Ep. 139: "I'm Going Negative"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Release Date: 10/18/2024
Ep. 164: "Kern County Wool Growers"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 164 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! Thank our sponsors: ; ; and / . Some of the topics discussed this week: :37 The Garnet book and Garnet ponderings (order the book: ), bias supply voltage in optocoupler tremolo 6:13 Our sponsors! 8:21 Two Fretboard Journal videos to check out: Ryan Richter on playing Coachella with Dijon (); Gabe Noel playing a Rickenbacker bakelite tenor guitar with matching amp () 14:12 Beginner's corner: Amp switching, comparing different...
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Ep. 163: "Thoughts Go to Cornbread" (Special Guest: Roy Rogers!)
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Acclaimed guitarist Roy Rogers joins us this week to talk about his unique gear choices, working with John Lee Hooker, vintage amps and so much more! Thank our sponsors: ; ; and / . Some of the topics discussed this week: :56 Eric Barbour's the Tube Dumpster in Vacuum Tube Valley: 6K6, 6F6, 6Y6 tubes 2:39 A flea market Tweed Bassman 8:51 A Garnet book giveaway! 13:42 What's on Skip's bench: A distribution pre-amp 17:12 Special guest: Roy Rogers: 'The Sky's the Limit' (his new album, out now!); Mesa Boogie Mark IIB and Epiphone Electar Zephyr amps; DeArmonds in flattop...
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Ep. 162: "The Temple of Music"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 162 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! This week, we go deep on Canadian amps, tremolo tweaks, and tech tips. Plus: Rumors of a possible TAVA meetup at Skip's and a poetry slam! Thank our sponsors: ; ; and / . Use the discount code TAVA10MOD for a one-time, 10% discount on orders at . Usable on speakers, amp kits, pedal kits, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026. Some of the topics discussed this week: :00 Skip has a cold 2:04 SF's The Fab Mab (), 1971 Guitar Player...
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Ep. 161: "Tremolo Thursday"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 161 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps. Thank our sponsors: ; ; and / . Use the discount code TAVA10MOD for a one-time, 10% discount on orders at . Usable on speakers, amp kits, pedal kits, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026. Some of the topics discussed this week: :42 Phil Upchurch and 'What It's Like to Be a Musician' 3:25 On the Bench: A non-working outboard tremolo by Skip, a unique Massie trem circuit, putting trem in a Bassman 100, bias modulating tremolo 9:57...
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Ep. 160: "Some People Can't Stand an Unused Triode"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Episode 160 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your questions about tube amps. Thank our sponsors: ; and . Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:09 Fishing and weather report, Tule fog 4:43 Skip's amp backlog 5:19 A West guitar amp with a Dynaco 454216 transformer, a paper plate breakfast hack 10:45 Our sponsors! 12:56 What's on Skip's bench: A 1950 Princeton, a White amplifier, a Tweed Deluxe AND a Vibrolux; Electromuse amps 14:39 The Lonesome Captain's music video () 17:31 A Webster-Chicago 166-1 with a post...
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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...
info_outlineIt'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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
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.
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