The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 112: "Adjust for Minimum Smoke" Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

It's the 112th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair.

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.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

7:42 David Lindely on Dumble: Audio interview on our Patreon (link)

8:07 Shoutout to August from Otis Amps

8:46 Rancho Gordo Beans, redux (link), Herdez Salsa Casera, Juantonio's chips

11:42 What's on Skip's workbench: A Stromberg PA head; a 1910 Hammond Multiplex typewriter

16:39 More on David Lindley

19:31 A muted Tweed Bassman with a hiss in V2, testing test equipment; a brownface Deluxe at the flea market

27:15 What's the difference between silverface '60s Fender Pro Reverbs (drip-edge or not); the Cars; is the Pro Reverb the beginning of "logging truck" status

33:53 Amps that use 2A3/6A3 triodes as power tubes

40:01 ChatGPT wrote a poem about TAVA

43:11 Rob Robinette's recommendation to put a 1N4007 diode in series after the Secondary AC High voltage and the plate of the rectifier tube; 'Junior Bonner' with Steve McQueen; Better Call Saul; Hollywood gossip

47:49 Lighting your workbench, a dedicated filter circuit for testing amps?

50:39 Waking up amps that have not been used in a long while; using multimeters for the first time; inconsistencies in the volt readout on a variac

56:12 Does a variac provide the same shock protection as an isolation transformer?, the Silvertone 1485 circuit, the Hillbilly Rueben recipe

1:02:52 Hearing Skip's voice in your head while you're at your day job; a 1940s Navy soundsystem with a dynamotor

1:06:15 Fixing the crack in a 1972 Fender Deluxe Reverb cabinet, troubleshooting amps that have been dropped, index pins

1:13:13 The sound of octal tubes; the Baxandall EQ circuit explained; why did my Ampeg start smoking with an acrid smell when turned on?

1:17:38 A Fender Hotrod Blues Deluxe that is muted until it has warmed up for 30 seconds, input jacks

1:22 Kenny Burrell's 'Soulero', a 2006 Fender Tweed Twin (no reverb) with an intermittent volume drop

1:28:46 Balancing family life with amp projects, redux

Recorded March 15, 2023.

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

This week's episode is sponsored by Stringjoy Strings, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 111: "A Tree, the Roof of a Trailer and a Deluxe Reverb" Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

We're back and episode 111 has it all: Deep thoughts, a tornado, fried eggs, and power tubes gone bad. Keep the questions coming to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and enjoy!

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:59 The TAVA Big Index page (link)

3:26 A pro chef hack, Rancho Gordo beans redux (link to the beans)

4:34 A '64 Princeton Reverb clone with a switch that can convert it to a stock Princeton, redux (thanks Emcee Amps of Montreal); the Tweed Vibrolux tone control

7:44 What's on Skip's bench: A Stromberg-Carlson PA head

9:52 What did today's vintage amps sound like new? Pizza with an egg

19:00 A tornado-damaged 1967 Deluxe Reverb with a loose reverb wire

23:38 A 6G3 with a glowing power tube, when good power tubes go bad

28:41 Why does my hand-wired Vox AC4 hum more than my PCB version of the exact same amp?

32:18 Making a '63 Vibroverb reissue quieter; the Crazy Tube Circuit's White Whale reverb pedal (link)

42:13 Baffler: The usefulness of a 6AT6 preamp tube in old radios

46:16 What Skip's reading: Garrett Hongo's 'The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo' (Amazon link), a 12-volt powered dynamotor

51:57 A psychologist chimes in; B+ voltage

Recorded Feb. 14, 2023.

