fret10 as your discount code); and our Patreon patrons.

24:38 Listener Nate sends Skip an autographed copy of the Jack Darr book

26:01 Why do we twist lead wires?, a 5U4 rectifier in a 1965 Deluxe Reverb, 'Heartworn Highways'

35:02 Fixing a broken, grounded plug

37:49 Seamless Joe from Italy, "Nature Boy" (Wikipedia link)

44:39 A Super Reverb with dying tremolo

48:20 5G cell tower interference and ferrite beads

52:14 Getting the sticker back on a vintage Fender footswitch

53:51 Improving the tone stack on a Harmony 420

59:42 Transformers for a 5C1 Champ build; to choke or not to choke

1:06:53 An EL84 Filmosound with a buzzing transformer

1:09:08 Junior has an accident

1:09:45 Why doesn't my Knight 93-320 PA head have a fuse?

1:11:32 Actual logging truck tales on 'Odd Lots' (Apple Podcasts link)

1:12:06 A Teisco/Checkmate/Northland Baffin III

1:15:35 Why is there an angry crackle on my Magnasync Moviola 1800 whenever I touch my guitar?

1:18:29 Toots & the Maytals cover "Country Roads Take Me Home" (YouTube link)

1:20:06 Why is my Bassman's plate voltage so high with this GZ34 tube?

1:22:33 Dolly Sinatra's pasta sauce (Edit: Duquesne is a town in PA, not a PA...stupid autocorrect!)

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 108 episodes found here. 

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to  [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Episode 108: It's like a best-of episode, but totally new! Pre-amps, typewriters, too many kitchen hacks, transformer talk, Jason reads the tubes wrong, and we even get a little artsy! 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

2:53 Does Skip want to see your amps right now? See Skip at the January 14-15, 2023 Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show

4:59 A Tweed Pro with a variable inverse feedback control knob 

5:45 Lee Jeffriess in the Fretboard Journal's 51st issue (link); check out Jeffriess and John Munnerlyn performing "Blues for Earl"

11:22 The December 31 TAVA Seattle meetup (thanks for organizing, @liquidnyo); YouTube's jgflyback shows off his tube-powered clock (shaky Instagram Live footage)

13:50 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars has a new long-scale bass!; Amplified Parts (Hammond products are currently on sale!); Iztotope (use Fret10!); AND Stringjoy Strings. Plus...Josh Scott (JHS) is coming to TAVA, the TAVA El Pato-Tone Practice amp (Reverb link), and our Patreon page

20:56 The resonance of a fully loaded turret board; mounting components in a head vs. combo; goop

28:25 Microphonics in a tube amp (the good kind); David Lindley (support him via t-shirt sales here)

30:04 Why were so many power transformers changed in the '70s and '80s?; Spokane, Washington; Jason's favorite noodle place in Spokane, Washington (link); a very-modified Gibson Les Paul Junior with a cooling fan

36:03 Typewriter keyboards; '80s Scottish cop show, 'Taggart'

39:58 Should I change the transformer on my Bruce Zinky Fender Prosonic head? the effect of an output transformer on tone

45:46 What's the deal with the Fender Bantam bass amp?; the oven instead of the range; ham and bacon end pieces

50:39 Reincarnating a dead Peavey Deuce II; putting a Vox-style preamp circuit on an amp with 6L6s; cheese quesadilla hacks

54:06 Fixing the uneven distortion on my Dad's Gibson GA-9

56:53 Why isn't my 1967 Fender Twin Reverb as loud as my other Twin Reverb?

1:00:05 Arts & Humanities corner: The Albert Barnes collection of post-modern art, 'Art of the Steal,' (link); Skip goes to Harvard, again; RIP poet Charles Simic (read "Stub of a Red Pencil" here)  

1:04:06 Chopped onion, chickpeas, and black beans sauteed in a pan

1:06:18 What would you do with my Bogen CHA-33 PA head? coffee-roasted carrots (link)

1:12:13 Changing the pre-amp tube (and speaker) in an Epiphone Model 101 

1:19:47 What to do with this 1953 Revere T-100 reel-to-reel? 

1:31:48 Skip likes the new Fretboard Journal (issue 51, link) 

Recorded January 10, 2023. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 107 episodes found here. 

Episode 107: The genius of Garnet founder "Gar Gillies," Fender reverb controls, fixing Magnatones, and more. 

**Want to meet Skip? He'll be at the January 14-15, 2023 Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show with stuff to sell (and also picking up amps that need to be serviced).** 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

3:00 Deluxe Amplification's El Pato Tone Amp (Reverb link) 

7:19 El Pato, cottage cheese with salsa, Sacramento's music instrument lending library "MusicLandria" (link)

11:09 Silverface Champs: Change just the tone stock or also increase the value of the plate resistors, the Garnet book (link)

17:23 Speaker load revisited

21:25 A 12AU7 instead of a 12AT7 in a Princeton Reverb; gochujang Korean pepper paste, kimchi

26:45 Fender reverb unit controls, explained; hybrid Vox 7-series amps; the Aclam Dr. Robert pedal (link); impedance redux; the life of a vacuum tube

34:45 What's oozing out of Magnatone M-9's wires?

42:29 Why does my Pepco (Garnet! Canada!) amp use two 6AV6 tubes and only half a 12AX7, instead of a whole 12AX7 and a 6AV6?

46:18 Vintage bass amps for actual bass players?

56:01 16 or 18-gauge zip cord for speaker wire? heat shrink for splicing 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page for nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100 episodes found here. 

Episode 106: No special guests, but plenty of amp questions answered and some recipes! 

Some of the topics discussed: 

1:01 It's good to be anxious

3:59 Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

4:18 Any interest in a Seattle amp swap meet / hang on December 31? Message me at [email protected].

4:49 Deluxe's TAVA-tribute El Pato-Tone 9-volt practice amp: Now available in the green El Pato can! (Reverb link)

7:51 Music recommendation: Thee Sinseers (NPR Tiny Desk concert link); The "5" Royales (YouTube link) 9:23 How is amp output affected by adding speakers?

12:39 Impedance vs resistance, revisited; phaser analysis; chicken curry

17:27 The Soursound transformers episode (link); when does the speaker deep dive happen?; amps with hybrid circuits; harpist Emily Hopkins (YouTube link), 8417 tubes

27:38 Netflix's new documentary, 'Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall'

30:45 Harp player Paul Oscher; Jontavious Willis' interview with Oscher on the Diddie Wah Diddie podcast (link)

33:34 Tips on extending wiring; a Western Electric Slice

37:06 Safe long-term storage of vintage amps; a Falcon discovered in the trunk of a car

40:23 What's the simplest tube reverb circuit? the Boss FRV-1 '63 Fender Reverb pedal, vintage Premier 90 Reverb tanks

45:38 'The How & Why of Guitar Tube Amps' by Gar Gillies (order: http://www.garnetamps.com/order_b.htm)

50:57 Now you have a third salad dressing

51:31 Is the speaker switch I made safe to use? Grits with smoked gouda

1:00:07 Buying a second-hand Mesa Boogie amp

1:04:02 What's the CSA Thermal Protector on a Fender Musicmaster Bass amp?

1:06:52 An Australian Philips PA conversion that won't stop popping and crackling; cathode resistors and plate load resistors

1:09:17 Three Marshall Super Lead heads, one that has ghosting; filter capacitance

1:18:35 Soup with kale and white beans

1:21:01 Yank magazine; a fancy tube tester (and a Heathkit signal generator) still available at Skip's; Rabbit Hole bourbon (link); Sherwood (British TV show); see Skip at the Marin Guitar Show (January 2023, link)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page for nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100 episodes found here. 

** We are doing another run of Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirts. Pre-order your shirt now by clicking here: https://silkshopstores.com/tavamerch/shop/home **

Just in time for the holidays: A bonus Truth About Vintage Amps episode! This week, no listener-submitted questions. Instead, we introduce you to Joshua Dejaen, a.k.a. jdflyback on YouTube.

This young, Pacific Northwest-based electrical engineer has taken YouTube by storm with a viral video where he not only built a tube amp from scratch, he even built the tubes! Watch Joshua's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UEfqAWb3fE&t=439s

During our chat, we hear how Joshua got his start building vacuum tubes at home, learn about some of the grassroots tube builders / electrical engineers who have inspired him along the way, and hear about Joshua's build process. We also learn about the perils of microwave oven transformers and so much more. Joshua has included a schematic for the spot welder he used in his tube-making video. See the show notes on fretboardjournal.com or check our Instagram/Patreon pages. Other references mentioned by Joshua:

'Saga of the Vacuum Tube,' by Gerald F.J. Tyne (Amplified Parts order link)

https://simplifier.neocities.org https://www.youtube.com/@glasslinger/

'Materials Technology for Electron Tubes' by Walter H. Kohl  (Tubebooks.org link)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Episode 104: No special guests, but plenty of amp questions answered, plus lots of schematic talk, A/B/Y boxes, a recipe or two, and a parenting tip!

Some of the topics discussed:  1:03 A 1954 Fender extension cabinet (tweed, but spray painted black); Fender Amps: The First 50 Years (Amazon link); asbestos in amps

7:04  Why are the PA amps I'm restoring so noisy? Masco MA-25; Stromberg-Carlson AU42

12:49 Resistance versus impedance; the functions of a choke in an amp

18:37 What happened to the quick & easy recipes? Canned soup hacks; replacing a broken terminal strip

23:13 Putting a three-prong plug on an old Variac; movie recommendation: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (link)

27:08 A one-tube reverb circuit (link); Kodak projectors; a voltage doubler

30:15 Getting your kids interested in electronics; paper airplanes; candle powered boats (Amazon link) Amplified Parts pedal kits (link)

35:21 Working on early Carvin tube amplifiers

39:09 Jack's Darr's Fender schematics

40:48 A 6G3 clone with a tube rattle; tube rings; goats

46:59 A Vega Commander Fidelity Amp Model No. 51; 1273 tubes

52:57 A "pop" whenever you turn your pedal on

57:15 Why don't more players use an A/B/Y and play multiple amps at once?

1:00:02 The bass control on a Gibson EH-185 schematic, amps that don't use the Baxandall tone control

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

The 103rd Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast. Special guest Mason Stoops (Jackson Browne, Marcus Mumford) walks us through his crazy Marcus Mumford live rig! Plus: Dutch potatoes, shorting jacks, vintage road cases, and more. **Get a glimpse of what Mason is talking about by watching this video:  https://youtu.be/TH-bixpr-EQ and then listen to his explanation on our show (starts at 1:03:28).** :47 What's on Skip's bench: a Mesa Boogie Mark I 2:21 Kevin in Ohio has joined the Rustic Kegger in the Woods (Facebook link), nasty old pine trees 7:53 Eric Daw's Solid Sound book (order link); Daniel Petrzelka's replacement pilot light washers for SF Fenders (contact him via Instagram)

18:42 Easiest way to date a Fender amp; Portland, Oregon's Cast Iron Revival (Instagram link)

22:55 Music recommendation: Sonny Burgess

27:22 A Blonde Fender Bandmaster with failing volume; Nic Grabien

31:09 Gain vs volume, redux; Hotchpotch / hutspot potatoes with kale

38:14 Alternatives to a Fender Champ 12

42:39 Shorting jacks to reduce hum in amps? Mexican gumbo soup

50:32 A 1968 Fender Bassman head with two chokes and a non-original power transformer

54:25 A 1959 Gibson GA-9 with an erratic distortion once the volume is turned up

57:00 Taming the boost on 1979 Fender Princeton Reverb with the pull-boost; original Fender-branded tubes

1:01:34 Alternatives to a Music Man RD-50?

1:03:28 Special guest: Mason Stoops! Stoops' live rig touring with Marcus Mumford, Austen Hooks-modified Filmosounds + "Space Heater" amps, Kalamazoo Model 2s, a Peavey Studio Chorus, LED lights, playing with Jackson Browne, and so much more.

Watch our video here to see what Mason is talking about (and his guitar and pedal setup): https://youtu.be/TH-bixpr-EQ (Thanks, Duncan!)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Special guest Bryan Sours (Soursound transformers) joins us for an epic talk all about transformers!

Note: This is the longest episode of TAVA to date, and one of the most information-rich. I didn't attempt to make complete show notes for all the topics Bryan covered as it would be impossibly long. For our listeners who like to get into the weeds, this episode is for you. Dive in. **Also, for a limited time, Bryan Sours is offering TAVA listeners a special discount: Use the code SKIPSENTME when you check out at https://soursound.com. **

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to Jason's magazine, the Fretboard Journal (link).

Some of the topics discussed this week:

Episode 101 of TAVA: Gain, flux, gochujang and more! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to Jason's magazine, the Fretboard Journal (link).

Some of the topics discussed this week:

12:00 Building a 5F1, Little Charlie's Spanish Rice and the impact of TAVA

14:13 Listener Mitch's landline USB phone!; weirdest thing found in amps; frozen kale crumbles; Angela caps; gochujang spice

21:00 Do EL84s sound different after being on for a half hour?

23:27 What's the difference between volume and gain?

25:47 The Trainwreck Type-3 master volume, redux

27:34 Tad's Bell & Howell amp; maple syrup from New Hampshire

28:24 Clean flux or leave it on?

