Listen "Ep. 71: "I Analyze My Spectrum""
Episode Synopsis
It's the 71st installment of the Truth About Vintage Amps, featuring noisy Fenders (and a Vingtor!), clip-on fans, more candy cigarette talk and other surprises. As always, tech Skip Simmons is here for you, fielding your questions on all-things-tube-amp. This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:26 Jury duty 7:14 Cool tools: Using a rifle brush to clean a 1/4" input jack (thanks Acmeverb.com!); feeler gauges; Jay Knox's film roll hack; Pinnochio 14:50 Skip is an idiot; a sleeper '60s Gibson amp 19:44 Mr. Valco 22:44 Ned Boynton; variable intensity vibrato on a Magnatone 24:54 A 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb with fading volume 32:51 A 1972 Fender Deluxe Reverb versus a Silvertone Twin Twelve in a band setting; the Clientele's 'Suburban Light'; Ilegal tequila mezcal 40:12 Chewing matches 42:27 A damp and noisy Norwegian Vingtor amp 48:45 Instapot talk; ground switch redux; using a Variac to break-in speakers; Bob Newhart; Nelson Riddle; sweet potato fries 58:35 Grant Willis (valveheaven.com); using halogen lamp isolating transformers as output transformers 1:01:15 Restoring a free vintage Precision ES-550 oscilloscope 1:07:58 Multiple output taps and negative feedback loops on a Fender clone build 1:11:49 Fender Super Twin opinions 1:17:38 A hot transformer on a boutique tube amp in (Analog Outfitters The Road) 1:20:58 Allen Encore amps 1:23:22 A Magnatone M-12 with one channel that doesn't work 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. Email or send us a voice memo to: [email protected] or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. And don't forget to share the show with friends.
More episodes of the podcast The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Ep. 155: "Realistic Carnival"
01/11/2025
Ep. 154: "Compromise the Windings"
17/10/2025
Ep. 153: "A C in Chemistry"
18/09/2025
Ep. 152: "Gridley Bias"
03/09/2025
Ep. 151: "It Starts Out Cool"
25/07/2025
Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"
05/07/2025
Ep. 148: "Lining Up"
01/06/2025
Ep. 147: "Kosher Sound"
26/04/2025
Ep. 146: "Where the Spot Is"
07/04/2025
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