This week's episode is sponsored by Stringjoy Strings, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 110: "Need a Ride?" Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

An episode that almost went off the rails (a missing special guest, talk of tragic balloon heroes, street tacos) but somehow gets back to amp basics.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

3:56 Skip's decision to quit being a drawbridge operator, Skip visits Eminence

8:58 Austin Ribbon Mics, the Hot Holder Pro (link); book recommendation: 'How to Read Schematic Diagrams' by Donald Herrington

11:36 The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair, by George Plimpton (New Yorker link)

12:22 Roqsolid amp covers (link); Vengeance

13:52 New to our Patreon: Listener Nick reads the Jack Darr (link)

15:30 The use of ferrite beads, redux; inductors versus capacitors

18:20 A love for logging trucks; the Gretsch Fury, a not-quite-stereo-amplifier

24:00 The amp-related plotline on the fourth episode of Poker Face on Peacock

25:10 Polarized electrolytic caps; using a dual-shaft concentric pot on a '65 Gibson Scout GA-17RVT to avoid drilling a new hole; musician Seth Walker

30:21 Installing a switch to bypass the whole reverb circuit on a clone 1965 Princeton Reverb clone

34:12 Ampeg VT-40 60 cycle hum, even in standby 39:40 Skip's steak street tacos; Tortillaland tortillas; Rancho Gordo beans (link)

46:19 SOLVED: James' 1967 Twin Reverb with diminished volume, could this mistake be a desired mod?

53:38 Whacking a transformer with a hammer

55:40 Could you build an extension cab with a field coil speaker that has its own power supply so you can use it with any amp?

1:01:31 Seeking a budget hi-fi rig for classic country; Mezzetta garlic-stuffed olives; cream cheese-filled eggrolls, Granzella's Restaurant in California

1:08:08 Dutch kale in heavy cream; using a thermal camera to diagnose faulty amp parts, puppies as relationship testers; thermometer guns

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Want to register for our Fretboard Summit? Here's a link.

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100+ episodes found here.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 109: "The First Podcast Puddle" Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Episode 109: A long build-up to the amp troubleshooting, but plenty to discuss, including a new puppy, the realities of vintage guitar shows, grandmothers getting run over by reindeer, and ferrite beads. Some of the topics discussed this week:

:34 Meet Junior

5:59 Skip's report from the 2023 Bay Area Amigos Guitar Show; Dr. Elmo buys a Grez (Wikipedia link); the dangers of parking at a produce stand

23:26 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars; Amplified Parts (Hammond products are currently on sale!); Iztotope (use Fret10 as your discount code); and our Patreon patrons.

24:38 Listener Nate sends Skip an autographed copy of the Jack Darr book

26:01 Why do we twist lead wires?, a 5U4 rectifier in a 1965 Deluxe Reverb, 'Heartworn Highways'

35:02 Fixing a broken, grounded plug

37:49 Seamless Joe from Italy, "Nature Boy" (Wikipedia link)

44:39 A Super Reverb with dying tremolo

48:20 5G cell tower interference and ferrite beads

52:14 Getting the sticker back on a vintage Fender footswitch

53:51 Improving the tone stack on a Harmony 420

59:42 Transformers for a 5C1 Champ build; to choke or not to choke

1:06:53 An EL84 Filmosound with a buzzing transformer

1:09:08 Junior has an accident

1:09:45 Why doesn't my Knight 93-320 PA head have a fuse?

1:11:32 Actual logging truck tales on 'Odd Lots' (Apple Podcasts link)

1:12:06 A Teisco/Checkmate/Northland Baffin III

1:15:35 Why is there an angry crackle on my Magnasync Moviola 1800 whenever I touch my guitar?

1:18:29 Toots & the Maytals cover "Country Roads Take Me Home" (YouTube link)

1:20:06 Why is my Bassman's plate voltage so high with this GZ34 tube?

1:22:33 Dolly Sinatra's pasta sauce (Edit: Duquesne is a town in PA, not a PA...stupid autocorrect!)

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 108 episodes found here.

Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 108: "Put a Pot Under It" Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Episode 108: It's like a best-of episode, but totally new! Pre-amps, typewriters, too many kitchen hacks, transformer talk, Jason reads the tubes wrong, and we even get a little artsy!