29:55 An Australian barn find: A 1960 Moody 17/12 amp; fixing silkscreening on a control panel; a 9-pin triode pentode (6BL8); Dynaco ST-70 amps; adding avocado to vegemite toast

35:56 A barn find Filmosound; what to do when starting up a long-dormant amp, checking capacitors for ECR

47:22 Electrolytic bypass caps on preamp tubes

51:50 Frozen fruit instead of ice cubes in cocktails

52:33 A silverface Fender amp with a conductive part board; moisture in a part board?

58:57 Does anyone like amps with combination fixed and cathode bias?

1:01:56 Buying a 1960s Gretsch 6152 as your first vintage amp

1:05:54 What's the difference between all the input jacks on a 6G2 Princeton vs a 5F11 Vibrolux

1:07:04 Book recommendation: Please Kill Me: The Uncensored History of Punk (Amazon link); music recommendation: 'Balsams' by Chuck Johnson (Bandcamp link); the trem circuit in a Victoria Victorilux

1:13:05 Yank, the Army Weekly magazine

1:15:11 Bill Orcutt's Music for Four Guitars (Bandcamp, FJ Podcast appearance)

1:16:12 Rust on transformers and how it affects performance, eddy currents, Plush amps, Metal Rescue

1:20:17 A Stromberg Signet 22 PA head converted into a two-EL84 Matchless DC-30 that makes lightsaber sounds

1:26:54 The typewriters of the Beat poets; the Beat Museum in SF (link) 

Our 100th episode! To help us celebrate this milestone, Skip and Jason are joined this week by friends of the show Nels Cline (Wilco), Barry Grzebik (Grez Guitars), Jesse Quitslund (Acme), Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instruments), and Colleen Fazio (Fazio Electric).

We tackle a few amp questions, get the first-ever ambient remix of our podcast, catch up, and announce the winners of our 100th episode giveaways. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

4:48 'California Burning' book (Amazon link)

7:05 Special guest: Nels Cline: Daybreak Seaweed Flakes (link) 

8:26 Our TAVA 100 Giveaways: A Grez Mendocino Junior; a Skip-modded SF Fender champ; a Madsen Amplification GE Boost (use the discount code TAVA 20 at madsenamps.com); a FirstCoast Amplification-modified Masco-turned-5F2A Princeton (FirstCoast's Reverb store); Eric Daw's new book 'Solid Sound: 23 Schematics for Wiring Vintage and Modern Single-Coil, Solid-Body Guitars' (order link)

11:01 Special guest: Barry from Grez Guitars

11:23 Special guest: Jesse Quitslund (Acmeverb.com)

17:55 Special guest: Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instruments), a rough tomato season, the Angela SSE amp project

21:52 Special guest: Colleen Fazio (fazioelectric.com)

26:35 Marty from the Oregon Coast

28:05 Carlsbro amps, haunted amps

33:38 What does a wattage rating really mean?

38:29 Derek the Cruise Ship Guy's ambient TAVA remix; increasing the tremolo on old Fender amps, pulling the tremolo pre-amp tube to increase gain, McGohan PA amps

48:14 Building the Angela SSE amp (link to the catalog/schematic)

53:35 Favorite speakers for black panel Fenders, Colleen's test cabinet

56:26 A philosophical question: What if the modded vintage amp you bought was modded by a genius?; homemade hot sauce, mica caps, replacement Fender Silverface pilot light washers

1:07:19 The amp that Barry at Grez puts all his guitars through

1:09:06 Was the Vox AC-30 circuit inspired by a Gibson design? EL34s in early AC-30s

1:12:19 Music recommendation: Billy Jack Wills' Crazy Man Crazy (YouTube link), Bob Wills' 1941 Martin D-45 (catch Jason in this Emerald City Guitars' YouTube video)

1:13:54 How to tell a tube's origin from its appearance?

1:18:06 Thoughts on putting a vintage transformer in a Champ kit; single-ended Hammond output transformers (125 BSE, ESE, etc); 5932 tubes

1:33:52 TAVA's most boring or brilliant moments; laptop-to-tube-amp connections (speaker-driven line out from a headphone jack?)

1:36:22 The differences found in top boost and bright switches

1:39:22 The Coriolis effect on electrons in a pre-amp tube in the Southern hemisphere, the Goldentone amp book (link)

1:40:51 Grid leak bias amps and giving an amp more headroom

1:46:57 Barry describes the Grez Mendocino Junior that we're giving away

1:48:08 Special guest Nels Cline joins us, again! Nels' touring amp with Wilco, eating on the road, Standels, hot sauce, and more

2:00:39 Homemade coconut rice; Hank Mobley's 'Roll Call' or 'Soul Station;' Dexter Gordon; Wynton Kelly's Piano with Kenny Burrell; the best progression for a Champ clone to a Filmosound; 'Norman Blake/Tut Taylor/Sam Bush/Butch Robins/Vassar Clements/David Holland/Jethro Burns'; Fripp & Eno; Bill Evans' 'Live at the Village Vanguard'

2:08:23 More advice for those wanting to build a Champ

2:10:15 Adding a speaker jack to a Tweed Champ; balanced power? homemade hot sauce

2:13:53 One last "giveaway"

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media. 

Episode 99 of our podcast and Skip has one more surprise in store...  yet another giveaway prize for our 100th episode! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. One of our patrons will win a Hello Sailor Fuzz Face this month! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:23 The Fretboard Summit Chicago: Come see Jason, Larry Chung, Grez Guitars, and more August 25-27 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music (link)

7:02 One more prize for our 100th episode giveaway: A 1971 Skip-modded SF Champ

10:30 Skip is headed to a guitar show... in January (link)

12:55 A 1928 National Squareneck Tricone Style 1 for sale; a Recording King amp

17:56 One thing we've learned about vintage amps over the course of this podcast, a 1960 Fender Super in factory white (Instagram link)

23:55 Choosing the ultimate pickup-testing amp

28:13 Isaiah Mitchell; bias or no bias

32:54 A twin Reverb with a dying sound on the vibrato channel

38:50 Goat judging, redux (Instagram link)

44:39 Reverb without transformers, ie the Ampeg GU-12

46:34 A Traynor YGM-3 with an overly metallic reverb

48:38 Is an amp a signal pusher or a signal sucker?

51:03 Music Man amps, keeping a 12AX7 from failing, 6CA7 tubes, Johnny Winter's burning Music Man (YouTube link)

53:43 Could Gibson successfully reissue a Crestline-era style amp? schematicheaven.net

58:54 How important is an original output transformer?

1:01:18 The high-pitched ringing of a V2 (12AX7) on a 5F4 clone 1:03:23 A 1968 Fender Bronco vs. a '75 Vibro Champ 

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media. 

With Skip's internet down, we recorded our 98th episode the old-fashioned way. Once you get past the distorted land line telephone, you'll hear about how you can win some truly amazing gear on our 100th episode (including a new Grez Mendocino Junior guitar!), plus what inspires Skip, screen resistors on power tubes, center taps on resistors, and one heck of a goat story.

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. One of our patrons will win a Hello Sailor Fuzz Face this month! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:54 The Fretboard Journal 50 (link) ...and issue 1; NAMM Shows

6:15 Our 100th episode giveaways: Win a Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior; a Madsen Electronics GE Fuzz; or a First Coast Amplification Masco - 5F2A Princeton conversion... plus, Josephine Baker was a spy

11:57 What exactly does a Variac do on a dormant amp?

15:43 A super microphonic Deluxe Reverb

17:33 Screen resistors on power tubes: 1-watt resistors vs 3-watt resistors

22:10 Center taps on power transformers: Grounded, tapped-off, or artificial?

26:29 Replacing the rotary off-on switches on Gibsons; Carling rotary switches (link)

29:45 What inspires Skip

35:23 Skip and the Reserve Champion goat

47:09 How important is the orientation of film capacitors?  

53:20 A 1974 Fender Pro Reverb with a hissing problem that goes away with the vibrato; rosemary seasoned foil-wrapped corn on the cob

59:08 Voltage on the chassis of a two-pronged Harmony H-195

1:03:50 Replica cabinets from Lightning Music in Marengo, Ohio; Electro-Harmonix Hum-Debugger pedals, Bruce Forman, James "Blood" Ulmer, the Westerlies

1:07:48 The Fretboard Summit at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, August 25-27, 2022 (www.fretboardsummit.org)

1:09:18 Ananyo Bhattacharya's 'The Man From the Future: The Visionary Life of John Von Neuman' (Amazon link), vacuum tubes for computer memory, Nixie tubes, Fender Dimension IV Sound Exploder / Tel-Ray goo

1:12:26 The tone of Orange Drop capacitors: polyester versus polypropylene; spaghetti bolognese with a slug of El Pato

1:19:25 A Carl's Custom Amps Octal Princeton that can use either a 6L6, EL34, KT77, or 6CA7... and the difference in wattage

1:23:24 Musical instrument insurance; Heritage Insurance (link) 

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media. 

Are we really running out of vacuum tubes? This week, special guest Thomas Cravener of Amplified Parts joins us to talk about the 2022 new tube shortage, plus a lot more.

Reserve a new TAVA t-shirt here.

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. One of our patrons will win a Hello Sailor Fuzz Face this month! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:27  A cool guy's Traynor and tube stuff from the Forest Service in Chester, California

1:47 A '60s Heathkit IG-5237 still sealed in the box (stereo FM signal generator)

4:07 The Fretboard Journal's 50th issue, the Fretboard Summit in Chicago, the legacy of Dumble

10:08 This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts, Calton Cases, and Jupiter Condenser Co.

11:12 This month's Patreon giveaway: A Fuzz Face from Hello Sailor! Effects

13:17 Fire season in Northern California

14:53 An Ampeg B-12XY with an internal 5-watt amp for speaker-driven reverb, Guild Thunderbird amps

18:26 Reserve your new TAVA t-shirt (link)

19:26 Tube naming, revisited

20:41 Last episode's smoking Earthsound Research G-2000... fixed?; more fuse talk

23:34 Skip explains his WD-40 stance; Red Green

27:53 Kevin from Ohio, eBay score Patreon perks, EIA codes

32:49 Special guest: Thomas Cravener, V.P. Sales and Marketing at Amplified Parts: Russian/Chinese tube supply; Amplified Parts is still buying/selling NOS tubes; Psvane tubes; building Mallory Capacitors (YouTube link)

56:59 Gibson GA-8; do I need a matched set of 6V6s in a parallel single-ended amp?

1:02:34 Using alcohol in cooking; kale as shoe repair

1:05:57 Building a Masco Audiosphere A-8 off the schematic (6V6 or 6L6)

1:10:15 Jupiter caps at Amplified Parts; the low acceptable DC voltage on leaky coupling caps

1:12:57 A Flot-A-Tone with a howling problem

1:15:36 A Masco head from the 50/50 Club gets reunited with its cab

1:18:00 Trying to match the dynamics and distortion of an Ampeg B-25 and a Marshall Plexi clone; post-power inverter master volume mods, buying pedals off Amazon

1:23:51 What would Skip buy: A silver-paneled Princeton Reverb, a high-quality clone, or a new hand-wired one from Fender?

1:27:20 Howling Flot-A-Tone revisited, 6SC7 tubes

1:27:10 1966 Fender Pro Reverb with a big increase in plate voltage right after using the standby switch; standby switch 101; GZ34 vs 5U4 rectifier tubes; roasted potatoes

1:37:29 Taming the treble on a Marshall Mercury (we'll attach the schematic to the fretboardjournal.com show notes page so you can see what we're discussing)

1:42:16 Skip's learning curve: Did he work on ultra-collectible amps when he was still starting out? a '53 Tweed Deluxe with no original parts; William Penn and His Pals' "Swami" (YouTube link)

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you love the show. It helps others discover it. 

It's the summer solstice and seemingly everyone is in the kitchen, dishing out amp problems and recipes. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:00 Defensible space, making electricity

5:40 What's on Skip's bench: Old Supros; a late '20s Lyon & Healy amp sporting the Matchless/Vox treble cut tone control

9:59 Silverface jewel light washers (coming soon); pre-order TAVA t-shirts and help support the show (link)

11:12 A Harmony amp with a buzzy volume control; another Harmony with overreacting tone knobs; kale "vodka," bias resistors  

19:42 New KT66 tubes for a 1966 Marshall JTM45 100-watt clone; restaurant-quality french fries; 807 tubes

28:46 Pastorelli pizza sauce; tinkering with a '90s Marshall-made Vox AC-15's static; plastic PCB mounts

37:19 Fixing a vintage Gibson Les Paul amp by cleaning the tube sockets, what's the deal with Fender PA100 heads?; a Sano amp and McIntosh tuner up for grabs

46:45 Soldering fume dangers and keeping your workspace clean

49:50 A Larry Chung sighting; an Epiphone Zephyr (a GA-40 with a 15" speaker) and an Epiphone Century (a Gibson GA-20T)

50:58 Recommended movie: the original Pinnochio, Aladdin, and Little Miss Sunshine; recommended music: Eli "Paperboy" Reed; seeing Merle Haggard at the Sacramento Western Swing Society

56:46 The naming of tubes; how to find usable tubes at a garage sale; undercooked ramen with peanut butter and chilies; dog harnesses for your amp in transit; tube substitution books ('The Receiving Tube Substitution Guide Book' by Middleton, pdf link)

1:02:47 Is my Peavey Encore 65 vintage? Working around its finicky solid-state distortion

1:09:53 Filet mignon with bacon and vodka

1:13:08 A 1972 Traynor YGM-2 that turns everything to fuzz after 1/2 second

1:15:50 Should I mod a Silverface Champ when I already own a 5F2-A?

