The Truth About Vintage Amps (Ep. 152: "Gridley Bias")

Podcast: The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons
Host: The Fretboard Journal
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode brings the usual blend of amp wisdom, technical banter, and friendly chatter as Skip, Jason, and Jeff field listener questions about vintage amps, restoration challenges, tech troubleshooting, and the eternal pursuit of the perfect amp sound. Along the way, there are tales from county fairs, sponsor shoutouts, amp bench war stories, excursions into food hacks, and a healthy dose of humor and humility.

The main theme circles around troubleshooting classic amp issues, amp modification questions, reconciling the desire for originality versus upgrade, nostalgic dives into gear nerd-dom, and the philosophy of music gear obsession. Listener contributions cover a wide range of technical, historical, and "what-if" scenarios—addressed in Skip’s signature style: direct, knowledgeable, funny, and sometimes irreverently honest.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The AI Episode & Skip’s Technology Woes

• The crew jokes about recording the episode with the help of AI, poking fun at technological transitions and Skip’s ongoing battle with spam calls and answering machines.
• Quote:

  “First I had to find all the cords and. And then it was at 9:30 instead of 9.” — Skip [01:32]

• Skip shares woes over robocalls, spam blockers, and voicemail, encouraging listeners to keep calling or email if they don’t get through.
• Humor moment: The group playfully blames any technical hiccups or "not quite right" banter on the AI.

2. Gear Obsession vs. Musical Focus

• Discussion erupts about Skip’s previous comment that "real musicians aren't obsessive about their gear," prompting listener outrage and correction.
• Quote:

  "What he should have said was Skip sometimes says stuff that's not the whole story or downright stupid." — Skip [04:07]

• They reflect on musicians who, indeed, are gear tinkerers (e.g., Joe Walsh) and the appeal of simple, good-sounding vintage amps.
• Cultural takeaway: The tug-of-war between modding gear and just playing music is a recurring theme for vintage amp fans.

3. Sponsor Acknowledgements (Skip to Amp Talk)

• Brief sponsor mentions (Amplified Parts, Emerald City Guitars, Grez Guitars).
• Skip spotlights longtime listener Tom Gunterman and his two Grez guitars, echoing how grassroots support and builder passion keep the vintage scene thriving ([06:40]).

4. Amp Kits & The DIY Explosion

• Conversation about the exploding popularity and availability of amp kits.
• Quote:

  “If you’re interested in building a little amp and… learning how it works, the options are just, you know, they're way up there.” — Skip [07:58]

• Caveat that you won’t necessarily get a “fabulous amp for dirt cheap,” but it’s great for learning.

5. Yellow Jacket Tube Converters & Power Scaling

• Listener question: Are Yellow Jacket tube converters effective for lowering power/output?
  • Skip: Limited direct experience but notes these gadgets are among many (master volumes, power scaling etc.) to make big amps more manageable ([08:45–10:15]).
  • Advice: Use with lower-powered amps; be cautious, as you’re “messing with power tubes.”

6. Bench Report: Standel Saga & Prewar Oddities

• Skip’s July tally: “Fixed 50 amps in July. Easy, easy.” [10:19]
• Describes challenges working on Standel amps and prewar gear—complex, fragile, time-consuming, and often lacking schematics.
  • Standel jobs require almost every component replaced; similar for prewar lion & Healey PA head.
  • Philosophical note:

    “You can see why Fender came along. So much less complicated, lighter, better, louder.” — Skip [14:36]

• Financial and practical challenges fixing rare pieces: “I can't say, here's your amp. It's $2,000 in repairs, even though I spent a week messing with it.” [15:16]

7. Listener Questions—Tech Deep Dives

a. Channel Phase Issues in Fender Amps ([17:39])

• Caller Dale: Suggests a phase-flipping AB switch (maybe Radial) to solve out-of-phase channel-jumping issues.
• Skip: Simpler methods often suffice. Neon on practical usage—most vintage Fender combos with multiple inputs can sound great, don’t sweat the details too much.
  • Quote:

    “It's not always a problem... the more primitive methods… can work really well most of the time.” — Skip [19:01]

b. Transformer Upgrades for Pedal Steel ([24:55])

• Kendall from Illinois: Built a Showman-style head but can’t get enough headroom for pedal steel gigs.
  • Wonders about swapping for an ultralinear transformer, or switching to KT88s.
• Skip:
  • Make sure the amp works “as it should” before modifications.
  • Check speaker pairing first; verify circuit voltages (plate, B+, etc.).
  • Only consider transformer swaps after ruling out root causes.
  • Building complex amps as a first project is a “big ass” commitment—better to start with simple projects.
  • Quote:

