I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Dumble in 2000. I was part of a music project with a well known musician in the LA area and Alex lived next door. He often used to come next door to listen to our rehearsals. I play the Hammond B-3 and Alex would request that we play "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Procol Harem version). He admitted that Whiter Shade of Pale was quite possibly his favorite song of all time. I remember he used to smile broadly when I cranked out the chorus part on the Hammond with the Leslie on fast speed. I got to know Alex very well over the next few years and found him to be a very kind and generous person, and extreeeeemly intelligent. At the time, my 22H Leslie Speaker had an original amplifier which was built in 1954. I knew that the caps were leaking AC, and other components (that were designed to last about 10 years) were failing after 46 years. So one day just after midnight he said; "let's take a look at that Leslie amp." We took the amp over to his shop and he completely rebuilt my Leslie amp over the next 5 hours. The next day at rehearsal, I was a bit groggy from lack of sleep, but the Leslie Speaker sounded fantastic! I continued the musical projects for two more years. I live in Northern California so I traveled to LA with all my gear at least a dozen more times over those years, and Alex and I became very good friends. Once when I was home in Northern CA, my Hammond L-100 organ stopped working, so I called Alex. He asked me to describe the symptoms and asked if I had the schematic. So I emailed him the schematic, and in about two hours, he said in no uncertain terms that my resister #53 was burned out and it needs replacing. He said it was a 10Kohm resister and that it probably will not have a marking. I looked through the amp and sure enough, there was a green wire-wound resister, and it was the only one without any markings. I then asked him how he knew it would not be marked. He replied that the resister got so hot it burned off the ink of the 10Kohm markings. He suggested that I replace it with a ceramic resister, which I did. I fired up the organ an it sounded as good as ever. I was amazed that Alex could diagnose an amplifier failure on an organ amp from 400 miles away. He was that smart - and probably the smartest person that I ever met. We corresponded over email occasionally over the next 20 years and he never seemed to stop innovating and thinking of new projects to do. Alex was truly a very impressive person and I will sadly miss him as will all musicians (especially guitarists) all over the world. Mr. "Tone Chaperone" - may you rest in peace.
Hi Mike - What a wonderful story about Alexander Dumble. I was weaned on Bloomfield, Carlton and Ford over the last fifty or so years and the Dumble amp was no small part of the magic of Larry and Robben's sound. It just brought out the best in them. Loved the part about 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (one of my all-time favourites) and can see the great man smiling as the chorus arrived. The repair via phone of the Hammond is a truly remarkable testament to his uncanny ability. I did not know he is deceased. Thanks for the memories. Mike.
In 1998 I worked for Mojo Musical Supply when it was in Petaluma. Alexander was a friend of my boss’s and we saw a lot of him. On my way to NAMM that year I delivered some tubes and other amp components to Alexander’s house in LA. He showed me round his workshop. There was stuff everywhere. We hung out for the afternoon and I think we had dinner. He was a nice guy who was extremely intelligent. He really understood what it took to make a great guitar amp. He laughed at all the techs who were convinced you needed vintage parts to do that. He told me that he bought a lot of his amp parts at Radio Shack. He just knew how to make anything work to create that sound. He was a true genius and I’m sad to hear of his passing.
The rundows are always awesome but hey, I miss Rebecca Dirks. It was awesome to see her breaking the stereotype of just guys talking good shit and having good questions about gear and stuff 😃 rip Dumble, a true genius who will be missed!
@@martinpre7572 I am huge RF fan and basically have just about every CD of his and for some reason I never knew he did some shows with Greg Allman. All I could find on you tube was audio only of a show in NYC at the HOB in 2005 and that is definitely RF on guitar! I guess you can learn something new everyday! Thanks!!
@@zososhep yeah I was also not aware of him playing with Allman… There’s a lot of pdcast available with robben ford where he talk about his life you should check on internet ;) Great guy
I have a Dumble that was given to me in 1982. It has those magical tones that defy description. I'm sad to hear that Howard has passed away, I understand he was ill for some time now. His creations will live on for the next thousand years.
I am happy for the artist that have a Dumble amp. All of these players are great professionals and the tools they use inspire them to be the best at what they do and helps them to discover new music and stay on top of their game. If you ever get a chance to hear a Dumble in person you will instantly connect with the heavenly tones and most definitely realize hearing one on the internet can’t even begin to compare with hearing it live.
@@zummo61 the truth hurts 🤷🏽♂️ there’s literally nothing special that justifies the price of a Dumble. There’s no magical components and we have tools and machinery to figure out & replicate what Dumble did for a lot less. People get too hung up on brand name, expensive price, and hype instead of judging with their ears. And after hearing a Dumble in person, it really was meh and nothing to get emotional about. Reality is often disappointing.
I think the hype around Dumble amps is more impressive than the amps themselves. They're good amps, they sound great, they're reliable, they're consistent...but I'm just not hearing a 100,000 dollar difference between a Dumble and a good tweed Bassman.
