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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

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. 

We're closing out 2023 with special guest Bill Krinard of Two Rock! 

https://www.two-rock.com

Want to be a part of our show? Submit your question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars

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 content and surprises: 

https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

The elusive, highly influential Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments joins us on this week's episode for what is quite possibly our most entertaining episode to date. For decades, Angela has provided DIY tube amp and hi-fi enthusiasts with tubes, parts, and brutally honest advice. Melkisethian tells us about the history of the company, his love for music (from John Fahey to Roy Buchanan and Fugazi), and shares plenty of stories from the vacuum tube frontlines. 

Submit your tube amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

Some of the topics discussed:

0:00 Addendum: The tubes on Springsteen's Mesa Boogie
3:25 Why Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments, this week's guest, is important  
6:56 This week's TAVA sponsor: Grez Guitars
7:58 The Danelectro DM-25 reverb trick, redux
13:41 What's on Skip's bench?
17:02 Jason buys a Garnet
18:50 Pronouncing Tony Chachere, again; El Pato and Herdez
23:05 Speaker driven reverb schematic
29:06 Special guest: Steve Melkisethian of Angela Instruments (www.angela.com)

Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 

4:26 Carter Vintage's under $1000 amp shootout (YouTube link)
7:40 Satan & Adam
9:32 Tom Ball
11:44 Updates on Drew's Fender Tonemaster
17:54 We're doing a good job
19:48 Phil Lee
21:00 Tube condensation during cold weather
24:12 The Fender Bantam Bass amp
26:26 Eric Johnson's pilot light placement, redux
29:44 A 1973 Fender Princeton Reverb with a sticky speaker
32:52 Swapping out a phase inverter tube versus swapping out a pre-amp tube
35:17 Recommended tool: OXO turner for skillet cleaning (link) 
37:38 The gain stages of the Fender 5E8-A preamp
42:10 Replacing the handle on a '60s Gibson GA-5 Skylark
46:09 Footswitch 101 and an '80s Rivera-era Fender Princeton Reverb 2
50:29 Using EQ to lower the volume on a 50-watt Mesa Boogie Mark II
56:05 A 1968 Fender Vibro Champ with a hum that goes away
1:01:56 Power = Voltage × Current
1:03:38 A 5881 or a 6L6GC power tube in a 5F1
1:05:48 Speaker recommendations for a 1966 Ampeg Gemini II 

Once again, Skip Simmons is quoting 'A Tale of Two Cities' and fielding tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 
4:41 One for the Tweakers: Putting a filament transformer in a HiWatt, backwards
7:38 Unfreezing pots with rubbing alcohol
11:53 Turning a Rogers Cadet hi-fi into a guitar amp
13:19 A 1953 Massie Woody on Reverb (link)
15:59 Red lacquer on solder joints
17:30 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (check out the video with Tim Lerch and Tommy Harkenrider here)
21:27 The stereo-to-mono conversion box project
31:56 The only thing you'll remember from this week's podcast: How to say "Tony Cachere's"
32:58 The Danelectro DM-25
35:56 Josh Yenne and the Gmail / Comcast guys
37:45 The hairy overdriven, brown sag sound for pedal steel (Charley Pride's "Cotton Fields")
44:45 RIP: Brian Dennehy (crooked cop in 'Gorky Park')
46:40 Lodge: The Blues Junior of cast iron pans?
49:00 Tips for repairing Tolex and tight-fitting chassis
50:35 The language of amp feel
54:47 Will this Kay 703 kill me?
59:59 Ry Cooder's Instagram page
1:00:18 The tone difference of PCB vs wired amps
11:04:25 A Victoria with a thumpy tremolo
1:08:04 An early '60s Fender Princeton with an extraneous noise
1:13:00 Different tone controls for a Gibson Falcon (link, link)
1:17:45 Getting rid of the bias resistor in a Vibroluxe clone; super-simple, homemade hot sauce
1:20:03 A Brown Box for an Aussie?
1:25:20 'How to Hot Rod Your Fender Amp' book, DLabs
1:29:40 Why Skip hates pentode triad switches

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

2:39: Special Guest: Bill Krinard (Two-Rock Amplifiers): Troubleshooting a Fender Tonemaster that pops when turned off; Bodega red potatoes; Bill's current projects; flipping the pilot light)
34:45 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link, get a behind-the-scenes Grez shop tour here)
35:39 Tips on buying a tube tester (Skip's fave: B&K 700)
45:05 Speaker recommendations for a Champ
47:58 Troubleshooting an early '70s Fender Bassman 50 with hum
1:00:57 Choke talk
1:05:31 Cast iron cleaning
1:10:55 Vacuum Tube Valley online (link)
1:13:53 RIP Art Dudley (FJ and Stereophile contributor)
1:14:10 Skip's hi-fi setup
1:18:14 A Garnet Pro with built-in Stinger fuzz that sounds worse as it warms up
1:22:49 Skip's book tips

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

(Apologies for the Skype noise/buffering at the start of the podcast... our small town internet needs some WD-40.)

21:39 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
22:33 A Musicmaster Bass amp in a Vibro Champ cabinet (and vice versa)
25:19 The crest on a Gibson Crestline-era Skylark / the Gibson amp book (link)
27:49 A resistor to bias a tweed Vibrolux; power transformers in a 5F2A  
38:51 Using the speaker of a Deluxe Reverb with a Quilter head
42:34 A Silverface Vibro Champ with a weak tremolo; the Capacitor Wizard
47:55 This week's quote: "The mind that is not baffled, is not employed" -Wendell Berry
49:19 The popping Fender Tonemaster update
55:01 A gridleak bias mindworm
1:02:06 In defense of Lodge cast iron; crisper potatoes
1:07:37 Pickups and how they interact with tube amps
1:11:59 Music recommendation: Skip James' Today!
1:13:01 Free video time killers for the DIY set: Camel Finds Water (link), Resurrection: Rescue of a 1955 VW panelvan (link), The Beast of Turin (link)
1:16:56 Rogue Hoe gardening tools (link); symptoms of a bad bias circuit
1:23:46 Dialing in your tone on a Mesa Boogie Mark IV
1:30:58 Tubes for a Fender reverb tank
1:34:33 "Chitlins Con Carne" rhythm revisited: Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together," the Police's "Deathwish;" Gibson Falcon mods
1:39:12 Modifying a '60s hi-fi home kit amp, plus Vinnie's mashed potato recipe (see below)
1:48:17 Movie pick: 'Pow Wow Highway'

Keep the questions coming and please leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts or share the podcast with friends.

Vinnie's Mash Potato Recipe

500gm Floury potatoes (in New Zealand I'd use Agria)
300ml single cream
200gm butter
salt
nutmeg
butter to finish

1. peel and cut the potato in 3cm dice
2. bring to the boil (just covered) in heavily salted water (slightly less than the sea)
3. strain as soon as you can easily poke a sharp knife through them 

(if they over cook and take on water they will be too salty)

1. once fully drained put them back in the pot on a low heat until the outside is fluffy and dry
2. meanwhile in another pot start reducing the cream and butter until it takes on the consistency of thermal mudpools bubbling. In NZ it would be quite yellow at this stage but our cows are grass feed.
3. while this is happening, force the potato through a sieve or ricer, working the potato as little as possible
4. Now whip the potato's in to the cream mixture, this should almost immediately come cleanly away from the sides of the pot and be ready to serve.
5. Spin the pot to make a ball, tip into a bowl, sprinkle with nutmeg and stick a 1cm knob of butter in the middle 

Maybe mash potato seems like a lame recipe, but this method produces the best results, I think.

