The Dumble Amp: A Short History
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2023
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Premier Guitar's Dumble videos: • 10 Guitarists on Dumbl...
The Dumble in the video at Dream Guitars...is still for sale as of this posting: www.dreamguitars.com/shop/amp...
See the livestream that I did with Taylor Cox from Amplified Nation where we go over many things that couldn't fit into the video: ua-cam.com/users/liveDuMTtqp2Oto
My fascination with these amps goes back to my love of Robben Ford's "Blue Line" band. It has never wavered since. This is not an exhaustive technical doc, I wouldn't be the guy to do that anyway, but it is rather the things about Dumble's story that have struck me during this research and playing time.
BTW, the ODS in the thumbnail is #038 and Taylor Cox at Amplified Nation built that replacement head shell. Go figure!
I hope you love it.
Keith
Guitarists and their gear should be psychology course in college.
I think it gets covered in the sociopathy sections of the curriculum.
Hype, hype, hype. "Mystical" boutique amps and their so-called "guru" designers (who almost never have any formal electronics design training) have always made me laugh. Along comes "Derek" (and his Dominos) who plugs into a stock Fender Champ and lays down some of the most astoundingly unique, beautiful and coveted tones ever set to a record. The boutique amp and pedal market is absolute P.T. Barnum bullshit, an exercise in human psychology and the idiocy of a self-delusional marketplace. Auto-suggestion is a powerful thing...just look at the audiophile stereo market.
@@diogenio-A friend of mine had a reconditioned Dumble that someone out of L.A. wanted. I told sell it, even a $400,000 Les Paul’s not going to make better! He ended up selling it after holding out for a little more money! Bought a new car!
✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
Oh my god that's so accurate 🤣🤣
Truth!…..
In my single opinion, Keith's channel is probably the best "Educational Equipment" video series on all of UA-cam. I'm not a smart man but even i can understand his work. Great work
him and JHS give great history lessons about gear!
I like it here too. The Guitologist is worth checking out as well.
He’s the Ken Burns of guitar gear.
Brilliant episode amps we can only dream off , I love the royal overdrive by van weeldan my favourite pedal by far it’s a Dumble style.
Me too. 🧠 🎸🎵🩵
I moved to Los Angeles in '88 to work with Larry Carlton. A week before this life changing move from Chicago at 25, Larry was shot in the neck and almost killed. I still went, and as Larry recovered months later, he was ready to continue studio work. He had me reach out to Alexander to tune up Larry's Dumble head. I'll never forget seeing Alexander (I knew him as Howard for the first couple years) winding his way up to Room 335 on a (relatively) small motorcycle. I asked someone about why he didn't come in a car and they said he'd been in a car accident where he had to be removed with the 'jaws of life' and he never wanted to be in a car after that. The head needed work, so he told me to bring it to him the next day to his shop (he wasn't going to strap it on the back of his motorcycle). Amazing memory of pulling up to a Japanese Pagoda style house that he rented from Jackson Browne. He was a character - but super brilliant and an artisan of tone. Thanks for this Short History Keith!
Your best yet! Great job Hypes!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks Rick!
Collab time??? ❤❤❤
Rick do you own a Dumble?
Fantastic video Keith! I learned a lot of things I had no idea about. And thanks for letting me be a part of the fun!
Your playing made it RJ.
Awesome playing!! I know you hear it all the time but you're seriously my favorite. Also, why do you pronounce your own name wrong??
I’m one who finds the dumble hype somewhat confusing and frankly a bit bougie, given how many legendary recordings and tones were made by gear that was common and basically chosen based on the fact that “it was there” more than anything, but I sure do enjoy these videos. The “gear as a commodity” high priced market of dumbles and klons and the like always makes the teenage punker in me sad. As always, well done; an enjoyable and worthwhile watch.
There's been tones just as cutting or more in the mix recorded on little Pignose amps and Peavey Decades for Michael Schenker thru Josh Homme lol
@TheBlackRam666 It's all in the hands! The better you get it playing the more you'll realize. You won't need special guitar, amp or pedal. Everything will just start sounding better.
