Jun 26, 2024
It's the 135th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps.
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 time around:
1:24 Another hopeful story; Winters, California
7:44 The fifth-ever Fretboard Summit: Blake Mills, Adam Levy, vintage amps, new amps, 80 luthiers, JHS and so much more. www.fretboardsummit.org
13:25 One of the greatest boxes of all time: thanks, Ben from Chattanooga!
15:01 Lynn Wheelwright reaches out to Skip
16:33 The very first Standel amp; Tacoma, Washington's Guitar Maniacs
18:53 Our sponsors: Emerald City Guitars (watch the Dumble video here), Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars.
22:10 Thank you, John Ross
23:41 Gibson's GA-45 "Velvet Touch"; Terry Dobbs (Mr. Valco) https://valcoamp.com
27:32 The answer to Ep. 134's Baffler: A Tweed Vibrolux
31:44 A Body & Soul El Pato fuzz giveaway? https://www.instagram.com/bsinstruments/
34:00 The last remaining Big Boy locomotive is moving through California; Skip's hobo days https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm
37:26 How to satisfy your customer when only one power tube needs to be replaced? CE Distribution; pimento cheese
47:04 A 5E3 build with too much Fender "bacon;" Ken Fischer
49:51 A Rickenbacker M11 with a 60 cycle hum out of V1
57:22 VHT Special Six, redux
1:03:51 A simple cocktail: A Boyhattan; bitters
1:05:15 The history of AIMS amps; 5 ohm amps; The Mosquito Supper Club's boiled shrimp (link)
1:13:34 The pronunciation police; modding a Silver Panel Fender Champ with a Magnatone 213 tone control
1:17:11 Elemental knowledge; California-built Vox amps; Clarkson's Farm
1:25:00 Is variable input impedance worth experimenting with? Bogen guitar amps
1:29:41 Is the two-prong hat offensive? Are fixed-bias amps more touch-sensitive? the phono input in old PAs; GM/IP on tubes
1:33:15 Recommended reading: The All-Music Guide
Recorded June 21, 2024.