1:21:00 The Call ("Let the Day Begin," YouTube link), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

1:22:22 Forming filter caps with a Variac?  

1:27:44 A 1979 Fender Pro Reverb that changed for the worse after a power outage; William Penn & His Pals - "Swami" (YouTube link)

1:38:15 Modding a boring 1966 Fender black-panel Princeton with no reverb?

1:42:11 Why is there a jumper on the 12AX7 of my SF Fender Champ?

1:44:44 Are 1968/1969 Fender power transformers lemons?

1:51:14 Mexican pork stew

1:54:23 Tubes for a Bell 3715 PA conversion

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

It's the 95th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Despite some technical / Zoom difficulties, Skip and Jason talk about replacement transformers, smoking Earthsound amps, bias, and more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:32 Econoco, the giant tube rebuilding place in Woodland, California (link, h/t www.reelaudio.net)

3:16 Cordless yard tools

4:31 What's on Skip's bench: A Charlie Christian-style amp head for Todd Clinesmith; John Munnerlyn's Magnatone-inspired guitars, the power transformer from a blonde Tremolux head; blue molded caps

9:56 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon page (link); congrats to Patreon supporter Josh F. on winning a Body and Soul fuzz pedal (Body and Soul on Instagram)

14:18 Nate the syrup guy's 1965 Vibro Champ, redux; inverse feedback; reversing the primary leads on the power transformer

20:31 Beginner's Corner: Cathode bias vs. fixed bias vs. grid bias

25:07 Find this guy: Ham operator Armond Noble, the Kon-Tiki, World Radio News

27:00 A 1964 Fender Super Reverb with a strange volume taper

30:57 A tuxedo Princeton going to the Los Angeles Guitar Show

31:45 Mid-'60s Ampeg B-18N with a weird noise and a single glowing power tube that fixes itself with the standby switch

37:32 A loose rectifier tube in a 1968 Fender Deluxe Reverb

41:32 Fumes from soldering

43:35 Fixing the polarity at a local dive bar

50:38 The goat murder trial is over

53:25 Sourcing the washer behind the jewel light on a Silverface Champ

58:04 Schematics for a Webster TP12-1 PA, making a Blackstar cleaner by swapping the pre-amp tube

1:03:44 A smoking 1973 Earthsound amp

1:11:20 A Harmony H400 combo up for grabs; the Fender Bantam Bass schematic

1:15:09 Replacement output transformers for Fender Champs, Princetons, and Deluxes; rewinding output transformers

1:26:37 Literary recommendation: 'Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies' by Jared Diamond

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

This week, we welcome special guest Tony Teixeira from Tex Amps onto the show!

http://texamps.com

We frequently get questions about Filmosound conversions. During this episode, Tony talks to us about his process when using Filmosounds, the magic of Bernie-built amps, his own circuit designs and a lot more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Keep the questions for Skip coming to [email protected] for our 95th episode, which we're taping next week. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

It's the 93rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Strain relief, stubborn Champs (and Randalls!), blanched kale with sunflower seeds, and plenty more.

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. This month, we'll be giving a TAVA-themed fuzz pedal to one lucky patron! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:50 Amplified Parts now carries PSVANE tubes; tube brands 6:51 Nate's maple syrup 7:50 Garrett Hongo's 'The Perfect Sound' 10:19 A Silverface Champ, Little Charlie's Spanish rice, Trustee from the Tool Room, the novels of Charles Portis, the Kalamazoo KEA's unique push-pull circuit 17:06 Making the two channels of a reissue Fender Vibroverb in-phase; learning soldering as a blind person (link: https://lighthouse-sf.org/tag/soldering/) 24:56 Putting a few select vintage parts in a new Princeton 5F2A clone 31:35 @nocoastsaint's tractor tire-as-speaker-cabinet experiment (Instagram link) 32:52 The Fretboard Journal, TAVA, Doug Sewall's amplifiers (Wampus Cat), getting rid of intermittent noise by moving an amp, cheap surge protectors, Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder's 'Get On Board' 43:01 A 1965 Fender Vibro Champ that's with a squeal on its vibrato, Capacitor Wizards, bypass cap orientation 48:11 A new transformer for a Victor projector amplifier and matching speaker 50:25 Overheating parts during soldering, using a heat sink? 53:38 The MTS modular tube preamp system 55:53 Strain relief bushing tips, Pro's Kit, blanched kale with toasted sunflower seeds, madsenamps.com giveaway (coming soon) 1:01:51 A stiff 5E8A clone with two game changing mods 1:06:13 A reissue tweed Champ that sputters for 30 seconds every time its turned on 1:08:12 A Randall Century 3000 solid state amp that decides to change its own volume 1:11:00 What to source for a cheap but defective 1965 Gibson skylark GA5 1:16:22 Music recommendation: Jim Hall & Paul Desmond

It's the 92nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Harvesting capacitors, recommended reading, Fred Astaire and more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. This month, we'll be giving away a handmade pedal to one lucky patron! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

2:19 The great tube shortage on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Western Electric 300Bs, a million dollar vacuum tube

11:39 Good goo for repairing rotten cabinets

13:59 A Precision Electronics PA amplifier with no model number; the rising prices of vintage PA heads

21:37 Recommended reading: Garrett Hongo's 'The Perfect Sound' (Amazon link)

22:43 Mic pre-amps at Tiny Telephone, RP2s, the Tiny Telephone podcast, Keep the Dream Alive (link)

29:42 Drawing layouts and schematics with DIY-fever.com's app (link); National Geographic's 'The Rescue'

32:29 A 1950 Fender Deluxe signed "Lilly" (Instagram link)

34:40 A bunch of tweed amps at Skip's; a 1953 Fender wide panel Tweed Deluxe score at an estate sale

38:54 Good-All branded caps vs blue molded caps

40:01 Harvesting old coupling caps: Which brands are worth saving?

43:27 Building an Angela SSE amp with a few mods: The cathode bias on the second half of the 12AX7, experimenting with a Variac to lower B+, Zener diodes to a center tap, repurposing an old jukebox amp, recommended book: 'A Fortune Life,' by A. B. Facey (Amazon link), vegetarian congee

50:46 Recommended music: Fred Astaire's The Astaire Story; Fred Astaire and Barney Kessell

52:44 Lesser known vintage amp brands with surprisingly good tone

56:32 Bahamas plays "All the Time" on a Skip-modified Fender Champ at the Fretboard Journal (YouTube link)

56:59 Buying a new boutique amplifier to get a modern reliable tweed sound

1:01:19 Strain relief for the power cord in a Gibson GA88s, Grandma's Smoked Country sausage from Broadbents Hams (link)

1:05:12 Skip is taking visitors again; Loma Rica Mexican cuisine; lots of disc capacitors up for grabs; a Heathkit SA-3 integrated stereo amp

1:11:00 Daisy chaining amps, a Bugera BC30-212, and a desire to make a foot switchable daisy chain through the effects loop

1:15:08 Running a guitar into both channels of a Northern Electric PA, redux

18:11 Reusing the factory solder during a Fender Champ fix

1:20:17 A silverface Fender Champ with an annoyingly loose can capacitor

1:22:36 A 1967 Deluxe Reverb with a broken reverb tank

1:26:07 Fixing a Gemini VI project; Texas breakfast tacos

1:30:35 Early electrics at MIM.org; the Appleton guitar APP guitar (link) 

1:32:25 An antique building with a buzz and/or ghost problem; "Be Thankful for What You Got" (YouTube link)

Haven't joined the Fretboard Journal yet? Use the discount code PODCAST and save $5 off your next Fretboard Journal order. 

It's the 91st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! We talk about the great tube shortage of 2022, blue molded caps, boutique amps, parenting tips, kale chips and more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. This month, we're giving away an amp kit to one lucky patron! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:48 O.W. Appleton and the APP guitar (link) 

7:09 Should we be freaking out about the 2022 vacuum tube shortage? Western Electric getting into guitar tubes (survey link)

19:50 An Australian PA amp with EF86s; when did solid state rectification begin?; For The Term of His Natural Life, by Marcus Clarke; congee

26:22 Hab Spicy Sweet Soy Sauce (link)

26:46 Blue molded caps in a Tweed Deluxe clone  

31:00 Changing the voltage dropping resistors in a Silverface Champ where the B+ is super high

34:27 Extending the leads of pots and a jack so that you can fit an amp inside a vintage radio cabinet

37:18 The remote controls on old Bogen PA heads

45:39 Pedal steel amplifiers, redux; Fender Tweed Pro; beer bread

48:59 A pause for others who know what they're doing: Earl Yarrow, Terry Dobbs, Jeff Bakos; a shout out to the USPS

53:44 Working with a transformer that doesn't have a filament center cap; RIP El Charritos

Building a 5F2A vs. a AA764

1:03:16 Thanks to Kevin in Ohio; the TAVA Patreon Page (link)

1:03:57 Why are boutique amps so expensive, revisited; point-to-point wiring versus turret board; CW Stoneking's Gon' Boogaloo 

1:12:16 Baked kale chips; Irish colcannon; skillet Brussels sprouts; carrots in garlic oil

1:17:30  What's the deal with the 1955 Les Paul Jr. amplifier; making room for filter caps

1:20:17 Taming a Fender Champ; more parenting tips; Song Exploder ("Closing Time" episode link)

1:30:46 More book recommendations? Geoff Farina of Karate

1:39:57 Skip's Music Master bass... sold; K + M Chocolate (link)

1:42:25 What happens to your guitar signal when you split it with a Y cord? Voltage amplifier or cathode follower; Donny Hathaway ("Jealous Guy" on YouTube); 6CM6 tubes

1:47:19 What to do with a 1967 Kodak Pageant movie projector? Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery's 'Dynamic Duo', The Meters; Trustee From the Toolroom; Fluke TL71 Premium Test lead set; Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce "the tweed Champ of pasta sauce" (recipe link)

1:57:57 Skip has a McIntosh MR71 tube tuner for sale; independent radio; the Heptones "I've Been Trying" (YouTube link)

Haven't joined the Fretboard Journal yet? Use the discount code PODCAST and save $5 off your next Fretboard Journal order. 

It's the 90th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! John Smith serves us a chorizo lasagna dish; we hear the demented sounds your tubes are making on their own; the answer to last week's baffler and much more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase and, if you head over to BED|STÜ shoes and use the discount code FRETXBS, you'll save 20% off your BED|STÜ order and help support the FJ.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. This month, we're giving away an amp kit to one lucky patron! 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

4:57 What's in a blue molded cap?

6:17 Our Patreon page and a Patreon-only giveaway

8:14 The Ep. 89 Fender Chris Stapleton amp baffler answered

13:03 Burning Spear, Marysville postcards, and electric trains

13:55 Beginner's corner: Basic servicing on a Traynor YBA-1 and a 1968 Fender Deluxe Reverb; Alex Shultz's 'Think About It'

18:27 A Peavey Classic 30 with a sibilant buzz

23:11 Why are vacuum tubes called valves; eggs with smoked paprika

26:35 Grez guitars; a 1978 Deluxe Reverb with a microphonic channel 1

33:07 Rewinding transformers: worth it?

37:33 A Fender Musicmaster bass in Daphne blue up for grabs; a memorial for Little Charlie

39:47 A blackface Fender Vibrochamp with a bad hum; artificial center taps and various other mods; Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five (YouTube link); Weller 8200 for chassis ground connections?; Weller 550

48:42 The sound coming out of your tubes; Universal Audio OX; Steven Spielberg's Duel

54:05 Thanks, AmpsAmps

55:13 Two Craigslist finds: Cutting the cord on a free Hammond M-111 and a what to do with an empty 2000 Fender Twin Reverb shell

1:00:51 Steel players and their quest for more headroom; overdriven steel artifacts; tips and tricks for getting more headroom from an amp

1:06:39 John Smith finds tube amp happiness with Benson Nathan Junior; chorizo lasagna (with El Pato); watch John Smith on That Pedal Show (YouTube link)

1:10:50 Has Skip ever been shocked?, signal bleed on a PA amp; Jeff Healey's trumpet playing

1:14:51 The most sought after Masco PA heads

1:20:56 Turning a Knight 93-360 into an octal Gibson GA-20s and what to do with the phono input?

1:25:25 Speaker efficiency and sensitivity

1:28:26 Why new crock pots suck

1:31:03 Filter cap changes on classic Marshall circuits

1:37:26 Theoretical circuit splicing

1:40:26 How does Skip desolder a connection?

