The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

It's the 140th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons eventually fields your questions on all-things-tube amps!  As always, use all advice at your own risk.

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

2:35 What's on Skip's Bench: A modified ES-150 Charlie Christian amp with a non-field coil speaker 4:22 Smilin' Skip's: Stuff for Sale 5:15 Loma Rica's Aztec Recording Studio; the Ralph Shine Blues Band; Skip's new guitar; Sylvia Massy (Sylvia's shop); Weed, California; the Fretboard Summit 2025 (register here) 18:01 Our sponsors (and baby goats): Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (Jensen speakers are currently on sale!) 23:42: Alamo and other budget amplifiers; the COVID gear boost has deflated 25:35 Amp bargains (look for two transformers); a black panel Super Reverb; Silvertone Twin-Twelve and optocouplers 28:53 The Alembic Pre-Amp in a pedal (or two): Frog Pedals (link); Sushi Box FX (link); Mexican Pizza with Boboli pizza crust; starved plate loads

35:41 PSA: You can buy WD-40 by the gallon

38:22 Should I put the original transformer back in my 1966 Fender Princeton?

44:07 Preferred replacement 12AT7 reverb driver tubes 47:26 Two-prong shock in the studio 50:35 A converted Stromberg-Carlson; speaker-driven effects channel? Rudy Van Gelder; the usable range of a bright cap 57:55 A Plush 3000G tubes and tremolo with a mystery rectifier tube 1:03:08 What's with the lettering on my 1950s Rauland Lyric transformer 1:06:47 Putting a JBL in an Ampeg Rocket 2; a Traynor Studio Mate

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

Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line. 

It's the 139th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

:48 On the bench: A 1974 Alembic pre-amp, a Showman head in disguise 3:58 Webb's Music and a hang gliding pioneer 6:08 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; the Wood Wire & Volts Show in Anaheim (link); Bruce Harvie of Orcas Island Tonewoods 11:10 Skip has a warning for the TAVA Kegger Facebook group...and others 14:38 A luthiers' pet peeve 16:55 Bias modulating tremolo, intensity pots

20:45 Skip works on a Dan Torres-modded amp 21:35 Jason screens his Ben Harper Dumble film in Seattle; Ben Harper on TAVA (ep. 118)

25:34 When does Skip use his tube tester?

28:17 Should I turn this jukebox amp into a guitar amp?

30:52 A monitor out a la GA17RVT; Quilter amps; full-fat Greek yogurt

36:24 When do we get a Marshall/Vox expert on the show?

37:58 A Kroker Triple Toad amp

40:13 Warming up a Nat Daniel-designed amp; separately mounted pre-amp tubes

42:17 Late '60s Fender biasing (AC568)

43:54 Skip's new guitar: A 1966 Fender Duo-Sonic

49:51 The Fender Files on YouTube (thanks, Larry Chung)

52:17 Using 5V4 rectifier tubes in a Matchless DC-30; Nduja mayonnaise (link)

1:00:17 Recommended reading: "There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings" (Amazon link); subbing a 6SL7 for a 6SN7 in a Gibson BR9

1:02:42 Transformer Corner: Using US amps overseas  

1:11:07 Recommended music: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley's "Sweet Sunny North;" Steve Melkisethian remembered

1:13:01 A cheap and easy output transformer dynamic test; rebuilding reverb tanks

1:19:54 Skip's map collection

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

Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line. 

It's the 138th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! 

This week, we pay tribute to Angela Instruments founder and former guest Steve Melkisethian (1950-2024); talk resistors and transformers; catch up on the 2024 Fretboard Summit; and much more.

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line. 

Some of the topics discussed this time around:

:58 R.I.P. Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag, Mike Bloomfield)

3:08 Our sponsors: Amplified Parts, Emerald City Guitars, and Grez Guitars. (Watch Emerald City Guitars' Fretboard Summit video here.) 

5:32 The 2024 Fretboard Summit in a nutshell 

10:29 R.I.P Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instrument); read our tribute here

18:42 R.I.P. Stephen Fitzstephens, member of our Kegger Facebook group

19:18 What was Skip listening to as a kid?