Some of the topics discussed this week:

2:53 Does Skip want to see your amps right now? See Skip at the January 14-15, 2023 Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show

4:59 A Tweed Pro with a variable inverse feedback control knob

5:45 Lee Jeffriess in the Fretboard Journal's 51st issue (link); check out Jeffriess and John Munnerlyn performing "Blues for Earl"

11:22 The December 31 TAVA Seattle meetup (thanks for organizing, @liquidnyo); YouTube's jgflyback shows off his tube-powered clock (shaky Instagram Live footage)

13:50 This week's sponsors: Grez Guitars has a new long-scale bass!; Amplified Parts (Hammond products are currently on sale!); Iztotope (use Fret10!); AND Stringjoy Strings. Plus...Josh Scott (JHS) is coming to TAVA, the TAVA El Pato-Tone Practice amp (Reverb link), and our Patreon page

20:56 The resonance of a fully loaded turret board; mounting components in a head vs. combo; goop

28:25 Microphonics in a tube amp (the good kind); David Lindley (support him via t-shirt sales here)

30:04 Why were so many power transformers changed in the '70s and '80s?; Spokane, Washington; Jason's favorite noodle place in Spokane, Washington (link); a very-modified Gibson Les Paul Junior with a cooling fan

36:03 Typewriter keyboards; '80s Scottish cop show, 'Taggart'

39:58 Should I change the transformer on my Bruce Zinky Fender Prosonic head? the effect of an output transformer on tone

45:46 What's the deal with the Fender Bantam bass amp?; the oven instead of the range; ham and bacon end pieces

50:39 Reincarnating a dead Peavey Deuce II; putting a Vox-style preamp circuit on an amp with 6L6s; cheese quesadilla hacks

54:06 Fixing the uneven distortion on my Dad's Gibson GA-9

56:53 Why isn't my 1967 Fender Twin Reverb as loud as my other Twin Reverb?

1:00:05 Arts & Humanities corner: The Albert Barnes collection of post-modern art, 'Art of the Steal,' (link); Skip goes to Harvard, again; RIP poet Charles Simic (read "Stub of a Red Pencil" here)

1:04:06 Chopped onion, chickpeas, and black beans sauteed in a pan

1:06:18 What would you do with my Bogen CHA-33 PA head? coffee-roasted carrots (link)

1:12:13 Changing the pre-amp tube (and speaker) in an Epiphone Model 101

1:19:47 What to do with this 1953 Revere T-100 reel-to-reel?

1:31:48 Skip likes the new Fretboard Journal (issue 51, link)

Recorded January 10, 2023.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page with nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 107 episodes found here.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 107: "Nip It In the Bud" Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

Episode 107: The genius of Garnet founder "Gar Gillies," Fender reverb controls, fixing Magnatones, and more.

**Want to meet Skip? He'll be at the January 14-15, 2023 Amigo Bay Area Guitar Show with stuff to sell (and also picking up amps that need to be serviced).**

Some of the topics discussed this week:

3:00 Deluxe Amplification's El Pato Tone Amp (Reverb link)

7:19 El Pato, cottage cheese with salsa, Sacramento's music instrument lending library "MusicLandria" (link)

11:09 Silverface Champs: Change just the tone stock or also increase the value of the plate resistors, the Garnet book (link)

17:23 Speaker load revisited

21:25 A 12AU7 instead of a 12AT7 in a Princeton Reverb; gochujang Korean pepper paste, kimchi

26:45 Fender reverb unit controls, explained; hybrid Vox 7-series amps; the Aclam Dr. Robert pedal (link); impedance redux; the life of a vacuum tube

34:45 What's oozing out of Magnatone M-9's wires?

42:29 Why does my Pepco (Garnet! Canada!) amp use two 6AV6 tubes and only half a 12AX7, instead of a whole 12AX7 and a 6AV6?

