Ep. 155: "Realistic Carnival"
From The Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip Simmons by The Fretboard Journal
November 1, 2025 · 1h 46m · Episode 155
About this episode
In this episode, Skip Simmons answers listener questions about tube amps, discusses various amp-related topics, and shares music recommendations.
It's the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended) and more! Some of the topics discussed this week: 1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal ( link ); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal? 5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton's 'The North Beach Sound;' The No-Mads ( nomadsband.com ) 7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars ; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (and Mr. Microphone) 18:12 What's on Skip's bench: A Bogen GA-5; a Realistic Carnival; Masco C-6; 6AQ5 tubes 22:53 A listener baffler, answered (speaker re-coning); Vintage 47 amps ( link ) 26:18 Skip's ep. 154 baffler, answered: What does Skip do when he's modding the second input of a Fender Champ? Supro Spectators 32:51 New Accutronics reverb tanks by Revisit ( link ) 34:52 What's the low input doing in a Marshall JCM800; green chile on everything 39:20 Lowering the B+ on a 1971 Fender Bassman 10 project; ultralinear transformers; cactus salad 48:43 The long-awaited dog story 51:35 Colin Hay's "Overkill" with Choir! Choir! Choir! ( YouTube link )…
People in this episode
Host: Skip Simmons
Topics covered
- Barn finds
- lost dogs
- amp modding
- speaker re-coning
- vintage amps
Keywords
- tube amps
- Fretboard Journal
- music recommendations
- amp tech
Sponsors
Grez Guitars, Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts
Mentioned in this episode
Products: A Bogen GA-5, a Realistic Carnival, C-6, 6AQ5, Champ, Supro Spectators, JCM800, Traynor, a Soundmaster 600 PA, Lab Series
Books & works: Realistic Carnival, the Truth About Vintage Amps, The North Beach Sound, Overkill, Choir! Choir! Choir, The One About the Blackbird
Places: Emerald City
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
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