22:08 Skip’s Music vintage gear headed to auction 

24:42 When to use old, mismatched resistors? 

26:39 The 2003 interview in Vacuum Tube Valley with Steve Carr (PDF link)

27:41 Removing surface rust from transformers 

30:27 A 1964 Ampeg Reverberocket that pops when you turn it off

31:10 You all need a Variac 

33:03 A pig farm mini-baffler; Papa Murphy’s in a Weber grill

36:56 Dropping the B+ with a solid state rectifier 

39:47 Flattening a Fender eyelet board, redux; how to flatten a ‘70s Fender grill cloth frame? 

42:52 Aux phono input on a tube amp; replacing plastic knobs; movie recommendation: 'As It Is In Heaven' 

46:48 An original 1963 Fender Vibroverb in the UK with a switchable voltage panel; John Kelly amps; Rainer Ptacek 

52:33 How to select an output transformer for an amp when you don’t know its specs 

1:00:55 The wrong tube in Danelectro amplifiers (12AU6 vs 12AV6)

1:04:02 What’s on Skip’s bench? An Alamo amp; kudos to Larry Chung 

1:05:43 Recommended reading: 'The Feather Thief' (Amazon link); TAVA listener and winemaker William Downie (link)

1:10:36 Using Meguiar’s Convertible Top Cleaner to clean up a Premier amp

1:11:35 A Pepco Riviera 725; Frazey Ford 

1:14:04 Posters by Serifs & Whiskey (link)

1:15:10 Blossom Valley Foods' Pepper Plant sauce (link)

1:15:37 Fixing a reverb tank by changing the transducer; Fender’s specific use of European tubes

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

 

 

It's the 137th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! This week, we talk to special guest, Steve Carr of Carr Amplifiers! 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.

Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. And come to the 2024 Fretboard Summit. 

Some of the topics discussed this time around:

2:22 Steve Carr (Carr Amplifiers) joins us for an enlightening talk about prototyping, speaker cabs, Solen caps, tone controls, and so much more. He even fields a few of your questions!

1:14:17 Big M speaker cabinets

1:16:08 Red Norvo "In a Mist"

1:17:49 Did a rubber tube amp mount just fix my microphonic amp? Easy Brussels sprouts

1:21:45 On the bench: An Epiphone Electar Zephyr

1:23:16 Pre-amps in front of amps that already have pre-amps; the WEM amps used at Live at Pompeii (link); Selmer reverb tanks; was this Philco amp made by Bogen?; pizza stones 

1:31:55 Out-of-range potentiometers

1:35:05 Ballast resistors in field coil amps Plus Hurdy gurdys and more.

It's the 136th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.

Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. 

Some of the topics discussed this time around: 

1:11 A Big Boy locomotive chugs through CA

3:42 What's on Skip's Bench: A Valco/National/Airline amp-in-case; a single-ended Soundmaster PA; a Premier Twin 8

10:55 Another round of TAVA shirts? (coming soon)

13:06 Milkman to produce a JBL K120 replica speaker (link); re-coning by Hempopotamus (and Weber)

16:56 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, featuring Blake Mills, Josh Scott (JHS), Colin Hay and so much more https://fretboardsummit.org (Aug 23-25, 2024 in Chicago)

20:29 The Davis Guitar Scene

20:51 Is there a new speaker comparable to the JBL D130F? Artie Shaw

22:43 VHT amps, redux; homemade cheese

28:05 Why did Leo use RCA plugs for his speaker jacks?

32:20 I miss lo-fi Skip; help me isolate the hum on my Magnatone 410

39:45 Favorite solder; avocado toast

43:26 Recommended movie: 'All That Is Sacred' featuring Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, and vintage Key West (link)

44:58 Help me ground my Pepco Riviera 725

48:15 Does the phase inverter tube contribute gain?

49:47 AIMS amplifiers, redux; Don Randall

53:59 Skip (almost) fixes a church organ

1:00:03 Should I wax pot these old output transformers?