@@TheBlackRam666Zappa used a pig nose when he played Black Napkins on the Mike Douglas Show snd it sounded beautiful (video is on youtube)
I agree, and it seems to me that getting to work with Alex Dumble on a custom amp, was an indication that you had made it in the music business. Now that he has passed, being able to _afford_ a Dumble, and consider it worth your while to spend that much on "just" an amplifier, is at least an indication that you have "made it" commercially.
Exactly. Young musicians use what they can afford. NONE of the musicians named in this video made a name for themselves playing $75k dumbles. They bought the assembly line amp of the day they could afford, fender tweeds, black/silver face Fenders, vox, Marshall, peavey, etc etc
My late friend, Kim Davis of the southern rock band Point Blank from Dallas Texas got a call from a friend one day. This was around 1990 and his friend told him that there was an amplifier at a pawnshop for $300 that he might be interested in now mind you this is before these amps became super famous. He went down to the pawnshop and he purchased an overdrive special combo in brown suede leather covering. At the time Kim already had quite a few killer, vintage marshals, and a 57 Strat that was unreal he collected all this from years of playing. He was also in a band with Stevie Ray back in the early days. A few weeks later after he got the amp he called me I was living in Austin, Texas and I had a gig that weekend in Dallas. I am a Pedal Steel guitar player and Kim told me to bring my 1947 National Dynamic lap steel with me. he said when you get here, let’s plug it into the amp and see if we can get that David Lindley tone so when I got to his house before the gig we hooked it up and yes it sounded just like Mercury, Blues hell yeah!!!
I didn't know Kim but I was friends with Rusty, sure miss him
I was just listening to "Nicole" the other day! Great memories.
point blank opened for, I think is was Nuggent? in the late 70's or 80 at Cobo Hall Detroit, as a teenager who played guitar just how impressed I was with point blank guitar player, slide guitar on a black les paul, sounded incredible.
wow this IS very cool!
As the owner of 3 Dumble amps I really appreciate you making this video.
I just double checked and it appears mine say "Peavey" rather than Dumble. Same difference
i too have made this mistake.
I was just about to reply where the hell did you get that kind of money!!😅
i have noticed the faceplates on my tweeds say different things depending on what i have in front of them? quite confusing some days.
Some folks call it a Mississippi Marshall, I call it a Delta Dumble.
@Peterbrendanalbert well ya probably weren't looking for my opinion, but I think the Classic 50 is an absolute banger! The Classic 30 is none too shabby either. You got all the amp most folks ever need right there.
lve played 3 Dumbles in my 50+ yr.s of playing 2+ decades of retail. lve lived a short walk from Charley's Guitar in Dallas since 76'. l also played Eric Johnsons Dumble at Music Makers in Austin Tx but l couldnt admit that for years because my friend was the amp technician there. The crazy thing is lve also played a bassman that an old friend made that had what is essentially a tube screamer circuit on just the mid frequencies and it sounded almost exactly like the classic Dumble tone we know of and you described. He did it on a dare just because he believed thats what he was hearing in them and he was pretty damn close. He also wired an mxr dist + circuit into the useless distortion pot on a Fender 180 watt rms supertwin reverb my cousin owned and was a beast but never could be tamed even with the onboard EQ the amp had. Mike Mars from lancaster Tx. Great keyboard player as well.
I love the fact that he would have prospective buyers come play for him so he could voice the amplifier perfectly to that persons playing style
I have built exactly one amp specifically for a very good guitar player. Frank had been playing a Blackface Super Reverb that belonged to his son. Sonny wanted it back. I spent a couple hours with Frank talking about the 3 bands he played in - 2 jazz and 1 sort of classic blues - and listening to him play several guitars, both acoustic and electric. I also partially blueprinted son Craig’s Super Reverb. I have no idea how many hours I spent researching the circuit, talking to people about speakers, transformers, etc. Oh part of Frank’s spec was that he wanted Craig to be able to play harmonica through the amp too - another rabbit hole. He ended up with an amp where the Vibrato channel was very close to bone stock except for bias vary tremolo. The (ab)Normal channel, however, was something else. I started with a Brown Vibroverb (6G16) preamp including the weird 4-lug Treble pot but changed a lot of component values based on listening - including a harmonica through the same mic Craig used. The Bright switch turned into a guitar/harmonica switch.