1:42:38 Making Filmosounds safe, Cheesy Hammy Eggy

1:46:52 More good goo: S&F Smothered Cajun sauce (link) 

Special guest Max Hart joins Skip and Jason to talk about working with Melissa Etheridge (and Katy Perry), using vintage tube amps on the road, his pedal board and more. Plus, all the usual listener submitted questions, recipes and more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase and, if you head over to BED|STÜ shoes and use the discount code FRETXBS, you'll save 20% off your BED|STÜ order and help support the FJ.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

2:30 Putting the old Astron Minimite capacitors back inside a Vibrolux... in Thailand

6:22 Special guest Max Hart: Melissa Etheridge, touring through COVID-times, Hammond B-3 variations, Max's pedal board, Leslie 147s vs. 122s, touring with a vintage Fender Deluxe Reverb, in-ear monitors, Eric Gardner, living in Woodland, CA, his guitars of choice, Klon clones, Boss RV-6 reverb pedal, click tracks, Gruene Hall

45:00 Too flippant about chokes: Skip revisits last week's chokes question.

46:28 Baffer: A Chris Stapleton model Princeton with a tube rectifier that won't work

50:40 Skip's #1 Retropolitan amp for sale (sold, Instagram link)

53:51 Testing the pulled / bad caps on a serviced Fender 1962 6G4A

55:57 Quick and easy crispy corndogs; bacon bourbon; did Tool's Adam Jones really freeze his amplifiers?

59:41 A Bogen Challenger 35A making demonic sounds with no speaker hooked up

1:05:13 A heartwarming tale: Milling old Sacramento trees

1:08:28 Portobello mushrooms and a blown-up Orange OR15

1:14:40 The rectifier tube in a '50s Magnatone 213, fixing a rotten cabinet

1:16:43 A modified tone stack on a Weber Deluxe Reverb kit

1:23:02 Old business: Preferred Gibson Falcon reverb tank (4FB3D1B)

1:25:04 Farmers Brewing; Secret Trail Brewing Co. 

1:25:20 Skip gets a package for Russell Simmons

1:26:57 A Silverface Champ with a 250k pot instead of a 1mg pot

1:27:59 A Magnatone Varsity project for sale

Chokes, scalloped potatoes, Monoprice amps, phase inverters, and more! It's the 88th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase and, if you head over to BED|STÜ shoes and use the discount code FRETXBS, you'll save 20% off your BED|STÜ order and help support the FJ.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

2:31 Before you start charging people to fix amps...

5:57 RIP listener Bill Eldred; happy birthday, Clayton

7:04 John Vanderslice's new podcast, 'Keep the Dream Alive'

9:09 Skip's music recommendation: Brave Combo

10:24 economycandy.com for all your vintage candy needs

12:02 Live taping of the TAVA's 100th episode at the 2022 Fretboard Summit? (Chicago, August 25-27)

13:22 Skip sounds like Jerry Garcia, redux; Jerry Garcia Funny Story (YouTube link); what to do with a busted Monoprice Stage Right 15-watt, 12" combo?

20:35 How did Fender circuits get named? El Pato red enchilada sauce (in the big can)

24:36 Tweed Deluxe vs. Ampeg M-12, redux; replacement reverb tank for a Gibson Falcons (4FB3D1B)

27:02 Chokes: What are they, why and more? henrys; scalloped potatoes

34:34 A Cromwell lap steel and matching amp; pre-servicing an amp to clean out pests, etc. before you send it to a tech; more scalloped potatoes; Aleene's Tacky Glue

39:34 Recovering old cloth-covered wire; Otis Amps on the Sonic Artifacts Podcast

43:18 Boutique builders: Vintage 47 amps (link); Swart amps; Dr. Z; BC amps (link)

46:53 Kalamazoo Reverb 12 revisited; 5E3 vs. 6G3 (Deluxe) schematics

50:01 Phase inverters in the 6G3, 5E3 and Ampeg M-12 amps

51:02 A typewriter baffler from listener Bob K.

54:25 Phase issues with different sized speakers?; using a 9v battery to test the phase of a speaker; Nashville Amp Works

58:49 The Beginner's Corner for Tone Geeks, by Marty from the Oregon Coast; Sarno Music Solutions Earth Drive pedal (link); Neil Young's 'Live Rust'; non-alcoholic hoppy water

1:11:30 The Ampro combo amp revisited

1:15:33 Recommended reading: the Ampeg book, the Gibson amp book

1:16:54 The TAVA Angela Super Single Ended amp group build... happening soon (we hope)!

1:18:27 Simple recipes: Cast Iron Roast Chicken (link), Herb Salad (link); an Ampeg flip-top B-15 with replaced coupling capacitors; Cornell Dubilier capacitors, mylar versus polyester; Johnnie Taylor "It's Your Thing"

1:33:52 Recommended sources for good resistors and caps for new builds; Skip still has a TEAC a7010 reel-to-reel tape deck available 1:40:32 A circuit for weirdos: Epiphone EA-70 with tube compression 1:41:10 Recommended reading: Trustee from the Tool Room

The Truth About Vintage Amps is hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 87th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Plenty of amp tips for newbies, some deep Ampeg talk, music recommendations, amp tips for steel guitar players, and more. This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:54: RIP Alexander Howard Dumble

1:58 The TAVA Big Index Page (link) / Tableau Index Page (link)

2:21 Jason attempts to finish his Champ kit project

4:05 A Massie-built Electro amp on eBay (link)

8:05 Beginner's Corner: Speaker cables versus guitar cables

9:41 The capacitors in our brain

11:19 A replacement optocoupler for Gibson GA-20 RVT?, tremolo circuits

16:02 A tip for pros: Max-Pro.com

18:18 Frank Sinatra's 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers;' cleaning and retensioning tube sockets, redux  

27:10 Music recommendations: https://www.wwoz.org; typewriters; The Deputy (YouTube link)

32:37 The dual fixed and cathode bias circuit on a Fender AC568 Bassman

37:27 Mother of toilet seat amps; Skip's preferred wiring, tube sockets and more

50:00 Fixing a vintage tube with a broken guide key, aftermarket tube bases

54:42 Fender Deluxes: 5E3 vs 6G3, roasted brussels sprouts

59:16 Skip's speaker picks; Skip's reference cab

1:04:31 How to make a lot of mead; the Prudence Penny Cookbook

1:07:09 Ampeg Gemini I reverb tank

1:10:32 The tone control circuit of an Ampeg M-12 Versus Tweed Deluxe; Kenny Burrell's 'Bluesin' Around'

1:17:00 What's up with my early '60s Ampro combo amp?

The Truth About Vintage Amps is hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 86th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps featuring special guest, Joe Halliday of Hello Sailor Effects (@hellosailoreffectsofficial)! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

4:37 The business of cheese, the Prudence Penny Regional Cookbook, mead

10:34 Custom can capacitors from Hayseedhamfest.com

12:00 Skip re-builds a hacked 1961 Fender reverb unit; half-wave rectifier circuit vs. bridge rectifier circuit

16:38 Special guest: Joe Halliday from Hello Sailor Effects (Instagram link) Building amps and pedals while at sea with the British Navy, a love for old parts, octal pre-amp tubes, dummy loads (mini Wall of Sound), Free, Gibson Melody Makers, PA heads, Watkins Scout, etc.

40:48 Replacing a 6EU7 on a Gibson Falcon, DangerUXB

46:49 A Gibson GA-80T Vari-Tone with the push button tone selectors

50:46 Beginner's Corner: Guitar-amp feedback

52:01 A Silverface Vibro Champ with a bypassed can capacitor, Ooni pizza ovens

59:55 Restoring a 1958 Fender Bassman estate find

1:10:46 Garland Jeffreys' "Wild in the Streets" (YouTube link), a Vespa car (shell)

1:13:56 The caps in a vintage guitar

1:19:17 Vibro Champ hum since a speaker upgrade, and a 80uF 450V cap from pin 8 of the 5Y3 to ground

1:24:40 The Benson 300H, Howard Roberts, and the Fender GA-50

1:27:04 Are all AB763 Fender amps made equal?

1:30:15 Starting a '70s Carlsboro 50 Top Head that has been dormant for decades

1:35:47 Vox AC-4 vs AC-15; DIY Fender Bassman kits

1:43:54 $325 into a 1965-1966 GA-15RVT Explorer

The Truth About Vintage Amps is hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 85th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps featuring special guest, Calvin McCormick (Hiwatt, @ampfreek)! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Download the 2021 TAVA Cookbook here. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:59 El Pato hot sauce in a bottle 

3:13 Nothing but cans: Skip's recent meal

9:58 Update on the amp that lost the majority of its volume during shipping (ep. 84)

11:24 You think this gig is easy, part 7: A Fender Reverb unit with nearly every part replaced

17:42 The tone of the Fender Twins in the Beatles' 'Get Back' documentary

23:41 Special guest: Calvin McCormick (McCormick Analog / Hiwatt / @ampfreek): Meeting Hy Bloom, founder of Soundmaster; Hiwatt today; a new Hiwatt fuzz pedal announcement, Grand Funk Railroad, Garnet Herzog, MTI tube stompboxes and lots more.

1:03:23 Laurens Hammond, inventor of the Hammond organ

1:08:02 Fender 5F2 vs 5F2A fuse specification

1:11:37 The input pre-amp on tube PAs, 12AX7 versus 12AT7

1:14:58 What makes a good steel amp; Steelin' Home by Noel Boggs (YouTube link)

1:22:12 Reforming NOS capacitor cans: Trash or Treasure?

1:24:39 Fitting a reverb tank with space constraints, cooked salsa

1:27:53 Skip needs an Ampeg Gemini II trem module (TM-1), running an old rotary phone into a computer

1:29:45 Skip's new name

1:30:38 Adding a cut control to a single-ended Vox style amp; cheese dip; Pat Martino's 'Live at Keystone Korner'

1:39:47 Replacing the V1 on a two 12AX7, two 6V6 amp to a 12AU7

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 84th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:52: Full transcription of Ep. 83 on our Patreon (yay or nay?) 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 83rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps: More capacitor talk than you can shake a SnufferStick at, push-pull circuits, Ethiopian cooking tips and more! 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:56 The TAVA Cookbook (coming soon, email us if you want it)

5:15 Skip's real voice or a young Jerry?

7:56 Interactive controls on amps, Neil Young's Whizzer, an Epiphone Blues Custom 30, roasted pickled onions

14:06 Old filter caps in PA conversions; Pelican Bay Brewing

17:59 1957 Tweed Deluxe with all original caps; a chassis-only Tweed Deluxe on eBay; Ampeg M12

20:15 Skip's philosophy on replacing caps in a customer's amp

22:30 Illinois capacitors; a Marshall JTM45 that pops when you turn it off

27:40 Even more capacitor talk: Orange Drop capacitors, Illinois MWR capacitors, Jupiter capacitors, Blue Drop caps

35:03 A Rickenbaker M-8E with modified output transformer wiring; Ethiopian ful beans

41:54 TAVA Big Index Page (link)

43:04 Wiring a new home for a vintage PA

48:44 Recommended book: 'Grateful Dead Gear' (Amazon link)

50:44 Washable Crayola on the Mona Lisa; an owner's manual for a 100-watt Multivox P88?

53:42 How to get better at diagnosing amp problems?

55:21 First 5E3 Clone upgrades, even more capacitor talk (disc capacitors), CTS metal-shaft pots

1:01:11 Overview of a push-pull circuit, single-open ended; mountain pie makers

1:05:25 Cast Iron Revival (Portland, Oregon; Instagram link)

1:09:13 Gibson GA-17RVT Scout oscillations

1:14:06 What to put inside a Gibson GA-15RVT?

1:17:50 Polarities revisited and rice water soup

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

Tune in for a new chapter of TAVA, where Skip and Jason Zoom through your tube amp and cooking questions with our highest fidelity yet (thanks to our friends at Shure for sending us that MV7...and to Mrs. Simmons for figuring it out). 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise. 

Special podcast offers: Use the discount code TAVA10 to get 10% off all orders at  amplifiedparts.com through November 13, 2021.

Be a part of the first-ever, last-ever TAVA Cookbook: Email us your favorite recipe ever and we'll add it to our forthcoming, free PDF eBook, just in time for the holidays.

Some of the topics discussed this week: :31 Skip puts the trem in the PA head

1:50 RIP Pat Martino

4:08 Green El Pato enchilada sauce

6:19 Swapping the 6C4 for a 6J6 on a Bogen CHB-50

10:05 A Magnatone vibrato pedal

12:58 A Princeton Reverb clone with a single-note rattle

16:00 Glossary according to Skip: Bypass cap; Baxandall, bright cap

23:17 A late '50s Epiphone Century aka Gibson GA-20T in disguise (see our Instagram)

26:23 More on amp hum

28:21 A '56 Fender Champ or a '60?

31:07 Shoutout Bob at Brookwood Leather (link) 32:14 New boutique amps worth seeking; McClostone; Hamstead

37:23 Typewriters, again

38:24 Giveaway: A La Tosca accordion

39:36 Jason's plan to keep the typewriters typing (free business idea); They Might Be Giants 'Book' (redux, link)

42:48 Finding a clean tone American amp in Norway; silverface Twins

45:49 Why does the primary impedance run high on 6L6 tubes on PA heads; repairing vintage transformers

50:45 Why amps in the '80s and '90s got power transformer replacements; Gibson GA-1RT (YouTube link)

55:10 Looking for a Danelectro Virtuoso schematic; what to do with an butchered amp with no available schematic; Sierra Nevada Old Chico beer

59:36 Guitarist Bobby Eli; the sound of Philadelphia; Vinnie Bell; 'A House on Fire' (Amazon link)

1:02:18 What happens in a tube amp?

