The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons – Details, episodes & analysis

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: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts 

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' (Amazon link)

46:17 The Magnatone Triplex; ultralinear output stages, redux; Bob Wills' The Tiffany Transcriptions

47:35 Raising kids and running a small business; tractor rollovers

51:13 A cooking baffler: Potatoes cooked in resin

52:30 Will my Airline 9003 amp kill me?

55:11 Traynor YGL-3A amps

56:43 Is it possible for a fuse to blow when the amp is fine? Best-case scenarios for a speaker mismatch? Jerry Portnoy's autobiography, 'Dancing with Muddy' (Amazon link)

1:03:02 Movie recommendations: Come See Me in the Good Light; The Lost Bus

1:05:28 The greatest Thanksgiving side dish of all-time? A corn-bread concoction; the 2026 Fretboard Summit (www.fretboardsummit.org); the TAVA Cookbook (Dropbox link)

1:07:37 Good goo: Oxalic acid/wood bleach (Amazon link); Permalac sealer

1:10:43 Using a 6SL7 as a long tail pair

1:13:03 Amps made with 6N2P pre-amp tubes and 6N6P power tubes? Ashen amps

1:15:16 The resurrection of Australia's GoldenTone amps? https://goldentone.com.au/

1:18:39 What should I do with this West Mini IR combo amp?

1:23:37 Hopefulness and despair with a reissue Twin Reverb and a Silverface Champ

1:31:06 What should I do with my Wilcox Gay Recordio recorder

1:38:31 A Califone SP-30 powered speaker; chili 

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.  

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 (link); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal?

5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton's 'The North Beach Sound;' The No-Mads (nomadsband.com)

7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (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 A listener baffler, answered (speaker re-coning); Vintage 47 amps (link)

26:18 Skip's ep. 154 baffler, answered: What does Skip do when he's modding the second input of a Fender Champ? Supro Spectators

32:51 New Accutronics reverb tanks by Revisit (link)  

34:52 What's the low input doing in a Marshall JCM800; green chile on everything

39:20 Lowering the B+ on a 1971 Fender Bassman 10 project; ultralinear transformers; cactus salad

48:43 The long-awaited dog story

51:35 Colin Hay's "Overkill" with Choir! Choir! Choir! (YouTube link); Traynor amps

54:52 Should I treat the pitting on a Soundmaster 600 PA?

1:00:17 Lab Series amps

1:03:39 Smoke-damaged MusicMan HD-130  

1:09:20 The dangers of old tractors (and drawbridges)

1:15:34 Modifying the power section of a Twin Reverb for lower volume playing; fixing a Filmosound 385 with hum; Evan Crafts (Instagram)

1:21:26 TAVA listener spotlight: Children's book author Matt James! (Order his new book, The One About the Blackbird (Amazon link)

1:23:56 How to raise kids and run a small business; Mae Ploy curry paste 

1:31:16 Barn finds: Spring-loaded input jacks; a 1947 Fender Princeton amp and matching lap steel 

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.  

Episode 146 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Troubled drummers, bulk Gatorade, more typewriter and Rockford Files talk, and a bunch of amp questions. Reminder: Amplified Parts now has amp kits!

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: 

:43 The Ampeg book (Amazon link), George Barnes and 'Guitars Galore'

3:43 A 1982 black panel Fender Champ

4:43 A Super Reverb that sounds like a dying motorcycle

6:09 Jason goes to Peru, vicuñas, alpacas  

10:23 Some TAVA announcements: Sam Plecker has a new album ('So True'); congrats to John Vanderslice; RIP to Michael Hurley; thanks to Tin Can Valley Letterpress printing (link)

14:37 Ep. 150 idea: Skip's amp guru on the podcast?; servicing a hybrid Standel

18:24 Our sponsors: Save $20 off Amplified Parts' new MOD vintage amp kits with the discount code TAVA20! (expires April 30, 2025); Grez Guitars; and Emerald City Guitars 

25:40 Recommended pedal: The Catalinbread Topanga reverb pedal (note: Skip said "Tropicana," but it's the Topanga)

27:45 Replies to last week's Rockford Files Baffler; Jim Gordon, 'Drums & Demons' (Amazon link); Hal Blaine's 'Buh-doom!' comedy album (it's on Spotify) and other Hollywood gossip; more Rockford Files (and letterpress!)

