The Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast Episode 155: "Realistic Carnival"

Date: November 1, 2025
Host: Jason Verlinde (The Fretboard Journal)
Guest: Skip Simmons (vintage amp guru)

Episode Overview

In this characteristically offbeat and informative episode, Skip and Jason field a wide range of listener questions about vintage guitar amplifiers, tube choices, rare barn finds, hands-on repair advice, amp modification tips, and family recipes. The duo’s banter veers from technical amp talk and practical repair hacks to musical discoveries, family stories, and lighthearted philosophical musings. Notable high points include discussions of a rare barn-find Fender "Woody" Princeton and lap steel, uncommon low-voltage amp builds, the “Realistic Carnival” amp project, and the role music plays in bridging generations.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

Vintage Instruments & Instruments as Bargains

• Banjo Finds and Values

  • Skip describes a recent acquisition: a no-name, pre-Gibson-era 5-string banjo, likely from 1900–1920 ([02:08]).
  • Banjo market compared to guitars: "You drop a thousand dollars, you could get a really cool banjo. But you can't barely get a silver face champ, you know." -- Skip [02:36]
  • Old banjos as excellent value for people appreciating craftsmanship, even if less popular than guitars.

• Old Accordions and Music Recommendations

  • Skip shouts out Ned Boynton and the Nomads’ album Cocktails for the Brokenhearted, featuring jazz guitar, Hammond organ, and accordion ([05:16]).

Amp Repair, Restoration & Technical Q&A

1. Low B+ Tube Amps: The “Realistic Carnival” Project

• Skip details two recent amp builds using unusually low plate voltages for unique tone and affordability ([18:13]):
  • Bogan GA5 (rare tweed-style guitar amp, super low B+).
  • Radio Shack Realistic amp, gutted and rebuilt as a Masko C6S clone with a 6AQ5 tube.
• Takeaway: Using tubes like 6AQ5 instead of expensive 6V6, and lowering B+ for distinct small-amp tone.
  • "Tinkerers: lower that B plus, use tubes that we can get instead of whining about tubes we can't." -- Skip [22:03]

2. Baffler Segment – Oval Speaker Cones

• Listener: Johnny Seven shares the mystery of a Supro amp with an unfixable oval speaker ([22:53]).
• Skip explains cone replacements for oval speakers are no longer manufactured; modern solutions are rare or the wrong size.
  • "If you have a national Supro Valco amp that has oval speakers, lay off the stranglehold. Because you're going to blow those things up and then you'll... be doomed." -- Skip [25:01]

3. Input Jack Tech: High vs. Low Gain on Champs

• Skip describes an elegant mod where a stereo input jack switches a cathode bypass capacitor in and out for clean/dirty sounds ([28:26]).
  • Listener Jack’s correct guess: “...using a TRS or a switching jack...to connect the cathode bypass cap...” ([26:44]).
  • Skip: "I've done it a lot of times with little switches...the two jacks is really kind of elegant for something real small and discreet." [28:26]

4. Marshalls: JCM800 High/Low Inputs

• Listener Kyle asks what happens when you use the low input ([34:52]).
  • Skip: "The high gain goes through a triode...but the low gain comes in after that tube. So...the high gain input goes through an extra triode compared to the low gain" [35:33].
  • Bonus Maintenance Tip: Clean those switching jacks for proper tone!

5. Dropping B+ in Big Fenders (with DIY 'Tube Rectification')

• Listener Greg details (and Skip praises) converting a 1970s Twin Reverb to dual 6AX5 tube rectifiers for lower B+, taming volume and gaining crunch ([75:58]).
  • "I think we've converted a logging truck into a tow truck. Still big and heavy, but a little more manageable. And now you get some crunch at a band-level volume." – Greg [77:01]
  • Skip: “Sherlock Holmes has an even smarter brother...I dream up stupid things to do to a twin, and then other people do it for me...” [79:57]

6. Amp Cosmetic Restoration: To Paint or Not?

• Listener Dane with a rare, rusty Sound Master PA ([55:23]).
  • Skip: “If it was what I'd consider to be a valuable amp...I wouldn't paint it. But...do what you want, it's your amp!” [57:44]

7. Music Man & Capacitor Tech

• Listener Lorenz with a smoke-damaged HD130 ([63:23]).
  • Advice on inspecting tubes (often fine after heat), cleaning, and paying special attention to transistor sockets ([65:26]).
  • "Tubes run hot. They don't care about being close to a fire." -- Skip [66:09]