Of course there isn’t that much difference. An amplifier is a relatively simple circuit for anyone that understands a bit of physics and electrical engineering. I’m not saying it doesn’t take some skill to make a good amp, but it’s not rocket science either, tube Amps are a simple and old technology . Anybody with a fairly competent ability could look at an old tweed amp and replicate it, I mean that’s essentially what they’re doing in factories all over the world every day from regular factory workers, assembling amps. Then if you swap out a few components that you think can improve it, then you basically did what Dumble did. No amp is worth $100,000 obviously.
@@seblo8462 So if I got a Wood and wicker Boogie S O B with all the options- 12L speaker, reverb , 60/100 watts. Is that worth a lot as compared to a regular S O B. I mean I know it's worth more but nothing special cause it's only worth what someone will pay. Now I watch other S O B prices and these are going up but no where near what a same year Mark 1 , 2b or 2c+ is going for. But that's O K with me cause mine's never on the market. Same with my Deluxe Plus Strat. Would never sell even with its butt ugly yellow color. Awesome guitar and amp. And nobody will ever get to know these items. Cause they'll always be mine. I've seen crazy prices on other S O B's though without all the options. What's it worth, what someone will pay.
I, like every player, would love to experience playing through one just once. I'm lucky enough to have an amp that sounds amazing, but hearing these on recordings by Ben, Santana etc. prove how special they are. And the time and effort he put into them can't be matched either. I wonder if someone (Paul Reed Smith comes to mind) will talk someone into letting his team open one up and examine the secret sauce of these creations? I'll bet there are amp builders everywhere who would kill for that opportunity.
I bet you that’s going to remain just a dream :) It’d be awesome though. Especially hearing what he did with the Hendrix amp. That thing really blows me away.
I have a close friend who is an amplifier designer/builder. In my humble opinion (and many others who are fortunate enough to own pieces of his work), he's in the same league as Ken Fischer and Howard Dumble. He has an expression that he coined regarding amp technicians who 'clone' the work of the best amp designers. He says "just because you have the recipe doesn't mean that you can cook the dish". The factor that makes certain amp builders amplifiers 'magical' doesn't just depend on the parts and the component values, there's much more to it than that. Much more.
@@jocro1029 right on! I was totally unaware. And I know it’s said that achieving “THE Dumble sound” is somewhat impossible because they all sound so different, but I bet they’re pretty dang good being from a company that’s as reputable as Two Rock. I’m just kind of ignorant on the subject because I write it all off as way out of my price range anyway lol. Might buy a pedal at some point if I feel like I want the sound. I will say that I’ve wanted to hear someone use that famous bloom at high gain for sludgy stuff or something for a hot minute. 🤣🤔… I forgot Leon Todd did it but with an SD1 in front and EQ in the effects loop. And he was trying specifically to get a Mesa sound, so just not quiiiite what I’m curious about.
I attended a Browne, Raitt, Hornsby, Colvin concert here in Idaho in the early 90s. A dude named David Lindley opened the show with Wally Ingram. He blew us all away. I was there to see Shawn Colvin but spent the whole show glued to Lindley
I don't know if you may have missed it but the fifty watt head Ben Harper was showing in the beginning was one of David Lindley's and more than likely was one of those you heard at the show
@@davedavid7061 rt on just wasn't sure, I figured you had but you were talking about that specific amp. I have seen the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Dumble many times. Some times I miss stuff in videos. Was a stupid question though
I recently found a total amp building genius about six months ago and he builds dumble amps with the tone he likes or how you want it to sound. I had him replace all the original tubes and parts possible on my Fender 2013 Pro The Twin Amp. He had a 1962 bassmaster amp head & cabinet amp and a 1963 bandmaster head and cabinet in a cream colored tollex. Both are around 65 watts. They are easily as loud a 100 watt amp. Need to get one of his 40 watt dumblers and a speaker cabinet. Thanks Mr Chaperone. ⚡️🎸⚡️
As I understand it, the difference in volume between a 65w amp and a 100w amp is almost negligible. Someone told me that the relationship between wattage and volume isn’t linear, not even exponential, it’s logarithmic, so in order to get an amp that’s twice as loud as a 50w amp you’d need 500w. Which is why a 22w Deluxe Reverb can hold its own on most stages.
I took apart many amps and decided on what I liked best. Essentially, it’s channel one of a Blackface/Silverface Fender. That vol./bass/treble (mids is ok), two inputs, maybe a modified bright switch, and then leave that 12ax7 to go directly to the phase inverting 12at7 and then to the power tubes (with either a tube rectifier or a s.s. rectifier (F.R.E.D.S.!). - That is as pure, as simple, and as good as it gets. - All the bells and whistles will only screw with the most beautiful, pure tone.
Honestly, I think Josh Scott of JHS Pedals made a similar video at Carter Vintage, but I don’t remember all the specifics. Carter Vintage has definitely had all three in the building at the same time.