1:05:57 Guitarist Pasquale Grasso

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

Producer and musician John Vanderslice returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast with Skip Simmons. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Special podcast offers: Use the discount code TAVA to get free domestic shipping through October 31, 2021 on any speaker at jupiter-speakers.com. Use the discount code TAVA10 to get 10% off all orders at  amplifiedparts.com through November 13, 2021.

Some of the topics discussed this week: 8:40 Special guest: Musician/producer John Vanderslice returns! dEATh bUg, CRYSTALS; running Tiny Telephone studio during COVID, getting double-vaxxed, staying motivated, tape vs. digital recordings, Forssell converters, the four-track pre-amp used by Mk.Gee on Dijon's new song (YouTube link), Ritchie Blackmore uses an AKAI tape deck, Gibson Falcons, Peter Jensen's Magnovox speakers, Schoeps CMC and MK4 microphones, Neve 31102, Shure 565, Bogen RP2 mic-pre, Stromberg-Carlson AV38, Yamaha NS-10s as mics, Frank Sinatra, Vanderslice's Spotify Playlists (link)

1:06:43 Recommended Reading: They Might Be Giants' BOOK (order link), "I Broke My Own Rule" (YouTube link); Warren Ellis' 'Nina Simone's Gum' (Amazon link)

1:11:38 How to interview prospective amp techs

1:19:32 Making a copy of a Magnatone 210 with a jack socket on either side of the vibrato circuit; Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise

1:21:56 The Fender Champ 12's speaker-driven reverb (revisited), peppers in a cast iron pan

1:27:42 Bridging a Fender tube amp

1:30:46 Optimizing a Stromberg-Carlson AU-42 for guitar; 'Look Me in the Eye' by (Amazon link), old olive orchards

1:38:49 Fixing goop'd amps (Joe Bonamassa's Instagram link)

1:42:24 Eric Daw (Fret Files Podcast, luthier, Gibson handle MacGyver)

1:43:56 Blown Marshall output transformer (JCM800 2303)

1:46:09 Outboard reverb and trem units: Weber's ReVibe and TorVibe

1:47:47 Jumpered Marshall amps and La Costena & El Pato Frijoles (email us for the recipe)

1:52:08 Steve Dawson (Music Makes & Soul Shakers); a 1953 Fender Deluxe (5B3) with a sweet spot at 4; troubleshooting a dud Deluxe clone

1:58:57 Ohsawa organic tamari; availalbe: An SVT bass amp in Oroville, California, a single-ended Knight PA head at Skip's, and a Vox Cambridge Reverb

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 80th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast: reverb, goats, pickles from Australia and special call-in guest Sam Mollica!

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:32: Skip says thanks, Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

2:44 John Bachigaluppi of Tape Op magazine

4:37 TAVA t-shirts! Pre-order yours here. 

5:33 Jupiter Condenser Co. discount: Use the discount code TAVA to get free domestic shipping on Jupiter speakers at https://jupiter-speakers.com!

7:03 Our listeners are amazing: Shawn's 3mg Filmosound resistor, Oystein gets a PA amp, Robert Knetzger's pencil resistor (YouTube link)

8:51 Hum on a modded 1979 Fender Musicmaster Bass amp

12:38 Getting more headroom out of a Silverface Fender Twin

18:02 A goat mule in a minivan

23:54 A speaker-driven reverb on a single, Champ-style amp

28:31 Pickled zucchini

32:32 A 1978 Fender Champ that runs too hot (Australian / import version); new tubes, DC voltages

40:36 An Australian amp tech chimes in

44:55 Dumble's Tweedle Dee circuit (5E3 variations); GZ34 rectifier tubes

50:56 Call-in guest: Sam Mollica (https://www.mollicaamplifiers.com); the 12AX7 in Fender standalone 6G15 reverb units; the dry signal in an Ampeg Reverberocket

1:04:10 Output jacks on Gibson Falcons versus modern methods; speaker-driven line out revisited 

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 79th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast: Red plating tubes, amp rattles, Louisiana hayrides, bad advice, coaster brakes, and Blues Juniors!

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

:59 Reverb tank bag surprises

2:09 Recommended NYC repair techs? the case of the missing Telefunken GZ34

3:52 Dickey Betts' Bassman head

6:39 Schroeder's Shoe Repair in Sacramento

8:31 Skip's old band, New Departure

14:38 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon page; Discord coming soon!

19:07 The TAVA Big Index Page

19:14 Amp horror stories for our Halloween episode?

22:13 What to do with a busted Blues Junior? Dumble's Tweedle Dee amp at Emerald City Guitars

27:22 How does Fender's 6G15 wet signal work?

30:24 What to do with a 1983-ish Fender Concert 2x10 and a ‘81 Pro Reverb?

38:04 A Fender Twin Reverb with one red-plating 6L6

42:27 Masco MA-25N tremolo idea: A Danelectro/Silvertone 6AU6 circuit?

44:49 '50s Fenders with underpowered power transformers; clipping the C3 cap in a Blues Junior, soldering guns, and single-amp speaker driven reverb

1:01:11 A Hickok tube tester up for grabs, still; a TEAC A7010 reel-to-reel

1:02:56 Negative feedback on a 1968 Fender Princeton

1:07:57 An Ampeg Gemini II roadtrip; troubleshooting a rattle

1:16:03 The soundman's pencil hack; Make magazine; Rust magazine

1:20:10 Don't listen to Neil Young; the interactive volume control on a Tweed Deluxe

1:23:00 Re-creating the Louisiana Hayride in Norway: What kind of PA should I get? (YouTube link)

1:29:36 Skip's Bob Will's PA

1:32:29 Tommy Tomlinson's mystery amp, a Rickenbacker M-15; Ray Massie; Baxandall circuits; Magnatone Triplex  

1:37:37 Insulating input and output jacks on builds (and when not to insulate)

1:41:43 A Stage Right tube amp blowing a fuse; replacing diodes

1:45:37 Putting a Tweed Vibrolux circuit in a non-reverb Silverface Princeton

1:48:00 Getting Earl Yarrow or Louie Garcia on TAVA 

1:54:25 Amps with a pre-amp tube mounted to a circuit board and power tubes mounted to the chassis; Gibson GA-20T, Epiphone Century

1:56:33 Replacing a broken tone pot on a Filmosound 385 

2:02:55 The end of our lo-fi era; Skip's new Shure MV7 2:04:48 Mike Watson's 6L6s (link) 

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 78th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast: Speaker installation tips, more pizza hacks (thanks Pillsbury),  special Patreon guest Mike Watson (the 6L6s) and more.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

:41: Lots of cool amps at Skip's: The 44th Fender Tweed Tremolux, a Twin Reverb with a 7355 tube chart 2:46 Putting a tremolo circuit in a Masco MA-25N PA head 6:16 A pre-amp for a pro harp player with high-and-low impedance in-and-out 6:57 Shure sends Skip an MV7 USB podcast microphone (link); this week's sponsors: Amplified Parts, Grez Guitars, Jupiter Condenser Co. 10:25 Get an old typewriter 11:43 The TAVA Patreon Page (link) 12:57 Special Patreon guest: Mike Watson of the 6V6s (Ep. 60, Chris Siegmund, Signal Corps. Amplifiers, Western Electric 100F, Garnets, Marsland speakers, putting two Filmosounds in a Gibson GA-79 cabinet, speaker-driven reverb, Fender VibroChamps, mojo, Swampdonkey amplifiers, a Stromberg Carlson AU-33 with reverb and tremolo, Albert Johnson of Johnson Amplifiers). [Editor's note: It looks like Chris Siegmund passed away last year.] 37:42 Fretboard Journal refrigerator magnets (not happening); TAVA t-shirts (happening!) 40:48 Favorite good goo for getting wax off early '70s Fender eyelet boards 42:02 Replacing caps on an Ampeg Rocket R-12/J-12   46:34 #mywifehatespodcasts 48:17 A 1993 Fender Blues DeVille that needs a new input jack 51:30 British rock connections, the Stones and Muddy Waters, Selmer Futurama amps (link) 59:17 The Bardwell & McAlister PA gets a new home 1:00:14 DIY: A Gibson Vari Tone circuit in an El Pato can (Make magazine) 1:00:57 Tips for amps flooded in Hurricane Ida 1:03:57 Lab series amps / Dan Pearce 1:04:29 Speaker installation tips 1:12:04 A 1978 Fender Champ with red plating tube and a solid state rectifier for the 5y3 1:22:38 Pillsbury Pizza dough, Nic Grabien 1:27:07 A solution for the loud Traynor YBA-1: the YBA-1 Tribute and the YBA-1 Mod 1; the Traynor Bass Mate 1:31:15 Ampeg Reverberocket R-12 R with 120k phase inverter plate resistors; Bunnahabhain 12 year Scotch; Little Kings beer

There is also a TAVA Big Index page located here. 

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 77th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons makes pizza on english muffins, crushes the dreams of young blues aficionados and fields your questions on all things tube amp.  

This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

:23 Skip has no electricity 

3:52 Jason does a video shoot with David Grisman 

4:17 The “Amigo SoCal” vintage guitar show (August 28-29, 2021); a Massey amp with reverb and tremolo    

6:06 Alamo Paragon Special 

8:01 Skip's tips: Vintage guitar show wheeling & dealing

10:23 Grez Guitars

12:10 Amplified Parts, ProCo guitar cords

12:57 Jupiter Caps: Bumblebees, Red Astrons, Cosmos caps

20:45 The TAVA Patreon page 

25:17 The TAVA Index on Tableau!, Goldentone Amp book 

28:51 Cleaning the crusty corrosion on a Fender silverface faceplate

31:34 Making a lower-power Vox clone? 

35:21 Grid bias vs cathode bias on a pre-amp tube  

38:50 Why does Skip have an oscilloscope and why doesn’t he raise his prices? 

41:14 Can you use a field coil speaker to drive speaker-driven reverb; voicecoils on a field coil speaker

45:07 Will the bigger vintage Fender amps ever go up in value? 

49:32 Pinpointing note-triggered noise / rumble in an amp cabinet

52:55 A Lab Series L3 goes to a good home; Robert Moog; English muffin pizzas

55:12 What’s up with the Fender Tremolux Model 6G9 with EL84 power tubes? Aspen Pittman's 'The Tube Amp' book (Amazon link)

58:15 A 1955 Montgomery Ward-branded amp with a wire from the speaker frame to the chassis 

1:01:14 A one-way speaker mismatch on solid state amps? 

1:02:54 Water kefir (recipe here)

1:04:30 Replacing the multi-cap can on a Fender Bassman 20

1:06:54 Using a pressure cooker for dried beans or potatoes 

1:08:40 Poking a hole instead of solder wick 

1:09:01 Vintage pencil sharpeners; Nelson Riddle 

1:11:32 Any grads from the Red Wing Electronic Music Technology class?

1:12:32 The magic behind an early 1960s Ampeg M-15, vintage Jensen P15N speakers

1:15:30 What to do with a cheap Aerco-branded PA amp built by Atomite Electronic & Radio Corp?

1:21:35 Midwesterners: Skip is seeking Heileman’s Special Export, Augsburger or Little Kings beer 

There is also a TAVA Big Index page located here. 

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 76th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast. After a long buildup, Skip is back and fielding all of your guitar amplifier questions. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

3:45 What's on Skip's workbench: A 1955 Tweed Tremolux with a Tartak transformer

7:12 An obituary for Tweed amps and a challenge (and a TAVA meetup idea)

13:23 Free or cheap stuff in Loma Rica: Couch Potato stuff (taken!); a  Lab Series L3 amp; a Hickcok 532 tube tester; "English"

21:10 Bob Armstrong, Mickey Rat (visit his site/store here)

24:30 'Murder Among the Mormons'; 'Sour Grapes'

26:18 A 24:1 scale Blunderwood typewriter project (YouTube link); Sweep the Floor podcast (link)

27:54 Two different pre-amps running in parallel to a single power section; what to do with a car tube radio with loctal tubes and a vibrator 

35:14 A Masco MA-17 with a $129 buy-it-now price

39:53 Polarity checking plugs for the working musician

41:32 Getting a brighter clean tone on a Bell & Howell Filmosound 202 conversion; brussel sprouts

50:34 The TAVA Big Index page 

51:09 'Morse' and 'Endeavour'

52:43 Peter Guaralnick's 'Lost Highway' and 'Feel Like Going Home'; Matthew Crawford's 'Why We Drive'; Lonnie Johnson; Big Mama Thornton; the other Lonnie Johnson

56:41 Replacing a transformer on a Silverface Vibro Champ that keeps losing its volume

58:55 Falling in love with a logging truck (a 1970 Traynor YBA-1 with a 2x15 cab and an 8x10 cab); attenuators

1:07:18 The Mason Model 6's big transformer; the forthcoming TAVA 100th episode commemorative amp collaboration with Gibson

1:16:36 A rusty EH-150 in Norway, revisited: a Rola speaker swap, choke vs. resistors, 6F5 vs 6F5G tubes, etc.

