The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 15: "Yuba Peach" Jul 19, 2019

Show notes

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.

Ep. 14: "I'll Do the Jokes" Jun 28, 2019

Show notes

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

Ep. 13: "Throw a Love Light Party!" Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

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

Ep. 12: "Painting the Fence" May 31, 2019

Show notes

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

Ep. 11: "Waiting For the Tater Tots" May 16, 2019

Show notes

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.

Ep. 10: "Would It Get You Out of the Army Early?" Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

: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.

Ep. 9 - "Up on Its Feet" Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

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.

Ep. 8 - "Alcohol and what?" Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

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

Ep. 7: "In French or English" Mar 26, 2019

Show notes

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

Ep. 6: "A Rustic Kegger Out in the Woods" Mar 11, 2019

Show notes

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.

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