Dumble Doohickies.

[Ting Ho Dung]

Dumble this, Dumble that. I don't know what it means other than there is an amp I don't foresee getting so haven't paid attention to it. But, I like the videos for this pedal. And we all know the pedals don't sound the same when you get them home.

What is your Dumble Doohickey? 

https://www.vertexeffects.com/steel-string-clean

[MCChris]

The Electro-Harmonix Soul Food pedal that Tom has/had for sale on the FS board is another Dumble-style pedal. The D-word really just means a smooth, creamy overdrive character. The antithesis of the bite and bark of a Marshall.

Limited availability combined with some high-profile users (SRV, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton) are what sent values of these amps into the stratosphere. You can't overestimate the value of big names using your stuff. It's one of the things a lot of us harp on when discussions of Hamer's failures come up.

[Jakeboy]

The Soul Food is a Klone... a clone of a Klon Centaur, not a Dumble. It is a transparent OD. It is smooth if your guitar and amp are smooth, but if they are gritty it will simply add some mojo to the grit.

Lots of Dumbles in a pedal out there, but the SF ain't one of them....unless a Klon Centaur is supposed to sound like a Dumble, which is something I have never heard or read.

'Course, I ain't never played a real Dumble either......so what the hell do I know?

[MCChris]

6 minutes ago, Jakeboy said:

The Soul Food is a Klone... a clone of a Klon Centaur, not a Dumble. It is a transparent OD. It is smooth if your guitar and amp are smooth, but if they are gritty it will simply add some mojo to the grit.

Lots of Dumbles in a pedal out there, but the SF ain't one of them....unless a Klon Centaur is supposed to sound like a Dumble, which is something I have never heard or read.

'Course, I ain't never played a real Dumble either......so what the hell do I know?

Yes, I stand corrected. The Klon is another piece of ridiculously priced unobtanium like the Dumble, thus the confusion on my part.

[G Man]

I can get kinda close with a Barber Small Fry, but also have a 2 channel Phaez amp where one of the channels is based on the Dumble HRM.  Don't know how close it gets to ther real deal, but it is a great sounding amp.

[django49]

There seem to be many ways to get to the D tone at an affordable price. My favorite has long been the Ethos Overdrive. Not cheap, but in front of a decent tube amp, it is very good----In the Fuchs does Dumble sort of way (IMO). It is essentially a 2 channel preamp with boost (and 19 or so knobs and switches) that can give you 3 very nice sounds on top of the sound of a combo amp, all footswitchable.

In the overdrive plus boost mode, esp if you have the optional "HRM" controls, you can also get into the "M" tone range (at least good enough for my needs).

And if you pop the added bucks for the Ethos Overdrive AMP, you get a built in 30 watt amp in the same pedal sized box. For a real light weight grab and go, I have found that pedal on a very small board (like paired with a Flint Rev/Trem), and a lighter 1 x 12 cab, to be all I need to tote for a casual event.....I cannot recall a time when anyone showed up with something that sounded better. (PLAYED better than me is another issue.......)

[Camstone]

Why not just get the real thing? Only $160K

http://www.emeraldcityguitars.com/product/1978-dumble-dumbleland-special/

[killerteddybear]

That's nucking futs.

[django49]

2 hours ago, Camstone said:

Why not just get the real thing? Only $160K

http://www.emeraldcityguitars.com/product/1978-dumble-dumbleland-special/

Buying in state would cost over $13,000 in sale tax, so I am out.

[bubs_42]

My first experience with a Dumble Type Amp was the Egnater Mod 50. You can plug in any preamp module you want in the front end. So I kinda went nuts, I wanted a fender on one side and a Marshall on the other. So after a while I got the itch and purchased the Dumble Preamp for it. When I plugged it in one side and led the Modified Plexi on the other channel just go compare. Only way I can tell you how it sounds is a Dumble (modified fender) is very focused in your face tone. It will cut the head off a Marshall and poke out through any mix. That is why the Blues Guys love them and Dumble Type Amps. Original Dumble Artist love them and used them because they were built for and tailored to that Aritst. 

Now I just pulled out my Overrated Special to give it a shot in front of one of my new acquisitions and its played real nice. IMHO it is not a Dumble in a box. But it was designed to smack a Tweed Amp that is already on 10, sagging and compressed and just give it the right amount of boost. Volume on 10 Gain on 10 and it will does what it does wonderfully. It is a Modified Green Rhino, Joe was just switching to the Tweeds and wanted a boost pedal. He pulled out a Klon, Tube Screamer and a Green Rhino. The story goes that the Klon did something to the high end that JB didn't like (i'm guessing it was the buffer), the Mid Hump in the TS just didn't go well with the Tweed. The Green Rhino worked and of course Mr. Way Huge was hanging about and told JB he could not go out with just a normal pedal. So he modified a Green Rhino and brought it back to work better with the Tweeds. The rest is internet history. Personally I love the pedal and in front of my Fuchs its is fantastic. In front on the new amp with everything turned up you would swear it wasn't even on. 