1:23:59 Chipotle + Hernandez, Mrs. Renfro's green salsa; hotwiring your tractor; a cheap TEAC reel-to-reel; moving goats

1:28:34 A Bardwell & McAlister PA amp that glows in the dark

1:30:19 Converting a 1957 RCA Model SHF67 phonograph into a Fender Harvard-style amp; adding a bass control

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

It's the 75th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast and Skip is feeling upbeat and quoting from the classics. As always, he's also fielding all of your guitar amplifier questions. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:00: Weird California geopolitics

4:10 Recent Northern California barn finds: ES-335, a transitional Marshall, a 1955 Fender Tremolux with the original instruction page, an Epiphone Emperor Regent; Paul Chandler

14:36 A pre-war Vega amp gets fixed (almost); the humbucking coil on a field coil speaker

19:33 Reading from the 1955 Tremolux instruction page

22:45 Seeking information on Aztec Recording Studio

24:44 Venice, California's Harry Perry

25:28 A Hammond amp and test equipment preservationist speaks out

31:32 Troubleshooting a noisy hybrid Standel amp

38:19 More typewriter talk, forger Mark Hofmann

42:51 What's the deal with a 1966 Pro Reverb with a 1971 power transformer and various other oddities?

50:46 A Weller 8200 soldering gun that keeps shutting off, identifying good vintage 8200s

55:45 A 1977 Silverface Champ with a shocking three-prong plug 

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

Welcome to the 74th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, the bi-weekly show where amp tech Skip Simmons answers all of your pressing guitar amplifier questions. No topic is too basic... or seemingly too complex!

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

5:53 Old typewriters, again ('The Typewriter Revolution,' thanks Doug F!); a Canon amplifier from Australia; Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

Welcome to the 73rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, the bi-weekly show where amp tech Skip Simmons answers all of your pressing guitar amplifier questions. No topic is too basic... or seemingly too complex!

(Banter hater? The actual amp talk this time around starts at 17:00.)

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:01 UFOs and Art Bell

8:01 Our Patreon page: Now with new updates and articles from Acmeverb.com!

12:05 Jason gets a haircut, learns how to use epazote in beans

16:59 B+, revisited: B is for Battery

18:02 Medical grade tubes: Still in production!

20:46 Princeton tone stack and the TAVA community, tips for Variac hunting, Mount Olive Pickle Salsa

26:32 Skip’s movie picks: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Nomadland

29:49 A clone Tweed Princeton success story; vintage Jensen P-15R speakers; Amplified Parts' NOS tube sale

37:38 WD-40, again

41:00 Skip's Chile Colorado

42:03 Field coil speakers for a Gibson EH-150/185-style amp (and what’s the deal with the echo speaker extension cabinet?)

48:18 The Vox book gets a new home; acidfuzz.com (for Vox guitar onboard fuzz schematics)

50:06 The TAVA Facebook group (Facebook link)

51:25 Another movie tip: The Straight Story

51:50: Twin mod revisited: Changing two 6V6s to rectifiers; a TAVA meetup?; music by Joe Policastro Trio, Colin Stetson

58:25 Single-ended amps with a 6V6 tube with and without a cathode bypass capacitor, Skip’s toothbrush hack

1:04:46 Testing a cabinet design with a crappy amp

1:07:27 Bruce MacMillan’s Princeton Reverb; Joe Craven & The Sometimers’ Garcia Songbook

1:12:05 “It’s about to get boring…"

1:15:14  Primus' "Over the Electric Grapevine" (Spotify link); RIP Blackalicious' Gift of Gab 

1:16:48 Which power tube blew my Mesa Boogie Mark I's fuse?, checking a tube's filament with an ohm meter

1:22:26 Skip's TAVA 60-second challenge: How does Bitcoin mining actually work?

1:27:08 Who wanted the Epiphone Pathfinder?

1:30:58 Making the amplifier in a 1960s Mechanix Illustrated How To Do It encyclopedia (email [email protected] if you want the scan); advantages of a two-chassis layout; octal tubes; Silvertone/Sears’ 40XL amps and more

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

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... 

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

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.

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

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! 

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

The 69th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Once again, amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all-things-tube-amp.

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends. 

The 68th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with special guest Jef Brown!

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

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. 

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: [email protected] 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. 

The 67th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps!

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-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.

Have a topic for a future episode or a beer question for Marty? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

TAVA Discount: Use the discount code THETRUTH10 to save 10% off your order from Amplified Parts between now and April 15, 2021. 

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

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. 

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 Bassman

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 tissue 

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 plug

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 parts

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 enchiladas

Recorded November 2, 2020. 

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

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 again

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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 word

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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: [email protected] 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.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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 workday

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] 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.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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 amp

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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 fans

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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 transformers

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

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, revisited

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps 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. 

Once again, Skip Simmons also fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

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! 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

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...  Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 

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. 

Submit your tube amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] 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)

Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 

Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 finish

1. peel and cut the potato in 3cm dice
2. bring to the boil (just covered) in heavily salted water (slightly less than the sea)
3. strain as soon as you can easily poke a sharp knife through them 

(if they over cook and take on water they will be too salty)

4. once fully drained put them back in the pot on a low heat until the outside is fluffy and dry
5. meanwhile in another pot start reducing the cream and butter until it takes on the consistency of thermal mudpools bubbling. In NZ it would be quite yellow at this stage but our cows are grass feed.
6. while this is happening, force the potato through a sieve or ricer, working the potato as little as possible
7. Now whip the potato's in to the cream mixture, this should almost immediately come cleanly away from the sides of the pot and be ready to serve.
8. Spin the pot to make a ball, tip into a bowl, sprinkle with nutmeg and stick a 1cm knob of butter in the middle 

Maybe mash potato seems like a lame recipe, but this method produces the best results, I think.

p.s. water is the enemy of mash potato. Water out--Fat in

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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"

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

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: [email protected] 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) with an annoying tremolo  

2:02:02 Skip’s trip to Marijuanaville

2:05:27 Nesting with Netflix: Shetland; The Detectorists; Inspector Morse, Lewis; Better Call Saul; Trailer Park Boys

2:09:41 When is a vintage amp no longer a vintage amp?

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 Special guest: Chris Benson of Benson Amplifiers! (Triad transformers, new releases, granola, cast iron)

1:39:19 Replace the bypass cap on your silverface Champ

1:40:10 Rodriguez & Searching for Sugar Man

1:42:01 Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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)

Jason and Skip get Adam Grimm (Satellite Amplifiers) on the line.

https://www.satelliteamps.com

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: [email protected] 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 basics

Special guest Charles Baty returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast for our final episode of 2019.   

Submit your vintage amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] 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 helping us edit this week's episode. 

Jason and Skip get special guest Larry Cragg (Santana, Neil Young, Magnatone) on the line. A companion to our 25th episode.

The Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast has turned one! Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world.

Submit your questions to Skip here: [email protected] or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS AND ENTER TO WIN* Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here. You may just win something! 

This week’s sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:18 The TAVA Index (h/t to Harper’s magazine)

6:55 What’s on Skip’s bench?

8:49 Speaker reconing: Scumback speakers

10:46 Skip’s Christmas wish list: A Subaru replacement, a break from phone calls

13:42 TAVA givewaway: A Stew-Mac Tweed Champ kit!

14:12 Our Angela Instruments amp project download

15:35 Manbroidery’s two-prong patch / a future Ebbett’s Field Flannels hat? (Instagram link) 

17:00 Another giveaway: An A/B box or $125 Skip labor credit giveaway

19:40 Skip gets a tractor

24:14 Dual rectifier tubes and Sag 101

28:40 Jason tries to get a special guest

31:29 Cabbage and mushrooms  

35:00 Cabinet glue

40:49 Fender’s White amplifiers

44:09 Choosing a Fender for your band

48:12 How Skip drains filter caps

51:35 Lafayette amplifiers

54:28 A 1971 Fender Bassman (AA371) with stray voltages

59:23 Making an Ampex 602A work for guitar

1:11:32 Splitting a 2x12 speaker cab

1:15:19 Using a looper pedal to help with soundchecks (h/t Julian Lage)

1:16:50 Music recommendation: Red Norvo

1:18:12 Budweiser Copper Lager and cast iron pans

1:25:43 A Cornell Romany Pro that goes through power tubes

1:33:34 Book review: Maurice J. Summerfield’s 'The Jazz Guitar'

1:34:32 Light bulb limiters

1:36:56 A Princeton Reverb-style amp with a pull-switch on the volume control

1:41:35 A Classic Tone 5E3 power transformer with one metal washer

1:43:35 A history of phase inverters

1:46:02 More new parallel, single-ended amps

Special thanks to TAVA listener Eric C. for helping us edit this week's episode. 

A back-to-basics episode: No special guests, no recipes. Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Submit your questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving 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. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

9:49: This week’s sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

10:35 The Fretboard Journal’s Electric Guitar Annual, Vol. 2 (pre-order here)

11:56 The TAVA First Year anniversary celebration: Win a Tweed Champ kit from Stew-Mac (Instagram link) !!!

15:26 Who wants to order a TAVA hat like this one? Email us…

18:36 Skip on our Angela catalog reprint

24:36 Transformer 101  

35:35 Amps for harp players

43:26 Building your first bass amp

51:54 Using an ART tube pre-amp in front of a guitar amp

55:18 A Traynor YBA-1 Bass-Master with a sensitive master volume

59:18 British vs. American amp tone

1:04:22 Another listener recommended amp tech: Tyler at Boss Organ in Somerville, Mass.

1:10:11 DeArmond amps

1:16:57 Bringing a Gibson EH-150 back to life

1:22:34 Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blue

1:24:17 Craig Korth on the Fretboard Journal Podcast and the Ray Butts EchoSonic amp (link) 

1:25:58 Salvaging stuff from a dead RCA film projector for a Princeton Reverb clone

1:34:32 A 1972 Fender Super Reverb with a weak tremolo; plus, what is an opto-coupler? 

1:41:54 Trying different tubes on a Music Man Sixty-Five Reverb

1:48:35 KTNN: The Voice of the Navajo Nation

Like the show? Share it with your friends, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and stay tuned for next month, when we unveil even more surprises for our one year anniversary. 

This week, Skip and Jason are joined by a very special guest, John Vanderslice. John is a prolific singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and engineer. We have a candid, unfiltered conversation about vintage amps, food, life, the music industry and so much more. Seriously, just listen... 

After our chat with John, we once again field your questions about all things guitar amplification.

As always, if you'd like to contribute to a future show, submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or 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. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:05 "Naming calls" and PG&E

2:33 A/B box updates

3:00 The TAVA "book club" launches: Order the Angela Instruments' tweed Princeton article and schematic (see above) 

9:18 John Vanderslice (singer-songwriter, Tiny Telephone Recording!) joins us: Living room shows, eating on the road, Gibson Falcons, mics for recording amps, Stromberg-Carlson pre-amps, surviving the music industry

1:01:40 Brian, the speaker re-coner at Weber Speakers: https://www.tedweber.com/recone-services/

1:03:03 Erick Coleman's amp tech recommendation: Paul Schmittauer (email us)

1:04:08 Great Goo: Pepper Plant hot sauce (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/33orYLq)

1:05:40 Epiphone Pacemaker amps

1:07:23 Misspelled "Colombia" Fender amps

1:08:52 How multiple inputs work on amps

1:11:57 Using the second input on a Fender as a line-out

1:14:14 Amp builder Bob Gjika (Gjika Amplification), the mojo behind single-ended amps

1:20:09 A noisy Peavey Delta Blues 115

1:24:44 Solder in Italy (Soldergate revisited)

1:26:17 Breaking-in new tubes; upgrading parts in a Champ kit

1:32:00 What's on Skip's bench

1:33:01 Sano accordion tube and Audio Guild amps (see our Instagram for photos)

1:38:07 Skip on biasing

1:43:00 St. George amp heads, built by Ray Massie

1:46:50 The lifespan of tweed Fender caps

1:49:17 The "Fountain of Sound" Ampeg JS-35

1:53:02 Music recommendation: Pat Martino’s ‘El Hombre’ and the Guild Double Twin combo

1:55:43 Music recommendation, part two: The Nat Turner Rebellion's cover of "Going in Circles"

1:56:43 Parenting tips: Classic Walt Disney movies

1:58:15 Slowing the tremolo rate in a blackface Fender

2:00:58 6973 power tubes in Supro amp

2:02:28 Replacements for a 6c10 tube found in an '80s Fender Super Champ

2:06:38 Working on a Montgomery Ward 55 JDR 8436

2:10:49 Tube naming 101

2:13:16 Our forthcoming one year anniversary, a brief state of affairs  

Like the show? Share it with your friends, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and stay tuned for next month, when we unveil even more surprises for our one year anniversary. 

Special guest Charles Baty joins us on this week’s Truth About Vintage Amps podcast!

