The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

• Ep. 151: "It Starts Out Cool"

  It's the 151st episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps!  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 [email protected]! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:03:05 What's on Skip's bench: A pile of Standel amps; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware (redux); a baffler of sorts 8:28 Tom Gunterman (Instagram); Kevin from Ohio; Joe Walsh 11:30 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Marshall Capris; Christopher Guest 19:07 Julian Lage and Leo Kottke (tour dates here) 22:45 The Fretboard Summit August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago: https://fretboardsummit.org 23:57 What to do with the unused bass control on a modded Vibrochamp? 31:38 Weak tremolo on a late 1970s Fender Deluxe Reverb; optocouplers 36:36 The Bastard Instrument (Amazon link); the Ampeg book 44:57 A Teisco Melody amp; Takt amps; installing an isolation transformer 55:49 ESR / Multifunction testers 59:51 Channel jumping on a black panel Fender; Yellow Jacket tube converters (Amplified Parts link, we'll revisit this on our next episode...sorry) 1:05:30 The Soundmaster 600; Traynor YGM-3; Fender PS-400 and the Allman Brothers 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 [email protected]! 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. 

  --------  

  1:20:23

  --------

  1:20:23
• Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"

  It's the 150th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! How did that happen?  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 [email protected]! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (link); salvaging organ pedals  6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (link); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run 11:46 Standel amplifier quirks, voltage regulator tubes, Dave's Hot Chicken kale slaw 16:36 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Amplified Parts is having a Fourth of July sale right now (act fast) 19:17 The Fretboard Summit Pinewood Derby race 22:03 Honorary sponsor: Tin Can Valley Letterpress (link) 23:10 Recommended reading: Matthew Zapruder's 'Story of a Poem' (Amazon link) 25:22 An Ampeg V4 / V4B bias circuit baffler 28:07 Single-ended amp 101; Stouffer's Hotel cherry chocolate cake 41:19 Channel jumping on a Silvertone 1482 and other amps; Neil Young 46:00 Music recommendation: Round Eye from Shanghai 47:11 Why do these homebrew 5F1 clones have blackened input jacks? 49:31 The Fender 400PS schematic 54:18 Harmony 420 amps, making a pre-amp out of a Heathkit volt meter 1:00:05 The Fretboard Journal's Dumble short film with Ben Harper (YouTube link) 1:01:46 Dave Hill at the 2025 Fretboard Summit! 1:02:34 Redwood cabinets on Gibson Falcons; Lima, Peru's Los Saicos band 1:12:21 A-Z Darts in Sacramento (link) 1:16:04 Getting a mono tube hi-fi for music playback 1:23:56 Listener Yann at Body and Soul Instruments (Instagram); the new Robert Johnson book (Amazon link)  1:25:24 Keeping the 12v DC power supply on old PA amps? Doug Hoffman 1:30:54 How far should I mod this 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb? 1:37:24 Ishi in Two Worlds (Amazon link) Recorded July 4, 2025.  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 [email protected]! 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. 

  --------  

  1:40:52

  --------

  1:40:52
• Ep. 149: "Have Fun" (Special Guest: Jim Campilongo!)

  Support our sponsors: Amplified Parts; Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars!  Acclaimed guitarist Jim Campilongo joins Skip and Jason to talk about his music and gear journey, vinyl treasures, George Barnes playing "Little Rock Getaway" (link), Vance Terry & Jimmy Rivers, Silverface Princeton Reverb love; Celestion G-10 speakers; Laika and the Cosmonauts; and so much more. Plus frozen meatballs! Follow Jim Campilongo: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/ Jim's Lessons: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/lessons.html Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to [email protected]! 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. 

  --------  

  1:09:18

  --------

  1:09:18
• Ep. 148: "Lining Up"

  We're back with episode 148 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Jason survives a month in Peru; the schematics of acupuncture; speaker break-in; and more!  Our sponsors: Amplified Parts; Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars  Topics discussed:  :00 Jason goes to Peru, Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal  11:20 What’s on Skip’s Bench: A roasted Tweed Harvard 13:18 Spotted on eBay: Packard Bell teaching tool / working schematic 16:13 A 1952 Champion 600 with a 1952 Telecaster 18:54 Skip doesn’t hang out with Jack White 24:22: Our sponsors: Check out this groovy Showman at Emerald City Guitars!  31:33 Barry & The Remains; what should I do with this Bell 2122C integrated mono tube amp? slow-cooker chicken breasts with salsa; Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers 41:40 Congrats to listener Marcus, Master of Public Health from Harvard!  42:44 Non-polarized electrolytics 45:58 Alternatives to 6V6s 47:50 Acupuncture point charts vs tube amp schematics 51:01 Deciding on a good speaker; mir a poux 1:03:05 Modding a Harmony 420 1:08:00 DIY cooling fan tips Mouser part numbers: Mouser #490-CFM-4010-13-22, FAN AXIAL 40X10.6MM 12VDC; Mouser #576-01500322H, Fuse Holder ACS INLINE FUSE HOLDER; Mouser #709-APV8-12, Meanwell 8W, 12V, 0.67A power supply 1:11:32 What should I plug a Fender Bass VI into? 1:14:22 Getting a good tone out of a master volume Silverface Fenders? Hal’s Grub Steak BBQ sauce? 1:20:16 Pedal steel through JBL D130Fs, breaking-in speakers 1:25:46 Replacing the red module in a 1969 Standel solid state amp; vinegar, syrup and seltzer shooters 1:31:19 Movie recommendation: Steven Spielberg's 1971 film ‘Duel’ Recorded May 30, 2025. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to [email protected]! 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. 

  --------  

  1:35:12

  --------

  1:35:12
• Ep. 147: "Kosher Sound"

  Episode 147 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Jason is headed to Peru, hemp speakers, resistors, modding PAs for harps, Lilly vs Lily at the Fender factory, kosher sound, and more! Fluidics: https://acoustics.org/pressroom/httpdocs/132nd/2aaa8.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ5wZRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA4eUxOc0djNTJqWnJRVVBTAR7SSMwDpCna1oRbSpuMLYDJrD1VRKzf8vbj3V6WOi3icH6LldxBvnOYopsKzw_aem_I4XGzFLTK-gXim_txcL4ig Our sponsors: Save $20 off Amplified Parts' new MOD vintage amp kits with the discount code TAVA20! (expires April 30, 2025); Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars  Recorded April 24, 2025. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to [email protected]! 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. 

  --------  

  1:48:27

  --------

  1:48:27

More Music podcasts

Trending Music podcasts

About The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons: Podcasts in Family