Ep. 110: "Need a Ride?"

The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

An episode that almost went off the rails (a missing special guest, talk of tragic balloon heroes, street tacos) but somehow gets back to amp basics.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

3:56 Skip's decision to quit being a drawbridge operator, Skip visits Eminence

8:58 Austin Ribbon Mics, the Hot Holder Pro (link); book recommendation: 'How to Read Schematic Diagrams' by Donald Herrington

11:36 The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair, by George Plimpton (New Yorker link)

12:22 Roqsolid amp covers (link); Vengeance

13:52 New to our Patreon: Listener Nick reads the Jack Darr (link)

15:30 The use of ferrite beads, redux; inductors versus capacitors

18:20 A love for logging trucks; the Gretsch Fury, a not-quite-stereo-amplifier

24:00 The amp-related plotline on the fourth episode of Poker Face on Peacock

25:10 Polarized electrolytic caps; using a dual-shaft concentric pot on a '65 Gibson Scout GA-17RVT to avoid drilling a new hole; musician Seth Walker

30:21 Installing a switch to bypass the whole reverb circuit on a clone 1965 Princeton Reverb clone

34:12 Ampeg VT-40 60 cycle hum, even in standby 39:40 Skip's steak street tacos; Tortillaland tortillas; Rancho Gordo beans (link)

46:19 SOLVED: James' 1967 Twin Reverb with diminished volume, could this mistake be a desired mod?

53:38 Whacking a transformer with a hammer

55:40 Could you build an extension cab with a field coil speaker that has its own power supply so you can use it with any amp?

1:01:31 Seeking a budget hi-fi rig for classic country; Mezzetta garlic-stuffed olives; cream cheese-filled eggrolls, Granzella's Restaurant in California

1:08:08 Dutch kale in heavy cream; using a thermal camera to diagnose faulty amp parts, puppies as relationship testers; thermometer guns

This week's episode is sponsored by Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars. You can also use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase.

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