Ep. 104: "I Bought a Headache"

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Episode 104: No special guests, but plenty of amp questions answered, plus lots of schematic talk, A/B/Y boxes, a recipe or two, and a parenting tip!

Some of the topics discussed: 1:03 A 1954 Fender extension cabinet (tweed, but spray painted black); Fender Amps: The First 50 Years (Amazon link); asbestos in amps

7:04 Why are the PA amps I'm restoring so noisy? Masco MA-25; Stromberg-Carlson AU42

12:49 Resistance versus impedance; the functions of a choke in an amp

18:37 What happened to the quick & easy recipes? Canned soup hacks; replacing a broken terminal strip

23:13 Putting a three-prong plug on an old Variac; movie recommendation: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (link)

27:08 A one-tube reverb circuit (link); Kodak projectors; a voltage doubler

30:15 Getting your kids interested in electronics; paper airplanes; candle powered boats (Amazon link) Amplified Parts pedal kits (link)

35:21 Working on early Carvin tube amplifiers

39:09 Jack's Darr's Fender schematics

40:48 A 6G3 clone with a tube rattle; tube rings; goats

46:59 A Vega Commander Fidelity Amp Model No. 51; 1273 tubes

52:57 A "pop" whenever you turn your pedal on

57:15 Why don't more players use an A/B/Y and play multiple amps at once?

1:00:02 The bass control on a Gibson EH-185 schematic, amps that don't use the Baxandall tone control

1:03:03 What is the amp that came with my lap steel, what's with the 80 tube, how do I find a schematic for it, and what do I do with it? 1:09:20 Metal tubes versus glass tubes 1:11:50 The history of Rogers hi-fi's; beer bread pizza 1:14:58 Recommended: The Computer Clinic of Chico, California

This week's episode is sponsored by Calton Cases, Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

Support us on Patreon.com for added content and the occasional surprise and don't forget to get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal (link). Digital subscriptions start at just $30.

Submit your amp questions, recipes and life hacks to the podcast via [email protected] and don't forget to share the show with friends on social media.