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:37 Charles Baty (Little Charlie & The Nightcats! Little Charlie & Organ Grinder Swing!) joins in: Termites, Spanish rice and amp tips from the road

43:09 Movie recommendations: Wattstax; Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

44:16 Skip plays a gig

46:30 This week’s sponsor: Grez Guitars

46:55 Robert Keeley (!) calls in on Dean's Echoplex woes (from TAVA 21)

50:24 A '68 Fender Vibrolux reissue with a wonky footswitch

54:16 Replace a two-prong cord with a three-prong cord

57:29 "Getting to 'no' you;" "Suzie Q," the Instant Pot, mashed potatoes and hot dogs

1:04:10 An amp with a noisy front plate

1:06:27 Instrumental music picks (Leo Kottke, Nels Cline), Skip's early music influences

1:12:19 Future TAVA interviews plans

1:14:25 "Why we don’t replace all vintage electrolytic capacitors" video (link: https://youtu.be/GMNQDoFpYQY)

1:18:00 Robben Ford's Dumble-modified Fender Super Reverbs

1:24:29 Why don't amps have no-speaker protection?

1:31:53 AC568 Bassman amps, Fender grounding plates, sources of hiss, the 500 pF Baffler

1:37:55 Music picks: Erkin Koray's 'Elektronik Turkular' (YouTube link) and Bloodstone's "Natural High" (YouTube link)

1:39:07 Bogen PA heads and Harvey Mandel's fuzz tone

1:43:43 Replacing drop capacitors in Victoria amps

1:49:47 Canada, part one: a Traynor YGL-3, Mark III with no input signal

1:53:14 Canada, part two: Sleeper Canadian amps (Garnet, Traynor, Johnson); check out the Corry Boys

1:57:00 An (almost) free vintage speaker (act fast)

1:58:15 Coffee in a can updates

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

8:00 Cloning vintage knobs (video link, h/t John from Australia!)

9:34 This week’s sponsors: Grez Guitars, Roberto-Venn

11:01 An open call for our first live caller

13:39 Bartell guitar history (site link) 

14:49 Skip’s schedule

16:49 More Solder-gate

17:15 Single-ended, parallel twin power tube amps

21:18 WD-40 to the rescue, again

23:28 Unwanted noise from an Echoplex

32:02 Lower B-plus voltage on a Blackface Fender

37:38 Tweed Princeton with a choke vs a resistor

44:18 Speaker cable vs guitar cable (and a sad bird tale)

53:46 Skip’s soup tips

56:43 The story behind the TAVA intro music

57:44 Sal Trentino and a Standel 80L15 schematic

1:05:22 Asking boutique makers for their schematics

1:10:37 Dr. Z’s new Jetta amp and the story behind the 7591 power tube

1:15:25 Figuring out what’s original in a 1953 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5B3)

1:18:14 How noticeable are bad caps?

1:26:06 A solid state Peavey Firebass 700 that won’t stop power cycling

1:29:00 An AmpRX BrownBox for a Brownface Deluxe

1:31:57 Skip’s picks: Treme; Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace; Harlan County, USA; The House That Trane Built; the Recordium on YouTube; “Wherever You Go” by Skip Mahoney

1:37:00 Cheap Amazon variacs

1:39:41 Mystery tubes in a 1960 Lafayette tape deck

1:44:16 Putting the 5U4GB back into a 1969 Fender Princeton

1:51:29 Cooling off an amp that runs hot

PS: The reason Jason is preoccupied: https://www.myballard.com/2019/10/07/2-alarm-fire-on-market-st/

Summary: Skip has never had sushi; Earl is not a fan of low-balling; and Fender Bassmans rock

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:50 John Lennon in Sacramento

3:17 A quick story about Earl Yarrow

12:20 Western Electric hi-fi collecting

14:40 Music recommendations: The Originals; Skip Mahoney & the Casuals; Julie London; "On the Alamo"

17:28: This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Mono Cases

18:15 Skip addresses the critics (on grounded cords, replaced caps)

30:02 "Solder," revisited

31:39 Removing the ground hum of two amps running together

34:50 Making an amp out of a sushi platter; recommended needle nose pliers

38:27 6L6s in a Deluxe Reverb 

42:41 Skip on your voicemail

45:20 President Skip?, practicalities of running an attenuator

50:33 Acoustic tube amps, revisited

54:45 A 1968 Princeton non-reverb lacking volume

57:47 Other vintage Gibson amps

1:03:00 The truth about unmodified Gibson Falcons and Silverface Champs

1:09:41 Vox Pacemakers overview

1:12:24 The unique properties of a Fender Bassman

1:15:38 Using pre-amp tube as a power tube

1:19:40 Learning soldering and circuits from simple pedal kits and the little Ruby: http://www.runoffgroove.com/ruby.html

1:24:58 Running a Champ through a Variac versus a Hammond 290AX power transformer

1:27:44 A 1963 Fender Vibrolux with treble hiss

1:35:14 Speakers for a 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket 2 GS-12R

1:39:44 Non-lead solder

1:43:54 Biasing a cathode bias amp

1:49:49 Measuring plate current

1:54:57 The Baffler returns!

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

It's our most veer-filled episode to date, including soup and footwear tips, a trip to Harvard and, yes, even some amp repair advice!

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

3:06 Soup hacks

4:01 An affordable, American-made boot

5:41 Frampton plays B.B. King

9:00 Site specific amp problems

12:37 Recommended Music: Joe Craven & the Sometimers’ 'Garcia’s Songbook,' Aretha Franklin’s 'Aretha’s Gold' and Charlie Musselwhite’s 'Stand Back'

18:36 Skip goes to Harvard

20:04 Parenting tips

30:06 Today’s sponsor: Grez Guitars

32:15 More Larry Norman and props to Jon Linn

33:02 Solder or "sodder"

35:05 Skip's recommended vintage tube supplier and advice on replacing tubes: https://www.ebay.com/usr/dangeruxb

40:22 Putting a solid state rectifier in a tweed-style amp

49:00 Fixing an output transformer in a 1961 Fender Brownface Pro

56:07 Hi-fi tube amps and phono pre-amp basics

1:04:06 A '67 Fender Bassman that was plugged into a DI box

1:09:14 More output transformer talk: Ampeg Reverberocket

1:11:26 A vintage Niviko MA120X Japanese amp

1:19:06 A 1968 Fender Super Reverb with a rattle

1:25:34 The "trimmer" in a '60s Silvertone 1431

1:28:40 Dirty power, an electric fence and an early '60s Gibson Skylark

1:34:33 Changing the head gasket on a Subaru Forester

1:35:25 More on the trimmer on a Silverton 1431

1:38:28 Car talk

1:43:36 A Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a busted volume pot

1:47:52 A clean, high-headroom, low volume steel amp

1:52:15 A Fender Silverface Champ vs Blackface Champ

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:40 Jason brings home a Marshall Mercury

13:40 Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders

17:47 A request for a deeper dive into the Fender Champ schematic

24:34 Skip sells his Fender Tremolux head; an Ampex 960 reel-to-reel for free

27:45 Pat Boone’s recording console

30:45 Putting a VU meter in a Champ?

34:10 Truth About Vintage Amps shirts update: Shipped! 

34:34 This week’s sponsor: Grez Guitars

37:20 More soldering advice

38:42 Scratchy pot tips (spoiler alert: WD-40)

41:43 An '80s Fender Concert

47:08 A Vibroluxe Reverb versus Deluxe Reverb and the sonic difference between 10" and 12" speakers

57:25 Ray Massie's The Vibe amp

59:30 18-watt Marshalls and a listener’s clone attempt using a Rauland PA amp platform

1:06:34 A 1955 Tweed Bassman with nearly all-new parts

1:10:32 When to replace drifted resistors

1:12:30 Converting a Fender PA-100 into a guitar amp

1:14:16 How many watts from a 6L6?

1:17:40 The Vingtor amp from Norway (and fixing a tremolo)

1:23:53 More Champ kit tips (wiring tube sockets)

1:25:22 A proposed Skip certification program

1:26:52 Coffee advice (Amazon link for the lazy)

1:29:40 Soap advice (Amazon link for the lazy)

1:31:50 Getting a 1965 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue rewired by Alessandro

1:37:45 Bad solder joints and troubleshooting a DIY 5F1 that stopped behaving

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:57 Skip’s A/B box update 2:50 Skip’s music picks: Curtis Mayfield!, Larry Norman!, Stryper! 10:11 Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer, "Redemption Song" 12:00 TAVA shirt updates 12:22 Skip’s amp packing recommendations 14:05 Jason asks all the dumb Champ build questions you’re scared to ask 32:33 A higher-powered single-ended amp recommendation (a contemporary Supro Comet) 39:36 The 18-watt WEM Dominator V and a plug for David Minter’s Marshall and UK Made Pre Owned Amplifiers Facebook group 45:22 The amps built inside Fender Rhodes 48:12 "Blackfacing" a 1975 Fender Bassman 51:03 A unique 5F1 build and a question about speakers with whizzer cones 58:59 A Model 21 National-Dobro-made amp-in-case 1:02:54 Cloning the DeArmond R5 amp 1:08:52 Oddball European tube amps 1:11:34 The pros and cons of FX loops 1:17:38 The sonic differences between octal and 9-pin pre-amp tubes 1:25:03 Does a 2x12 speaker need a baffle 1:29:48 Uncle Doug videos 1:31:17 Harmonic tremolo 1:34:48 The rare Fender Vibroverb 1:46:20 A terminal board rattle

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:50 Jason starts his Stew-Mac Tweed Champ kit, Skip offers soldering tips 9:33 Skip offers some new surplus aluminum amp chassis 11:05 An A/B box update 13:50 Skip’s latest projects: A Blackface Fender Bassman and a Blackface Bandmaster 15:52 An eBay score: A bargain Park-branded Marshall JTM45 20:16 TAVA t-shirt updates 22:25 Sponsors: Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery & Grez Guitars 24:30 Any female amp techs out there? (Shoutout to @fazioelectric!) 31:20 Finding an amp’s EQ sweet spot via hearing the greatest amount of change on the knobs 41:30 Higher-wattage single-ended amps 48:30 A 1960 Epiphone Pacemaker that breaks up too soon 54:15 What type of wire(s) for a vintage-style Fender clone? 1:01:00 The next steps after building a Champ 1:10:05 The horrible distortion on an Ampeg V4 1:16:20 Damage from powering a tube amp without a speaker 1:21:28 Two amp reverb from vintage Gibson, Gretsch and Supro amps 1:28:24 Fender combo speaker output 101 1:35:47 Skip’s cheap speaker cabinet tips 1:42:24 Noisy filament wire in Filmosound conversions 1:47:48 Oldies.com 1:50:19 Digging deeper into the Champ schematic

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Want to support the show? It’s last call to reserve your very own Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirt. Pick from one of three styles! Please order before July 31, 2019 to reserve yours!

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:40 New goats! 5:34 The search for good amp repair people (introduce yourself!) 8:10 Music pick of the week: Thee Lakesiders 9:00 New sponsor: the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery 10:15 Cooking on amps: Hot dogs and Leslie West’s meatball subs: https://youtu.be/NkMExWjs8k4 (thanks, Greg!) 12:37 An answer to last week’s Baffler 13:44 Digging deeper into the Fender 5E1 Champ schematic 17:07 Skip’s stir fry recipe 23:27 A listener searches for a vintage tube amp book (Update: it can be found online for free, here!) 28:03 New shirt ideas, working on tube AM radios 35:32 Quieting the ticking tremolo of a Silverface Fender Deluxe Reverb 44:20 Evaluating a 1966 Epiphone Pacemaker and a National Studio 10 50:13 The tonal and volume difference between 10 and 12-inch speakers 53:20 A 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket GS-12R transformed by a replacement vintage Alnico speaker 56:20 Low-watt alternatives for a Marshall lover 1:01:51 The "thing" that Fender Bandmasters do 1:08 Pros/cons of pulling the V1 tube on two-channel Blackface amps 1:12:08 A ’65 Pro Reverb with a splashing reverb noise 1:17:08 Joshua Yenne’s Falcon shootout: https://youtu.be/I16kPtGSAFw 1:17:46 A listener avoids a bad amp trade thanks to Skip 1:24:50 Skip’s take on a kit 5E3/5E5 Proluxe   1:28:35 A sag resistor to make a Fender Pro Jr. sound squishier 1:31:32 Another music pick: Van Morrison’s "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFF1wJN75Z0

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Want to support the show? We now have Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirts available for pre-order.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Grez Guitars, Martin, Gibson and Carter Vintage.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:18 We have Truth About Vintage T-shirts (support the show) 5:33 This week’s sponsors: Grez Guitars, Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage 6:29 The Epiphone version of a Gibson Falcon 9:00 More cooking tips with Skip 12:12 Skip can’t find his schematic 12:30 Thrifty Leo 14:12 More music tips: Bix Beiderbecke, Ned Boynton 18:00 Skip’s looking for someone to recone field coil speakers 19:35 Skip talks about his Champ mods, once more 24:45 The final Baffler   28:06 Correction re: Guitar Center’s return policy 29:28 A listener with an interesting way to use an electric amp with an acoustic guitar 33:27 The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound 37:12 Skip’s test guitar and cheap British amp recommendations 43:00 Skip’s test cabinet  45:15 A 1968 Fender Pro Reverb with a delayed vibrato 47:32 What’s a tone stack? 51:15 Pinpointing the buzz on a Silverface Fender Princeton 54:35 Class A, Class A/B and single-ended power tube arrangements   59:17 Tips on looking at vintage Gibson amps 1:02:48 A listener fixes his own Gibson Discoverer Tremolo 1:08:00 The triode mode used on high-powered amps 1:14:01 A brief chat about Dumble 1:18:44 A mid-60s Epiphone Galaxy that’s won’t turn off 1:20:23 Salvaging parts from a heavily modified Blackface Fender Bassman 1:24:30 Discussing changes on an early 1969 Fender Twin Reverb 1:29:50 Making homebrew amps sound less civil   1:33:11 Making a late ’50s Sylvania powered speaker amp work better as a guitar amp 1:42:12 Modding PA heads to work for guitars 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Mono Cases and Grez Guitars.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

