It’s the 77th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons makes pizza on english muffins, crushes the dreams of young blues aficionados and fields your questions on all things tube amp.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:23 Skip has no electricity

3:52 Jason does a video shoot with David Grisman

4:17 The “Amigo SoCal” vintage guitar show (August 28-29, 2021); a Massey amp with reverb and tremolo

6:06 Alamo Paragon Special

8:01 Skip’s tips: Vintage guitar show wheeling & dealing

10:23 Grez Guitars

12:10 Amplified Parts, Pro Co guitar cords

12:57 Jupiter Caps: Bumblebees, Red Astrons, Cosmos caps

20:45 The TAVA Patreon page

25:17 The TAVA Index on Tableau!, Goldentone Amp book

28:51 Cleaning the crusty corrosion on a Fender silverface faceplate

31:34 Making a lower-power Vox clone?

35:21 Grid bias vs cathode bias on a pre-amp tube

38:50 Why does Skip have an oscilloscope and why doesn’t he raise his prices?

41:14 Can you use a field coil speaker to drive speaker-driven reverb; voicecoils on a field coil speaker

45:07 Will the bigger vintage Fender amps ever go up in value?

49:32 Pinpointing note-triggered noise / rumble in an amp cabinet

52:55 A Lab Series L3 goes to a good home; Robert Moog; English muffin pizzas

55:12 What’s up with the Fender Tremolux Model 6G9 with EL84 power tubes? Aspen Pittman’s ‘The Tube Amp’ book (Amazon link)

58:15 A 1955 Montgomery Ward-branded amp with a wire from the speaker frame to the chassis

1:01:14 A one-way speaker mismatch on solid state amps?

1:02:54 Water kefir (recipe here)

1:04:30 Replacing the multi-cap can on a Fender Bassman 20

1:06:54 Using a pressure cooker for dried beans or potatoes

1:08:40 Poking a hole instead of solder wick

1:09:01 Vintage pencil sharpeners; Nelson Riddle

1:11:32 Any grads from the Red Wing Electronic Music Technology class?

1:12:32 The magic behind an early 1960s Ampeg M-15, vintage Jensen P15N speakers

1:15:30 What to do with a cheap Aerco-branded PA amp built by Atomite Electronic & Radio Corp?

1:21:35 Midwesterners: Skip is seeking Heileman’s Special Export, Augsburger or Little Kings beer

Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises.

Have an amp, life or kitchen question for Skip? Email or send a voice memo to: podcast@fretboardjournal.com or leave us a voicemail or text at 509-557-0848.

Want to see all the former topics discussed on the TAVA Podcast? Click here for all the show notes on one page.

Above photo: Listener Bill’s Aerco PA.