About this episode
Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on vintage tube amp buying, restoration and repair. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal 's Jason Verlinde. Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848. Some of the topics discussed on this episode: 2:40 Jason brings home a Marshall Mercury 13:40 Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders 17:47 A request for a deeper dive into the Fender Champ schematic 24:34 Skip sells his Fender Tremolux head; an Ampex 960 reel-to-reel for free 27:45 Pat Boone's recording console 30:45 Putting a VU meter in a Champ? 34:10 Truth About Vintage Amps shirts update: Shipped! 34:34 This week's sponsor: Grez Guitars 37:20 More soldering advice 38:42 Scratchy pot tips (spoiler alert: WD-40) 41:43 An '80s Fender Concert 47:08 A Vibroluxe Reverb versus Deluxe Reverb and the sonic difference between 10" and 12" speakers 57:25 Ray Massie's The Vibe amp 59:30 18-watt Marshalls and a listener's clone attempt using a Rauland PA amp platform 1:06:34 A 1955 Tweed Bassman with nearly all-new parts 1:10:32 When to replace drifted resistors 1:12:30 Converting a Fender PA-100 into a guitar amp 1:14:16 How many watts from a 6L6? 1:17:40 The Vingtor amp from Norway (and fixing a tremolo) 1:23:53 More Champ kit tips (wiring tube sockets) 1:25:22 A proposed Skip certification program 1:26:52 Coffee advice ( Amazon link for the lazy) 1:29:40 Soap advice ( Amazon link for the lazy) 1:31:50 Getting a 1965 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue rewired by Alessandro 1:37:45 Bad solder joints and troubleshooting a DIY 5F1 that stopped behaving