The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

Episode 157: "Coyote and Deer"
December 18, 2025
Host: Jason Verlinde (The Fretboard Journal)
Guest: Skip Simmons

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off with discussion of bizarre weather events and flooding in Washington state before diving into listener questions on vintage tube amps, repair, and music recommendations. As always, hosts Skip and Jason blend practical tube amp wisdom with tangents about wildlife, recipes, and music – all in their trademark laid-back, witty style.

1. Weather, Floods, and Local Life

[00:12–09:25]

• Jason gives a detailed account of being trapped in Duval, WA by the worst flooding in recorded local history:

  "There's four roads in and out of the town. They're all underwater... but the actual town, which is not a small town, there's probably 10,000 people who live here... the stores are all open. We just can't leave our island." (Jason, 00:42)

• Warmest winter ever reported, ski resorts closed, and an 'atmospheric river' causing widespread road closures.
• Skip shares dry weather conditions in Southern Oregon and reflects on strange climactic changes:

  "I remember it being in the 70s. I'd say four or five weeks. Zero sun, not at all. Now... you get up to a thousand feet, 65 degrees..." (Skip, 02:51)

• Stories of locals gathering in pajamas to see the floodwaters and incidents like huge logjams threatening Everett, WA bridges. Aspiring luthiers are jokingly encouraged to go wood-hunting.

2. Guitar Shows, Aging, and Traveling

[03:52–05:41]

• Skip declines attending the Marin County Guitar Show due to dislike of hotels and unpredictable weather, referencing The Clash's "London Calling":

  "I can't sleep in a hotel. Just. I can't." (Skip, 04:22)

• Musings on aging, travel fatigue, and the anxiety of committing to bring repairs to shows.

3. Sponsors and Vintage Gear News

[13:20–16:49]

• Grass Guitars: Boutique brand praised for reclaimed redwood guitars with a modern twist.
• Amplified Parts: Emphasized as the complete source for amp and pedal parts, including gift certificates and kits.
• Emerald City Guitars: Noted for their overflowing vintage amp and guitar stock, including rare Dumble finds.
• Jason highlights a unique store policy:

  "Once you're buzzed in, you can play pretty much anything on the walls... they're extra cool if you tell them you're a Truth About Vintage Amps listener." (Jason, 15:47)

4. How to Participate & Show Format

[16:49–17:41]

• Jason explains: anyone can submit amp/guitar/repair/life/recipe questions by email or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
• Emphasis on inclusive, open-format show.

5. Wildlife & Game Cameras

[17:41–20:02]

• Skip describes his new trail camera capturing nightly visitors—coyotes, deer, skunks, and possibly even a badger:

  "Coyotes don't eat deer that much because otherwise why would we have so many pictures of coyote and deer in the same place in the yard?" (Skip, 18:02)

• Coyotes seem to prefer gophers; possible badger sighting.

6. Bench Updates & Vintage Amp Stories

[22:41–28:57]

• Vibro Champ Repair: Early '69 Silverface receives a subtle tremolo fix via capacitor swap; Skip emphasizes value of diagnostic ‘alligator-clip’ troubleshooting.
• Offers the amp for sale, promising authenticity and quality.
• Ampeg J20 Discovery: Finds a '90s hand-wired Ampeg that's "the bomb" for $350—rare, overlooked gem, handwired on a turret board.

  "If you ever see one of those [Ampeg J20s], pry that thing open... should be jumping on it now." (Skip, 25:46)

• Skip praises Fender’s recent return to handwiring tube sockets, making reissues dramatically more serviceable.

7. Listener Questions & Answers

Selected Highlights

Vintage Amp Scavenger Hunt

[29:03–33:38]

• Greg from Indianapolis seeks hidden treasures on a cross-country road trip.
• Skip:

  "No... All you can do is try to figure out if there's a mom and pop music store, a pawn shop or any place... The truly hardcore in the old days would put little ads... and then they'd go to the town and see if they could get anybody." (Skip, 30:47)

• Suggests hitting guitar shows, monitoring Vintage Guitar magazine’s event calendar, and letting the community know via Facebook groups.

Speaker Wattage & Loudness

[35:12–37:17]

• Nick in Detroit asks about 2x50W vs. 1x100W Marshalls, and how speaker efficiency affects perceived loudness.
• Skip:

  "Mathematically... 2 4x12 Marshall cabinets each with a 50 watt head would be officially the same as a 100 watt head driving two 412 cabinets. But I think in practical use, I bet two 50s would be even a little bit louder than 100." (Skip, 35:17)

• Notes speaker efficiency is a crucial real-world factor.

Speaker-Level Controls & Attenuators

[37:30–42:06] (Ezra’s voice memo, Oregon)

• Hooking up 1950s hi-fi speakers with built-in volume controls.
• Skip:

  "There's always been basically level controls for speakers, always in very sub. In very low fi situations... people yank all that junk out. That's all just passive junk. You don't want anything in your speaker except the speaker wires." (Skip, 40:00)

• Suggests removing the potentiometer for improved tone; not a true substitute for modern attenuators.

