Ep. 168: ”Mustard on Your Tie”

It's the long-awaited episode 168 of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields all of your tube amp and life questions. This week, we kick things off by interviewing one of Skip's clients, Sebastian from Vintage Inspired Pickups! Also: possessed Ampegs, shipping forecasts, and Fender repairs and so much more. 

Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics. 

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:00 Special Guest: Sebastian Gruenberg of Vintage Inspired Pickups (link); molecular biology; winding pickups, making potentiometers; cryo-tuning magnets; Emerald City Guitars; Gibsonette input jack ground issues; and more!

30:57 What's on Skip's bench: Magnatones; a Sears 40XL Danelectro; Traynors

34:07 Jonathan Richman, charming singer-songwriter and stone mason

36:17 An early National Dobro amp for sale; where's Larry Chung?

38:51 The Fretboard Summit, August 20-22 in Chicago (register here); this year @vintagetubeamplifiers is bringing out a bunch of old & rare amps along with various other contributors/listeners! 

39:50 A kitchen cleaning tip, Dutch ovens, Skip's typewriter repair

44:07 Optocoupler repair in a classic Fender

45:57 The BBC's Shipping Forecast (link: https://www.bbc.com/weather/coast-and-sea/shipping-forecast) 

48:54 Rattlesnake Milk's 'Midnight Train', quick Asian rice, and TAVA buzzwords

50:54 Output tubes for Skip's Mega Champ amp build (Champ with Soursound transformers)

54:38 A demonic Ampeg B-18N 

59:04 A new caster for my 1966 Fender Pro Reverb, 'The Magnificent Charlie Parker' compilation; homemade gumbo; Mike Watt 

1:06:12 What should I do with this Masco A-10 project? using a Hammond 166M12 as a Variac; do old black metal pre-amp tubes like the 6SJ7 have glass inside? 

1:12:02 A tie story; how can I slow down the tremolo on my modded Silvertone 1484?

 

1:17:46 Gourmet dog treats 
 

Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

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