46:18 Vintage bass amps for actual bass players?

56:01 16 or 18-gauge zip cord for speaker wire? heat shrink for splicing

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page for nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100 episodes found here.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 106: "That's When You Know You're Doomed" Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Episode 106: No special guests, but plenty of amp questions answered and some recipes!

Some of the topics discussed:

1:01 It's good to be anxious

3:59 Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps

4:18 Any interest in a Seattle amp swap meet / hang on December 31? Message me at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

4:49 Deluxe's TAVA-tribute El Pato-Tone 9-volt practice amp: Now available in the green El Pato can! (Reverb link)

7:51 Music recommendation: Thee Sinseers (NPR Tiny Desk concert link); The "5" Royales (YouTube link) 9:23 How is amp output affected by adding speakers?

12:39 Impedance vs resistance, revisited; phaser analysis; chicken curry

17:27 The Soursound transformers episode (link); when does the speaker deep dive happen?; amps with hybrid circuits; harpist Emily Hopkins (YouTube link), 8417 tubes

27:38 Netflix's new documentary, 'Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall'

30:45 Harp player Paul Oscher; Jontavious Willis' interview with Oscher on the Diddie Wah Diddie podcast (link)

33:34 Tips on extending wiring; a Western Electric Slice

37:06 Safe long-term storage of vintage amps; a Falcon discovered in the trunk of a car

40:23 What's the simplest tube reverb circuit? the Boss FRV-1 '63 Fender Reverb pedal, vintage Premier 90 Reverb tanks

45:38 'The How & Why of Guitar Tube Amps' by Gar Gillies (order: http://www.garnetamps.com/order_b.htm)

50:57 Now you have a third salad dressing

51:31 Is the speaker switch I made safe to use? Grits with smoked gouda

1:00:07 Buying a second-hand Mesa Boogie amp

1:04:02 What's the CSA Thermal Protector on a Fender Musicmaster Bass amp?

1:06:52 An Australian Philips PA conversion that won't stop popping and crackling; cathode resistors and plate load resistors

1:09:17 Three Marshall Super Lead heads, one that has ghosting; filter capacitance

1:18:35 Soup with kale and white beans

1:21:01 Yank magazine; a fancy tube tester (and a Heathkit signal generator) still available at Skip's; Rabbit Hole bourbon (link); Sherwood (British TV show); see Skip at the Marin Guitar Show (January 2023, link)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

There's a giant index page for nearly all the former topics we've discussed in our first 100 episodes found here.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 105: "You Started a Chainsaw" (Special guest: jdflyback) Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

** We are doing another run of Truth About Vintage Amps t-shirts. Pre-order your shirt now by clicking here: https://silkshopstores.com/tavamerch/shop/home **

Just in time for the holidays: A bonus Truth About Vintage Amps episode! This week, no listener-submitted questions. Instead, we introduce you to Joshua Dejaen, a.k.a. jdflyback on YouTube.

This young, Pacific Northwest-based electrical engineer has taken YouTube by storm with a viral video where he not only built a tube amp from scratch, he even built the tubes! Watch Joshua's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UEfqAWb3fE&t=439s

During our chat, we hear how Joshua got his start building vacuum tubes at home, learn about some of the grassroots tube builders / electrical engineers who have inspired him along the way, and hear about Joshua's build process. We also learn about the perils of microwave oven transformers and so much more. Joshua has included a schematic for the spot welder he used in his tube-making video. See the show notes on fretboardjournal.com or check our Instagram/Patreon pages. Other references mentioned by Joshua:

'Saga of the Vacuum Tube,' by Gerald F.J. Tyne (Amplified Parts order link)

https://simplifier.neocities.org https://www.youtube.com/@glasslinger/

'Materials Technology for Electron Tubes' by Walter H. Kohl (Tubebooks.org link)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

In early December, we'll celebrate the third anniversary of TAVA with Ep. 106. Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the show via podcast@fretboardjournal.com, and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media. The Truth About Vintage Amps is hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons. Co-hosted and produced by the Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.