I heard that Steve Farris from Mr. Mister owned Dumble #1 50 watt and played it on those sparkling shimmering tones on “Broken Wings” He had it for sale for 100 G’s a few years ago but don’t know if or what it actually sold for. I checked my bank account and sadly was 99 G’s short of the asking price! 🤑🥺😢
Saw Ben Harper open up for Dylan honestly at the time couldn’t even see who it was on stage found out it was him after but noticed immediately wow that tone is serious it’s filling the whole amphitheater up..it was note worthy for sure
Great, show us these dumbles, but don’t let us hear them. Unbelievable. Interviewers, try asking, “hey can you let premier guitar readers/viewers hear these amazing amps?” You basically gave us sonic blue balls. Well done guys, well done.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this. How cool would it have been to hear a little bit of each one and be able to hear how they sound? What a massive missed opportunity.
Thanks for a true revelation! Dumbles are spoken in passing and the data is 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. I Thought they were speaker cabinets, wow you get a whole amp in the deal! So cool. Thanks!
overpriced special ? overhyped special ? overrated special? Overengineered special ? Sure there is some degree of truth to that, but dumble inspired alot of our fav artists to do their best in their primes, you cannot deny that.
That explains something I’ve always wondered about. Back in 83-84 I was a roadie for a local NYC punk/new wave band. The lady who was the lead singer/rhythm guitarist had a Super Reverb that was always a nightmare from a reliability standpoint. She used to sing backup for Tom Verlaine’s post-Television solo project, and she was always talking about getting a Dumble. I always wondered how she knew about Dumbles and where she had been exposed to one. Now, 40 years later, it all makes sense.
Wow!...I was 11 years old when I heard Running On Empty on vinyl through my sisters stereo....when the solo started, I remember thinking "what the hell is that?"...this was before I even got into playing music....to see what is probably the amp that was blowing my mind back then is blowing my mind right now!
Turns out the second gen Hot Rod Deluxe is actually a Dumble clone, apart from the overdrive channel. The issue being that most people have no clue what a Dumble sounds or plays like. Pick em up while there cheap!
Nah....not really, that's like saying a Ford Fiesta is a clone of a Ferrari because it has 4 wheels, an engine and a steering wheel. Take a look at the Riverra era Fenders like the Twin II and you will see something much closer to a Dumble. I think that's what you are getting mixed up with. Also the early Mesa Boogies had some resemblance to the early Dumble amps with OD around the MK2A/B era. One could argue one inspired the other, but not sure which way around it was.
You're missing the best one - Sonny Landreth. The interviewer goes all squirrelly about lhow Landreth owns a Dumble but Landreth prefers to use a different amp.
It’s like everyone is reading from the same piece of paper describing these amps maybe they are that good but 100 thousand? That could be the reason why they put it on a pedestal to convince themselves to spend that money. It’s just me I guess.
I’d like to buy a ticket / subscription program where I can go and stand next to John Bollinger when he listens to these greats demo their rigs. Just come out, stand there for those 5 minutes, and then I’ll get lost. The look on his face when he hears those great tones… I want to experience that and understand what that sounds like.
I went to a little guitar show at an Indy airport hotel (can’t remember the name) and there was a dealer from Cincinnati that had a Dumble selling for $140k. I think it was a fake. The story behind it didn’t add up and several other dealers warned me about this dude saying he had been caught selling high end forgeries of Les Pauls and Strats. So I called my amp repair guy and he came to look at it. When we went back to the table it was gone. He said a potential customer was playing it in a room. So we said we would wait. It never showed up. So be careful out there. Someone who has more money than sense will buy that worthless copy. Don’t let it be you
On the flip side I wonder how many dumbles are out there we don’t know about. Like before dumble got his start/got famous he fixed/modified his buddies amp when they were in jr high or something like that. There could be a like a magnatone or Gibson skylark out there worth it’s weight in gold and lost to the sands of time.
LOL...I thought the vid title was 'Guitarists on their Dumbies' (because of the time stamp at the bottom). H.D. struck a nice balance between 'tweed', definition, and 'grind' overall- at least on the pair of them I had the pleasure of playing through over the years. He had unique ideas around vintage circuits. Shame he took many of his schems to the grave with him!
Joe B said a Dumble amp sounded awful stock , but he fixed it with a speaker change , Really ? Joe's not into the Dumble tone then , you don't modify a Dumble ? thats crazy ! Joe did lol , next !
Different flavours of overdrive and distortion can be provided by pedals. Sometimes you are seeking a sound that no amp can produce. And sometimes you combine pedal distortion with amp distortion. Makes sense?
@@chrisreynolds7164 yeah except the fact those amps were not 150K when sold new. Components drift and fail over time. Every amp at some point needs servicing.
@@MaximusM-ho4xu H,mm It would appear your ability to recognise humour needs work. By the way,I have a number of amps 30 plus years old, that have never been "serviced".