    “In general, I say don’t modify something until you've figured out that it's really working right.” — Skip [27:10]

c. Yellow Jacket in the Rectifier Socket ([29:20])

• Question: What about solid-state rectifier plug-ins?
• Skip’s advice:
  • Measure high voltage before and after; solid state can sometimes push B+ too high, which can cause issues.
  • Not all drop-in rectifier replacements affect voltage; always check the results.

d. UK Kelly Amp—Cap Trouble? ([33:55])

• Jim from Davis, CA: Kelly amp cuts out unless powered up slowly; worries about filter caps and rare Partridge transformers.
• Skip:
  • Could be power tube socket arcing or filter caps, but only replace parts with direct evidence.
  • Look for burned/charred socket material.
  • If swapping caps, use similar values to other 50W UK amps (like Selmer or Marshall).
  • Proceed cautiously, especially with rare amps.

e. Speaker Matching & Preferences ([47:59], [52:11], [54:19])

• Jeff Schick: Detailed, meandering question about matching speakers, amp power, and desired tonal results.
• Skip’s response:
  • There are endless permutations and no fixed rules.
  • Want speaker breakup? Use lower-power, smaller-magnet speakers.
  • Want clean headroom? Use robust, higher-wattage speakers.
  • Impedance mismatches are generally not catastrophic in classic amps.
  • Speaker choice is trial and error—trust your ears, not just the specs.

8. Accordion in Jazz, Kale & Typewriters

• Doug Freeman calls in with tales of accordion and jazz (Joe Mooney Quartet), and a kale cooking tip.
• Side conversation on the joys of collecting and restoring typewriters, and the art of homemade labels.
  • Quote:

    “Nothing more relaxing than staring at one of those [typewriters] that you just got at a yard sale and kind of cleaning it …” — Skip [46:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Of course we know … that's part of it too. I probably was just trying to make the point that nothing wrong with parking all that stuff and just playing music, right?" — Skip [04:07]
• "If you're interested in building a little amp and … learning how it works. The options are just, you know, they're way up there." — Skip [07:58]
• "I tell people that all the time. ... I think that's part of this popularity of the simpler older amps—because it sure is easy to spend the only 20 minutes you have messing around with the knobs…as opposed to something that just always sounds good." — Skip [04:37]
• "You can see why Fender came along. So much less complicated, lighter, better, louder." — Skip [14:36]
• “If you want the speaker to get kind of crunchy sounding, well, something with a smaller magnet that can handle less power is going to do that.” — Skip [54:19]
• "Relax, have some red wine with the ice cube in it, junior, and don’t worry about it." — Skip [54:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• County Fair/Tech Talk: 00:19–03:46
• Gear Obsession Debate: 03:49–05:09
• Sponsor shoutouts: 05:48–07:42
• Amp Kits & DIY: 07:58–08:22
• Yellow Jacket Tube Converters: 08:45–10:15
• Bench Report & Prewar Standel: 10:19–16:15
• Phase inversion questions: 17:39–20:51
• Transformer/Headroom Question: 24:55–28:16
• Rectifier Plug-in Question: 29:20–31:36
• Kelly Amp Troubleshooting: 33:55–41:33
• Accordion/Jazz/Music Rec: 42:20–45:34
• Speaker Matching Deep Dive: 47:59–54:19

Episode Tone and Language

Relaxed, informal, humorous, and self-deprecating. There’s a strong sense of community and camaraderie—the hosts are as comfortable joking about county fair livestock as dissecting arcane electrical problems. Listener questions are respected, even when complex or rambling, with Skip always bringing pragmatic, experience-based advice. When offering technical instruction, the tone is unfussy and clear, always layered with wit.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is classic TAVA: amiable, deep-dive technical advice for vintage amp hobbyists and professionals alike, leavened with storytelling, philosophy, and inside jokes. You’ll come away with a better sense of the practical challenges of vintage amp repair, the ambiguity in “rules” about gear, and the enduring importance of community opinion, experimentation, and kindness in an obsessive hobby. Plus, you’ll know several new ways to cook kale.

Don’t miss:

• Skip’s advice on starting simple for DIY builds
• The no-nonsense speaker selection segment
• Standel and prewar amp repair war stories
• Doug Freeman’s historical jazz accordion references
• The implicit message: Vintage amp culture is about both the gear and the wild community around it.