Ep. 136: "Release the Curd"

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

It's the 136th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amps!

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Some of the topics discussed this time around:

1:11 A Big Boy locomotive chugs through CA

3:42 What's on Skip's Bench: A Valco/National/Airline amp-in-case; a single-ended Soundmaster PA; a Premier Twin 8

10:55 Another round of TAVA shirts? (coming soon)

13:06 Milkman to produce a JBL K120 replica speaker (link); re-coning by Hempopotamus (and Weber)

16:56 The 2024 Fretboard Summit, featuring Blake Mills, Josh Scott (JHS), Colin Hay and so much more https://fretboardsummit.org (Aug 23-25, 2024 in Chicago)

20:29 The Davis Guitar Scene

20:51 Is there a new speaker comparable to the JBL D130F? Artie Shaw

22:43 VHT amps, redux; homemade cheese

28:05 Why did Leo use RCA plugs for his speaker jacks?

32:20 I miss lo-fi Skip; help me isolate the hum on my Magnatone 410

39:45 Favorite solder; avocado toast

43:26 Recommended movie: 'All That Is Sacred' featuring Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, and vintage Key West (link)

44:58 Help me ground my Pepco Riviera 725

48:15 Does the phase inverter tube contribute gain?

49:47 AIMS amplifiers, redux; Don Randall

53:59 Skip (almost) fixes a church organ

1:00:03 Should I wax pot these old output transformers?

1:04:55 Why is there chicken wire in my amplifier? finding the outside foil on a cap Recorded July 25, 2024.