Parts are good for 10-15 years, but you can get lucky. I’ve got some oldies, but they all need some cleaned pots, and the caps and like could use a refresh. Gots to change the oil and antifreeze. Just the way it is.
I am selling a 1964/65 Fender Super Reverb modded by Dumble in Santa Cruz, CA in in the early 70s. Any suggestions or inquiries are welcome. Photos, serial numbers of amp etc.
I gotta say- the “personal tuning” is a lot like tone wood-, there is a “base” from which some tweaking is possible but parametric equalization demands familiar repetition- don’t hammer me-, just sayin…
![Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special [He Plays It, We Play It!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4z-IkXE36DI/mqdefault.jpg)
![อยู่คนเดียวกับเขา - ส้ม มารี (Zom Marie) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gq1cWAIQDLg/mqdefault.jpg)
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Dumble in 2000. I was part of a music project with a well known musician in the LA area and Alex lived next door. He often used to come next door to listen to our rehearsals. I play the Hammond B-3 and Alex would request that we play "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Procol Harem version). He admitted that Whiter Shade of Pale was quite possibly his favorite song of all time. I remember he used to smile broadly when I cranked out the chorus part on the Hammond with the Leslie on fast speed. I got to know Alex very well over the next few years and found him to be a very kind and generous person, and extreeeeemly intelligent. At the time, my 22H Leslie Speaker had an original amplifier which was built in 1954. I knew that the caps were leaking AC, and other components (that were designed to last about 10 years) were failing after 46 years. So one day just after midnight he said; "let's take a look at that Leslie amp." We took the amp over to his shop and he completely rebuilt my Leslie amp over the next 5 hours. The next day at rehearsal, I was a bit groggy from lack of sleep, but the Leslie Speaker sounded fantastic! I continued the musical projects for two more years. I live in Northern California so I traveled to LA with all my gear at least a dozen more times over those years, and Alex and I became very good friends. Once when I was home in Northern CA, my Hammond L-100 organ stopped working, so I called Alex. He asked me to describe the symptoms and asked if I had the schematic. So I emailed him the schematic, and in about two hours, he said in no uncertain terms that my resister #53 was burned out and it needs replacing. He said it was a 10Kohm resister and that it probably will not have a marking. I looked through the amp and sure enough, there was a green wire-wound resister, and it was the only one without any markings. I then asked him how he knew it would not be marked. He replied that the resister got so hot it burned off the ink of the 10Kohm markings. He suggested that I replace it with a ceramic resister, which I did. I fired up the organ an it sounded as good as ever. I was amazed that Alex could diagnose an amplifier failure on an organ amp from 400 miles away. He was that smart - and probably the smartest person that I ever met. We corresponded over email occasionally over the next 20 years and he never seemed to stop innovating and thinking of new projects to do. Alex was truly a very impressive person and I will sadly miss him as will all musicians (especially guitarists) all over the world. Mr. "Tone Chaperone" - may you rest in peace.
That’s a cool story
Hi Mike - What a wonderful story about Alexander Dumble. I was weaned on Bloomfield, Carlton and Ford over the last fifty or so years and the Dumble amp was no small part of the magic of Larry and Robben's sound. It just brought out the best in them. Loved the part about 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (one of my all-time favourites) and can see the great man smiling as the chorus arrived. The repair via phone of the Hammond is a truly remarkable testament to his uncanny ability. I did not know he is deceased. Thanks for the memories. Mike.
That's an incredibly amazing story.
Outstanding story. Thanks for sharing.
Mike thank you for expressing this heartfelt dedication to your friend.
Life is too short to leave your Dumble at home...Priceless!
In 1998 I worked for Mojo Musical Supply when it was in Petaluma. Alexander was a friend of my boss’s and we saw a lot of him. On my way to NAMM that year I delivered some tubes and other amp components to Alexander’s house in LA. He showed me round his workshop. There was stuff everywhere. We hung out for the afternoon and I think we had dinner. He was a nice guy who was extremely intelligent. He really understood what it took to make a great guitar amp. He laughed at all the techs who were convinced you needed vintage parts to do that. He told me that he bought a lot of his amp parts at Radio Shack. He just knew how to make anything work to create that sound. He was a true genius and I’m sad to hear of his passing.
Love that Joe Bonamassa took the time to chat and demonstrate
The rundows are always awesome but hey, I miss Rebecca Dirks. It was awesome to see her breaking the stereotype of just guys talking good shit and having good questions about gear and stuff 😃 rip Dumble, a true genius who will be missed!
Nah not really, I like this guy better.
Rebecca is missed 😢
I’m happy there are many companies such as Amplified Nation that make amps that sound as good as the Dumble and are attainable for most everyone.
Ben Harper is such a true gentleman, he would be a great guy to have as your friend.
(Laura) Dern right!
What was his big hit?
@@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender Diamonds on the inside, Ground on down, .....quite a few, but all his albums have many beautiful songs
@@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender burn to shine got some radio play as well
Wow! I didn't know he passed away. Thank you for the tones Mr. Dumble. May you rest in peace.