Sorry! I didn’t mean to write a novel. When I delivered the amp, Frank played his pre-WWII Gibson L5 first. He clearly liked the amp. After 20 minutes or so, he plugged a black, early 1970s Strat into the “Normal” channel. In a moment he was grinning from ear to ear. “You know I’ve owned this guitar for decades but didn’t love it until just now.” I was a happy man!
Sadly Frank is gone now, but the last I heard his son, grandson and at least one other family member pass that amp back and forth. It gets played.
Randy fey of phaez amp did the same for me. Guy is an amazing amp builder. I wanted an 800/JMP type sound with actual tone controls, than just a Marshall sound. Really happy with the Pasadena he built me.
If you're lucky enough to find a GREAT guitar tech, they will do the same... Watch and listen to you play, your touch and picking force and incorporate that info into the setup on your guitar.
RIP Allen Chester of Jacksonville FL.
This should be a treat for my Sunday afternoon coffee
Exactly what I’m doing right now… well said my friend
Ry Cooder is the player through whom I was first made aware of Dumble amps. Can't get much better tone than that...
Apparently, the secret to tone is: most expensive amp plus least expensive pickup.😆
@dustinpowell6297 ha yeah well those pickups aren't so cheap anymore
Rumor I heard was that Ry's Dumble kept blowing up so he smashed it on Dumble's doorstep. Anyway, I don't think I've ever seen a picture of Ry using a Dumble. Tweed Fenders, Premier amps, even a Standel, but not Dumble. Anyway, those Valco (Supro, National) lap steel pickups sound great through *any* amp. The Teisco gold-foil pickups, perhaps not, and I'm told they vary a lot sonically from one to the next.
Ry Cooder. My favorite guitar player... ever.
Did he use a Dumble for Crossroads?
This has me wondering what `uncle doug` would make of the
circuitry in dumble amps, the repairs and restoration work he
carries out on his youtube channel is beyond words. love this
keith, 5 watt world is essential viewing !👍😊
I remember the 'Trainwreck' video well. That's what made me forget about Dumbles and start turning over rocks looking for a 'Trainwreck'. All due respect to Dr Z, I may have to settle for a Z Wreck, or Jr. But, I'll likely always be turning over rocks looking for a Trainwreck. It was the best amp sound I ever heard. Thanks Keith!! I think... LOL Peace --gary
I'm amazed at how influential the fender bassman was - Marshall, Dumble, all significantly changed to be sure , but still...
And Mesa Boogie
But Fender still won't make a Tone Master one...
The 59 and 6G6 both had such an impact. Why Fender ignores the 6G6 is beyond me.
If you trace the family tree of any tube guitar amp back to its orgins, you're gonna get to a fender bassman.
I could be wrong but I believe Vox was also influenced by the Fender Bassman. Vox AC15s and AC 30s are famous for not having a negative feedback loop slamming the power tubes and giving it that beautiful saturated tone. That's something that I believe Fender doesn't have.
As I guy who's done quite a bit of soldering, I am very impressed by the quality of Dumble's soldering shown in the internal shots. There's not even a hint of a cold joint or even a cold edge. Dumble's hands were obviously rock-steady. All the time he spent perfecting his craft building radios and PA amps shows in his work.
Look up Richard Goosell and the Goodsell Super 17.
Really? Soldering is easy. You have to be particularly sloppy to get a cold joint.
More like the wrong tip and not enough heat.@@rictube4716
Except for the one in the acrylic case looks like an amateur did it. Terrible lead dressing.