1:04:55 Why is there chicken wire in my amplifier? finding the outside foil on a cap Recorded July 25, 2024. 

It's the 135th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps. 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed this time around: 

1:24 Another hopeful story; Winters, California

7:44 The fifth-ever Fretboard Summit: Blake Mills, Adam Levy, vintage amps, new amps, 80 luthiers, JHS and so much more. www.fretboardsummit.org

13:25 One of the greatest boxes of all time: thanks, Ben from Chattanooga!

15:01 Lynn Wheelwright reaches out to Skip

16:33 The very first Standel amp; Tacoma, Washington's Guitar Maniacs 

18:53  Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars (watch the Dumble video here), Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars. 

22:10 Thank you, John Ross

23:41 Gibson's GA-45 "Velvet Touch"; Terry Dobbs (Mr. Valco) https://valcoamp.com

27:32 The answer to Ep. 134's Baffler: A Tweed Vibrolux

31:44 A Body & Soul El Pato fuzz giveaway? https://www.instagram.com/bsinstruments/

34:00 The last remaining Big Boy locomotive is moving through California; Skip's hobo days  https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

37:26 How to satisfy your customer when only one power tube needs to be replaced? CE Distribution; pimento cheese

47:04 A 5E3 build with too much Fender "bacon;" Ken Fischer

49:51 A Rickenbacker M11 with a 60 cycle hum out of V1

57:22 VHT Special Six, redux

1:03:51 A simple cocktail: A Boyhattan; bitters

1:05:15 The history of AIMS amps; 5 ohm amps; The Mosquito Supper Club's boiled shrimp (link)

1:13:34 The pronunciation police; modding a Silver Panel Fender Champ with a Magnatone 213 tone control

1:17:11 Elemental knowledge; California-built Vox amps; Clarkson's Farm

1:25:00 Is variable input impedance worth experimenting with? Bogen guitar amps

1:29:41 Is the two-prong hat offensive? Are fixed-bias amps more touch-sensitive? the phono input in old PAs; GM/IP on tubes

1:33:15 Recommended reading: The All-Music Guide  Recorded June 21, 2024.

It's the 134th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp.  This week, we're joined by jazz guitarist Jonathan Stout where we talk EH-150s, field coil speakers and more! 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed this time around: 

1:23 Triple E jerky and freeze-dried ice cream (link) 2:36 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.    6:06 What's on Skip's bench: An Electar Model M with 6N6 power tubes; a National Dobro amp with 2A3 power tubes 13:06 Skip has a Falcon for sale; Mumbo Gumbo 13:58 I put the electrolytic capacitor in backward on a 5F2A build; how coupling caps work; what to do with this Gregory Mark 1? 19:16 Natural year-round lemonade 20:21 How to fix the broken reverb on a vintage Gibson Falcon; open secondaries, someone needs to make a replacement Falcon transformer 22:20 What do you do if you need to replace a capacitor and its original part is different from the schematic? Steve Albini's Gear Dork Videos (Garnet, Samamp) 28:58 Special guest: Jonathan Stout (link)! Field coil speakers; traffic sounds; Gibson EH-150/185 amps; Vintage 47 amps (link);  Combs Guitars JJ-150 pedal (link); Quilter 101 heads; the evolution of amplifiers; Junior Barnard; the Echo Speaker jack on a Gibson EH-150, Knott's Berry Farm, Fender Tweed Pros; Marie Sharp's hot sauce; pizza stones; pizza tips 1:03:38 David Lindley; Jackson Browne; Greg Leisz on the FJ's Steel Podcast (link) 1:04:11 Revisiting the Ice Cube 1:06:39 Non-reverb Princeton love; the Brown Box voltage attenuator 1:08:21 This week's Baffler: What amazingly killer amp can you turn a non-reverb Princeton into? 1:08:49 Waiting for a ferry in Snowdonia; early mountain biking 1:14:46 A VHT Special 6 with a useless tone knob 1:18:45 6L6s in a Fender Deluxe Reverb; acceptable idle current range; Revere Ware; Cameo Copper Cleaner; Chuck roast instead of brisket; spicy Italian sausage in pasta sauce; Brussels sprouts; beer Special thanks to Tim Le Blanc for his help mixing this episode. Recorded May 24, 2024.