Several yrs ago I saw Robben Ford when he was playing guitar for the Gregg Allman Band & he had his Dumble amps on stage. It sounded incredible.
Just wondering-When did RF play in the Greg Allman Band?
You certain it was Ford?
Yes robben was tourring with greg.
He talked about it in some podcasts…
Video are on youtube by the way ;)
@@martinpre7572 I am huge RF fan and basically have just about every CD of his and for some reason I never knew he did some shows with Greg Allman. All I could find on you tube was audio only of a show in NYC at the HOB in 2005 and that is definitely RF on guitar! I guess you can learn something new everyday! Thanks!!
@@zososhep yeah I was also not aware of him playing with Allman…
There’s a lot of pdcast available with robben ford where he talk about his life you should check on internet ;)
Great guy
Such a great assortment of players. Also great to see the old school throwback Rundown w/ the legend that is Rebecca Dirks
she was really good and I always wanted to hear her play
We all miss Rebecca 😢
@@guitrr did she pass away or something?
@@tonesleuth69 I believe she left to start a family.
@@tonesleuth69I believe she left to get married, presumably to start a family.
I have a Dumble that was given to me in 1982. It has those magical tones that defy description. I'm sad to hear that Howard has passed away, I understand he was ill for some time now. His creations will live on for the next thousand years.
You are certainly blessed my man.
I would be honored to merely plug into one!
Wow! Congratulations on that.🏆
I met a player in Akron, Ohio who owned the red-tolex, 50-Watt, 4x10 combo Dumble which was previously owned by Christopher Cross. It sounded lovely.
I am happy for the artist that have a Dumble amp. All of these players are great professionals and the tools they use inspire them to be the best at what they do and helps them to discover new music and stay on top of their game. If you ever get a chance to hear a Dumble in person you will instantly connect with the heavenly tones and most definitely realize hearing one on the internet can’t even begin to compare with hearing it live.
You discover new music by exposing yourself to new music, not by an overrated & overpriced Fender Bassman 🙄
@@ErosGalaxia what a petty, bitter response.
@@zummo61 the truth hurts 🤷🏽♂️ there’s literally nothing special that justifies the price of a Dumble. There’s no magical components and we have tools and machinery to figure out & replicate what Dumble did for a lot less. People get too hung up on brand name, expensive price, and hype instead of judging with their ears. And after hearing a Dumble in person, it really was meh and nothing to get emotional about. Reality is often disappointing.
@@ErosGalaxia you're completely right, but come on dude the man just died, this really isn't the time
@@ileutur6863 , agree. I am almost afraid to ask, but Who just died? I was aware of meatloaf but did not hear the reference. Thanks
RIP Mr Dumble. I would love to see a documentary about him; I wonder what kind of guy he was?
Please read the anecdote by 'dojmike'. (1 day ago) Sound like a really humble and helpful guy.
I got up close to a Dumble. Sonny Landreth, small club in Orlando. The sound was unbelievable.
I think the hype around Dumble amps is more impressive than the amps themselves. They're good amps, they sound great, they're reliable, they're consistent...but I'm just not hearing a 100,000 dollar difference between a Dumble and a good tweed Bassman.
Of course there isn’t that much difference. An amplifier is a relatively simple circuit for anyone that understands a bit of physics and electrical engineering. I’m not saying it doesn’t take some skill to make a good amp, but it’s not rocket science either, tube Amps are a simple and old technology . Anybody with a fairly competent ability could look at an old tweed amp and replicate it, I mean that’s essentially what they’re doing in factories all over the world every day from regular factory workers, assembling amps. Then if you swap out a few components that you think can improve it, then you basically did what Dumble did. No amp is worth $100,000 obviously.
@@Two_Seat_Pete_FatA55 So why is a 59 Les Paul or a Korina Explorer got such a big price tag. Cause it's worth what someone will pay.
@@sparkyguitar0058 yea bro it's a mixture of rarity and desire, prices are dictated by people, it's all about how much people are willing to spend.
An original or a knock off copy? The mona lisa or a good copy? It's human nature, not necessarily a good thing, just the way we are
@@seblo8462 So if I got a Wood and wicker Boogie S O B with all the options- 12L speaker, reverb , 60/100 watts. Is that worth a lot as compared to a regular S O B. I mean I know it's worth more but nothing special cause it's only worth what someone will pay. Now I watch other S O B prices and these are going up but no where near what a same year Mark 1 , 2b or 2c+ is going for. But that's O K with me cause mine's never on the market. Same with my Deluxe Plus Strat. Would never sell even with its butt ugly yellow color. Awesome guitar and amp. And nobody will ever get to know these items. Cause they'll always be mine. I've seen crazy prices on other S O B's though without all the options. What's it worth, what someone will pay.
RIP Mr. Dumble.
