Ep. 154: "Compromise the Windings"

About this episode

In this episode, Skip Simmons answers listener questions about various tube amps and shares insights on amp repairs and modifications.

It's the 154th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. Some of the topics discussed this week: :42 Skip is back on the Ferguson TO-35 tractor; Roy Clark & Joe Pass 7:04 What's on Skip's bench: A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Marshall bright caps, the Pet Shop Boys 11:43 Our sponsors Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; more Fender Champ mods; a Champ gain input baffler; Soursound transformers 23:51 200 more power cords; IEC hijinks; Steve Soest 28:13 A 1954 Fender Tweed Twins and the low-powered versus high-powered Twins; Tweed Pros; Fender Champion 600 amps 31:49 A Lafayette PA with ECL82 tubes ( watch on Instagram ) 33:45 A 1960s Airline 62-9021A amp; how to tell a Supro/Valco from a Danelctro amp 37:33 Skip's advice for a future repair business; liability insurance; the Boilermaker; the amp that couldn't be fixed 49:06 A listener-submitted baffler: A Supro that needed a speaker recone? 52:29 What should I do with my new Knight 93350 PA head? 58:03 Should I build a 6G4 or a 6G4A in this Northern Electric PA-20 with six pre-amp sockets? 1:04:28 Wiring a Danelectro DS-100…

People in this episode

Host: Skip Simmons

Topics covered

• Ferguson TO-35 tractor
• Marshall Plexi Super Bass
• Fender Champ mods
• 1954 Fender Tweed Twins
• 1960s Airline 62-9021A amp
• Supro/Valco vs Danelctro amps
• repair business advice

Keywords

• tube amps
• amp repair
• Fender
• Marshall
• Supro

Sponsors

Grez Guitars, Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts

Mentioned in this episode

Products: TO-35, A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Champ, Tweed Twins, Twins, Tweed Pros, Champion 600, ECL82, Airline 62-9021A, a Supro/Valco

Books & works: Compromise the Windings, the Truth About Vintage Amps, The Birth of Loud

More episodes of The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons

• Ep. 163: "Thoughts Go to Cornbread" (Special Guest: Roy Rogers!) · April 11, 2026 · 1h 39m
• Ep. 162: "The Temple of Music" · March 20, 2026 · 1h 29m
• Ep. 161: "Tremolo Thursday" · March 2, 2026 · 1h 11m
• Ep. 160: "Some People Can't Stand an Unused Triode" · February 16, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Ep. 159: "TAVA, Again...Exclamation Point" · January 17, 2026 · 1h 26m
• Ep. 158: "Not Just Living in Their Mom's Basement" · December 24, 2025 · 1h 6m