p.s. water is the enemy of mash potato. Water out--Fat in

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

5:24 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)
6:01 Jimmy from the Deadlies and his 5D3 Tweed Deluxe
8:13 Rustic Kegger in the Woods origin
8:48 Recommended reading: 'White Bicycles' by Joe Boyd
9:42 A 1960 Gibson GA-6 Lancer with inputs that keep cutting out
15:34 What's the deal with the 1954 Fender Super?
20:02 Who was Glen Quan?
21:56 Servicing a Sears Silvertone 1482
30:05 The Magnatone 280 owner's manual
32:23 A Fender Tonemaster with a pop
41:30 The roots of tremolo with Hammond, DeArmond, etc.
44:13 A 1987 Marshall JCM-800 2210 picking up ham radio signals
52:40 Special guest: Sam Bolle (Dick Dale!)
1:09:10 A Hammond AO-35 amp conversion project
1:14:11 Seasoning cast iron pans
1:15:18 AmpRX BrownBox attenuator use
1:19:00 A steel player's pre-amp tube needs, spiral filament design
1:22:26 What's on Skip's bookshelf (Trustee from the Toolroom; All Music Guide to the Blues)  
1:25:16 Cartoons that adults want to watch

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

8:04: Good Goo: TR3, SiliKroil
11:53 Our new Facebook Group (link)  
13:13 Vacaville, CA's hardware store (Pacific Hardware)
15:32 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitar
16:44 The Fretboard Journal's #FJFest (TAVA listeners will enjoy seeing DJLavalamp's Treble Booster operation or TJ Thompson's shop tour)
19:30 The lettered squares on an amp layout
21:05 Skip's starter kit for aspiring amp tinkerers: Solder iron, solder, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, a stainless steel brush (and the Jack Darr book, of course)
26:06 Modding a 5F2A from China / Reverse Feedback
29:52 Jim Campilongo's Silverface Princeton woes (NOS tube problems)
34:30 The Mullard Factory Tour on YouTube (link)
35:04 Damage from looping through a vintage amp?
41:40 Fixing a buzzy 1979 Musicmaster Bass amp
46:30 Skip's desert island amp
48:25 How did Skip and Jason meet?
52:21 Troubleshooting white noise on an amp
56:40 Running a dummy load on a stereo amp to go mono
1:00:00 1974 Fender Champ with a cat in the amp
1:05:48 A new Baffler! Ralph Shine & Sylvia Massy trivia!
1:07:38 NOS tubes recommendation: Fbenkor on eBay
1:08:26 Otis Amps
1:13:41 Skip makes a service call to Roman Coppola (Story & Clark "Storytone" Electric Piano)
1:18:35 Skip's travel toolkit
1:20:30 Sticking reverb in a Vibrochamp (link and link)
1:21:19 A Premier 90 Reverberation with stretched-out springs
1:23:58 Groovy tunes: Skip Mahoney's "Wherever You Go;" Grant Green's 'Street of Dreams;' William de Vaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got;" Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together"

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Note: We now have a private Facebook group for TAVA listeners: Search for "A Rustic Kegger in the Woods" or click here.   

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:32 Skip tries to stay in the middle

5:04 Little Charlie Remembered

13:47 The hillbilly amp bought on eBay by listener @scschooling on Instagram (link)

14:49 Adam Grimm (Satellite Amps) builds a motion controlled boost with a mercury thermostat

16:08 Skip on Selmer amps, again

18:42 Making a Fender Acoustasonic Junior road worthy

24:13 Play through an amp while you're warming it up with a Variac?

29:43 Cramming a 10" speaker into a Champ kit

31:21 A 1956 Gibson GA-40 Les Paul amp that doesn't match the schematic

36:38 Smoked glass tubes

39:40 A project for a late '40s / early '50s Magnavox mono amp; plus, beans

46:38 "Why is Mesa Boogie so bloody minded and contrary?" asks an Australian listener

52:28 Special guest: Executive Chef Chris Robertson (Southpark Seafood, Portland, Oregon)

1:11:36 Harmonic tremolo and tremolo vs. vibrato circuits; Travis Wammack, "It's Karate Time" (YouTube link)

1:15:54 Pots that say 250k, but are actually 120k

1:18:25 A Brownface Princeton with 250k volume pots

1:21:52 Breakup on a Fender Deluxe 5E3

1:28:08 Comparing a 1962 Magnatone Custom 440 to a Fender counterpart

1:33:20 A Magnatone M7 with a mysterious foil wrapping around a coupling cap

1:37:35 Don't Be Me: A listener's speaker-replacing follies

1:42:30 Options for replacing a reverb tank in a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb

1:46:44 Recommending reading: 'Shop Class as Soul Craft,' 'Trustee from the Toolroom'

1:52:08 Recommended watching: The Repair Shop (Netflix), homeschooling hacks

1:56:35 A 1963 Gibson GA-5T Skylark (Crestline series) with an annoying tremolo  

2:02:02 Skip's trip to Marijuanaville

2:05:27 Nesting with Netflix: Shetland; The Detectorists; Inspector Morse, Lewis; Better Call Saul; Trailer Park Boys

2:09:41 When is a vintage amp no longer a vintage amp?

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Note: This episode was recorded on February 28, 2020 and pre-dates the passing of Little Charlie Baty, as well as much as of the news we now have on the coronavirus. (We just recorded a new show on March 19 that discusses both topics and we will be posting that next week.)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

4:10 The hillbillies from Olivehurst: A cursed Gibson GA-15RVT and an early '60s Gibson Melody Maker

11:09 A 1951 Fender Tweed Pro with a factory field coil speaker (with one end on the B+, the other end grounded)

14:38 A TAVA Facebook group? Looking for moderators (inquire within)

18:44 Frito Chili Pie

20:42 Biasing for Class A Fixed, Class A/B and Cathode biasing; A Fender 5F2A's inverse negative feedback

30:49 Built-in power attenuators

35:40 Installing a headphone output jack on a vintage Fender Champ

37:16 The future reputation of modern amp builders (Carr, Dr. Z, Bartel, etc.)

47:04 More on Skip's Retropolitan amps

50:35 Breaking-in a speaker with a looper pedal

53:49 Music recommendations: Stanley Turentine, Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, Shirley Scott

55:21 What's wrong with Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's amp on his 1946 recording "That's All Right"?

57:35 Vintage Australian amps: Goldentone, Vase & Moody

58:34 A Fender Blues Deville with too much reverb

1:00:58 The "tone expander" switch on a Gibson GA30RV "Invader"

1:02:20 Vintage Gibson cabinet talk: Redwood? Any available reproduction cabinets?

1:05:54 Music recommendation: 'Unshaven: Live at Smith's Olde Bar' by Shaver

1:07:34 A John Vanderslice / Tiny Telephone update

1:09:07 Mac & cheese revisited

1:10:15 Picky goats

1:11:12 Selmer Triumph Reverb schematic

1:13:50 Grounding schemes, halloumi cheese

1:21:17 Special guest: Chris Benson of Benson Amplifiers! (Triad transformers, new releases, granola, cast iron)

1:39:19 Replace the bypass cap on your silverface Champ

1:40:10 Rodriguez & Searching for Sugar Man

1:42:01 Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

3:34 Skip goes to see Temple Grandin
10:20 A Facebook group for the TAVA Podcast?
10:48 Manbroidery's Two Prong Hat update
11:16 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars
12:57 A noisy reverb thanks to vintage tubes
15:55 Cooking (on amps) with Billy Cowsill; a hot Flotatone
21:41 Using DC voltage to heat tubes for quieter operation (the 2020 Soldano SLO-100, Otis amps, other examples)
26:58 Using an amp as a pedal platform (tube vs solid state)
32:39 A successful 5F1 copy and liability concerns when selling boutique tube amps
38:42 Why can't they fit reverb into a Fender Vibro Champ?
41:51 Evolution of the Fender Deluxe Reverb reissues
45:15 Power for an outboard EQ section DIY project
48:28 A new DIY project: Changing the power transformer of a Fender Twin Reverb and modifying it for 6V6s to reduce weight
52:17 What to do with a non-working Gibson Hawk?
55:09 Why do tube amps sound better after a few hours of use?
58:59 Correct fuse for a 1973 Fender Champ
1:02:21 Replacement speakers in a vintage Gibson Skylark
1:06:18 Where to grab a chassis before removing it?
1:08:08 Laurens Hammond vs Donald Leslie
1:12:00 Tips on speaker cabinet construction
1:15:26 Discrepancies in the Angela SSE schematic
1:23:06 Listener Nate's favorite hot & sour soup recipe (link)
1:23:36 A failing 5Y3 rectifier at a gig
1:28:51 Troubleshooting a weak channel on a 5D3 Tweed Deluxe
1:35:07 Coffee from Mechanicsburg, Ohio (Hemisphere's Redline Roast, link)

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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:48 Skip types out a tube chart

3:16 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars; 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 (link)

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

18:26 Junior Bonner

21:40 More Earl Yarrow

23:50 Brandy and soda

24:30 What to use in my Princeton Reverb clone: A Soursound 12-watt transformer or a Hammond 14-watt?