Musical Discoveries & Recommendations

• Ned Boynton & The Nomads – Cocktails for the Brokenhearted ([05:16])
• Choir! Choir! Choir! with Colin Hay – "Overkill" ([51:35])
• Joe Pass-style Jazz Guitar: Evan Crafts (Instagram: @ercrafts) ([77:01])
• Kids' Book Recommendation: The One About the Blackbird by Matt James ([81:19])

Notable Quotes

• "Play the banjo, go to jail, it's the law." -- Skip, [04:53]
• "Dude, let's talk about Strats, right? Pre-war Martin something or other." -- Skip [07:42]
• "If you wanted a cool old car, step one, have you got a great big garage?" -- Skip [14:24]
• "I think we've converted a logging truck into a tow truck. Still big, but a little more manageable." -- Greg [77:01]
• "Tinkerers: lower that B plus, use tubes that we can get instead of whining about tubes we can't." -- Skip [22:03]

Barn Find of the Episode: 1946 'Woody' Fender Princeton & Lap Steel

[94:53–104:14]
A remarkable tale where Skip encounters a pristine barn-find set: an ultra-rare Fender “Woody” Princeton amp and matching lap steel, untouched since the 1940s — a true piece of Leo Fender history.

• "I didn't even want to touch the guitar. I was just like—I didn't even want to turn a screw, you know..." -- Skip [98:25]

Family, Philosophy & Life Balance

• Parenting/work-life balance advice for new parents running a business ([84:31]):
  • Skip: “Put yourself last. You're not first, you're last, really. And I don't think there's really anything wrong with that.” [87:55]
  • Jason: “You have a few years to figure your...out. You can really phone it in until they are old enough to remember things...” [87:43]

Southwest Recipe Roundup

Listener food tips were a recurring motif this episode!

• Cactus Salad – Franklin ([45:49])

  • Buy cactus (jar or fresh), rinse, dice with onion/tomato/cilantro, add queso fresco, salt & pepper.
  • “Taste great with tortillas, tostadas or tortilla chips.”

• New Mexico Cooking Tip: Put green chili on everything ([35:25])

• Mai Ploy Curry Paste – Mikey ([88:54])

  • Thai curry paste “keeps forever...You need three things: curry paste, coconut milk, and rice. Everything else is up to you.”

• Prawn/Bacon BBQ – Andy in Australia ([70:15])

  • Bacon-wrapped shrimp, seared in garlic butter, ideal for hot summers with cold beer.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Banjo & Accordion Discussion: [02:07]–[07:37]
• Ned Boynton/Album Recommendation: [05:16]–[07:05]
• Sponsors/Amp Parts Sources: [07:52]–[17:21]
• Low Voltage Amp Builds & “Realistic Carnival”: [18:13]–[22:19]
• Bafflers (Oval Speakers): [22:45]–[26:19]
• Input Jack Mod (Champ Bypass Cap): [26:44]–[31:57]
• Marshall JCM800 High/Low Inputs: [34:51]–[38:40]
• Barn Find Segment (Fender Woody): [91:12]–[104:14]
• Food Tips (Cactus Salad, Curries, etc.): [45:49], [88:54], [70:15]
• Parental/Work-Life Balance Discussion: [84:31]–[88:22]

Memorable Moments

• Listeners convert a Twin Reverb into “a tow truck” using DIY tube rectification. ([77:01])
• Barn-find tale of the Princeton Woody and matching steel — ultimate treasure! ([94:53])
• Jason’s heartfelt tribute to how music connects generations (The One About the Blackbird). ([81:19])
• Skip: “Don’t leave people with your junk.” — Family history lessons on gear inheritance ([99:54])

Closing

Skip and Jason wrap the episode after nearly two hours of laughter, sage advice, and inspired stories. As always, they encourage listeners to send in amp questions, audio notes, family recipes, and continue fostering the quirky, passionate “TAVA” community.

Contact the show & send your questions/recipes:
podcast@fretboardjournal.com

Sponsors:

• Amplified Parts
• Emerald City Guitars
• Grez Guitars

Suggested Listening/Links:

• Ned Boynton & The Nomads
• Choir! Choir! Choir! with Colin Hay – "Overkill"
• Evan Crafts, Jazz Guitarist (Instagram @ercrafts)
• Matt James – The One About the Blackbird

“As long as people keep rattling our cage, we'll keep doing it.” – Skip [104:34]