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The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip SimmonsAuthor: The Fretboard Journal
Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp repair, restoration and collecting. Often hilarious and always insightful, it's like no other guitar podcast out there. Language: en Genres: Music, Music History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Ep. 164: "Kern County Wool Growers"
Episode 164
Friday, 24 April, 2026
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 (YouTube link) 14:12 Beginner's corner: Amp switching, comparing different cabinets; reheating white rice; Basque soup 23:25 Can I use my Champ as a bass amp? Bass amp hacks 28:02 Does anyone have spare silverface Fender pilot lot washers, or a toggle switch washer for a Fender? 30:23 Having built a tweed Princeton, Harvard and Deluxe, what should I build next? Spam and Dr. Pepper 32:48 Can you convert the XLR speaker jack on an Ampeg B-15N to a quarter-inch jack? 35:29 The week of three curveballs: A Princeton Reverb drawing too much current; codependent electrolytic capacitors; a reverb unit that eats power transformers; Dave Segal needs an amp on the Oregon coast 44:26 A black panel Fender reverb unit with a two-prong cord 47:17 A two-prong plug needed in Norway (postscript: Jason already sent him one); reading It to your kids, redux; science fiction recommendations? 52:40 The TAVA bookshelf: An '90s Guitar World article on Cesar Diaz; Loomis, California's High Hand nursery 57:06 Plate current on a Suhr Bella 44; Tucana (https://tucana.bandcamp.com/); homemade apple cider 1:05:27 What's with the deal with the little rubber donuts for tubes? Jason is running through the night 1:10:36 Why are the plate voltages so different on my tweed Fender Deluxe clone? 1:16:35 Skip's pre-barn sale barn sale (just call Skip) Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too. Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more. Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