Ben Harper doesn't mention that #8 originally was owned by Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Just read this online and my jaw legit dropped. What a special amp to have in your collection. RIP Dumble and SRV ❤❤🤘🤘
0.O Harper’s a classy gentleman. There’s no way that he just doesn’t know
SRV had #'s 7 and 8 Steel String Singers ....not an Overdrive Special. Harpers Dumble is an Overdrive Special.
@@bcummings2187 Nor was Harper's the 8th amp he ever built
It was owned and made for David Lindly, did you not listen to the interview?
What a pleasure to dream of seeing/hearing these one after the other! Thanks Premier Guitar
Glad you enjoyed it!
I, like every player, would love to experience playing through one just once. I'm lucky enough to have an amp that sounds amazing, but hearing these on recordings by Ben, Santana etc. prove how special they are. And the time and effort he put into them can't be matched either.
I wonder if someone (Paul Reed Smith comes to mind) will talk someone into letting his team open one up and examine the secret sauce of these creations? I'll bet there are amp builders everywhere who would kill for that opportunity.
I bet you that’s going to remain just a dream :)
It’d be awesome though. Especially hearing what he did with the Hendrix amp. That thing really blows me away.
I have a close friend who is an amplifier designer/builder. In my humble opinion (and many others who are fortunate enough to own pieces of his work), he's in the same league as Ken Fischer and Howard Dumble.
He has an expression that he coined regarding amp technicians who 'clone' the work of the best amp designers. He says "just because you have the recipe doesn't mean that you can cook the dish".
The factor that makes certain amp builders amplifiers 'magical' doesn't just depend on the parts and the component values, there's much more to it than that. Much more.
Someone already did, where do you think those Two Rocks that Mayer and several other pros are playing came from!
@@jocro1029 right on! I was totally unaware. And I know it’s said that achieving “THE Dumble sound” is somewhat impossible because they all sound so different, but I bet they’re pretty dang good being from a company that’s as reputable as Two Rock. I’m just kind of ignorant on the subject because I write it all off as way out of my price range anyway lol. Might buy a pedal at some point if I feel like I want the sound. I will say that I’ve wanted to hear someone use that famous bloom at high gain for sludgy stuff or something for a hot minute. 🤣🤔…
I forgot Leon Todd did it but with an SD1 in front and EQ in the effects loop. And he was trying specifically to get a Mesa sound, so just not quiiiite what I’m curious about.
FlybyNight - Over the years, plenty of people have reverse engineered his amps thus some of the great clones n’ such
The Dumble at 12:36 has been captured by IK Multimedia in there new ToneX software…..it is nothing less than amazing !!!
We need a full doc on Alexander Dumble. Rip you God maker!
I attended a Browne, Raitt, Hornsby, Colvin concert here in Idaho in the early 90s. A dude named David Lindley opened the show with Wally Ingram. He blew us all away. I was there to see Shawn Colvin but spent the whole show glued to Lindley
I don't know if you may have missed it but the fifty watt head Ben Harper was showing in the beginning was one of David Lindley's and more than likely was one of those you heard at the show
@@russblack443 yeah, That was what I was commenting on!
@@davedavid7061 rt on just wasn't sure, I figured you had but you were talking about that specific amp. I have seen the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Dumble many times. Some times I miss stuff in videos. Was a stupid question though
@@russblack443 Nope its all good. David Lindley live was basically a unicorn sighting. I wouldnt be surprised if he had that amp that day
I recently found a total amp building genius about six months ago and he builds dumble amps with the tone he likes or how you want it to sound. I had him replace all the original tubes and parts possible on my Fender 2013 Pro The Twin Amp. He had a
1962 bassmaster amp head & cabinet amp and a 1963 bandmaster head and cabinet in a cream colored tollex. Both are around 65 watts. They are easily as loud a 100 watt amp. Need to get one of his 40 watt dumblers and a speaker cabinet. Thanks Mr Chaperone. ⚡️🎸⚡️
whats his name?
As I understand it, the difference in volume between a 65w amp and a 100w amp is almost negligible. Someone told me that the relationship between wattage and volume isn’t linear, not even exponential, it’s logarithmic, so in order to get an amp that’s twice as loud as a 50w amp you’d need 500w. Which is why a 22w Deluxe Reverb can hold its own on most stages.
Thanks for this - a fitting tribute. Much appreciated.
A true artist. R.i.P.
Brilliant Tribute!
Imagine you paid $200,000 for an amp covered in goop on the inside and now no one can service it
Saw the Running on Empty tour, and that steel guitar performance the stole the show.
I took apart many amps and decided on what I liked best.
Essentially, it’s channel one of a Blackface/Silverface Fender.
That vol./bass/treble (mids is ok), two inputs, maybe a modified bright switch, and then leave that 12ax7 to go directly to the phase inverting 12at7 and then to the power tubes (with either a tube rectifier or a s.s. rectifier (F.R.E.D.S.!).
- That is as pure, as simple, and as good as it gets.
- All the bells and whistles will only screw with the most beautiful, pure tone.
