Dumbles.????????
lucylespian
Posts: 2,403
What is it with theses amps ??
Five times teh price of anything else out there, including teh best Class A hand-wired stuff and people still but them.
CAn anyone illuminate me??
PS Suggestions I shove a flashlight up my ass are OK, so long as I get a sensible answer sometime.
Five times teh price of anything else out there, including teh best Class A hand-wired stuff and people still but them.
CAn anyone illuminate me??
PS Suggestions I shove a flashlight up my ass are OK, so long as I get a sensible answer sometime.
Music is not a competetion.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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It's a nice rich thick and smooth overdrive sound. Overhyped yes and there are companies like Fuchs and Two Rock that build respectable facimilies of the famed Overdrive Special.
To me it's more legend than anything although they are special amps and are absolutely worth getting in the 14 to 30 grand range because you can get that all day and then some the value has been driven up in recent years by John Mayer who has bought up a great number of them and recently has settled on Two Rock to build his touring rigs which are excellent but also really really expensive.
If you have the change and are collecting and you want the dumble tone by all means... go for it, they are the final piece for those lusting for "that" sound. (Though each one is different and were built custom so one may speak to you while another does not)
You might check out Fuchs and Two Rock for those types of tones as well if that's what you are looking for.
Dumbles are essentially ultra rare, legendary mythical creatures and their value is driven up because of it.
Personally I think in the modern day, there are 5 or 6 builders that know their stuff and can absolutely build as good an amp as a dumble it's all in the ears.
Few amps in the world exist with those types of complex harmonic edge of break up sounds.
When you have people like Carlos Santana, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Lowell George, Henry Kaiser, John Mayer, Steve Lukather, Sonny Landreth, Rick Vito, Tom McGrath,
Steve Kimock, Jackson Browne, David Lindley using your amp you can charge whatever you want.
I've played through several Dumbles in studios where I was hired for session work - very creamy sounding amps.
Dumble started making them in 1963.
His first shop was in Santa Monica in 1968 - one of the 1st custom-order amp makers from CA.
His initial efforts were a few Mosrite amps for Semie Moseley (guitar maker and the founder of Mosrite guitars)..
I know John (Mayer) is now using Dumble.
That lucky bastard couldn't have afforded one in 2000 - he was using Fender back then.
"Several companies have produced amplifiers based on the Dumble Overdrive Special . Some DIY-amplifier building
hobbyists have also started to build Dumble influenced amplifiers from un-official schematics and photographs
circulating on the Internet . Since the 1980s,mr. Dumble has covered the preamp circuitry of his amps with a thick
layer of opaque epoxy, protecting his schematic's exact design, although several amplifiers have been "de-gooped"
and their component values measured.
The circuitry varies somewhat between individual amplifiers, because each one was built and voiced for a specific
player. Amplifiers built around the same time tend to share some of the same circuitry and component values.
However, several amplifiers were later sent back to Dumble to have their circuitry updated.
Part of the characteristic sound of Dumble amplifiers comes from dumble's choice of parts: - the type of capacitors
used in the tonestack and in the overdrive stages , type of plate resistors, the output transformer, the lead dress,
and the use of shielded wire. Dumble amplifiers are built on eyelet boards . The chassis is made of aluminum.
All Dumble amplifiers operate using vacuum tubes. Overdrive Specials use 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, 6L6 tubes in
the power amp in older models, and (EL34 ) tubes used at in the power amplifier section in some newer models.
A separate Dumblelator buffered effects loop (a cathode-follower output with a triode gain stage for recovery) is
recommended for using effects processors with a Dumble amplifier".
I stole this from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumble_Amplifiers so you can read more on the individual amps there.
- Ian
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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So is an eyelet board like a tag strip, or is Dumble teh guy the Randall Smith is referring to when he talks about amps not even using a tag strip.
I'm pretty happy with the gear I have and am ceratinly not looking at one. I haven't even got the Mesa Mark IIC+ from the US yet. I was just intruiged by the idea that there could be an amp out there "that" much better than the other good stuff.