28:01 What to do with one single can of El Pato; avant-garde guitarist Havard Skaset; Los Pericos Quadradas chips (link); Norwegian goat horn player Karl Seglem's "Mytevegar" (Bandcamp)

33:23 Help my humming Vintage 47 Mini

37:52 What to do with a 1964 Magnatone 401, one-to-three input transformer, how to not get shocked

42:43 Should we be burning-in our amps after repairs?

46:21 Converting a Bogen MO30 to a Fender Pro circuit

51:44 Recording a tube amp at low volume by pulling the phase inverter

53:21 1952/1953 Fender Tweed Deluxes with low gain instrument jacks, input impedance

55:44 Armadillo Amp Works cabinets

56:20 Is this serviced 1970 Fender Bassman head still a Fender Bassman? gifting a tweed Bassman to your nephew

1:01:25 Thanks for the TAVA show notes; what's the deal with my one-knob, early 1960s Gibson Skylark GA-5?

1:06:50 What output transformer to use on my Trainwreck clone? Dynaco transformers

1:09:03 Heritage Auctions' typewriter sale (link)

1:10:49 Spaghetti carbonara; gutting a Peavey VTX Heritage 130 to build a bass amp with an ultra-linear transformer; Sunn amps

1:14:40 The magic of Soundmasters; Sacramento ska band Filibuster; how a family of amps can basically have the same pre-amp circuitry; 807s vs. 6L6s or EL34s

1:24:43 Thoughts on the 2024 Vintage Guitar Price Guide

1:27:57 What could cause DC voltage to build up on the grid of a power tube aside from leaky coupling caps

1:35:10 Shoutout to the Fender greats: Richard Smith, Bruce Zinky, Lynn Wheelwright, Terry Foster; a circuit baffler of sorts! 

1:37:47 Spaghetti carbonara & Los Pericos Quadradas redux

Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises: 

https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Jason and Skip get Adam Grimm (Satellite Amplifiers) on the line.

https://www.satelliteamps.com

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Pre-order today: The Truth About Vintage Amps Two-Prong hat collaboration from Manbroidery and Ebbets Field Flannels (link)

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:13 Skip gets a $25 guitar; Jason goes to NAMM
11:05 Marc Silber's inventory
14:16 Skip meets Grez
17:43 Tyler wins of our Union Bean Counter Tone Druid pedal giveaway (correct answer: Tom Waits)
19:17 Tyler's fish taco recipe (email us)
20:29 A very clean Fender Tweed Deluxe
22:00 Joe Craven and Bruce MacMillan covers the Dead
23:24 Australians respond to Skip's Robert Hughes query
23:51 More on Brent's bargain Variac with a current meter hack
26:46 Leaving an amp on for a week
29:33 Vintage wire that just won't solder
31:33 The Fender Greta as a pre-amp
34:02 The JHD Ice Cube Sustain Coupler (link)
37:43 The dangers of running an effect between an amp and a speaker cab
38:43 Changing a 1952 Gibsonette GA-8 from a field coil to regular magnetic speaker
42:30 Increasing the headroom on a Peavey Classic 50
45:45 Substituting a 5Y3 with a 5V4 in a 5E3 Deluxe
49:16 A 1950s Gibson GA-6 with an adapter for a 12AX7 pre-amp tube; more rectifier tube talk
51:50 Marshalls versus Fenders and the difference between 6V6/6L6 and an EL34/EL84
54:26 A Canadian Gibson Falcon that needs a massive overhaul
55:47 Choosing an amp for re-heating food
59:49 Little Charlie's Chile Colorado, revisited
1:02:05 Export model Silverface Fenders  
1:04:16 Questions on Angela's Super Single-Ended Amp

Amp tech Skip Simmons is once again fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. 

Submit your question to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

**Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here.** 

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:20 Skip's A/B box setback
3:00 A winner for our Stew-Mac Champ kit
4:40 A question for our Australian listeners
6:07 A glitchy Ampeg Reverberocket 
7:09 Skip heads to a vintage guitar show
12:00 @manbroidery two-prong hat update, let us know if you want one (Instagram link) 
15:22 Old carbon comp resistors and Domino caps in an amp kit build
20:23 Testing caps for leakage
24:58 Running a synth through a tube amp
28:33 The timing on Kenny Burrell's "Chitlins con Carne"
30:07 Music recommendation: The Joe Mooney Quartet (YouTube link)
31:17 The rationale for crazy amps like the Baldwin Exterminator
35:53 The sushi boat amp update; Rob Robinette's tube amp page; micro amps
40:40 1960s Guild Thunder series amps
43:52 New cast iron (link, link, link); rum & tonic
46:24 The Big Index page: fretboardjournal.com/tavaindex
46:58 Wear and tear from maxed out amp settings
48:25 Restoring (and storing) a blown Oxford speaker
50:52  Where the magic happens in a non-master volume tube amp
59:00 Tips re: Little Charlie's Chile Colorado
1:04:43 The speaker driven out / monitor jack on a Gibson Falcon
1:09:34 Tinkering with a one-tube reverb circuit
1:12:11 Modding a Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Jr. reissue amp
1:18:01 Thoughts on the Fender Musicmaster Bass amps
1:23:10 A cheap Variac hack with a current meter (eBay link; eBay link)
1:29:00 Safely using a '60s Supro Bantam "widowmaker" amp
1:33:08 Adding a polarity switch to an amp without one
1:35:36 Effects pedals between an amp and its speaker?
1:37:50 ART tube pre-amps (revisited) and Skip's preferred tube preamps
1:42:00 Output transformer spec basics

Special guest Charles Baty returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast for our final episode of 2019.   

Submit your vintage amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS * 
Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here. 

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:46 An update on the Angela 5F2 Princeton schematic/article

4:23 TAVA Podcast Giveaways: A Stew-Mac Champ kit; an A/B box from Skip (winners to be announced during episode 27)

12:43 Reserve one of Manbroidery's two-prong TAVA hats (Instagram link) 

14:33 More cast iron

17:26 Triad Electronics' return to guitar amp transformers, plus Benson Amps

25:02 Charles Baty returns: Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, Chico Hamilton, Red Garland & Chile Colorado!

48:21 Gibson GA8T (Discoverer) amps

51:14 A 1966 Fender Vibro Champ with a mystery hum

57:02 Silverface Fender Champs versus 1960s Gibson Skylark / Atlas / etc.

59:11 Sonic variations between vintage matching, serviced Fender amplifiers

1:03:59 Using a Variac and a power strip to power up multiple amps simultaneously

1:07:53 Vintage guitar amps with built-in legs

1:12:25 A request for a single-episode Champ schematic walk-through

1:12:46 25uf cathode bias 12ax7 cathode-bypass caps on Champs

1:17:19 Getting up to speed on electronics basics

1:20:08 Amp class

1:23:14 Buck Nickels and Loose Change – "Makin' Wine" (Larry Cragg in action! YouTube link.)

1:23:39 A new speaker configuration for a Danelectro DS100 cab

1:28:08 Gibson Invader amps

1:31:11 Grid leak biasing vs. cathode biasing

1:34:56 Modifying the Angela dual-singled amp with Russian 6P1P-EV tubes

1:36:35 Australia, Toyota Land Cruisers and fly fishing guides

1:38:43 Swollen caps in a 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb and tips on drilling holes in a chassis

Special thanks to TAVA listener Eric Casimiro for helping us edit this week's episode. 

