The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Before talking amps, we talk life! Longtime friend of the show John Vanderslice (Tiny Telephone) joins us to talk about moving to the Netherlands, the life of an expat, the equipment that he moved to Europe (and didn't), staying curious with your gear, and so much more.
Around 50 minutes in, we get the answer to last episode's Baffler, field various questions and do the usual TAVA amp troubleshooting.
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. 
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Special guest: John Vanderslice!
50:28 Our sponsors!
51:47 What's on Skip's bench: A Supro Galaxy
1:01:19 The O.W. Appleton guitar (link) 
1:02:33 The answer to episode 155's baffler: Two types of hum
1:07:03 The high and low power switch on a Music Man HD150
1:10:34 How can I swap the speaker on my 1949 Spiegel 79-C, pre-heating cast iron
1:14:35 Ranch Style beans, Herdez guacamole salsa, Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 mic-pre, Peavey Valverb, using an iso cabinet, using both jacks in a Princeton
1:24:37 Terry Foster at the 2026 Fretboard Summit 
1:26:11 How many speakers can a Silverface Champ drive safely? Why did Fender keep changing the Princeton schematic?
1:31:13 Skip at the Fretboard Summit? 
Want to be a part of the show? 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.

Episode 165 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps!  
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. 
Some of the topics discussed this week:
00 Jason and Nigel
6:26 Our sponsors!
10:42  A letter, two beers, some washers, and a crossroads: Follow Joe here and on Instagram
17:10 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb project with a replaced power transformer; a shorted reverb transformer
31:36 A baffler: Two kinds of hum 
36:16 What are "getter" and "wings"? The Barkely Marathon (Wikipedia)
40:31 Has anyone put the tweed Princeton tone circuit in a guitar? swaddled meat is tender meat, cast iron
44:15 A Fender Super Reverb that kept blowing fuses; the 1972 Sacramento Farrell's Ice Cream parlor plane disaster (Wikipedia)
53:33 Federico's pizza dough recipe on the TAVA Patreon; the Tone Quest Report; Tin Can Valley Letterpress
55:08 Replacing the foam gasket on my Traynor YGM-3 reverb's tank; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware
1:00:04 Rickenbacker M-11 thoughts; King Sunny Ade 
1:04:51 What's on Skip's bench: Slim Dossey's Tweed Bassman and another Bassman
1:08:59 Skip's potential barn sale ponderings 
1:12:29 Once an amp has replaced caps, do you still need a Variac? rice balls
1:15:28 Skip still needs a wooden Epiphone Electar Zephyr schematic (all-octal tube with vibrato) schematic!
1:17:01 1964 Fender Princeton 6G2 with non-working trem 
1:20:16 Adding a stereo headphone jack to a Princeton clone 
1:24:04 Jenson transformer website schematics (link)
1:27:38 What should I do with this untouched 1976 45-watt Fender Pro Reverb?; cornbread
Want to be a part of the show? 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.

Episode 164 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps!  
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. 
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:37 The Garnet book and Garnet ponderings (order the book: http://www.garnetamps.com/order_b.htm), bias supply voltage in optocoupler tremolo 
 
6:13 Our sponsors! 

8:21 Two Fretboard Journal videos to check out: Ryan Richter on playing Coachella with Dijon (YouTube link); Gabe Noel playing a Rickenbacker bakelite tenor guitar with matching amp (YouTube link)


14:12 Beginner's corner: Amp switching, comparing different cabinets; reheating white rice; Basque soup

23:25 Can I use my Champ as a bass amp? Bass amp hacks 

28:02 Does anyone have spare silverface Fender pilot lot washers, or a toggle switch washer for a Fender? 

30:23 Having built a tweed Princeton, Harvard and Deluxe, what should I build next? Spam and Dr. Pepper

32:48 Can you convert the XLR speaker jack on an Ampeg B-15N to a quarter-inch jack? 
 
