Welcome to the 75th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, the bi-weekly show where amp tech Skip Simmons answers all of your pressing guitar amplifier questions. No topic is too basic… or seemingly too complex!

This week’s episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

1:00: Weird California geopolitics

4:10 Recent Northern California barn finds: ES-335, a transitional Marshall, a 1955 Fender Tremolux with the original instruction page, an Epiphone Emperor Regent; Paul Chandler

14:36 A pre-war Vega amp gets fixed (almost); the humbucking coil on a field coil speaker

19:33 Reading from the 1955 Tremolux instruction page

22:45 Seeking information on Aztec Recording Studio

24:44 Venice, California’s Harry Perry

25:28 A Hammond amp and test equipment preservationist speaks out

31:32 Troubleshooting a noisy hybrid Standel amp

38:19 More typewriter talk, forger Mark Hofmann

42:51 What’s the deal with a 1966 Pro Reverb with a 1971 power transformer and various other oddities?

50:46 A Weller 8200 soldering gun that keeps shutting off, identifying good vintage 8200s

55:45 A 1977 Silverface Champ with a shocking three-prong plug

Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.

Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.

Have an amp, life or kitchen question for Skip? Email or send a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Want to see all the former topics discussed on the TAVA Podcast? Click here for all the show notes on one page.