Jason and Skip get special guest Larry Cragg (Santana, Neil Young, Magnatone) on the line. A companion to our 25th episode.

The Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast has turned one! Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world.

Submit your questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS AND ENTER TO WIN*
Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here. You may just win something! 

This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:18 The TAVA Index (h/t to Harper's magazine)

6:55 What's on Skip's bench?

8:49 Speaker reconing: Scumback speakers

10:46 Skip's Christmas wish list: A Subaru replacement, a break from phone calls

13:42 TAVA givewaway: A Stew-Mac Tweed Champ kit!

14:12 Our Angela Instruments amp project download

15:35 Manbroidery's two-prong patch / a future Ebbett's Field Flannels hat? (Instagram link) 

17:00 Another giveaway: An A/B box or $125 Skip labor credit giveaway

19:40 Skip gets a tractor

24:14 Dual rectifier tubes and Sag 101

28:40 Jason tries to get a special guest

31:29 Cabbage and mushrooms  

35:00 Cabinet glue

40:49 Fender's White amplifiers

44:09 Choosing a Fender for your band

48:12 How Skip drains filter caps

51:35 Lafayette amplifiers

54:28 A 1971 Fender Bassman (AA371) with stray voltages

59:23 Making an Ampex 602A work for guitar

1:11:32 Splitting a 2x12 speaker cab

1:15:19 Using a looper pedal to help with soundchecks (h/t Julian Lage)

1:16:50 Music recommendation: Red Norvo

1:18:12 Budweiser Copper Lager and cast iron pans

1:25:43 A Cornell Romany Pro that goes through power tubes

1:33:34 Book review: Maurice J. Summerfield's 'The Jazz Guitar'

1:34:32 Light bulb limiters

1:36:56 A Princeton Reverb-style amp with a pull-switch on the volume control

1:41:35 A Classic Tone 5E3 power transformer with one metal washer

1:43:35 A history of phase inverters

1:46:02 More new parallel, single-ended amps

Special thanks to TAVA listener Eric C. for helping us edit this week's episode. 

A back-to-basics episode: No special guests, no recipes. Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar tube amp questions from around the world. Submit your questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS*
Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

9:49: This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars (link)

10:35 The Fretboard Journal's Electric Guitar Annual, Vol. 2 (pre-order here)

11:56 The TAVA First Year anniversary celebration: Win a Tweed Champ kit from Stew-Mac (Instagram link) !!!

15:26 Who wants to order a TAVA hat like this one? Email us…

18:36 Skip on our Angela catalog reprint

24:36 Transformer 101  

35:35 Amps for harp players

43:26 Building your first bass amp

51:54 Using an ART tube pre-amp in front of a guitar amp

55:18 A Traynor YBA-1 Bass-Master with a sensitive master volume

59:18 British vs. American amp tone

1:04:22 Another listener recommended amp tech: Tyler at Boss Organ in Somerville, Mass.

1:10:11 DeArmond amps

1:16:57 Bringing a Gibson EH-150 back to life

1:22:34 Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue

1:24:17 Craig Korth on the Fretboard Journal Podcast and the Ray Butts EchoSonic amp (link) 

1:25:58 Salvaging stuff from a dead RCA film projector for a Princeton Reverb clone

1:34:32 A 1972 Fender Super Reverb with a weak tremolo; plus, what is an opto-coupler? 

1:41:54 Trying different tubes on a Music Man Sixty-Five Reverb

1:48:35 KTNN: The Voice of the Navajo Nation

Like the show? Share it with your friends, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and stay tuned for next month, when we unveil even more surprises for our one year anniversary. 

This week, Skip and Jason are joined by a very special guest, John Vanderslice. John is a prolific singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and engineer. We have a candid, unfiltered conversation about vintage amps, food, life, the music industry and so much more. Seriously, just listen... 

After our chat with John, we once again field your questions about all things guitar amplification.

As always, if you'd like to contribute to a future show, submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

* SUPPORT TAVA & ANGELA INSTRUMENTS*
Order a PDF download of Steve Melkisethian's tweed Princeton amp project here. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:05 "Naming calls" and PG&E

2:33 A/B box updates

3:00 The TAVA "book club" launches: Order the Angela Instruments' tweed Princeton article and schematic (see above) 

9:18 John Vanderslice (singer-songwriter, Tiny Telephone Recording!) joins us: Living room shows, eating on the road, Gibson Falcons, mics for recording amps, Stromberg-Carlson pre-amps, surviving the music industry

1:01:40 Brian, the speaker re-coner at Weber Speakers: https://www.tedweber.com/recone-services/

1:03:03 Erick Coleman's amp tech recommendation: Paul Schmittauer (email us)

1:04:08 Great Goo: Pepper Plant hot sauce (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/33orYLq)

1:05:40 Epiphone Pacemaker amps

1:07:23 Misspelled "Colombia" Fender amps

1:08:52 How multiple inputs work on amps

1:11:57 Using the second input on a Fender as a line-out

1:14:14 Amp builder Bob Gjika (Gjika Amplification), the mojo behind single-ended amps

1:20:09 A noisy Peavey Delta Blues 115

1:24:44 Solder in Italy (Soldergate revisited)

1:26:17 Breaking-in new tubes; upgrading parts in a Champ kit

1:32:00 What's on Skip's bench

1:33:01 Sano accordion tube and Audio Guild amps (see our Instagram for photos)

1:38:07 Skip on biasing

1:43:00 St. George amp heads, built by Ray Massie

1:46:50 The lifespan of tweed Fender caps

1:49:17 The "Fountain of Sound" Ampeg JS-35

1:53:02 Music recommendation: Pat Martino's 'El Hombre' and the Guild Double Twin combo

1:55:43 Music recommendation, part two: The Nat Turner Rebellion's cover of "Going in Circles"

1:56:43 Parenting tips: Classic Walt Disney movies

1:58:15 Slowing the tremolo rate in a blackface Fender

2:00:58 6973 power tubes in Supro amp

2:02:28 Replacements for a 6c10 tube found in an '80s Fender Super Champ

2:06:38 Working on a Montgomery Ward 55 JDR 8436

2:10:49 Tube naming 101

2:13:16 Our forthcoming one year anniversary, a brief state of affairs  

Like the show? Share it with your friends, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and stay tuned for next month, when we unveil even more surprises for our one year anniversary. 

Special guest Charles Baty joins us on this week's Truth About Vintage Amps podcast!

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:37 Charles Baty (Little Charlie & The Nightcats! Little Charlie & Organ Grinder Swing!) joins in: Termites, Spanish rice and amp tips from the road

43:09 Movie recommendations: Wattstax; Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

44:16 Skip plays a gig

46:30 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars

46:55 Robert Keeley (!) calls in on Dean's Echoplex woes (from TAVA 21)

50:24 A '68 Fender Vibrolux reissue with a wonky footswitch

54:16 Replace a two-prong cord with a three-prong cord

57:29 "Getting to 'no' you;" "Suzie Q," the Instant Pot, mashed potatoes and hot dogs

1:04:10 An amp with a noisy front plate

1:06:27 Instrumental music picks (Leo Kottke, Nels Cline), Skip's early music influences

1:12:19 Future TAVA interviews plans

1:14:25 "Why we don't replace all vintage electrolytic capacitors" video (link: https://youtu.be/GMNQDoFpYQY)

1:18:00 Robben Ford's Dumble-modified Fender Super Reverbs

1:24:29 Why don't amps have no-speaker protection?

1:31:53 AC568 Bassman amps, Fender grounding plates, sources of hiss, the 500 pF Baffler

1:37:55 Music picks: Erkin Koray's 'Elektronik Turkular' (YouTube link) and Bloodstone's "Natural High" (YouTube link)

1:39:07 Bogen PA heads and Harvey Mandel's fuzz tone

1:43:43 Replacing drop capacitors in Victoria amps

1:49:47 Canada, part one: a Traynor YGL-3, Mark III with no input signal

1:53:14 Canada, part two: Sleeper Canadian amps (Garnet, Traynor, Johnson); check out the Corry Boys

1:57:00 An (almost) free vintage speaker (act fast)

1:58:15 Coffee in a can updates

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

8:00 Cloning vintage knobs (video link, h/t John from Australia!)