[Studio Custom]

I played Gene's four Dumbles at UltraSound.  Two of them sound terrible to me, one was a good amp and one was amazing.  Santana wound up buying the bestiest one.  

Gene is Tony Bruno's exclusive dealer, they offer an amp called a Super 100 which is a Dumble clone.  Since Tony has had access to many Dumbles via Gene, he has reverse engineered them to have numerous options available.   At $5,000 they are by no means cheap amplifiers, but they are an affordable option for mere mortals.   I had one for a few years, but it required being opened up to sound great.  Who is playing gigs where opening up a 100 watter is possible anymore?   I sold it to some guy to use in his basement, good luck.  

[triodecr]

On 2/8/2017 at 4:03 PM, Camstone said:

Why not just get the real thing? Only $160K

http://www.emeraldcityguitars.com/product/1978-dumble-dumbleland-special/

This is an ultra-rare Dumble model that I've never actually seen before, only heard of.  Insane price on that!

The Dumble "sound" is that of the Overdrive Special which is sort of a modified Fender with two more tuned gain stages added after it and before the power amp.  You can switch between the clean and overdrive "channels" and get a wide range of sounds.  When you switch to the OD channel the tone stack is lifted from ground to provide big gain boost.  There is also the HRM version that adds an internal tone stack after the overdrive stages to effectively give you the same topology as a Marshall that's been modified with an extra gain stage.  There is also a variation called the Bluesmaster that I believe consists of mods to reduce the headroom of the phase inverter to give a different overdrive characteristic.  I've never played a real one but I do have a clone that I like alot.

This video series explains the ODS well and demonstrates the tones available, which are much more varied than the smooth jazz-fusion-y tone.  It's too bad the audio isn't the greatest.

 

 

 

 

 

[triodecr]

VVT amps X model is a reasonably priced clone:  http://www.vvtamps.com/portfolio/xmodel/

[triodecr]

Now that I killed this thread, maybe I can resurrect it?

 

 

[Jakeboy]

I thought it was MICK TAYLOR Lol!

[RobB]

I don't get this, "Dumble Mystique." Why are these amps so valued? Why is adding a coupla gain stages to a Fender circuit SO incredible?

[KH Guitar Freak]

3 hours ago, RobB said:

I don't get this, "Dumble Mystique." Why are these amps so valued? Why is adding a coupla gain stages to a Fender circuit SO incredible?

I'm pretty sure it's a great amp, even if I have yet to personally try one. As for the price, simple supply vs. demand. I'm sure if you took any "boutique" amp maker today and made their amps super rare, they will fetch just as much

[RobB]

47 minutes ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

I'm pretty sure it's a great amp, I'm sure if you took any "boutique" amp maker today and made their amps super rare, they will fetch just as much

Horse-hockey. No way, the market is too saturated. $160k for a guitar amp is retarded. EFF, "supply/demand."

[Carl_Tone]

 

My old recording computer died so I'm initiating the 'new' one w. this Ford BT, I always buy earlier Dell Precisions, Really liking the T3400's right now, got one for my home office too. All I need is the basics...anyway here's the clip...335...loving the switch to Mangan's from DR's

http://www.atozcleen.com/Media/nbtb.mp3

 

My Dumble Doohickey:

Guitar, Volume pedal, split to 2 amps rack effects in the loop of the Fuchs and a Yamaha SPX90ii feeding the front of the Pignose

Fuchs ODS 50, 1 Celestion G1265 and 1 Eminence RWB in a JDesign 2x12. A pignose G60VR with a similar Fuchs cab for added girth.

Edited February 11 by Carl_Tone

[Ting Ho Dung]

5 hours ago, Carl_Tone said:

 

My old recording computer died so I'm initiating the 'new' one w. this Ford BT, I always buy earlier Dell Precisions, Really liking the T3400's right now, got one for my home office too. All I need is the basics...anyway here's the clip...335...loving the switch to Mangan's from DR's

http://www.atozcleen.com/Media/nbtb.mp3

 

My Dumble Doohickey:

Guitar, Volume pedal, split to 2 amps rack effects in the loop of the Fuchs and a Yamaha SPX90ii feeding the front of the Pignose

Fuchs ODS 50, 1 Celestion G1265 and 1 Eminence RWB in a JDesign 2x12. A pignose G60VR with a similar Fuchs cab for added girth.

Edited February 11 by Carl_Tone

That's a lot of stuff. I understood the part about added girth. 

ETA: Nice tune, by the way. Classy. 

ETAA: I have a set of Mangan's acoustic bronze sitting on my desk for the last 3 or so years. I guess I should try them. Thanks for reminding me. 

[django49]

I like that take on the old Duke Ellington classic. It is a great tune to solo over. ("Use the MAJOR, Luke!")

BTW, there are some really tasty videos on You Tube of Robben Ford performing that, WITH a Dumble. To me, the tune took on a new life when he recorded it in the late 80s.