But thanks for the answers. It definitely would not make me play better.
If you have not heard about a Dumble amp by nbow then it will not make you a better player LOL
Now a 10 string Rich Bich is a horse of a different color!
Just go buy a Zendrive if you can find one, it is goo enough for most guys and it will get you that creamy thick sustain. Will it turn your XXXXX into a Dumble, not even close, but it is about all most people will spend.
FWIW, the Fuchs 50w ODS is more consistant then any Dumble I ever heard. Affordable too!
Hanging at www.TheGuitarHub.com
The only Forum for players by players.......
Playing Les Pauls, Teles, Hubers, Gustavssons, Kolls through a Mad Professor amp with a Bob Burt Cab.
BJF powers my Pedal Board
Nah, I'm not looking for "that sound", just curious that's all.
I've got more than enough tone with the amps I have, and my LP through any of my tubies will sustain FOREVER.
But thanks for the comments.
Think of it this way...
Dumble is the circle jerk of the guitar gear head community; only marginally better (if at all, maybe less) than all the rest of the class A amps, but cost ten-fold more.
and besides, unless your name is John Mayer (who is supposedly buying them all up), you'll likely never see one.
I can't even fathom buying a guitar amp that costs that much. If I had that much money, I'd give to something worthwhile instead.
Yeah, that's what I was really thinkning. A holy name spoken in hushed tones, but really no better than other good stuff and not worth the hype.
Thanks for coming !!
I've played a few Dumbles in studios where I was hired for session work, and IMHO Howard really does make wonderful sounding amps.
If you've never played one you'll never understand what all the hype is about.
I really want one, but unfortunately I can't afford one - maybe one day.
They really do have beautiful tone - if you ever get a chance to play one, do it - you'll be happy you did.
Cheers . . .
- Ian C.T. vom Saal
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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They are kind of amazing amps! It's kind of like the difference between a regular car and a Ferrari. Unless you know how to drive the Ferrari, you really don't know what it can do.
They're for touch sensitive guitar players like the ones listed above by Ian, although I saw John Mayer play his and he's good and all, but didn't make it sing.
I saw David Lindley a couple of weeks ago, opening for Leo Kottke, and he was playing through one and THAT'S what those things are made for! Someone who caresses their guitar, knows the dynamics, has that subtle touch and the ear for tone. He is an amazing guitar and slide player and he got the best out of that thing! :cool:
I'm a good guitarist but not good enough to get the best out of a Dumble, so here I am, sitting on my roof playing lapsteel guitar with a $100 Roland Microcube!
But then again, if the Roland slides off the roof with my glass of beer, I won't worry so much as if a Dumble took that three story plunge!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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So if you said that an ordinary amp was like an ordinary car, then rated a Dumble as like a Ferrari, that would be cool, but I'm not sure I can agree that a MAtchless or a Bad Cat or even a Mesa etc can be considered like an ordinary car.
It's the comparison with other high-end stuff that I was intrigued by, not a comparison with "ordinary" stuff.
LAp steel is a groovy idea for those sit-down times. I can never find a chair without arms for that !!
It's just a different thing - as I said, unless you've played one you won't understand.
Even Kurt Hammet (Metallica) had one for clean high powered TWIN type tone - STEEL STRINGER SINGER.
Unfortunately it was recently stolen off a truck in San Fran.
He's offering a big time reward for it. http://marketplace.sfgate.com/22QH3X
Thes things are treasured by all kinds of players.
- Ian
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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Sorry, you're right. I'm not good at analogies!
As a matter of fact, as far as analogies go, I'm as bad off as a rubber-nosed woodpecker in a petrified forest!
If you like lap steel, then you ought to check out David Lindley. Actually if you like to listen to somebody who can play any stringed instrument on the planet, check him out. He's also a great guy and a crack up of a storyteller too.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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OK, I'll put him on the list. Chances are I will have to order direct from the US, only contermporaty stuff comes here. There may be one big store in Brisbane that has him though, they do a bit of grey import stuff.