I don't get the Dumble thing

[Elric]

I’m glad my personal “grail” tones are firmly in the heavier modded Plexi/Marshall realm... I get why blues/jazz guys might dig them but the hype just rolls off me on Dumbles which is fortunate; because otherwise I’d end up forking for one at some point.

 

[Life Eats Life]

There’s many builder’s of today that’ll can nail
and surpass Dumble’s designs.
The RF brown Dumble is insanely good though.
I get it though, those amps are created for the guitar player. like the builder is inspired by you to create the amp.
That’s RAD!
I remember talking salad with Mark Cameron,
he claimed he knew Howard really well and his secrets.
Boy, I felt like I hit the lottery when I saw MC calling me back.

 

[jazzarian]

Go browse OT on RiggedTalk and that basically all you will see..

Fake accounts vacillating between agreeing with each other, then arguing and insulting each other. Flip-flopping their own opinions every other day. All done to manufacture drama and site traffic.

Wow, I started that fad 20 years ago and it's still going strong! Yeah me!

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Anyone know how close the Synergy OS is to an ODS? If it is relatively close, then it seems the Dumble ODS circuit can get some really awesome high gain tones.

 

[greatmutah]

I've got a Fuchs Lucky 7 MkII and a 4 Aces, both of the Blackjack series. Not a lot of clean headroom but their clean channels are quite fine. The overdrive is typical of a mid 1980s Dumble ODS, which is something I love. Both feature a simplistic but extremely good effects loops.

Poor Andy has to compete with his own success these days. There's a lot of used amps available.

Here is my 4 watter. The bottom has a 12" Neo Creamback.

If I was ever going to really go after that tone (right now my Dumble tones consist of the J Rockett Dude and my Vibrolux) I’d be getting something Andy built. He seems to be in the good middle ground of tone and quality vs cost.

 

[unix-guy]

There are sites dedicated to nothing but cloning Dumble circuits..

It ain't witchcraft.. it's audio circuit design

Except that many Dumble circuits were "gooped" so the components were not visible or accessible...

 

[unix-guy]

There's a great video I watched today from That Pedal Show with Robben Ford and his ODS (which is a big, big part of the Dumble mythos).

Interesting stories from Robben about Alexander Dumble and some amazing tones from the guys and some special guests, too.

 

[Achilles]

Except that many Dumble circuits were "gooped" so the components were not visible or accessible...

Folks de-gooped them long ago to find out what AD was trying to hide.

 

[PLX]

Except that many Dumble circuits were "gooped" so the components were not visible or accessible...

Howard used construction-grade room-temperature vulcanization silicone to stabilize components - in the preamp section almost exclusively.

His concern was making his amps "roadworthy".

This was done to prevent components from shifting position in relation to one another and possibly create oscillations.

 

[jazzarian]

Folks de-gooped them long ago to find out what AD was trying to hide.

Is this the whole thing? Looks to be a non-HRM version?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Except that many Dumble circuits were "gooped" so the components were not visible or accessible...

Like that has stopped anyone.

 

[Achilles]

Howard used construction-grade room-temperature vulcanization silicone to stabilize components - in the preamp section almost exclusively.

And blue was his favorite color!

 

[ucnick]

It's the crystal lettuce.

It's twue! It's twue!

 

[jazzarian]

...Or more specifically, I don't get why Dumble clones are several grand more than most other types of amps.

I was listening to That Pedal Show where they were able to play Robben Ford's real Dumble amp, which prompted this thread.

I've played a couple of Dumble style amps but no idea what specific Dumble model they were based on. I've also played the Dumble in the Axe-Fx 3 as well as all the other Dumble-like amps in the Fractal.

To me Dumbles when clean sound basically like Fenders with a lot more midrange emphasis. When overdriven, they start to take a character more like a Bassman or Marshall. I have nothing against the sound, when done well they sound very nice, but not in some different category that you couldn't get out of much more pedestrian amps with some choice pedals.

Yet somehow these amps, and clones of them, have become almost mythical as if there's something so magic about them that warrants the prices asked. I'd say a lot of the "magic" is in the Celestion G12-65 speakers often paired with these amps.

I don't get the Dumble thing because I can't afford to spend $250,000 on an amp.

I might buy a Porsche or Ferrari though.

 

[woody]

I really would love to spend a couple hours on a couple of Dumbles to form an opinion.
Soo much second hand and outright bad information, there...

 

[jazzarian]

I really would love to spend a couple hours on a couple of Dumbles to form an opinion.
Soo much second hand and outright bad information, there...

There's probably at least 5 versions you'd have to try. All probably "worth" a quarter million each.

Best to get your hands on some great clones, and near clones, that mimic certain Dumble models (ex: non-HRM, HRM, Steel String Slinger).

 

[FuzzyAce]

I really would love to spend a couple hours on a couple of Dumbles to form an opinion.
Soo much second hand and outright bad information, there...

I'd almost rather not.

A. it's the greatest thing I've ever played and would be haunted because I'd never spend that kind of money on it
or
B. would sound mediocre so I'd feel sorry for anyone that would spend that kind of money on it.

I'd prefer a bit of mystique.

 

[0XI0]

I really would love to spend a couple hours on a couple of Dumbles to form an opinion.
Soo much second hand and outright bad information, there...

if u have a Helix u have Gramatico GSG, it's 1:1 if there is one

 

[came the rain]

 

[FuzzyAce]

if u have a Helix u have Gramatico GSG, it's 1:1 if there is one

I like the Robben Ford preset in Helix, with the litigator model. It captures his od sound pretty well I think.