The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

It's the long-awaited episode 168 of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions. This week, we kick things off by interviewing one of Skip's clients, Sebastian from Vintage Inspired Pickups! Also: possessed Ampegs, shipping forecasts, and Fender repairs and so much more.  Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.  Some of the topics discussed this week: :00 Special Guest: Sebastian Gruenberg of Vintage Inspired Pickups (link); molecular biology; winding pickups, making potentiometers; cryo-tuning magnets; Em...

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 Chessie  10:09 The LA vintage guitar show 13:52 'The Angel's Share' movie 16:18 Our sponsors and a great 2026 Fretboard Summit amp giveaway (thanks, Andy!) 19:19 A non-tech tip...

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 V...

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 "gett...

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 (YouTu...

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 albu...

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...

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, reverb tanks, etc. Offer ends April 11, 2026.  Some of the topics discussed this week: :42 Phil Upchurch and 'What It's Like to Be a Musician' 3:25 On the Bench: A non-working outboard tremolo by S...

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 10:45 Our sponsors! 12:56 What's on Skip's bench: A 1950 Princeton, a White amplifier, a Tweed Deluxe AND a Vibrolux; Electromuse amps 14:39 The Lonesome Captain's mu...

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 Our sponsors: and (unofficially) Rancho Gordo beans 15:15: What should I do with this extra Bell Sound 2122-C hi-fi amp?; hear the TAVA All-Stars: Bob Armstong, Keith Cary, C...

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 most powerful tube amp they could make without requiring a dryer outlet. Check our Instagram for a sneak peek at the creation.  https://www.bensonamps.com/ https://soursound.c...

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!) 9:57 Unsung electronics hero (and possible con man) Lee De Forest (read his memoir here); power conditioners 17:44 Skip's new trail cam 20:47 One man's tra...

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 with reversed input jacks 5:41 Special Guest: Jack Weston, author of 'The Allman Brothers Band: Classic Memorabilia, 1969-1976' (Amazon link) 46:17 The Magnatone Triplex; ultralinear out...

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 Boynton's 'The North Beach Sound;' The No-Mads (nomadsband.com) 7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (and Mr. Microphone) 18:12 What's on Ski...

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 City Guitars and Amplified Parts; more Fender Champ mods; a Champ gain input baffler; Soursound transformers 23:51 200 more power cords; IEC hijinks; Steve Soest  <...

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, John! And a food preservation tip 8:30: Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!  14:15 What's on Skip's bench? 60 amps in August; great Loma Rica deal...

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 ARE gearheads (redux) 5:47 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!  6:40 Tom Gunterman gets two Grez's 8:21 Yellow Jack...

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 pile of Standel amps; Vacaville's Pacific Hardware (redux); a baffler of sorts 8:28 Tom Gunterman (Instagram); Kevin from Ohio; Joe Walsh 1...

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 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 Stat...

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...