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

Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!

It's the 133rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp! 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed: 

1:14 Skip's 1950 Ferguson tractor, the Truth About Lawn Mowers

7:28 A zebra on the loose in Washington State

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

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

Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!

No guests or special theme this week...just an all-new, old-school episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp. 

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to [email protected].

Some of the topics discussed: 

1:31 What's on Skip's workbench: Valco amps with a resistor and a normal speaker instead of a field coil

3:46 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy, StewMac, Izotope, and Grez Guitars.

5:04 Thrift store: Revere Ware 8:01 What's the deal with this Leslie Model 18 circuit 15:41 Daisy chaining four Pignose amps to a backpack, tuna salad 20:46 What to do with these orange capacitors? Vacuum Tube Valley, Mexican Martinis 25:38 Skip has a nice mono hi-fi speaker cabinet for sale 27:07 Do speakers ever go out phase on their own? 28:32 Fender Princeton Reverb vs. Tremolux gain stages 31:22 The truth about vintage Sano amps (gumbo recipe found here) 35:47 Seventh-grade Skip; the glider that never touched down 40:11 A source for El Pato in Australia (link: productdistribution.com.au) 41:16 Ampeg Jets and Rockets "with the knobs that point straight up" 43:04 Spotlight on Paradise, California 48:32 Powered vintage speakers, El Pato chili 

53:05 Film cap orientation hack and the EH Hum Eliminator/Debugger 

58:35 Spotlight on glue 

1:03:04 The joys of using lithium-ion batteries onstage to power your tube amps 

1:09:43 A 1972 Princeton Reverb that doesn't like a wireless transmitter; a simple fish recipe 

1:16:11 How do the dual rectifiers work in the Angela Super Single Ended amp 

1:19:17 Rainier beer 

1:21:21 Claude Thornhill Orchestra

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

Want to support our show? Join our Patreon!

Illustrator/musician/underground comix legend Robert Armstrong (Mickey Rat, Couch Potato, the Cheap Suit Serenaders!) joins Skip and Jason this week for a very special installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps. 

Want to support our show? Join our Patreon! 

Some of the topics discussed: 

1:38 NOS military-grade green pilot light jewels from Gary Economy (Instagram); leave us an Apple Podcasts review and take a screenshot to enter to win one!; 5879 tubes

3:03 Where is George? (Danger UXB on eBay)

4:48 Rick Estrin and Dennis Gruenling's harmonica workshop, March 16 (link)

6:43 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars; Amplified Parts; Izotope; Stringjoy Strings; and Grez Guitars.  Ordering from StewMac? Use this affiliate link to help us out! 

11:26 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, August 23-25 (link)

11:49 What's on Skip's bench: A PA head; blown power transformers

13:44 A discount on Eric Daw's amazing Solid Sound guitar wiring book (use TAVA when you check out): https://www.solidsoundbook.com/

16:19 Taming the bass frequency on your amplifier

23:15 Resistors: What does Skip use?

27:27 Special guest: Illustrator/musician/friend/Mickey Rat & Couch Potato-inventor/record collector Robert Armstong (link)! Early Hawaiian guitar recordings; growing up in Fender country but gravitating towards the banjo; Coulter guitars; Hugo Ernst guitars; John DeLapp guitars; playing saw on the 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' soundtrack; animator Ward Kimball; 'Man in Space' (YouTube link); not working at Disneyland; seeing David Lindley at the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle contest; coining the term "Couch Potato;" Bob's tweed Fender Deluxe; Supro Dual Tones; Pee Wee's Playhouse; playing with Sourdough Slim; sheepherder conventions; touring Japan; Ben Pollack's "Two Tickets to Georgia" (YouTube link); playing 78 records today; Al Dodge

1:38:10 John Sebastian gets his dad's PA head back; a Disneyland tube PA