Soulman Vintage

07/11/2026

I like these boxes better than the fuses they contain.😁
However, these 400mA GMD fuses will be perfectly suitable for my UA LA-610 preamps and my Accuphase DP-70V CD deck.

05/14/2026

Giving this ‘70s Navigator Esparto the upgrade it deserves.

This one features the iconic big headstock and a beautiful rosewood fingerboard, but the original unpotted pickups were way too microphonic for high gain. That high-pitched squeal had to go!

I decided to swap them for a set of Fender Pure Vintage ‘61s. Before installing, I checked the inductance of each pickup to decide exactly which goes where for the perfect output balance between bridge and neck (just in case 😁).

Now it sounds just as classic as it looks minus the unwanted noise.

05/14/2026

I had to decrease the motor axis travel backlash on my Conn ST-11 to avoid resonance while it was rotating. But it’s smarter than me; when I made the gap too small, it started to rotate incorrectly and failed calibration.

So, I made the gap only as small as I had to. Actually, the issue is wear on the motor shaft bearing, and the best way to fix it is to find a donor with low ‘mileage.’ 🎃

A helpful tip: place the tuner at a slight incline so the motor shaft isn’t perfectly horizontal.

04/14/2026

Soulman Vintage is featured in VoyageLA!
We dived deep into our restoration philosophy — prioritizing authenticity and making sure every vintage piece isn't just a museum item, but a fully functional tool for musicians.
Read about our mission and recent highlights, including our collaboration with the Museum of Making Music at NAMM.

https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-al-soulman-of-chatsworth

Today we'd like to introduce you to Al Soulman. Hi Al, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?My background is in live sound engineering, where

04/12/2026

My analog/digital friend who often switches back to digital/analog mode.
The first generation Hilo is my go-to for experiments and fun, with two LA-610s processing signals from dual mics or one of my basses.

04/11/2026

Got a stash of EB 2221s I used to play on.

04/09/2026

First try at the new place. ✌️
No, it was recorded on iPhone, however preamp’s way to record now is working too.
I definitely must to label plugs with Neutral and Hot. These old two prong stuff could be dangerous ⚠️

04/07/2026

When my Conn ST-11 returned to its 60Hz homeland, I needed to restore its ability to work with that power frequency.
The process was quite simple because I had documented my 50Hz modifications in my archives.
I simply moved four diodes back to their original places in the matrix, and voilà!

04/03/2026

Some of my tools require maintenance too.
My oscilloscope's battery finally gave up after years and needed a replacement.
Done!
Also, I noticed a pretty weird issue with my Keysight DSOX1102G - the k***s have become super tacky and sticky, which seems strange for high-end equipment. I'm guessing it's a sign of wear and tear.
I've reached out to Keysight support and gave the k***s a quick clean with alcohol for now.
Waiting to hear back from them.