3 prong conversion - shocking question

I receive a lot of e-mails about 3 prong conversion, death cap and the usual 'my amp zap'd me'. We have some info in the archive section of this site, but here is a link on a nice thread that cover most of the topic - and also address the 'isolation transformer' to be or not to be.

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/97770-A-Shocking-Old-Tube-Amp-Question

And here's another cool link that summarize the topic quite nicely (at least for us players) and there's a walk thru for the DIY conversion.

http://www.netads.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Kalamazoo/Mods/safe.html

Garnet stencil amps and Pepco

When you collect info about Pepco and other canadian tube amp builders from the 60's and 70's, you start to understand the "stencil amp" concept.

"The concept of a 'stencil-line' is relatively simple: the amplifier maker produces amplifiers
for 'wholesale' to virtually anyone who asks, and puts the buyers name on the panel.
Usually, it is the same amplifier produced over and over again - only the front panel name is changed."

Another prolific maker was Garnet. Besides their well renown line of amplifiers (thanks to BTO), they did a lot of stenciling. Here is a nice site with a lot of info on the different brands that came out of this activity.

http://www.garnetamps.com/stencil.htm

Note that some of these brands were also produced by Pepco (raven - supreme - stagg - etc...). Is there a cooperation that used to take place between the two manufacturers.......was the layouts and/or schematics common.... Who  knows !