Ep. 119: "Painting Some Dots"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Release Date: 08/07/2023
Ep. 135: "Liquor, Candy, Model Airplane Magazines..."
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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 . 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. 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;...
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Ep. 134: "A Little Debbie Swiss Roll"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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 . Some of the topics discussed this time around: 1:23 Triple E jerky and freeze-dried ice cream () 2:36 Our sponsors: , , and . 6:06 What's on Skip's bench: An Electar Model M with 6N6 power tubes; a National Dobro amp with 2A3 power...
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Ep. 133: "A Spicy Tomato Sauce"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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 . 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: , , and . 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...
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Ep. 132: "Start Dark"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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 . 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: , , , , and . 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...
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Ep. 131: "Sandy Soil"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
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? ! Some of the topics discussed: 1:38 NOS military-grade green pilot light jewels from Gary Economy (); 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 () 6:43 This week's sponsors:...
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Ep. 130: "America's Hat"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's a very special, all-Canadian episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair! This week, we have special guests Calvin McCormick (Hiwatt) and Mike Watson of The 6L6s along for the ride. Reminder: Some of the topics discussed: 1:06 Jason heads to the Phoenix MIM Museum (); the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota (; the American Banjo Museum () 3:20 This week's sponsors: , , , and 6:05 Canadian amp builders worth following: Gary Economy () &...
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Ep. 129: "Summer of the Comet"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Welcome to ep. 129 of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair. This week, it's an (almost) all-Fender episode! Reminder: . Some of the topics discussed: :44 Jason goes to the NAMM Show 4:20 Skip is fixing his 1961 Comet 9:04 What's on Skip's bench: Three Fender Concerts; 5C1 Fender Champ circuits; a 5-watt Oahu with a 40-watt transformer; a silver panel Fender Champ for sale at Skip's 14:27 This week's sponsors: , , and . 20:36 Ceriatone amps; Divided by Thirteen Amplification gets...
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Ep. 128: "The Smells Were Overwhelming"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Welcome to episode 128 of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp repair. The first hour of this show probably belongs on our Patreon, but I'm feeling generous and sharing it with everyone. Reminder: . (The amp questions kick in around 49 minutes.) 2:10 Skip goes to the Bay Area Guitar Show: Fancy Gibson ukes, a Martin 00-28, lots of amps, a shopworn Grez, Jimboys Tacos, the bar on San Clemente Island (), pupusas 33:46 Gibson reissues the Falcon () 40:03 Skip fixes a refrigerator 43:51 Skip loses his...
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Ep. 127: "The Rogue Hoe"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
We're closing out 2023 with special guest Bill Krinard of Two Rock! I won't even attempt to annotate this episode but Bill joins us at 5:36 and fields a bunch of listener-submitted questions on transformers with dissimilar primary windings; Two-Rock's design process; how he uses oscilloscopes; Ampegs; Filmosound mods; potentiometers; harmonic content; and more. Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to . Our sponsors: , , and Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support us, get to the front of the line with questions, and get exclusive bonus...
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Ep. 126: "They Do Eventually Die"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Transformer talk, spaghetti carbonara, goat horn jazz, and more transformer talk...it's the 126th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to . Some of the topics discussed this week: :48 Skip types out a tube chart 3:16 This week's sponsors: , , and ; the art of bargaining at a guitar show; the Bay Area Vintage Guitar Show; Premier and Alamo amps 7:43 A Marshall Major PA-200 head at Emerald City () 11:48 What's on Skip's bench: an RCA PA head; Bill Krinard's return to the podcast? 15:08 RIP Earl Yarrow & Shep the dog...
info_outlineIt'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.