Robben is one of several artists that are cited as good examples of D-tone. Apparently very particular about "his tone", but quite capable of getting it with certain pedals when he has to play through a more conventional backline.

On the Dumble tone front, Larry Carlton is another artist often cited as an example. However, it is also true that may of his classic recordings that are cited for "that tone" were actually made using Mesa Mk series amps or even classic Fenders.

[KH Guitar Freak]

3 hours ago, django49 said:

I like that take on the old Duke Ellington classic. It is a great tune to solo over. ("Use the MAJOR, Luke!")

BTW, there are some really tasty videos on You Tube of Robben Ford performing that, WITH a Dumble. To me, the tune took on a new life when he recorded it in the late 80s.

Robben is one of several artists that are cited as good examples of D-tone. Apparently very particular about "his tone", but quite capable of getting it with certain pedals when he has to play through a more conventional backline.

On the Dumble tone front, Larry Carlton is another artist often cited as an example. However, it is also true that may of his classic recordings that are cited for "that tone" were actually made using Mesa Mk series amps or even classic Fenders.

I coulod be wrong, but I was told that the Dumble design is very similar to the Mesa Mark designs, hence allegedly they sound very similar

[django49]

1 minute ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

I coulod be wrong, but I was told that the Dumble design is very similar to the Mesa Mark designs, hence allegedly they sound very similar

Mesa evolved, famously, from Fender. I doubt you will  get complete consensus on whether Randall Smith (Mesa) or Howard (Dumble) was the innovator---Essentially cascading preamp gain. But both Mesa and Dumble are usually "Fender-ish" at their base. To me, the D-tone is a refinement of sorts over the Mesa, but they (in D-types, through "clones") have evolved into multi-channel amps that are far beyond the originals, at least in terms of versatility.

Where Smith had (has) the edge was going more mass market, even though it took a while, as they were considered boutique-expensive and generally had to be custom ordered in the early days. He took more the "Henry Ford" approach to build, as opposed to being strangely hermetic.

IMO, you can get all the D-type tone any normal person needs with the "right" pedal in front of a properly set up Mesa (I prefer the Blue Angel), without spending mega-bucks. And maybe nearly as close with even less expense if you build on an F-type base. But, being custom built to suit, there is a huge range of tone differences----Think SRV vs Santana vs Larry Carlton. Best to determine which tone YOU want rather than just grab something others think is THE best tone.

[KH Guitar Freak]

1 minute ago, django49 said:

Mesa evolved, famously, from Fender. I doubt you will  get complete consensus on whether Randall Smith (Mesa) or Howard (Dumble) was the innovator---Essentially cascading preamp gain. But both Mesa and Dumble are usually "Fender-ish" at their base. To me, the D-tone is a refinement of sorts over the Mesa, but they (in D-types, through "clones") have evolved into multi-channel amps that are far beyond the originals, at least in terms of versatility.

Where Smith had (has) the edge was going more mass market, even though it took a while, as they were considered boutique-expensive and generally had to be custom ordered in the early days. He took more the "Henry Ford" approach to build, as opposed to being strangely hermetic.

IMO, you can get all the D-type tone any normal person needs with the "right" pedal in front of a properly set up Mesa (I prefer the Blue Angel), without spending mega-bucks. And maybe nearly as close with even less expense if you build on an F-type base. But, being custom built to suit, there is a huge range of tone differences----Think SRV vs Santana vs Larry Carlton. Best to determine which tone YOU want rather than just grab something others think is THE best tone.

If it wasn't apparent to you, I'm a very big Mesa Boogie fan. Love the tones I can get from them. They do have their own tone though. That's why some people that like a similar tone prefer other amps such as Riveras. I guess it all boils down to what he hear when we play through these amps. Personal preference if you will

[django49]

33 minutes ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

If it wasn't apparent to you, I'm a very big Mesa Boogie fan. Love the tones I can get from them. They do have their own tone though. That's why some people that like a similar tone prefer other amps such as Riveras. I guess it all boils down to what he hear when we play through these amps. Personal preference if you will

A long time Mesa fan here too.

Someone may be able to explain it better than me.And the answer may differ depending upon the specific amps in question. But (generally) what I think differentiates them is that Mesas tend to have the clean channel drive the gain channel. Here I am speaking of the original Mk series, which were really NOT 2 channel amps. Dumble-types, by contrast, SEEM to have a separate drive module that then can be BLENDED with the underlying tone. To my ears, that creates room for a more "distinctive" overall tone. I suppose you might call it girth(?).

BTW, the Ethos pedal in front of the Mesa Blue Angel is not as good as the Fuchs ODS-30 in terms of my favorite tone. But the former is close enough and only cost half as much, (My personal preference would be to get the fully loaded Ethos Overdrive with switchable HRM post-OD tone shaping for even greater flexibility, but the pedal does get pretty pricey, esp as you add the options.....But before I would jump on the Ethos Overdrive, I would check on availability of the new version that will seemingly leave the original one in the dust).