35:46 Accidentally injecting positive feedback into a Precision single-ended amp; tools for measuring plate current

40:23 Cleaning motor oil off of tubes and a vintage microphone; Gatorade and Tang; running a Traynor off of a gas generator

47:37 A smoking 1980s Fender Super Champ and fried resistors

52:51 A 6-watt Princeton Reverb / Vibro-Champ clone in a custom beetle-kill pine tree cabinet

59:02 An amp cabinet with sympathetic strings (Reverb link), explained! Vulture Amplification video one and two; Treehaus field coil speakers (link)

1:05:08 Hooking something up: Experimenting with a speaker outside of a cabinet 

1:06:29 Servicing an all-original Vibrolux Reverb to sell 

1:09:58 Giving the gift of an El Pato Tone practice amp (order yours here); Typewriter Revolution; typewriter ribbons from Baco Ribbon & Supply Co.

1:18:52 Reverse audio taper potentiometers

1:22:37 Come get a free SVT speaker

1:23:13 Sacramento's Delta Breeze record store, redux; not all capacitors are created equal; always use a test speaker; Amplified Parts' Hammond enclosure for short reverb tanks

1:27:22 Recommended reading: Hampton Sides' 'The Wide Wide Sea' (Amazon link) 

1:28:51 Homework: Check out the Maestro GA-2RT schematic

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. 

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Want to support the show? Be a part of our Patreon page.

2:15 Baffler Corner: The power tubes on a transitional 1963 Fender Showman head; enchiladas without breaking tortillas; last week's noisy Marshall
9:22 What's on Skip's Bench: A Gibsonette
14:35 The entire 1996 Angela Catalog, now available as a download! (link here, proceeds go directly to Steve Melkisethian)
17:29 Reversing the tube pin order in a Princeton 5F2A
19:53 Removing paint from Tolex
21:45 Recommended reading: 'Antique Radio Restoration Guide'; shimming a speaker with a rubbing dust cap
25:00 Watkins Dominators, using a Variac in front of a step-up transformer
30:41 Plate voltages on a Deluxe Reverb AB763
32:24 Modulus Music's free 5E3 cabinet plans; Skip's tomato sauce; Fender Harvards
38:55 A/B box updates; HAB hot sauce
41:06 Lectrolab S600s
43:42 Modding the first channel of a silverface Fender Super Reverb
46:43 Changing the cap value on a 5F2A tone control
48:38 Wall voltage variabilities and using a Variac
54:55 Song recommendation: "Call Me" by Aretha Franklin
55:48 Enchilada talk, fast pumpkin Thai curry soup
1:01:03 Are forums useful?

Have a topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:
2:05 Skip checks out a Paul Bigsby-built tenor guitar, free stuff sent to your favorite podcast hosts
14:06 Revisiting Grez Guitars' pickle jar hack
15:13 Grounding 101
22:27 Antique Electronics Supply/Amplified Parts' Tolex sample packs
26:13 Advice on Ampeg M-12 / Mercury amps
29:16 Drawing a schematic from scratch
33:30 "Two Words:" A vintage Marshall baffler
35:34 Mis-drawn schematics revisited: The UREI 1176 Compressor
39:10 A 1960s Honda 305 Scrambler project
42:42 6L6G tubes in a 5E6 Fender Bassman?
47:29 RIP: Classic Tone transformers
48:32 Adding an isolation transformer to a Harmony H400A 
52:44 Meatloaf on a grill
56:23 Cleaning grill cloth or Tolex 
59:07 Stokes and Paul C mods on a Fender Princeton 
1:03:29 Converting a Masco MA-50 and MA-17; Skip has a Gibson Falcon for sale
1:08:28 Guitarists versus harmonica players 
1:09:12 Functional differences between spade connectors and soldering for speaker leads? 
1:13:36 Turning a Conn ST-6 strobe turner into an amp... or something
1:18:02 Keeping corn tortillas intact while rolling enchiladas

Recorded November 2, 2020. 

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

And be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.

Once again, guitar amp tech Skip Simmons is fielding your questions on all things tube amp.

This week's sponsors: Amplified Parts (use the discount code TAVA10 when you check out to save 10% off your order!) and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

6:50 The Truth About Vintage Amps Patreon Page: New contributions from Jesse at Acme Instruments
10:00 Trusting a repair tech and what to do with old, removed parts 
12:40 A driver for a horn speaker; dogs chasing golf balls, Specimen Audio
19:10 Ceramic fast-acting versus glass fuses  
25:56 Putting two single-ended output transformers in series to make a larger single-ended output transformer
36:56 Solid state watts versus tube watts 
39:07 A Garnet G15T Gnome with a 6V6 that fluctuates in time; the Garnet Herzog 
42:56 Fender Super Reverb tremolo disconnect mods 
48:09 Employing a Cetron CE-25C photocell tube to make a Theremin (or something like it)
51:40 More bean talk: Teasdale beans; Instant Pot revisited
56:57 Using two lower-value pre-amp plate load resistors in series 
58:53 Pete Millett's online tube book reference library (link)
1:04:34 Skip's book picks: Patrick O'Brian, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke, Martin Cruz Smith 
1:09:43 Gary Gulman's "The Hierarchy of Cookies" (link)
1:10:13 Getting a Gibson "Charlie Christian" EH-150 amp serviced properly; Orange Drop caps 
1:21:30 "Sodder" versus "solder," yet again

