It’s the 139th 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 week: 

:48 On the bench: A 1974 Alembic pre-amp, a Showman head in disguise

3:58 Webb’s Music and a hang gliding pioneer

6:08 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; the Wood Wire & Volts Show in Anaheim (link); Bruce Harvie of Orcas Island Tonewoods

11:10 Skip has a warning for the TAVA Kegger Facebook group…and others

14:38 A luthiers’ pet peeve

16:55 Bias modulating tremolo, intensity pots

20:45 Skip works on a Dan Torres-modded amp

21:35 Jason screens his Ben Harper Dumble film in Seattle; Ben Harper on TAVA (ep. 118)

25:34 When does Skip use his tube tester?

28:17 Should I turn this jukebox amp into a guitar amp?

30:52 A monitor out a la GA17RVT; Quilter amps; full-fat Greek yogurt

36:24 When do we get a Marshall/Vox expert on the show?

37:58 A Kroker Triple Toad amp

40:13 Warming up a Nat Daniel-designed amp; separately mounted pre-amp tubes

42:17 Late ’60s Fender biasing (AC568)

43:54 Skip’s new guitar: A 1966 Fender Duo-Sonic

49:51 The Fender Files on YouTube (thanks, Larry Chung)

52:17 Using 5V4 rectifier tubes in a Matchless DC-30; Nduja mayonnaise (link)

1:00:17 Recommended reading: “There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings” (Amazon link); subbing a 6SL7 for a 6SN7 in a Gibson BR9

1:02:42 Transformer Corner: Using US amps overseas

1:11:07 Recommended music: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley’s “Sweet Sunny North;” Steve Melkisethian remembered

1:13:01 A cheap and easy output transformer dynamic test; rebuilding reverb tanks

1:19:54 Skip’s map collection

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

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