9:34 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars, Roberto-Venn

11:01 An open call for our first live caller

13:39 Bartell guitar history (site link) 

14:49 Skip's schedule

16:49 More Solder-gate

17:15 Single-ended, parallel twin power tube amps

21:18 WD-40 to the rescue, again

23:28 Unwanted noise from an Echoplex

32:02 Lower B-plus voltage on a Blackface Fender

37:38 Tweed Princeton with a choke vs a resistor

44:18 Speaker cable vs guitar cable (and a sad bird tale)

53:46 Skip's soup tips

56:43 The story behind the TAVA intro music

57:44 Sal Trentino and a Standel 80L15 schematic

1:05:22 Asking boutique makers for their schematics

1:10:37 Dr. Z's new Jetta amp and the story behind the 7591 power tube

1:15:25 Figuring out what's original in a 1953 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5B3)

1:18:14 How noticeable are bad caps?

1:26:06 A solid state Peavey Firebass 700 that won't stop power cycling

1:29:00 An AmpRX BrownBox for a Brownface Deluxe

1:31:57 Skip's picks: Treme; Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace; Harlan County, USA; The House That Trane Built; the Recordium on YouTube; "Wherever You Go" by Skip Mahoney

1:37:00 Cheap Amazon variacs

1:39:41 Mystery tubes in a 1960 Lafayette tape deck

1:44:16 Putting the 5U4GB back into a 1969 Fender Princeton

1:51:29 Cooling off an amp that runs hot

PS: The reason Jason is preoccupied: https://www.myballard.com/2019/10/07/2-alarm-fire-on-market-st/

It's the 125th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons!

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:

:51 Skip works on a Jim Kelley Amp, built-in attenuators, the magnetic field caused by a Tweed Bassman speaker 

3:30 Skip needs an RCA MI-12155 schematic 

3:56 Making stuff for the Bay Area Guitar Show

6:51 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars.

8:12 Our 2023 Voltic DTF pedal Dad joke winner: Keith F with "Why did Skip have to marry Mrs. Simmons? From the day he solder, he couldn't resistor."

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. Happy holidays, everyone! 

Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises: 

https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Summary: Skip has never had sushi; Earl is not a fan of low-balling; and Fender Bassmans rock

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:50 John Lennon in Sacramento

3:17 A quick story about Earl Yarrow

12:20 Western Electric hi-fi collecting

14:40 Music recommendations: The Originals; Skip Mahoney & the Casuals; Julie London; "On the Alamo"

17:28: This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Mono Cases

18:15 Skip addresses the critics (on grounded cords, replaced caps)

30:02 "Solder," revisited

31:39 Removing the ground hum of two amps running together

34:50 Making an amp out of a sushi platter; recommended needle nose pliers

38:27 6L6s in a Deluxe Reverb 

42:41 Skip on your voicemail

45:20 President Skip?, practicalities of running an attenuator

50:33 Acoustic tube amps, revisited

54:45 A 1968 Princeton non-reverb lacking volume

57:47 Other vintage Gibson amps

1:03:00 The truth about unmodified Gibson Falcons and Silverface Champs

1:09:41 Vox Pacemakers overview

1:12:24 The unique properties of a Fender Bassman

1:15:38 Using pre-amp tube as a power tube

1:19:40 Learning soldering and circuits from simple pedal kits and the little Ruby: http://www.runoffgroove.com/ruby.html

1:24:58 Running a Champ through a Variac versus a Hammond 290AX power transformer

1:27:44 A 1963 Fender Vibrolux with treble hiss

1:35:14 Speakers for a 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket 2 GS-12R

1:39:44 Non-lead solder

1:43:54 Biasing a cathode bias amp

1:49:49 Measuring plate current

1:54:57 The Baffler returns!

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

It's our most veer-filled episode to date, including soup and footwear tips, a trip to Harvard and, yes, even some amp repair advice!

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

3:06 Soup hacks

4:01 An affordable, American-made boot

5:41 Frampton plays B.B. King

9:00 Site specific amp problems

12:37 Recommended Music: Joe Craven & the Sometimers' 'Garcia's Songbook,' Aretha Franklin's 'Aretha's Gold' and Charlie Musselwhite's 'Stand Back'

18:36 Skip goes to Harvard

20:04 Parenting tips

30:06 Today's sponsor: Grez Guitars

32:15 More Larry Norman and props to Jon Linn

33:02 Solder or "sodder"

35:05 Skip's recommended vintage tube supplier and advice on replacing tubes: https://www.ebay.com/usr/dangeruxb

40:22 Putting a solid state rectifier in a tweed-style amp

49:00 Fixing an output transformer in a 1961 Fender Brownface Pro

56:07 Hi-fi tube amps and phono pre-amp basics

1:04:06 A '67 Fender Bassman that was plugged into a DI box

1:09:14 More output transformer talk: Ampeg Reverberocket

1:11:26 A vintage Niviko MA120X Japanese amp

1:19:06 A 1968 Fender Super Reverb with a rattle

1:25:34 The "trimmer" in a '60s Silvertone 1431

1:28:40 Dirty power, an electric fence and an early '60s Gibson Skylark

1:34:33 Changing the head gasket on a Subaru Forester

1:35:25 More on the trimmer on a Silverton 1431

1:38:28 Car talk

1:43:36 A Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a busted volume pot

1:47:52 A clean, high-headroom, low volume steel amp

1:52:15 A Fender Silverface Champ vs Blackface Champ

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:40 Jason brings home a Marshall Mercury

13:40 Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders

17:47 A request for a deeper dive into the Fender Champ schematic

24:34 Skip sells his Fender Tremolux head; an Ampex 960 reel-to-reel for free

27:45 Pat Boone's recording console

30:45 Putting a VU meter in a Champ?

34:10 Truth About Vintage Amps shirts update: Shipped! 

34:34 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars

37:20 More soldering advice

38:42 Scratchy pot tips (spoiler alert: WD-40)

41:43 An '80s Fender Concert

47:08 A Vibroluxe Reverb versus Deluxe Reverb and the sonic difference between 10" and 12" speakers

57:25 Ray Massie's The Vibe amp

59:30 18-watt Marshalls and a listener's clone attempt using a Rauland PA amp platform

1:06:34 A 1955 Tweed Bassman with nearly all-new parts

1:10:32 When to replace drifted resistors

1:12:30 Converting a Fender PA-100 into a guitar amp

1:14:16 How many watts from a 6L6?

1:17:40 The Vingtor amp from Norway (and fixing a tremolo)

1:23:53 More Champ kit tips (wiring tube sockets)

1:25:22 A proposed Skip certification program

1:26:52 Coffee advice (Amazon link for the lazy)

1:29:40 Soap advice (Amazon link for the lazy)

1:31:50 Getting a 1965 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue rewired by Alessandro

1:37:45 Bad solder joints and troubleshooting a DIY 5F1 that stopped behaving

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:57 Skip's A/B box update
2:50 Skip's music picks: Curtis Mayfield!, Larry Norman!, Stryper!
10:11 Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer, "Redemption Song"
12:00 TAVA shirt updates
12:22 Skip's amp packing recommendations
14:05 Jason asks all the dumb Champ build questions you're scared to ask
32:33 A higher-powered single-ended amp recommendation (a contemporary Supro Comet)
39:36 The 18-watt WEM Dominator V and a plug for David Minter's Marshall and UK Made Pre Owned Amplifiers Facebook group
45:22 The amps built inside Fender Rhodes
48:12 "Blackfacing" a 1975 Fender Bassman
51:03 A unique 5F1 build and a question about speakers with whizzer cones
58:59 A Model 21 National-Dobro-made amp-in-case
1:02:54 Cloning the DeArmond R5 amp
1:08:52 Oddball European tube amps
1:11:34 The pros and cons of FX loops
1:17:38 The sonic differences between octal and 9-pin pre-amp tubes
1:25:03 Does a 2x12 speaker need a baffle
1:29:48 Uncle Doug videos
1:31:17 Harmonic tremolo
1:34:48 The rare Fender Vibroverb
1:46:20 A terminal board rattle