3:27 Skip's roll call of A/B box pre-orders 5:11 We discuss episode 12's Baffler, the 3 Channel Psychedelic Control Center 9:10 This episode's Baffler 11:44 An unlikely backup amp suggestion 14:30 This episode's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Mono Cases and TAVA t-shirts 17:00 Little Charlie's recipe for Spanish rice (yes, our first recipe) 18:22 More parenting tips 19:11 A preview of our next amp schematic 101 22:34 More Champ mod talk: One difference between Blackface and Silverface Fender Champs, the Hammond 290AX transformer 27:38 Gain stage basics: What makes an amp distort?  32:14 Bringing a Blackface Fender Tremolux with a solid state rectifier back to stock 37:21 A '60s Kay "Vanguard" 704 43:54 An amp motherlode in Lodi, California 45:35 A Princeton Reverb with a pilot light that is too bright 48:43 A Gibson GA-20 RVT found in a trash bin 54:28 Channel jumping and a vintage Airline Model 62-9013A 1:01:48 The pop you hear turning off your amp 1:07:03 A speaker dilemma on a 1962 Brownface Deluxe 1:09:28 Converting a PA head to a tube mic pre-amp 1:14:20 Turning an old tube radio into a guitar amp 1:18:18 Norwegian blues and Helge Tallqvist 1:19:11 This week's recommended music 1:20:49 High-powered tube amps and the Hiwatt 400 bass amp 1:25:32 Using a light bulb limiter instead of a variac 1:27:34 Speaker replacement on a Gibson GA-40 1:31:50 A tribute guitar repairman Glen Quan, inventor of the Badass bridge 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Mono Cases and Grez Guitars.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:05 Skip works on a barn-find 1960 Fender Tweed Bassman

6:10 Parenting tips – get a riding lawn mower

7:50 Jason confesses to Skip that he got a Stew-Mac Champ kit; DIY amp tips

12:33 Skip’s music picks

16:05 Building a tube stereo amp (Dynaco Stereo 70, for music playback) versus a guitar amp

19:39 A synth repairman gets a contact high thanks to LSD residue

20:33 Disgusting things found in old amplifiers

21:16 Last week’s Baffler (a noisy Princeton Reverb, listen to episode 11) responses and answer

27:37 This week’s Baffler (view the image on our new Instagram page): What is the thing used for?

28:45 A listener in a hurry fixes his Les Paul thanks to Skip’s tube amp advice

30:34 Preserving (sloppy) originality on a CBS-era Fender or making it better than original

35:13 A non-reverb Silverface Fender Princeton with a weak vibrato

40:48 A reissue ‘63 Fender Vibroverb that needs more clean headroom

45:42 How do amp circuits get named?

47:40 Cleaning vintage pots

49:49: An ‘80s Tusc amp with EQ

51:06 What to do with a ‘70s Silverface Champ with no maintenance history

54:14 A ‘66 Ampeg Reverberocket with an unusual distortion sound

1:01:18 A ’69 Fender Bassman with both fixed and cathode bias

1:05:20 Rebuilding an amp found in a Hammond M-3 organ and melted wax on power transformers

1:07:52 A glimpse at the Fender Musicmaster Bass amps

1:11:40 Differences between an amp schematic and layout

1:13:24 A bargain Ampeg cabinet with four Altec 417 speakers

1:15:28 Sleeper pedal steel amp recommendations

1:17:00 An ‘80s Mesa Boogie SOB amp with a red-plating 6L6BC tube

1:20:01 Alternatives to the 6C10 tube on a ’82 Fender Super Champ

1:22:40 Negative feedback: What is it? Adjusting it.

1:29:21 A 1963 Gibson Discoverer Tremolo (GA-8T) amp with too much treble

1:32:01 Skip’s brief tutorial on speaker efficiency

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. This is our eleventh (and possibly most philosophical) episode to date.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

4:00 The Fretboard Journal silverface Fender Champ mods (it’s awesome, btw)

13:17 Skip’s four amp switcher / mixer / pre-amp

19:48 Looking at the Fender 5F1 Champ schematic, part two

31:37 This podcast now has an Instagram page  

32:30 The problem with Skip’s Ep. 10 Baffler (on Fender tremolo circuits)

34:00 This week’s Baffler: A recently-serviced Fender Princeton Reverb with noisy pots

37:08 The smell of vintage tube amps

40:42 Gibson Falcon mods

45:00 Skip’s preferred NOS tubes

51:02 Loose tubes on a Gibson GA-6 Lancer

56:38 Thoughts on vintage Magnatones and the Magnatone pitch-shifting vibrato

1:02:36 A listener with a rare Hohner Contessa CA-300 amp asks for tips on keeping terminal strip/point-to-point wiring repair tidy

1:09:44 Why the 5E3 tweed Fender Deluxe is so loud, even with the volume turned down… plus the perils of replacing vintage pots

1:13:06 More Snufferstick talk and a Fender 6G15 reverb tank that hates high humidity

1:16:38 Tips on finding a good amp tech

1:26:45 A battery-powered(!) Gretsch Safari owned by a member of the Blue Man Group

1:29:15 Finding tube amp treasures through Ham radio enthusiasts

1:33:54 Sleuthing on the origin of a Venice-branded amplifier

1:36:06 A repaired 1966 Ampeg Reverberocket 2 with some quirks

1:43:18 A hissing 1967 Fender Vibrolux Reverb and a great Danny Gatton tale

Plus: Travis Wammack’s "Scratchy;" a cardiologist chimes in; Skip’s disappointing beer of choice; why you should befriend your dentist; the novels of Patrick O’Brien and much more.

This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars and Mono Cases.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record.  Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

:22 Skip and Jason discuss possible Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirt designs (coming soon) 

2:55 Jason and Skip discuss the Fretboard Journal (modified) Fender  Champ

4:26 How to install a quarter-inch output into a Champ with an RCA speaker connector

6:02 Recommended solder

8:00 Our first sponsor - Grez Guitars! https://www.grezguitars.com

10:26 Our new Instagram page! https://www.instagram.com/vintageampspodcast/

10:54 This week's Baffler

12:08 A walk-through of the Fender Champ 5F1 schematic (available online, print it out)

21:10 Wall power fluctuations

26:38 Recommended tube amps for acoustic guitars

33:05 Father's Day and the Tweed Deluxe 

36:05 BB King's Gibson Lab Series (solid state) amp

38:26 A yard-sale find pre-war Rickenbaker amp and a dim bulb current limiter

41:14 Stew-Mac's Snufferstick, Part One

44:00 Leaning a tube amp on its stand - good or bad? 

46:30 A noisy Fender silverface Princeton

49:26 Boutique amps 

51:54 Recommended new components 

55:22 Snufferstick, Part Two

59:40 Capturing that Champ distortion with a louder amp (and a shoutout to Tim Foster)

1:03:26 Manitoba's Johnson Sound System amplifiers

1:06:30 Replacing old can power capacitors cleanly

1:15:15 Recommended bigger speakers / impedance for a Fender Champ

1:18:38 Converting an old Hammond AO-39 organ reverb amp to a guitar amp

1:27:15 A 1957 Fender 5F4 Super amp with an original selenium bias rectifier 

1:35:13 Skip's record picks of the week

1:38:22 Best position for the three-way ground switch on a Fender

1:40:00 Skip has to return a weed eater 

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected].  If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record.  Some of the topics discussed on this episode: -Skip takes care of a baby goat -Who was Ray Massie (the answer to this week's baffler) -A Clavioline needs TLC -Identifying a tube when you have no schematic -The affect a speaker size has on even the smallest amps -The Garnet Herzog mod -The different tremolo circuit between a Blackface Deluxe Reverb and a Blackface Princeton Reverb  -Tube amp touring advice (including the often-asked, 'Which way do I lie my amp down in the van' question) -Baffle board construction -RAW switches -Radio noise in a Fender reverb unit -Removing tube covers  -A funky Gregory Mark XX -Skip offers a music recommendation

and much more… Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record.  Some of the topics discussed on this episode: -Skip replies to a critic of his WD-40 hack -Jason's Gibson EH-150 amp needs help  -An answer to last week's Champ baffler -Speaker re-coning recommendations  -A buggy reissue Gibson GA-20 prototype -Recommendations for a baritone guitar player  -Protecting an amp from the elements in damp Southeast Texas -Running a Traynor head on only one power tube -Can you break an amp through loud playing/boost/effects?  -Making a reissue Blackface Deluxe Reverb sound vintage -How to buy pre-amp tubes online -Alternative chasis materials -Fitting bigger speakers in a Champ cab -Capturing the sound of Billy Childish (again) -A '60s Gibson Skylark with numerous issues

and much more… Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record.  Some of the topics discussed on this episode: -Dick Dale and the Fender Showman amp -The differences between Fender Tweed, Brownface, Blackface and Silverface amps -Noise floor: What’s acceptable, what indicates an amp problem -Broken tube pins -Using amps in stereo (safely) -Toroidal power transformers -The "bright cap mod" on a Fender Deluxe Reverb -Skip’s mods to the Silverface Champ circuit -Building your own kit amp -Achieving the sound of Billy Childish without a Selmer Triumph Reverb -Replacement bass amp speakers

and much more… Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record.  Some of the topics discussed on this episode: -Modding a Silverface Fender Champ -Speaker wiring harnesses -Keeping seldom-used guitar amps in usable shape -Groundbreaking amplifiers throughout history -The standby switch (again!) -Craigslist shopping tips -Replacement fuses -A 1948 Gibson BR6 with an unusual chasis mount -The explosive proliferation of pedals -Wet/dry rigs and recommendations for an A/B box -Tips on buying NOS vacuum tubes -Discovering a Coastwise Electronics Model 310 amplifier -Replacement tubes for a hand-wired Vox AC30 -Buying a transformer for a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe amp kit and much more… Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Submit your guitar amp questions to amp repair guru Skip Simmons here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Twice a month, guitar amp repairman and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Spring Reverb, 101: How does it work, how to fix it -Grounding tips  -Skip's recommended multimeters and soldering irons -Using vintage US-made amps overseas  -Making a 1968 Fender Super Reverb a little less loud -Breaking in a new speaker -Gigging with a '58 Fender Vibrolux -Octal tubes -Skip's thoughts on DIY amp kits

and much more... 

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected].

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip Simmons here: [email protected] or by leaving us a voicemail at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Topics discussed on this episode:

-Different aftermarket speaker options for a Fender Champ -The dangers of working on vintage amplifiers -What to look for when shopping for a vintage guitar amp -A perplexing 2000-era Gibson amplifier -Output transformers in a Silverton 1481 -Carbon comp resistors versus metal film -The value of an DIY amp kit -Using a Knight (or Bogen) vocal PA head as a guitar amp

And much more.

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected].

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Submit your questions for vintage amp repair expert Skip Simmons here: [email protected]

Twice a month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Topics discussed on this episode:

-The death of guitar shows -The Truth About Vintage Amps rant on Skip's website -Why you may not need a three-prong plug on your amp -The "death cap" and the magic behind certain capacitors -Non-MASCO P/A heads as guitar amps -Inheriting and maintaining a '65 Super Reverb -Amp biasing -Learning how to read a schematic 

and much more. 

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The Fretboard Journal magazine presents The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons. 

Submit your questions to Skip here: [email protected] 

Every month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Topics discussed on this episode: -The long-term storage of tube amps -The magic behind Standel amps -Calculating the exact wattage of an amp -Good goos (and how to fix a torn speaker) -Paul Rivera-era Fenders -The Kalamazoo Model 2 -The modern tube marketplace -Simple tube amp maintenance anyone can do -The limits of safely mismatching speakers to a stated amp load 

and much more…

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The Fretboard Journal magazine presents The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons!

Submit your questions to Skip here: [email protected] 

Every month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Topics discussed on this episode: -Repairing amps on a drawbridge -60hz/50hz hum -Troubleshooting amps -Yellowjacket YJR/solid-state rectifiers in a tube amp -Recommended new vacuum tubes for amps -The magic behind Alexander Dumble -Skip’s influences (Les Paul, Jack Darr, Steve Melkisethian/ Angela Instruments, Earl Yarrow)

and much more…

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Once a month, amp repair guru Skip Simmons and Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde will field your questions about vintage guitar amps. Whether you're looking for your next purchase or just want to get your old tweed Fender Deluxe working again, this show is for you. 

To submit a question, just email us at [email protected]. 

Our first episode debuts in early December 2018.