Ep. 150: "Throw It In the River"

It's the 150th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! How did that happen? 

Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show.

Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to [e-mail]! Include a photo, too. 

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (link); salvaging organ pedals 

6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (link); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run

11:46 Standel amplifier quirks, voltage regulator tubes, Dave's Hot Chicken kale slaw

16:36 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Amplified Parts is having a Fourth of July sale right now (act fast)

19:17 The Fretboard Summit Pinewood Derby race

22:03 Honorary sponsor: Tin Can Valley Letterpress (link)

23:10 Recommended reading: Matthew Zapruder's 'Story of a Poem' (Amazon link)

25:22 An Ampeg V4 / V4B bias circuit baffler

28:07 Single-ended amp 101; Stouffer's Hotel cherry chocolate cake

41:19 Channel jumping on a Silvertone 1482 and other amps; Neil Young

46:00 Music recommendation: Round Eye from Shanghai

47:11 Why do these homebrew 5F1 clones have blackened input jacks?

49:31 The Fender 400PS schematic

54:18 Harmony 420 amps, making a pre-amp out of a Heathkit volt meter

1:00:05 The Fretboard Journal's Dumble short film with Ben Harper (YouTube link)

1:01:46 Dave Hill at the 2025 Fretboard Summit!

1:02:34 Redwood cabinets on Gibson Falcons; Lima, Peru's Los Saicos band

1:12:21 A-Z Darts in Sacramento (link)

1:16:04 Getting a mono tube hi-fi for music playback

1:23:56 Listener Yann at Body and Soul Instruments (Instagram); the new Robert Johnson book (Amazon link) 

1:25:24 Keeping the 12v DC power supply on old PA amps? Doug Hoffman

1:30:54 How far should I mod this 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb?

1:37:24 Ishi in Two Worlds (Amazon link)

Recorded July 4, 2025. 

Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to [e-mail]! Include a photo, too. 

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal. 

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