Ep. 159: "TAVA, Again...Exclamation Point"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 159 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Beans, two-prong ASMR, peeling diodes (and faceplates) and more! Thank our sponsors: ; and . And honarary mention to Rancho Gordo beans. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:32 Rancho Gordo beans in the WSJ, corn sticks 8:13 What's on Skip's bench: All the early Fender Princetons; a baffler! 11:20 Our sponsors: and (unofficially) Rancho Gordo beans 15:15: What should I do with this extra Bell Sound 2122-C hi-fi amp?; hear the TAVA All-Stars: Bob Armstong, Keith Cary, Charles Batey, Leff Jeffries (, audio only) 25:20 How can I remove...
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Ep. 158: "Not Just Living in Their Mom's Basement"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 158: Chris Benson of Benson amps and Bryan Sours of Soursound transformers make their long-awaited returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps. Why? They want to tell us all about the logging truck of an amp they are currently building, a 700-watt(!) all-tube beast dubbed Babylon! The Babylon will feature 14 KT88 tubes, 16 total speakers, three knobs, and two power cords. It's literally the most powerful tube amp they could make without requiring a dryer outlet. Check for a sneak peek at the creation. and honorable mention to... Hear the Babylon in person at the 2026 Wood,...
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Ep. 157: "Coyote and Deer"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 157th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. Thank our sponsors: ; and Some of the topics discussed this week: :42 Atmospheric rivers 3:52 Skip's appearance at the Bay Area Guitar Show (Jan 10-11, ) 8:46 Fretboard Journal 58 (coming soon!) 9:57 Unsung electronics hero (and possible con man) Lee De Forest (read his memoir ); power conditioners 17:44 Skip's new trail cam 20:47 One man's trash: Repurposing the square capacitor/resistor found in a Gibson GA-19 RVT/Falcon...
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Ep. 156: "A Hoop and a Stick"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 156th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Special guest Jack Weston joins us with a great Allman Brothers story. Thank our sponsors: ; and Some of the topics discussed this week: :43 What's on Skip's Bench: a Fender Princeton with reversed input jacks 5:41 Special Guest: Jack Weston, author of 'The Allman Brothers Band: Classic Memorabilia, 1969-1976' () 46:17 The Magnatone Triplex; ultralinear output stages, redux; Bob Wills' The Tiffany Transcriptions...
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Ep. 155: "Realistic Carnival"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended) and more! Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal (); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal? 5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton's 'The North Beach Sound;' The No-Mads () 7:54 Our sponsors: ; and (and Mr. Microphone) 18:12 What's on Skip's bench: A Bogen GA-5; a Realistic Carnival; Masco C-6; 6AQ5 tubes 22:53...
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Ep. 154: "Compromise the Windings"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 154th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. Some of the topics discussed this week: :42 Skip is back on the Ferguson TO-35 tractor; Roy Clark & Joe Pass 7:04 What's on Skip's bench: A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Marshall bright caps, the Pet Shop Boys 11:43 Our sponsors ; and more Fender Champ mods; a Champ gain input baffler; Soursound transformers 23:51 200 more power cords; IEC hijinks; Steve Soest 28:13 A 1954 Fender Tweed Twins and the low-powered versus...
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Ep. 153: "A C in Chemistry"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 153rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps and Skip is having a happy day fielding your amp questions. From cleaning tweed to Magnatone varistors and all points in between, it's 90 minutes of tube amp knowledge, laughs, and some serious California trivia. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:27: The 2025 Fretboard Summit; the importance of repair tags 6:55: Thanks for the mangos, John! And a food preservation tip 8:30: Our sponsors: ; and ! 14:15 What's on Skip's bench? 60 amps in August; great Loma Rica deals; far out tubes 23:29 The big TV tubes in...
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Ep. 152: "Gridley Bias"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the much-delayed 152nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to ! Include a photo, too. Some of the topics discussed this week: 3:53 Real musicians ARE gearheads (redux) 5:47 Our sponsors: ; and ! 6:40 Tom Gunterman gets two Grez's 8:21 Yellow Jacket tube converters 10:27 Standel amps (redux); Todd Clinesmith; National Dobro amps; driver transformers...
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Ep. 151: "It Starts Out Cool"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 151st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to ! Include a photo, too. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:03:05 What's on Skip's bench: A pile of Standel amps; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware (redux); a baffler of sorts 8:28 Tom Gunterman (); Kevin from Ohio; Joe Walsh 11:30 Our sponsors: ; and ! Marshall Capris; Christopher Guest 19:07 Julian...
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Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
It's the 150th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! How did that happen? Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to ! Include a photo, too. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (); salvaging organ pedals 6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run 11:46 Standel...
info_outlineIllustrator/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.
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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