Ep. 117: "Tommy, Time for Dinner"

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

It's the 117th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where legendary amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on guitar amps and their repair!

Want to be a part of the show? Keep the amp questions for Skip coming to [e-mail]! Voice memos or emails are welcome. And don't forget we now have a Patreon.

This week's sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Stringjoy Strings (use the code FRETBOARD to save off your first string order), Amplified Parts, and Grez Guitars.

This week's topics:

1:18 Jason goes to NYC (and Montana)

4:43 Special thanks: Listener Doug, QSL cards, Micah 9:18 Skip's movie, music and book picks of the week: 'Little Miss Sunshine,' an Arhoolie Records box set (link), "A Hero's Death" by Fontaines D.C., "Cleanin' Out My Closet" by Eminem; 'Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests' by George E. Gruell

16:34 The amps Skip has seen the most often and why

21:51 When to NOT just service it first, should I gut this Stromberg Carlson AU-42? Daniel Romano; Premier Amps

29:45 Can I actually use the AC outlet on the back of my vintage Fender?

32:43 Extending the leads on a Mojotone Tweed Princeton kit, what are turret boards made of?

38:08 Do I need to replace all the resistors on my 1953 Gibson GA-20?

42:52 Coupling cap orientation, redux

44:30 Sourcing a parts kit for vintage amp servicing

51:17 John Vanderslice visits Skip, Gibson resistors again

54:02 Using the vintage speakers found in the walls of my midcentury modern home's intercom system

59:06 Hope for the Fender Musicmaster bass amp, GSS Speaker Repair Services in Los Angeles

1:05:50 Plate voltage versus screen voltage on a power tube; @thevalvinist on Instagram; a Hohner / Sano combo amp for sale; the 2023 Fretboard Summit (link)

1:14:14 Modding the tone control on a Silvertone 1482, using a tip ring sleeve jack to bypass a cap

1:22:40 Fat Tire Amber beer

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

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Submit your amp questions, recipes, and life hacks to [e-mail] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.