Ep. 104: "I Bought a Headache" Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Episode 104: No special guests, but plenty of amp questions answered, plus lots of schematic talk, A/B/Y boxes, a recipe or two, and a parenting tip!

Some of the topics discussed: 1:03 A 1954 Fender extension cabinet (tweed, but spray painted black); Fender Amps: The First 50 Years (Amazon link); asbestos in amps

7:04 Why are the PA amps I'm restoring so noisy? Masco MA-25; Stromberg-Carlson AU42

12:49 Resistance versus impedance; the functions of a choke in an amp

18:37 What happened to the quick & easy recipes? Canned soup hacks; replacing a broken terminal strip

23:13 Putting a three-prong plug on an old Variac; movie recommendation: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (link)

27:08 A one-tube reverb circuit (link); Kodak projectors; a voltage doubler

30:15 Getting your kids interested in electronics; paper airplanes; candle powered boats (Amazon link) Amplified Parts pedal kits (link)

35:21 Working on early Carvin tube amplifiers

39:09 Jack's Darr's Fender schematics

40:48 A 6G3 clone with a tube rattle; tube rings; goats

46:59 A Vega Commander Fidelity Amp Model No. 51; 1273 tubes

52:57 A "pop" whenever you turn your pedal on

57:15 Why don't more players use an A/B/Y and play multiple amps at once?

1:00:02 The bass control on a Gibson EH-185 schematic, amps that don't use the Baxandall tone control

1:03:03 What is the amp that came with my lap steel, what's with the 80 tube, how do I find a schematic for it, and what do I do with it? 1:09:20 Metal tubes versus glass tubes 1:11:50 The history of Rogers hi-fi's; beer bread pizza 1:14:58 Recommended: The Computer Clinic of Chico, California

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

Ep. 103: "If You Want Something, You Have to Do Something" Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

The 103rd Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast. Special guest Mason Stoops (Jackson Browne, Marcus Mumford) walks us through his crazy Marcus Mumford live rig! Plus: Dutch potatoes, shorting jacks, vintage road cases, and more. **Get a glimpse of what Mason is talking about by watching this video: https://youtu.be/TH-bixpr-EQ and then listen to his explanation on our show (starts at 1:03:28).** :47 What's on Skip's bench: a Mesa Boogie Mark I 2:21 Kevin in Ohio has joined the Rustic Kegger in the Woods (Facebook link), nasty old pine trees 7:53 Eric Daw's Solid Sound book (order link); Daniel Petrzelka's replacement pilot light washers for SF Fenders (contact him via Instagram)

18:42 Easiest way to date a Fender amp; Portland, Oregon's Cast Iron Revival (Instagram link)

22:55 Music recommendation: Sonny Burgess

27:22 A Blonde Fender Bandmaster with failing volume; Nic Grabien

31:09 Gain vs volume, redux; Hotchpotch / hutspot potatoes with kale

38:14 Alternatives to a Fender Champ 12

42:39 Shorting jacks to reduce hum in amps? Mexican gumbo soup

50:32 A 1968 Fender Bassman head with two chokes and a non-original power transformer

54:25 A 1959 Gibson GA-9 with an erratic distortion once the volume is turned up

57:00 Taming the boost on 1979 Fender Princeton Reverb with the pull-boost; original Fender-branded tubes

1:01:34 Alternatives to a Music Man RD-50?

1:03:28 Special guest: Mason Stoops! Stoops' live rig touring with Marcus Mumford, Austen Hooks-modified Filmosounds + "Space Heater" amps, Kalamazoo Model 2s, a Peavey Studio Chorus, LED lights, playing with Jackson Browne, and so much more.

Watch our video here to see what Mason is talking about (and his guitar and pedal setup): https://youtu.be/TH-bixpr-EQ (Thanks, Duncan!)

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

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