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:50 Jason starts his Stew-Mac Tweed Champ kit, Skip offers soldering tips
9:33 Skip offers some new surplus aluminum amp chassis
11:05 An A/B box update
13:50 Skip's latest projects: A Blackface Fender Bassman and a Blackface Bandmaster
15:52 An eBay score: A bargain Park-branded Marshall JTM45
20:16 TAVA t-shirt updates
22:25 Sponsors: Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery & Grez Guitars
24:30 Any female amp techs out there? (Shoutout to @fazioelectric!)
31:20 Finding an amp's EQ sweet spot via hearing the greatest amount of change on the knobs
41:30 Higher-wattage single-ended amps
48:30 A 1960 Epiphone Pacemaker that breaks up too soon
54:15 What type of wire(s) for a vintage-style Fender clone?
1:01:00 The next steps after building a Champ
1:10:05 The horrible distortion on an Ampeg V4
1:16:20 Damage from powering a tube amp without a speaker
1:21:28 Two amp reverb from vintage Gibson, Gretsch and Supro amps
1:28:24 Fender combo speaker output 101
1:35:47 Skip's cheap speaker cabinet tips
1:42:24 Noisy filament wire in Filmosound conversions
1:47:48 Oldies.com
1:50:19 Digging deeper into the Champ schematic

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Want to support the show? It's last call to reserve your very own Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirt. Pick from one of three styles! Please order before July 31, 2019 to reserve yours!

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:40 New goats!
5:34 The search for good amp repair people (introduce yourself!)
8:10 Music pick of the week: Thee Lakesiders
9:00 New sponsor: the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
10:15 Cooking on amps: Hot dogs and Leslie West's meatball subs: https://youtu.be/NkMExWjs8k4 (thanks, Greg!)
12:37 An answer to last week's Baffler
13:44 Digging deeper into the Fender 5E1 Champ schematic
17:07 Skip's stir fry recipe
23:27 A listener searches for a vintage tube amp book (Update: it can be found online for free, here!)
28:03 New shirt ideas, working on tube AM radios
35:32 Quieting the ticking tremolo of a Silverface Fender Deluxe Reverb
44:20 Evaluating a 1966 Epiphone Pacemaker and a National Studio 10
50:13 The tonal and volume difference between 10 and 12-inch speakers
53:20 A 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket GS-12R transformed by a replacement vintage Alnico speaker
56:20 Low-watt alternatives for a Marshall lover
1:01:51 The "thing" that Fender Bandmasters do
1:08 Pros/cons of pulling the V1 tube on two-channel Blackface amps
1:12:08 A '65 Pro Reverb with a splashing reverb noise
1:17:08 Joshua Yenne's Falcon shootout: https://youtu.be/I16kPtGSAFw
1:17:46 A listener avoids a bad amp trade thanks to Skip
1:24:50 Skip's take on a kit 5E3/5E5 Proluxe  
1:28:35 A sag resistor to make a Fender Pro Jr. sound squishier
1:31:32 Another music pick: Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFF1wJN75Z0

Special thanks to the presenting sponsors of the Fretboard Journal: Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Want to support the show? We now have Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirts available for pre-order.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Grez Guitars, Martin, Gibson and Carter Vintage.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:18 We have Truth About Vintage T-shirts (support the show)
5:33 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars, Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage
6:29 The Epiphone version of a Gibson Falcon
9:00 More cooking tips with Skip
12:12 Skip can't find his schematic
12:30 Thrifty Leo
14:12 More music tips: Bix Beiderbecke, Ned Boynton
18:00 Skip's looking for someone to recone field coil speakers
19:35 Skip talks about his Champ mods, once more
24:45 The final Baffler  
28:06 Correction re: Guitar Center's return policy
29:28 A listener with an interesting way to use an electric amp with an acoustic guitar
33:27 The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound
37:12 Skip's test guitar and cheap British amp recommendations
43:00 Skip's test cabinet 
45:15 A 1968 Fender Pro Reverb with a delayed vibrato
47:32 What's a tone stack?
51:15 Pinpointing the buzz on a Silverface Fender Princeton
54:35 Class A, Class A/B and single-ended power tube arrangements  
59:17 Tips on looking at vintage Gibson amps
1:02:48 A listener fixes his own Gibson Discoverer Tremolo
1:08:00 The triode mode used on high-powered amps
1:14:01 A brief chat about Dumble
1:18:44 A mid-60s Epiphone Galaxy that's won't turn off
1:20:23 Salvaging parts from a heavily modified Blackface Fender Bassman
1:24:30 Discussing changes on an early 1969 Fender Twin Reverb
1:29:50 Making homebrew amps sound less civil  
1:33:11 Making a late '50s Sylvania powered speaker amp work better as a guitar amp
1:42:12 Modding PA heads to work for guitars 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Mono Cases and Grez Guitars.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

3:27 Skip's roll call of A/B box pre-orders
5:11 We discuss episode 12's Baffler, the 3 Channel Psychedelic Control Center
9:10 This episode's Baffler
11:44 An unlikely backup amp suggestion
14:30 This episode's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Mono Cases and TAVA t-shirts
17:00 Little Charlie's recipe for Spanish rice (yes, our first recipe)
18:22 More parenting tips
19:11 A preview of our next amp schematic 101
22:34 More Champ mod talk: One difference between Blackface and Silverface Fender Champs, the Hammond 290AX transformer
27:38 Gain stage basics: What makes an amp distort? 
32:14 Bringing a Blackface Fender Tremolux with a solid state rectifier back to stock
37:21 A '60s Kay "Vanguard" 704
43:54 An amp motherlode in Lodi, California
45:35 A Princeton Reverb with a pilot light that is too bright
48:43 A Gibson GA-20 RVT found in a trash bin
54:28 Channel jumping and a vintage Airline Model 62-9013A
1:01:48 The pop you hear turning off your amp
1:07:03 A speaker dilemma on a 1962 Brownface Deluxe
1:09:28 Converting a PA head to a tube mic pre-amp
1:14:20 Turning an old tube radio into a guitar amp
1:18:18 Norwegian blues and Helge Tallqvist
1:19:11 This week's recommended music
1:20:49 High-powered tube amps and the Hiwatt 400 bass amp
1:25:32 Using a light bulb limiter instead of a variac
1:27:34 Speaker replacement on a Gibson GA-40
1:31:50 A tribute guitar repairman Glen Quan, inventor of the Badass bridge 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Mono Cases and Grez Guitars.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

2:05 Skip works on a barn-find 1960 Fender Tweed Bassman

6:10 Parenting tips – get a riding lawn mower

7:50 Jason confesses to Skip that he got a Stew-Mac Champ kit; DIY amp tips

12:33 Skip's music picks

16:05 Building a tube stereo amp (Dynaco Stereo 70, for music playback) versus a guitar amp

19:39 A synth repairman gets a contact high thanks to LSD residue

20:33 Disgusting things found in old amplifiers

21:16 Last week's Baffler (a noisy Princeton Reverb, listen to episode 11) responses and answer

27:37 This week's Baffler (view the image on our new Instagram page): What is the thing used for?

28:45 A listener in a hurry fixes his Les Paul thanks to Skip's tube amp advice

30:34 Preserving (sloppy) originality on a CBS-era Fender or making it better than original

35:13 A non-reverb Silverface Fender Princeton with a weak vibrato

40:48 A reissue '63 Fender Vibroverb that needs more clean headroom

45:42 How do amp circuits get named?

47:40 Cleaning vintage pots

49:49: An '80s Tusc amp with EQ

51:06 What to do with a '70s Silverface Champ with no maintenance history

54:14 A '66 Ampeg Reverberocket with an unusual distortion sound

1:01:18 A '69 Fender Bassman with both fixed and cathode bias

1:05:20 Rebuilding an amp found in a Hammond M-3 organ and melted wax on power transformers

1:07:52 A glimpse at the Fender Musicmaster Bass amps

1:11:40 Differences between an amp schematic and layout

1:13:24 A bargain Ampeg cabinet with four Altec 417 speakers

1:15:28 Sleeper pedal steel amp recommendations

1:17:00 An '80s Mesa Boogie SOB amp with a red-plating 6L6BC tube

1:20:01 Alternatives to the 6C10 tube on a '82 Fender Super Champ

1:22:40 Negative feedback: What is it? Adjusting it.