Obscure Winston Amp with EL84s

[42:06–46:05]

• Rick finds a mysterious "Winston" amp with 7189 (heavy-duty EL84) tubes; asks about running standard EL84s.
• Skip:

  "You could use EL84s in place [of 7189]... don't get confused, just like a real KT66 is, you know, $500 for one in the box... The one you got for $49.95... is not the same exact thing." (Skip, 45:33)

• Also riffs on vintage tube supply issues and the impact of international politics on tube pricing:

  "Countries that hate us, that number is growing. So inevitably..." (Jason, 46:05)

Historic Fender Deluxe Tweed for Gigs?

[50:30–55:35]

• Stuart wonders if he should gig his rare 1947 Deluxe.
• Skip:

  "If someone was committed and did not care and just really wanted to do that, this is what I'd do... Replace the handle, replace the speaker [and save the original] if you can... then you could just let the good times roll. Wouldn't have to worry about it at all." (Skip, 52:19+)

• Advises on non-destructive upgrades, emphasizing preservation.

Can You Run 6L6s in a Deluxe Reverb?

[55:35–60:39]

• Bud in Maine wants to use 6L6s or even 6550s in a Deluxe Reverb.
• Skip:

  "I had to change my mind. Not a Princeton Reverb, thank you very much... But it's pretty obvious that the Fender Deluxe reverb power transformer has enough filament current capacity to run 6L 6s, because everyone's been doing it." (Skip, 57:00)

• 6550s: Not advised unless you add extra filament capacity; only do this in purpose-built amps.

Treble Controls & Their Interactions

[60:41–65:16]

• Jake in Charlottesville asks if amp treble, bright switches, and guitar tone all do the same thing.
• Skip:

  "The bright switch... allows the highs to just detour around a volume control. So they're on 10... that's different than a treble control, which... just rolls highs to ground, kind of like on the guitar... they're not quite the same." (Skip, 63:35)

8. Cooking, Music & Pop Culture Breaks

Sprinkled throughout

• Jason, Skip, and callers share seasonal recipes and music tips:
  • French lentils, "Satan's saliva" (WD-40) debates, super-simple garlic bread, and curry chicken tips (marinate thighs in yogurt/spice blend).
  • Music: Roy Buchanan, Dan Hicks’ Christmas Jug Band, Van Morrison's rocking "You Are My Sunshine", and recommendations like Chuck Prophet and Joe Pass with Roy Clark.
• Skip:

  "I have a new uke, Hawaiian Koa Kamaka uke..." (Skip, 39:11)

• Frequent shoutouts to classic TV/film (WKRP in Cincinnati, Slow Horses, Life on the Line, Runaway Train), with Skip’s stream-of-consciousness humor throughout.

9. Wild Tangents & Amp Troubleshooting Wisdom

Multiple segments

• Converters, old PA amp mysteries, the importance of systematic troubleshooting:
  • Disconnect speakers & test them first when the amp is dead ("Jackdaw" method).
  • Always start at the end (output) and move backward.
  • Advice on never being afraid to try a simple swap (e.g., pots) when a kit build has hum only with the volume all the way down.

10. Closing, Resources & Acknowledgments

[86:47–93:38]

• Nostalgic discussion of the Whole Earth Catalog and early DIY/alternative lifestyle influences.
• Enthusiasm for Vacuum Tube Valley magazine and the "Tube Dumpster" column exposing rare/cheap but great tubes.
• Guitar wisdom meets lifestyle tips:

  "The conversion has begun. You know, get somebody something sturdy and small. That sounds good. While they're waiting for their curry to cook, you know?" (Skip, 93:17)

Notable Quotes

• "The only thing we can count on is two Bamps working." (Skip, 08:39)
• "You gotta be ready to go on the fly. You can't get up there and put your knobs all where they were at your house and expect it to be anything the same." (Skip, 62:34)
• "Maybe the keggers who get him to afford it." (on Lee DeForest, vintage tube pioneer) (Skip, 11:17)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• Flooding, climate, and town stories: 00:12–09:25
• Ampeg J20 discovery: 25:00–28:57
• Bench report: Silverface Vibro Champ repair: 22:47–24:59
• Trail cam wildlife & badger mystery: 17:41–20:02
• Tube types and tube trivia: 46:11–48:23
• 1947 Deluxe Tweed: 50:30–55:35
• 6L6s in Deluxe Reverbs: 55:35–60:39
• Treble controls Q&A: 60:41–65:16
• Whole Earth Catalog reflection: 86:47–90:14
• Curry chicken recipe and Canadian geographic trivia: 66:44–73:19

Episode Tone

Casual, humorous, full of sidebars and real-world stories. Skip’s commentary is technical and idiosyncratic, often colored by years of experience (and a little curmudgeonly wisdom), while Jason keeps pace with earnest curiosity and good-natured banter.

Final Thoughts

The show blends serious tube amp insight (often “from the trenches” info unavailable anywhere else) with a fun, warm, and community-driven spirit. Segments range from highly technical repair tips to neighborhood wildlife antics, all filtered through Skip and Jason’s distinctive personalities.

"As long as you keep showing up. I will keep showing up." (Skip, 94:12)