Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"
The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Release Date: 07/05/2025
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 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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (link); salvaging organ pedals
6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (link); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run
11:46 Standel amplifier quirks, voltage regulator tubes, Dave's Hot Chicken kale slaw
16:36 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Amplified Parts is having a Fourth of July sale right now (act fast)
19:17 The Fretboard Summit Pinewood Derby race
22:03 Honorary sponsor: Tin Can Valley Letterpress (link)
23:10 Recommended reading: Matthew Zapruder's 'Story of a Poem' (Amazon link)
25:22 An Ampeg V4 / V4B bias circuit baffler
28:07 Single-ended amp 101; Stouffer's Hotel cherry chocolate cake
41:19 Channel jumping on a Silvertone 1482 and other amps; Neil Young
46:00 Music recommendation: Round Eye from Shanghai
47:11 Why do these homebrew 5F1 clones have blackened input jacks?
49:31 The Fender 400PS schematic
54:18 Harmony 420 amps, making a pre-amp out of a Heathkit volt meter
1:00:05 The Fretboard Journal's Dumble short film with Ben Harper (YouTube link)
1:01:46 Dave Hill at the 2025 Fretboard Summit!
1:02:34 Redwood cabinets on Gibson Falcons; Lima, Peru's Los Saicos band
1:12:21 A-Z Darts in Sacramento (link)
1:16:04 Getting a mono tube hi-fi for music playback
1:23:56 Listener Yann at Body and Soul Instruments (Instagram); the new Robert Johnson book (Amazon link)
1:25:24 Keeping the 12v DC power supply on old PA amps? Doug Hoffman
1:30:54 How far should I mod this 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb?
1:37:24 Ishi in Two Worlds (Amazon link)
Recorded July 4, 2025.
Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
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. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.