1:29:21 A 1963 Gibson Discoverer Tremolo (GA-8T) amp with too much treble

1:32:01 Skip's brief tutorial on speaker efficiency

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. This is our eleventh (and possibly most philosophical) episode to date.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

4:00 The Fretboard Journal silverface Fender Champ mods (it's awesome, btw)

13:17 Skip's four amp switcher / mixer / pre-amp

19:48 Looking at the Fender 5F1 Champ schematic, part two

31:37 This podcast now has an Instagram page  

32:30 The problem with Skip's Ep. 10 Baffler (on Fender tremolo circuits)

34:00 This week's Baffler: A recently-serviced Fender Princeton Reverb with noisy pots

37:08 The smell of vintage tube amps

40:42 Gibson Falcon mods

45:00 Skip's preferred NOS tubes

51:02 Loose tubes on a Gibson GA-6 Lancer

56:38 Thoughts on vintage Magnatones and the Magnatone pitch-shifting vibrato

1:02:36 A listener with a rare Hohner Contessa CA-300 amp asks for tips on keeping terminal strip/point-to-point wiring repair tidy

1:09:44 Why the 5E3 tweed Fender Deluxe is so loud, even with the volume turned down… plus the perils of replacing vintage pots

1:13:06 More Snufferstick talk and a Fender 6G15 reverb tank that hates high humidity

1:16:38 Tips on finding a good amp tech

1:26:45 A battery-powered(!) Gretsch Safari owned by a member of the Blue Man Group

1:29:15 Finding tube amp treasures through Ham radio enthusiasts

1:33:54 Sleuthing on the origin of a Venice-branded amplifier

1:36:06 A repaired 1966 Ampeg Reverberocket 2 with some quirks

1:43:18 A hissing 1967 Fender Vibrolux Reverb and a great Danny Gatton tale

Plus: Travis Wammack's "Scratchy;" a cardiologist chimes in; Skip's disappointing beer of choice; why you should befriend your dentist; the novels of Patrick O'Brien and much more.

This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars and Mono Cases.

It's the 124th installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons: Conductive paints, speaker impedance mismatches, pizza hacks and lots of dad jokes!

Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, Stringjoy Strings, and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:57 Skip works on a Jim Kelley Amp

6:30 Rancho Gordo beans, redux

7:49 Converting a SF Champ to the Princeton schematic and recommended plate voltages; Skip makes a tweed Harvard out of a Champ; pilot light washers from Daniel Petrzelka (Instagram: @dpetrzelka)

13:39 The 1970s Whole Earth Catalogs are now online (link)

15:21 What makes a great A/B box?

17:24 A '55 Tweed Bassman with a replaced output transformer and 7025s; Skip finishes the Tweed Deluxe overhaul

25:41 Impedance mismatches in 1950s Fender amps, using the external speaker output

31:26 Did David Lindley play on the Rockford Files theme song? Toots Thielemans

33:43 Eminence, Kentucky and Colonel Sanders

35:07 Can anything other than tubes be microphonic; the one-wire mod to have the reverb and tremolo on both channels on a Fender

37:12 Fuse-eating rectifier tubes on a Victoria Bandmaster clone; 5U4 vs GZ34 tubes

39:38 Converting a '50s Philco record player console for guitar use; Commander Cody; the Louvin Brothers' 'Satan Is Real'

43:26 Bringing up an old amp on a Variac 

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

Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises: 

https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

:22 Skip and Jason discuss possible Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirt designs (coming soon) 

2:55 Jason and Skip discuss the Fretboard Journal (modified) Fender  Champ

4:26 How to install a quarter-inch output into a Champ with an RCA speaker connector

6:02 Recommended solder

8:00 Our first sponsor - Grez Guitars! https://www.grezguitars.com

10:26 Our new Instagram page! https://www.instagram.com/vintageampspodcast/

10:54 This week's Baffler

12:08 A walk-through of the Fender Champ 5F1 schematic (available online, print it out)

21:10 Wall power fluctuations

26:38 Recommended tube amps for acoustic guitars

33:05 Father's Day and the Tweed Deluxe 

36:05 BB King's Gibson Lab Series (solid state) amp

38:26 A yard-sale find pre-war Rickenbaker amp and a dim bulb current limiter

41:14 Stew-Mac's Snufferstick, Part One

44:00 Leaning a tube amp on its stand - good or bad? 

46:30 A noisy Fender silverface Princeton

49:26 Boutique amps 

51:54 Recommended new components 

55:22 Snufferstick, Part Two

59:40 Capturing that Champ distortion with a louder amp (and a shoutout to Tim Foster)

1:03:26 Manitoba's Johnson Sound System amplifiers

1:06:30 Replacing old can power capacitors cleanly

1:15:15 Recommended bigger speakers / impedance for a Fender Champ

1:18:38 Converting an old Hammond AO-39 organ reverb amp to a guitar amp

1:27:15 A 1957 Fender 5F4 Super amp with an original selenium bias rectifier 

1:35:13 Skip's record picks of the week

1:38:22 Best position for the three-way ground switch on a Fender

1:40:00 Skip has to return a weed eater 

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com. 

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don't forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Skip takes care of a baby goat
-Who was Ray Massie (the answer to this week's baffler)
-A Clavioline needs TLC
-Identifying a tube when you have no schematic
-The affect a speaker size has on even the smallest amps
-The Garnet Herzog mod
-The different tremolo circuit between a Blackface Deluxe Reverb and a Blackface Princeton Reverb 
-Tube amp touring advice (including the often-asked, 'Which way do I lie my amp down in the van' question)
-Baffle board construction
-RAW switches
-Radio noise in a Fender reverb unit
-Removing tube covers 
-A funky Gregory Mark XX
-Skip offers a music recommendation

and much more…

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don't forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Skip replies to a critic of his WD-40 hack
-Jason's Gibson EH-150 amp needs help 
-An answer to last week's Champ baffler
-Speaker re-coning recommendations 
-A buggy reissue Gibson GA-20 prototype
-Recommendations for a baritone guitar player 
-Protecting an amp from the elements in damp Southeast Texas
-Running a Traynor head on only one power tube
-Can you break an amp through loud playing/boost/effects? 
-Making a reissue Blackface Deluxe Reverb sound vintage
-How to buy pre-amp tubes online
-Alternative chasis materials
-Fitting bigger speakers in a Champ cab
-Capturing the sound of Billy Childish (again)
-A '60s Gibson Skylark with numerous issues

and much more…

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don't forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and answers your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Dick Dale and the Fender Showman amp
-The differences between Fender Tweed, Brownface, Blackface and Silverface amps
-Noise floor: What's acceptable, what indicates an amp problem
-Broken tube pins
-Using amps in stereo (safely)
-Toroidal power transformers
-The "bright cap mod" on a Fender Deluxe Reverb
-Skip's mods to the Silverface Champ circuit
-Building your own kit amp
-Achieving the sound of Billy Childish without a Selmer Triumph Reverb
-Replacement bass amp speakers

and much more…

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don't forget to share it with friends.

Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Modding a Silverface Fender Champ
-Speaker wiring harnesses
-Keeping seldom-used guitar amps in usable shape
-Groundbreaking amplifiers throughout history
-The standby switch (again!)
-Craigslist shopping tips
-Replacement fuses
-A 1948 Gibson BR6 with an unusual chasis mount
-The explosive proliferation of pedals
-Wet/dry rigs and recommendations for an A/B box
-Tips on buying NOS vacuum tubes
-Discovering a Coastwise Electronics Model 310 amplifier
-Replacement tubes for a hand-wired Vox AC30
-Buying a transformer for a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe amp kit

and much more…

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes and don't forget to share it with friends.