35:29 The week of three curveballs: A Princeton Reverb drawing too much current; codependent electrolytic capacitors; a reverb unit that eats power transformers; Dave Segal needs an amp on the Oregon coast 
 
44:26 A black panel Fender reverb unit with a two-prong cord 
 
47:17 A two-prong plug needed in Norway (postscript: Jason already sent him one); reading It to your kids, redux; science fiction recommendations? 
 
52:40 The TAVA bookshelf: An '90s Guitar World article on Cesar Diaz; Loomis, California's High Hand nursery 
 
57:06 Plate current on a Suhr Bella 44; Tucana (https://tucana.bandcamp.com/); homemade apple cider 
 
1:05:27 What's with the deal with the little rubber donuts for tubes? Jason is running through the night
 
1:10:36 Why are the plate voltages so different on my tweed Fender Deluxe clone? 
 
1:16:35 Skip's pre-barn sale barn sale (just call Skip)
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.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more. 
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Acclaimed guitarist Roy Rogers joins us this week to talk about his unique gear choices, working with John Lee Hooker, vintage amps and so much more! 
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. 
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:56 Eric Barbour's the Tube Dumpster in Vacuum Tube Valley: 6K6, 6F6, 6Y6 tubes

2:39 A flea market Tweed Bassman

8:51 A Garnet book giveaway! 
13:42 What's on Skip's bench: A distribution pre-amp
17:12 Special guest: Roy Rogers: 'The Sky's the Limit' (his new album, out now!); Mesa Boogie Mark IIB and Epiphone Electar Zephyr amps; DeArmonds in flattop acoustics; Martin New Yorkers; his custom Chappell Guitars double-neck; Johnny Shines; working with John Lee Hooker; the Hot Spot soundtrack (with Roy Rogers, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, and Taj Mahal!!)

Get Roy's new album here: https://royrogers.hearnow.com/

Order 'Gaynell's Kitchen - Down Home Cooking from A Wayward Southern Belle': https://amzn.to/41mcZBn

1:27:45 How can a Traynor Bassmaster Mk. II be rated at 90 watts, while the same power-tubed YBA-1 is only 40?

1:32:14 Is Skip related to Chris Shiflett?

1:33:01 Never trust, always double-check; output transformers 
1:34:29 An October meetup at Skip's, maybe
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.
Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more. 
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Episode 162 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons tackles all of your questions about guitar tube amps! This week, we go deep on Canadian amps, tremolo tweaks, and tech tips. Plus: Rumors of a possible TAVA meetup at Skip's and a poetry slam!
Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. Use the discount code TAVA10MOD for a one-time, 10% discount on Mod Electronics orders at https://www.modelectronics.com. Usable on speakers, amp kits, pedal kits, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026. 
Some of the topics discussed this week:
:00 Skip has a cold

 2:04 SF's The Fab Mab (Wikipedia), 1971 Guitar Player magazine advice; changing the vibrato speed on a Fender Super Reverb

8:42 The answer to last episode's baffler: The Canadian Standards Association; TAVA merch
11:30 Caveat emptor: A UTC output transformer; why is my reverb not working?

26:12 Lead dress 101
31:40 An amp sale/TAVA gathering at Skip's?
40:01 Harmony H410 and speaker impedance
44:10 Why is the tremolo on my 1969 Traynor YSR-1 Custom Reverb head not working and how can I slow it down?
50:38 Can you put variable capacitors in a guitar circuit?
53:11 Series filaments and a Berlant Concertone MCM-2; the Epiphone Rivoli EA-65 schematic
1:00:27 Gibson Falcon mods; whatever happened to the reissue Falcon?
1:07:24 Tech tip: Hammond 154M chokes (Amplified Parts link)

1:12:10 Guitarist Chuck Wayne

1:14:05 Spaghetti sauce with meat; getting Skip an iPhone; tremolo using bias modulation on the power tubes; the Ampeg Supereverb

1:22:21 Garnet amps and Kale; the Garnet Herzog

1:24:43 A listening room for Dynaco amps and Acoustic Research turntables
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.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more. 
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.