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

And be sure to check out the ever-growing Big Index of Truth About Vintage Amp topics to see if your amp questions have already been covered.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

4:12 A new Tony's: Pappa Earle's (link)
6:03 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts
7:43 Eddie Van Halen (link to Zocala Public Square video mentioned)
14:45 The answer to Ep. 53's Baffler
18:30 A cabinet conundrum
20:23 Another Baffler!
21:36 Cleaning chrome Gibson faceplates, Metal Rescue
24:00 A Vibroverb reissue with ringing reverb... fixed
27:42 Restoring amps that have been underwater
34:17 The harmonic tremolo and pre-amp tubes in a brownface 1960 Fender Super
40:47 Hammond organ amp conversions
45:21 Taming a Super Reverb clone; Instant Pots
40:49 Skip's traveling coffee rig
51:15 Mat's Skip-inspired iPhone to guitar amp interface
57:08 Getting analog warmth into a digital recording chain
1:00:11 Brian's protein-packed smoothie; Rasta Kevin; homemade tomato sauce; Burning Spear
1:03:35 Supro tube tremolo
1:08:13 "Sodder" versus "solder," the final word

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts. Use the discount code

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world.

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

1:11 A new TAVA Baffler
4:41 An Angela Super Single Ended amp group build?
10:28 Mrs. Simmons' favorite amp?
13:16 Identifying the work of Fender's Lily, Lupe, Eileen, etc.
14:43 Strategies when you discover an amp with few original parts
19:50 Saving amps with fire/smoke damage
26:07 Driving larger power tubes 101
29:14 That tube amp fizz / hiss
34:25 Why smacking the top of your amp sometimes fixes it, microphonic tubes
39:22 Vintage Guild amplifiers and homemade taco seasoning
49:18 Why did 1955 tweed Deluxe shock me?
54:27 Sticking new caps inside of an old capacitor
57:59 New USA-made tubes, revisited
1:04:27 Cleaning the lead wires on old parts
1:07:07 Numb mouth after eating El Pato
1:07:50 Adding the tone control of a Magnatone 213 to a Magnatone M2 Custom
1:10:39 Selenium rectifiers going bad
1:13:49 Al Di Miola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia 'Friday Night in San Francisco 1980'
1:14:14 Sleeper amps that need a boost or overdrive pedal to shine, Harmony H415
1:16:58 Zep Smoke Odor Eliminator Pro
1:18:22 Using a 6 volt rectifier in place of a 5 volt
1:24:06 Converting the power tube bias modulating tremolo on a Princeton to the pre-amp tube bias modulation of a Vibro Champ; recommended dining: Shan Dong in Oakland, Calif.

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts (who happen to have Jack Darr's 'Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook' in-stock now), with special audio help from Izotope. Use the discount code RUIN10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world, except this time we're joined by special guest, Jef Brown!

Some of the topics discussed on this episode:

8:54 'Practical Amplifier Diagrams' (1947)
17:02 The grounds on an all-original 1962 Fender Tweed Champ
22:34 Power section filtering
26:30 Special Guest: Jef Brown! (Jef's band, Jef's amp blog)
1:13:32 A Gibson GA-25 RVT Hawk that smells
1:19:23 Bass-ifying a single-ended amp build
1:23:00 A Silverface Princeton Reverb missing its foot switch
1:25:15 El Paso fajita seasoning
1:26:04 Turning your amps on-and-off during the workday

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Email or send us a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts (who happen to have Jack Darr's 'Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook' in-stock now), with special audio help from Izotope. Use the discount code RUIN10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.

Support the Truth About Vintage Amps through our brand new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

Once again, Skip Simmons is fielding guitar amp questions from around the world. 

Some of the topics discussed on this episode: 

4:35 Soundmaster PAs, revisited

16:20 Turret boards versus freestyle wiring

21:24 Adjectives for the tones of tweed-era Deluxe and 4x12" Bassman

27:37 Matching a 16 ohm speaker to a 4 ohm amp output with a transformer

31:20 A schematic, but no layout

33:33 Power tubes in series (Milkman amps)

35:54 A Gibson GA-15 that rattles its tubes out

40:54 Silvertone 101

45:50 Advice on a 1966 Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve: Watts, speakers, tips

52:26 A Silvertone 1474 and desoldering components from terminal strips

1:05:50 Using Telefunken EAM86 indicator tubesin an amp application

Special thanks to Derek Taylor for the intermission music.

Have a question or topic for a future episode? Submit it to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. 

This episode is brought to you by Grez Guitars and Amplified Parts.