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." 9:34 A basic servicing check-list of what to do when you get a vintage amp   15:36 An early 1960s Tweed Princeton branded Harvard, tensioning the input jack   22:22 Modar-branded guitar amps; tube lineup of EF86, 6BQ5, EZ81   23:51 Trainwreck amplifiers; the tone difference between a single 8 ohm secondary winding vs four separate 1 ohm coils wired at 8 ohms    25:47 Should I buy this Peavey Triumph 120 combo?; five-pin footswitch replacement    28:15 Dummy load vs speaker when working on amps   30:55 How to replace the battery circuit on a Bogen E66 portable PA, ice cream truck-specific amps, the Fretboard Brewery   35:45 5Y3 rectifiers, demystified    39:00 Rancho Gordo beans, redux    39:46 An inspiring 1966 Champ and a vegan pumpkin pie    45:24 A hi-fi Eico ST-84/Dynaco ST-70 with the balance way off, RIP Earl Yarrow    55:22 Servicing a Carr Mercury; 12AT7 versus 12ZX7 pre-amp tubes    1:01:04 What to do with a 1980s Fender 30 with a weak second channel? a rare Ampeg B-15N 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

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  48:49 Experiments with conductive paints   52:36 Very loud noise floor in a low-wattage amp   56:21 A tube amp setup to compliment the Fender Tonemaster Pro   1:00:00 Biasing an old record player amp   1:05:22 Homemade pizza hacks, pizza stones, buying dough, Don Pepino, Rainier beer 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

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

** 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 1:26:55 A Peavey Mace 2x12, what are matched tubes?    1:32:31 Recommended: Replica tweed cabinets by Armadillo    As always, keep the amplifier questions and voice memos coming to podcast@fretboardjournal.com and thanks to everyone who listens to our show. If you love it, leave us a five-star review over on Apple Podcasts. Join our Facebook group, 'A Rustic Kegger in the Woods': https://www.facebook.com/groups/164889374531738 Join the TAVA Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps 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. 

It's the 120th 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 in a nutshell: Is this the Fender Yale?; lots of Fretboard Summit love; Skip sneaks a mower across the border; magnifiers; tomato gravy; and rumblings of a possible Oregon Truth About Vintage Amps meetup!  Special Note: Our friends at Amplified Parts are having a Labor Day Sale right now. Use the code LABOR10 to save 10% off your order, but act fast.  https://www.amplifiedparts.com/ 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:  :00 Fretboard Summit recap (thanks, Kevin!); a gift of Del Cabo mangos; Rob Abernathy's robots (https://rodabernethy.com/); our sponsors (Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 10:30 Donny Hathaway plays "The Ghetto" (YouTube link); Skip brings a Tweed Deluxe back from the dead (and possibly a Princeton Reverb), lousy amp repair people 16:22  A Fretboard Summit recap; a transitional Gibson Falcon find 21:40 An Ampeg SVT CL that sounds sort of like the opening to the Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic" when you turn it on 24:46 Offshoot amp brands we can spot in the wild 26:43 Magnifiers, redux! Recommended: YOCTOSUN Head Mount Magnifier on Amazon (link, on sale for just 16 bucks right now); LED garage lighting (Costco link) 29:55 How do self-split output stages work? Kalamazoo KEA amps 32:30 Help me make sense of this Bell PM33 Pacemaker schematic 37:53 Speaker-driven line out and reverb, together; a Seattle TAVA meetup?; an Oregon Coast TAVA meetup at Pelican Brewing? 41:01 Skip's contraband riding lawn mower 49:01 Is this the Fender Yale? John Peden's Sidetrack Liner Notes podcast (Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sidetrack-liner-notes/id1162344630) 53:05 Kate Wolf; Eminem 56:25 Transformer windings and tomato gravy 1:02:12 The Silvertone 1484 TwinTwelve input section; Fender Musicmaster Bass amp mods 1:06:17 The Gibson tone-sucking circuit in the GA19RVT Falcon (Instagram link) Recorded August 31, 2023.  Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 119th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amp.  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. Some of the topics discussed in this episode:  2:32: This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars. 4:27 Special call-in guest: TAVA listener Brian McAllister (vintagetubeamplifiers.com, @vintagetubeamplifiers): Finding TAVA while hospitalized; amps on Brian's bench; tips on making a pre-amp out of a Conn Strobotuner (or a Bogen PH10); Skip is building a tube pre-amp for the Chicago Fretboard Summit!; what's the most improper fuse you've seen in an amp? 29:00 Using magnifiers / magnifying glasses while working on amps 33:19 Installing a fuse in a 1973 Fender Musicmaster Bass amp; preventative maintenance on replacing electrolytic caps that work?; using an audio transformer as a phase inverter instead of a tube; Datsun pickups; what happened to the Ford Aerostar? 46:51 Are all Selenium rectifiers bad? 50:34 Hand-painting the value onto Domino Mica caps 55:43 Best way to test speakers on a Gibson GA8 and  RB17T Scout 58:06 Handling unused taps on a power transformer 59:38 An all-tube tremolo circuit: the Tone God's Bullit (link); removing the skin on salmon 1:01:18 How do I reduce the B+ on my Dynaco ST-35 clone project?  1:05:27 An Amaro cocktail for the TAVA set  1:08:46 Recommended viewing: The Pharmacist, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed; Hidden; The Art of the Steal Recorded August 4, 2023.  Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

