About this episode
It's the 138th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps! This week, we pay tribute to Angela Instruments founder and former guest Steve Melkisethian (1950-2024); talk resistors and transformers; catch up on the 2024 Fretboard Summit; and much more. Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com . Don't forget, we have a Patreon page . Join us to get show updates and get to the front of the question line. Some of the topics discussed this time around: :58 R.I.P. Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag, Mike Bloomfield) 3:08 Our sponsors: Amplified Parts, Emerald City Guitars, and Grez Guitars . (Watch Emerald City Guitars' Fretboard Summit video here .) 5:32 The 2024 Fretboard Summit in a nutshell 10:29 R.I.P Steve Melkisethian (Angela Instrument); read our tribute here 18:42 R.I.P. Stephen Fitzstephens, member of our Kegger Facebook group 19:18 What was Skip listening to as a kid? 22:08 Skip's Music vintage gear headed to auction 24:42 When to use old, mismatched resistors? 26:39 The 2003 interview in Vacuum Tube Valley with Steve Carr ( PDF link ) 27:41 Removing surface rust from transformers 30:27 A 1964 Ampeg Reverberocket that pops when you turn it off 31:10 You all need a Variac 33:03 A pig farm mini-baffler; Papa Murphy's in a Weber grill 36:56 Dropping the B+ with a solid state rectifier 39:47 Flattening a Fender eyelet board, redux; how to flatten a '70s Fender grill cloth frame? 42:52 Aux phono input on a tube amp; replacing plastic knobs; movie recommendation: 'As It Is In Heaven' 46:48 An original 1963 Fender Vibroverb in the UK with a switchable voltage panel; John Kelly amps; Rainer Ptacek 52:33 How to select an output transformer for an amp when you don't know its specs 1:00:55 The wrong tube in Danelectro amplifiers (12AU6 vs 12AV6) 1:04:02 What's on Skip's bench? An Alamo amp; kudos to Larry Chung 1:05:43 Recommended reading: 'The Feather Thief' ( Amazon link ); TAVA listener and winemaker William Downie ( link ) 1:10:36 Using Meguiar's Convertible Top Cleaner to clean up a Premier amp 1:11:35 A Pepco Riviera 725; Frazey Ford 1:14:04 Posters by Serifs & Whiskey (link) 1:15:10 Blossom Valley Foods' Pepper Plant sauce (link) 1:15:37 Fixing a reverb tank by changing the transducer; Fender's specific use of European tubes Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.