Submit your guitar amp questions to amp repair guru Skip Simmons here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Twice a month, guitar amp repairman and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

-Spring Reverb, 101: How does it work, how to fix it
-Grounding tips 
-Skip's recommended multimeters and soldering irons
-Using vintage US-made amps overseas 
-Making a 1968 Fender Super Reverb a little less loud 
-Breaking in a new speaker
-Gigging with a '58 Fender Vibrolux
-Octal tubes
-Skip's thoughts on DIY amp kits

and much more... 

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip Simmons here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com or by leaving us a voicemail at 509-557-0848. The more questions we get, the more episodes we record. 

Twice a month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Topics discussed on this episode:

-Different aftermarket speaker options for a Fender Champ
-The dangers of working on vintage amplifiers
-What to look for when shopping for a vintage guitar amp
-A perplexing 2000-era Gibson amplifier
-Output transformers in a Silverton 1481
-Carbon comp resistors versus metal film
-The value of an DIY amp kit
-Using a Knight (or Bogen) vocal PA head as a guitar amp

And much more.

Want to advertise your brand on the TAVA podcast? Drop us a line at jason@fretboardjournal.com.

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Submit your questions for vintage amp repair expert Skip Simmons here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com

Twice a month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, repair and maintenance. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde. 

Topics discussed on this episode:

-The death of guitar shows
-The Truth About Vintage Amps rant on Skip's website
-Why you may not need a three-prong plug on your amp
-The "death cap" and the magic behind certain capacitors
-Non-MASCO P/A heads as guitar amps
-Inheriting and maintaining a '65 Super Reverb
-Amp biasing
-Learning how to read a schematic 

and much more. 

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The Fretboard Journal magazine presents The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons. 

Submit your questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com 

Every month, guitar amp guru and former drawbridge operator Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Topics discussed on this episode:
-The long-term storage of tube amps
-The magic behind Standel amps
-Calculating the exact wattage of an amp
-Good goos (and how to fix a torn speaker)
-Paul Rivera-era Fenders
-The Kalamazoo Model 2
-The modern tube marketplace
-Simple tube amp maintenance anyone can do
-The limits of safely mismatching speakers to a stated amp load 

and much more…

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The Fretboard Journal magazine presents The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons!

Submit your questions to Skip here: fretboardjournal@gmail.com 

Every month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons shares stories and fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Topics discussed on this episode:
-Repairing amps on a drawbridge
-60hz/50hz hum
-Troubleshooting amps
-Yellowjacket YJR/solid-state rectifiers in a tube amp
-Recommended new vacuum tubes for amps
-The magic behind Alexander Dumble
-Skip's influences (Les Paul, Jack Darr, Steve Melkisethian/ Angela Instruments, Earl Yarrow)

and much more…

http://www.skipsimmonsamps.com

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Today, we celebrate the millionth download of our podcast with one of our favorite conversations to date: Longtime TAVA contributor Larry Chung joins Skip and Jason to talk about the zen and art of early tube amp restoration and so much more.

We also tackle a bunch of questions from our listeners about PAs, field coil speakers, guitar amp finds, and other surprises. Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:43 Thanks to you all, our Truth About Vintage Amps just hit a million downloads!

2:21 Our millionth download giveaway: Voltic Electronic Devices DTF fuzz (Instagram). Enter by November 1, 2023!

4:17 Special guest Larry Chung: Getting electrocuted on his first amp repair; Skip's OG appearance on Fretboard Journal Podcast #224 (link); a love for '30s and '40s PAs and amplifiers; the intrinsic joy of working on amplifiers; 'How to Repair Small Appliances' by Jack Darr; 6N6/6B5 tubes

29:43 Radio's Master and the hidden value of old catalogs

33:12 Why was the dark art of speaker reconing never documented?

35:20 Larry's unique approach to components when it comes to antique amplifiers; not rushing amp restorations

40:54 A not-so-stock blonde Tremolux; a White amplifier found at the dump; Soursound transformers (link) 

48:08 The tone circuit in Gibson EH-150s with the high/low settings, collecting amps as a reference library

51:03 The sound of a field coil speaker vs. a standard speaker with the same amp

53:17 Do field coil speakers need maintenance beyond the actual speaker? the upper response of field coil speakers

57:58 Field coil into ground amplifiers

59:07 A Skip-serviced Masco Audiosphere 10 for sale in Amsterdam

1:00:15 How to dry out an amp that's been soaked by a storm; Kenny Vaughan's "Mysterium" (YouTube)

1:04:23 A Precision Electronics PE-25 PA head that sounds terrible

1:15:04 What is this Marshall 100-watt head?

1:19:17 Do I need to replace all the resistors on my 1940s Masco MA-25; SF's Kilowatt Bar (link) 

1:24:45 Baking butternut squash as per the 'Joy of Cooking'

1:25:54 The magic of vintage pots, Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series; the Bros. Landreth 'Let It Lie'

1:32:31 Adam Levy's 'Spry' (link)

1:35:28 Troubleshooting a Masco MA-25/ME-27 with a loud hiss

1:44:13 Larry's book recommendation: Norman Maclean's 'Young Men and Fire' (Amazon link)

Recorded October 9, 2023. 

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

Love the show? We have a Patreon where you can support it and get exclusive bonus content and surprises: 

https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Once a month, amp repair guru Skip Simmons and Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde will field your questions about vintage guitar amps. Whether you're looking for your next purchase or just want to get your old tweed Fender Deluxe working again, this show is for you. 

To submit a question, just email us at fretboardjournal@gmail.com. 

Our first episode debuts in early December 2018. 

** Note to the Amp Purists: There is virtually NO amp talk on this episode. If that's what you're seeking, stay tuned for TAVA episode 123, out tomorrow, where we'll have two hours of deep amp knowledge with special guest Larry Chung. Everyone else: Enjoy a very special TAVA featuring Skip's son, Will!**

What's it like to have amp tech Skip Simmons as your dad? We find out on the 122nd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps featuring special guest Will Simmons!

Will shares tales of growing up alongside a bunch of amps; Skip's parenting style; Will's love for art; and his his current work as an art critic. Also discussed: Drawbridge tales; photographer Laurie Simmons (Wikipedia link); Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture (Wikipedia link); Wynton Marsalis' "Blood on the Fields" (YouTube link); Brice Martin; Lo Moon (link); "Are You Awake?" by Lauren Mayberry (YouTube link); Wood Belly (link); Dean & Britta; Lady Gaga vs. Lana Del Rey; and so much more.

All-told, it's a very sweet father & son (& podcast cohost) chat. Plus: Jason learns about diet pills!

Amp related topics:

1:19:27 Soursound transformers

1:20:09 Are there any classic Fender amps that Skip hates?

1:21:51 Congratulations, John Vanderslice!

1:22:34 MTI Tubes effects unit, redux

Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.

Recorded October 6, 2023.

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

It's the 121st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp. 

This week: Special guest Jim Kelley joins us (around the 28-minute mark)!

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! 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: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Some of the topics discussed in this episode: 

5:31 What's on Skip's bench: A Bogen mixer from the 1940s

6:35 What to do with a vintage MTI Tubes overdrive preamp stompbox

10:02 What's the deal with Fender Ultra Linear amps?

14:33 Australia's National Vintage Guitar Show (link, October 7-9, 2023); the Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show in January (link; Skip will be there!)

17:26 Repurposing old power transformers

22:16 Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein; Russell Malone; Adam Levy; RIP Sammy Ash

23:17 A "brown" Deluxe that needed repair from San Quentin State Prison! 

25:56 What to do with a 1973 Fender Princeton Reverb ground switch?

28:39 Special guest: Jim Kelley! 4x6V6s, plate voltages, Fortune Amps, Line, using a great reference speaker; Dumble; the Kelley prototype head at Emerald City Guitars; Jim's preferred parts; Vince Gill

1:26:00 Tubes for a Marathon amp clone

1:27:50 Building a point-to-point wired amp inside of a PCB Vox AC15VR chassis

Our sponsors are Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.

Recorded September 20, 2023. 

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