I would looooove to be able to play an overdrive special, or a Steel String Singer. Not necessarily own... just have the chance to play one
Any videos of a 59 lp standard played thru a dumble with a klon centaur?
Isbell
Honestly, I think Josh Scott of JHS Pedals made a similar video at Carter Vintage, but I don’t remember all the specifics. Carter Vintage has definitely had all three in the building at the same time.
The Dumble history mated to the individual player total genius…
Ben Harper rocking those Supreme Fives!!!
I heard that Steve Farris from Mr. Mister owned Dumble #1 50 watt and played it on those sparkling shimmering tones on “Broken Wings” He had it for sale for 100 G’s a few years ago but don’t know if or what it actually sold for. I checked my bank account and sadly was 99 G’s short of the asking price! 🤑🥺😢
I was 99,600 dollars short myself
Saw Ben Harper open up for Dylan honestly at the time couldn’t even see who it was on stage found out it was him after but noticed immediately wow that tone is serious it’s filling the whole amphitheater up..it was note worthy for sure
Very tasteful tribute. RIP Alexander Dumble.
Bonamassa nerding out and the premier guitar guy just going wow, wow, wow.
Great, show us these dumbles, but don’t let us hear them. Unbelievable. Interviewers, try asking, “hey can you let premier guitar readers/viewers hear these amazing amps?” You basically gave us sonic blue balls. Well done guys, well done.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this. How cool would it have been to hear a little bit of each one and be able to hear how they sound? What a massive missed opportunity.
There is a ultra phonix bassman at Jimmy Wallaces shop if anyone is looking for a Dumble
Thanks for a true revelation! Dumbles are spoken in passing and the data is 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. I Thought they were speaker cabinets, wow you get a whole amp in the deal! So cool. Thanks!
I got to play one in90s. F ing awesome
“We have one road”. Bring the dumble!
overpriced special ? overhyped special ? overrated special? Overengineered special ? Sure there is some degree of truth to that, but dumble inspired alot of our fav artists to do their best in their primes, you cannot deny that.
I love that Keith Urban plays Tom Verlaine’s old amp.
Two top notch guitarists
That explains something I’ve always wondered about. Back in 83-84 I was a roadie for a local NYC punk/new wave band. The lady who was the lead singer/rhythm guitarist had a Super Reverb that was always a nightmare from a reliability standpoint. She used to sing backup for Tom Verlaine’s post-Television solo project, and she was always talking about getting a Dumble. I always wondered how she knew about Dumbles and where she had been exposed to one. Now, 40 years later, it all makes sense.
Television was one of the most unique bands ever.
Dumble Spec Bandmaster... The amp who shall not be named level of awesome.
Wow!...I was 11 years old when I heard Running On Empty on vinyl through my sisters stereo....when the solo started, I remember thinking "what the hell is that?"...this was before I even got into playing music....to see what is probably the amp that was blowing my mind back then is blowing my mind right now!
JB had the best tone of his life when he used to play strats plugged into a cranked Marshall.
I will go on record with Rick Vito's second solo on Seger's "Like A Rock" as my favorite Dumble tone.
I dig that Billy Jack hat.
Do you think everyone in the audience is spanking their rods over these Dumbles?
asking for a friend
Turns out the second gen Hot Rod Deluxe is actually a Dumble clone, apart from the overdrive channel. The issue being that most people have no clue what a Dumble sounds or plays like. Pick em up while there cheap!
Tried to sell mine a couple of years ago but couldn’t even get 200 quid for it 😂
Nah....not really, that's like saying a Ford Fiesta is a clone of a Ferrari because it has 4 wheels, an engine and a steering wheel. Take a look at the Riverra era Fenders like the Twin II and you will see something much closer to a Dumble. I think that's what you are getting mixed up with. Also the early Mesa Boogies had some resemblance to the early Dumble amps with OD around the MK2A/B era. One could argue one inspired the other, but not sure which way around it was.
You're missing the best one - Sonny Landreth. The interviewer goes all squirrelly about lhow Landreth owns a Dumble but Landreth prefers to use a different amp.
Havent seen Ben Harper in years since the Folk Music Center days in Claremont.
Yessir! THANKS JOE!!!!
Ben I love your hat.
RIP Mr. Dumble....
We'll never figure your engineering...
I wish I could've plugged in...
Maybe one day...
It’s like everyone is reading from the same piece of paper describing these amps maybe they are that good but 100 thousand? That could be the reason why they put it on a pedestal to convince themselves to spend that money. It’s just me I guess.
That Dumble head is probably worth $30K!!! Holly Smokes! I didn’t know that was a Dumble amp next to it! WOW!!!
Yep...Bonamassa !!!
RIP Mr. Dumble
I’d like to buy a ticket / subscription program where I can go and stand next to John Bollinger when he listens to these greats demo their rigs. Just come out, stand there for those 5 minutes, and then I’ll get lost. The look on his face when he hears those great tones… I want to experience that and understand what that sounds like.
