The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

It's the 167th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions.  Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars ; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics .  Some of the topics discussed this week: :00 Skip's refrigerator dies (but lives!), taking the train to the Chicago Fretboard Summit, electronica band C...

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 troubleshoot...

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 Ins...

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 o...

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 Bass...

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  TAVA1...

Episode 161 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 . 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,...

Episode 160 of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your questions about tube amps.  Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts .  Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:09 Fishing and weather report, Tule fog 4:43 Skip's amp backlog 5:19 A West guitar amp with a Dynaco 454216 transformer, a paper plate breakfast hack 1...

Episode 159 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Beans, two-prong ASMR, peeling diodes (and faceplates) and more!  Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts . And honarary mention to Rancho Gordo beans. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:32 Rancho Gordo beans in the WSJ, corn sticks 8:13 What's on Skip's bench: All the early Fender Princetons; a baffler! 11:20...

Episode 158: Chris Benson of Benson amps and Bryan Sours of Soursound transformers make their long-awaited returns to the Truth About Vintage Amps. Why? They want to tell us all about the logging truck of an amp they are currently building, a 700-watt(!) all-tube beast dubbed Babylon! The Babylon will feature 14 KT88 tubes, 16 total speakers, three knobs, and two power cords. It's literally the mo...

It's the 157th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps.   Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts   Some of the topics discussed this week:  :42 Atmospheric rivers 3:52 Skip's appearance at the Bay Area Guitar Show (Jan 10-11, link ) 8:46 Fretboard Journal 58 (coming soon...

It's the 156th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Special guest Jack Weston joins us with a great Allman Brothers story.  Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts   Some of the topics discussed this week:  :43 What's on Skip's Bench: a Fender Princeton wit...

It's the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended) and more!   Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal ( link ); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal? 5:16 Recommended music: Ned...

It's the 154th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps.   Some of the topics discussed this week:  :42 Skip is back on the Ferguson TO-35 tractor; Roy Clark & Joe Pass 7:04 What's on Skip's bench: A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Marshall bright caps, the Pet Shop Boys 11:43 Our sponsors  Grez Guitars ; Emerald...

It's the 153rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps and Skip is having a happy day fielding your amp questions. From cleaning tweed to Magnatone varistors and all points in between, it's 90 minutes of tube amp knowledge, laughs, and some serious California trivia.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:27: The 2025 Fretboard Summit; the importance of repair tags 6:55: Thanks for the mangos...

It's the much-delayed 152nd 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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com ! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  3:53 Real musicians...

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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com ! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:03:05 What's on Skip's bench: A...

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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com ! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:26 The Esp...

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. P...

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:...

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_txcL4...

Episode 146 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Troubled drummers, bulk Gatorade, more typewriter and Rockford Files talk, and a bunch of amp questions. Reminder: Amplified Parts now has amp kits ! 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 que...

Episode 145 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Kahlua brie, replicating Nirvana's In Utero sound, hissy reverb units and more! 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 podcast@fretboardjournal.com ! Include a photo, too.  Some o...

Episode 144 of the Truth About Vintage Amps: Flashing Flukes, reflections on NAMM, variable plate capacitors, hot buttered rum (and popcorn!), and more!   Need some help with your tube amps? Be a part of our show by sending your voice memo or written questions to  podcast@fretboardjournal.com ! Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:13 Jason goes to the NAMM Show, the Dumble relaunch (watch ou...

A throwback, lo-fi landline episode just for the purists! Caller waiting beeps, the state of the guitar show, an energized Skip, and more. Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com . Recorded on January 13, 2025. Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:31: The LA fires 3:34: A recap of the Bay Area Vintage Guitar Show; are guitar shows...