This week, we’re joined by the one-and-only Ben Harper, who has a couple of questions for Skip right before his Lyon, France concert. Ben regales us with tales of a rare Weissenborn spotted on a Disneyland ride, Dumbles, and pre-show skateboarding (which Skip is a little worried about). He also spills the beans on his new touring amp of choice… a Two-Rock. Before Ben joins us, we’ve got our usual assortment of listener-submitted questions on tremolo and speaker impendence, Larry Chung references, and a tamale suggestion. 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. Some of the topics discussed in this episode:  :34 Special thanks to Shure for that MV7 that Skip uses; the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26 in Chicago; www.fretboardsummit.org) 1:51 PSA: Skip is retired through September 2:23 A forthcoming Danelectro documentary, early Nat Daniel-built Epiphone Model M amps 15:32 This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.  19:05 Peter Jensen’s Magnavox 12" speakers 20:54 Don Pepino canned tomato sauce (thanks, Rob), Remington Model 5 typewriters 22:27 A 1964 Fender Vibrolux Reverb with a replaced power transformer…but not really; Skip gets a visit from Larry Chung 29:46 The dangers of playing a bass through a small guitar amp; Versatone amps; Los Hernandez tamales in Union Gap, Washington (https://www.loshernandeztamales.com); Bruce Harvie & the Sound Flea’s ‘Overhead at Darrington’ (Bandcamp link) 38:47 A humming Ampeg GS-12 Reverberocket: Was the speaker affecting the reverb spring? 43:26 Changing the tremolo depth on an Ampeg Jet 46:12 Skip’s favorite trem circuit; a Massie that modulates the guitar signal; Chris Vincent  (https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/) 51:03 Tube amp kits (Mod 102 and Mod 102+ from AmplifiedParts.com https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/amp-kit-mod-electronics-mod102-guitar-amp ); grilled asparagus; the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast 59:54 The rising cost of everything 1:02:17 Speaker impedance for a Gibson Falcon GR-19RVT Crestline 1:02:53 What to do with the reverb on a Silvertone 1484; JHD Audio Ice Cubes 1:06:09 Special guest: Ben Harper! Forestry; a vintage Weissenborn spotted on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride; Ben’s new Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive; Marcus Eaton; Jimmy Page seeing David Lindley’s Kaleidoscope; Liuteria Guarnieri guitars (https://www.liuteriaguarnieri.com/en/acoustic-guitars/); Dumbles are like Basquiats; skateboarding before a concert; kicking Princeton Reverbs; tech Bill Webb; and vintage Gibson amps  Recorded July 19, 2023.  Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  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. Ben has a huge feature in our 53rd issue!  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.

It's the 117th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, 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. And don't forget we now have a Patreon. This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.  This week's topics: 1:18 Jason goes to NYC (and Montana) 4:43 Special thanks: Listener Doug, QSL cards, Micah 9:18 Skip's movie, music and book picks of the week: 'Little Miss Sunshine,' an Arhoolie Records box set (link), "A Hero's Death" by Fontaines D.C., "Cleanin' Out My Closet" by Eminem; 'Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests' by George E. Gruell 16:34 The amps Skip has seen the most often and why 21:51 When to NOT just service it first, should I gut this Stromberg Carlson AU-42? Daniel Romano; Premier Amps 29:45 Can I actually use the AC outlet on the back of my vintage Fender? 32:43 Extending the leads on a Mojotone Tweed Princeton kit, what are turret boards made of? 38:08 Do I need to replace all the resistors on my 1953 Gibson GA-20? 42:52 Coupling cap orientation, redux 44:30 Sourcing a parts kit for vintage amp servicing 51:17 John Vanderslice visits Skip, Gibson resistors again 54:02 Using the vintage speakers found in the walls of my midcentury modern home's intercom system 59:06 Hope for the Fender Musicmaster bass amp, GSS Speaker Repair Services in Los Angeles 1:05:50 Plate voltage versus screen voltage on a power tube; @thevalvinist on Instagram; a Hohner / Sano combo amp for sale; the 2023 Fretboard Summit (link) 1:14:14 Modding the tone control on a Silvertone 1482, using a tip ring sleeve jack to bypass a cap 1:22:40 Fat Tire Amber beer Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.

It's the 116th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, 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. And don't forget we now have a Patreon. This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.  This week's topics: 1:02 Making amps out of little intercoms, redux 4:01 Amplified Parts' Potentiometer Adapter Sleeve (link) 8:34 Join our Patreon and hear a lost episode with Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instruments): https://www.patreon.com/vintageamps 9:19 What's on Your Bench: A 1952 low-powered Tweed Twin found on eBay 12:00 Retiring the word "blackface" when talking about amps 16:10 Coupling capacitor orientation, redux 20:28 Jonathan Stout (check out 'Pick It and Play It'); "For the Good Times" by Al Green 26:19 Sellers turning vintage amps on with no speaker load 29:55 The best DIY Fender Princeton kits around; roasted cauliflower with curry powder, Soursound transformers (link) 40:28 Does a lower B+ keep an old amp happier? 43:58 How quickly could you build a Champ? The Fretboard Summit (August 24-26 in Chicago) and JHS's Germanium Chef competition (attend by registering here: www.fretboardsummit.org), wiring a part board before you put it in the amp 46:59 Chris at Deluxe Amplification (deluxeamplification.com) 50:08 A horse-powered IBM Selectric typewriter (Facebook post link) 52:06 Silvertone 1484 amps; in defense of metal film resistors, a forthcoming Ampeg documentary, Ampeg Jets and Rockets, the Jackson Audio 1484 - Twin Twelve pedal (link), a Guild 66-J amp with a Pyle Driver speaker 1:09:20 The Fret Files podcast capacitor test (link); the terminology of pickups Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.