The “dirty power” remarks…lol
That takes a lot of guts to take those amps on tour!!!
Maybe artists who sent their amps in years ago to get serviced will finally get them back.
*farts in wine glass*
*inhales deeply*
This is gonna be great.
Is that Joe ‘luthier to the stars’ Glaser interviewing Robben Ford?
The magic mojo is mostly imagined.
Crystal lattice
Joe B’s tone in that segment was just unreal.
I’ve heard way better tones with just one amp.
@@BluesRockAcademy Me too.....Also from Joe B.
On Harper: He says he has the one owned by Jackson Browne. SRV used a Dumble owned by Browne to cut Texas Flood album in 83. Is this it?
That's the one!
There is a reason why a Sam Maloof rocking chair belongs in a museum. The Dumble Amp is no different.
I went to a little guitar show at an Indy airport hotel (can’t remember the name) and there was a dealer from Cincinnati that had a Dumble selling for $140k. I think it was a fake. The story behind it didn’t add up and several other dealers warned me about this dude saying he had been caught selling high end forgeries of Les Pauls and Strats. So I called my amp repair guy and he came to look at it. When we went back to the table it was gone. He said a potential customer was playing it in a room. So we said we would wait. It never showed up. So be careful out there. Someone who has more money than sense will buy that worthless copy. Don’t let it be you
On the flip side I wonder how many dumbles are out there we don’t know about. Like before dumble got his start/got famous he fixed/modified his buddies amp when they were in jr high or something like that. There could be a like a magnatone or Gibson skylark out there worth it’s weight in gold and lost to the sands of time.
don't worry, it won't be me...I'm about $139,999 short :)
1200$ was 12 weeks pay in 1982. Fenders were 100 or so
Never thought Bonamassa would own one..........😏
Lowell George used an amplifier of this brand in the 70's.
Those dumbels that Bonamassa was using sound like EVH could have used them it was very similar to his sound
A great guitarist with a lot of money can lead to complete insanity
Amazing amps...
LOL...I thought the vid title was 'Guitarists on their Dumbies' (because of the time stamp at the bottom). H.D. struck a nice balance between 'tweed', definition, and 'grind' overall- at least on the pair of them I had the pleasure of playing through over the years. He had unique ideas around vintage circuits. Shame he took many of his schems to the grave with him!
Rest in Power, mr. Dumble. You'll be missed
Joe B said a Dumble amp sounded awful stock , but he fixed it with a speaker change , Really ? Joe's not into the Dumble tone then , you don't modify a Dumble ? thats crazy ! Joe did lol , next !
What Clapton tour was this? Usually his stuff is buried under effects.
RIP Mr. Dumble.
With the pure succulence of the Dumbles clean and OD tone, I have a sincere question…Why are od pedals placed in front of them?
Different flavours of overdrive and distortion can be provided by pedals.
Sometimes you are seeking a sound that no amp can produce.
And sometimes you combine pedal distortion with amp distortion.
Makes sense?
Out of curiosity, who’s ever going to service those amps? Didn’t he cover components with all that black goop?
Think its safe to assume, $150,000 amplifiers, do not...need servicing.
@@chrisreynolds7164 yeah except the fact those amps were not 150K when sold new. Components drift and fail over time. Every amp at some point needs servicing.
@@MaximusM-ho4xu H,mm It would appear your ability to recognise humour needs work. By the way,I have a number of amps 30 plus years old, that have never been "serviced".
Parts are good for 10-15 years, but you can get lucky. I’ve got some oldies, but they all need some cleaned pots, and the caps and like could use a refresh. Gots to change the oil and antifreeze. Just the way it is.
Buy a Joyo Taichi pedal through a clean AC30. Heavenly!
Didn’t SRV make Texas Flood with Jackson Browns Dumble Amp?
I think so
Yes, he did.
Or David Lindsey,..?
Hmmm,...?
Yep. A person who dedicates his work to 1 profession . GUITAR AMP BUILDING..MOD...TONE...ETC
So what happens if you have to replace the caps?
Rip
I am selling a 1964/65 Fender Super Reverb modded by Dumble in Santa Cruz, CA in in the early 70s. Any suggestions or inquiries are welcome. Photos, serial numbers of amp etc.
When he made combos, did he recone the speakers?
One can dream. . . .
John Mayer didn't have a dumble amp made specifically for him?
Yeah...still didn't help..still a wimp.
"Scientifically build an amp around your frequency spectrum."
So he changes the value of a couple caps and resistors?
Chris Cross is legit.
I gotta say- the “personal tuning” is a lot like tone wood-, there is a “base” from which some tweaking is possible but parametric equalization demands familiar repetition- don’t hammer me-, just sayin…
I just looked for Dumbles on ebay and found them from $5k to $170k!
Wonder how much they’ll go for now
RIP Alexander
I have a couple of dumb bells. They are a little heavy to gig with, but it's worth it.