I got the Amplified Nation Wonderland Overdrive with 2x12 cab two weeks ago and it’s glorious…
I lived in Santa Cruz California in the early 70s.Howard Dumble had an electronic repair shop there. He went by the name Howard back then. He would modify fender amplifiers for the local musicians. I had him do a blackface showman for me. He ran both channels in series and put in a master volume. I'm sure it was one of the first ones that he did. I wonder what that amp would be worth now if still had it with the receipt. Oh well.
Do you remember Jango at the Catalyst?
@@DavidSchneiderIP It's been a long time but yes, I think I do. are we talking about the original catalyst? The one by the Saint George hotel.
I wanna play a ‘59 Les Paul through a Klon Centaur into a Dumble Overdrive Special so I can look down upon all the peasants. Hey… a guy can dream. 😂
That’s what I’m doing, except I have a PRS Singlecut, a Decebelics Golden Horse and a Two-Rock… and I’m completely fine with that and don’t miss anything :)
Ah, yes, I agree
The deeper Keith goes the more my feelings get hurt. He encompasses, embraces and then thankfully mitigates the black hole of despair one has when realizing we drones will never be able to play with the good toys. Great job as usual, I think. 🎸
Many players used very accessible gear, don't go down the rabbit hole too far. I've had a Ceriatone Dumble and it was very good. Speakers make a LOT of difference as well if you want to experiment with tone.
@@naomimoore47 To be fair, I can't name a single guitar player that failed because of the amp sucked; conversely I don't know a single player that is honored because of his amp sound; after all sound is subjective, but your playing isn't. 🎸
If I found one for a price I could afford, there is still zero assurance it would be anywhere near it's spec when new. A tech would need to have an original to control against while being sure said specimen is as original as possible.
To top it off there's no special sauce in them, being essentially a fine build of various Fender circuit topologies.
The magic is in your mind and hands....and whether you can tell a story. Given the massive range of pedals today, an amp doesn't have to do much besides "feel good" impedance and "sag"-wise, and be loud enough to make your instrument heard in the room.
This channel never fails to amaze. Wonderful playing by RJ, too.
Thank you for the great video! I myself finally got a Dumble clone - a very affordable one, I might add - a Ceriatone OTS 20 Mini. Needless to say, I have never even seen a Dumble, but did own a Fuchs a couple of times, which I loved. The Ceriatone is still blowing my mind after a little more than 6 months of owning it. I can only imagine how incredible it might have been for Alexander to build me an ODS! Thanks again, for the awesome video.
I had a Ceriatone OTS 20 Mini and it was absolutely killer. I ended up selling it and bought a Ceriatone JM50 instead, and I've also had Ceriatone pedals and every piece of Ceriatone gear I've ever used has been top notch made by a great bloke in Nik. Highly, highly recommend.
@@npcompletenate The Ceriatone hype is not hype, that's for sure! And I can't say enough great things about Nik.
At 3:46 that looks to be the python-skin-covered Steel-String Singer behind Lindley, who had marked the control panel up with a Sharpie and tape to make it easy to remember where to set the highly-interactive controls. He had at least two Dumbles, one of which is now owned by Ben Harper.
I bought a SSS from Taylor at Amplified Nations and I'll tell you every bit of the process was amazing. I can tell just how personal it is to him to make the best sounding amps and carrying on Alexander Dumble's legacy.
What a magnificent gift on an October Sunday to have another magnificently done video from Keith! Very grateful for all this goodness you put together, because these videos are both a very special moment when you release them and very fun resources I come back to for rewatches again and again.
Some of this audience may be old enough to remember getting magazine subscriptions in the mail. The excitement of an issue from your very favorite magazine, thinking of how you’d make time to really enjoy it, uninterrupted. And how some issues you saved, you’d read thru again and again. - That’s Five Watt World.
Thanks Keith! ✌️😌🎸
I know I'm not saying anything new here, you are such a great historian, Keith. I'm so grateful for all the different amps and guitars you have catalogued with such painstaking research. This gives me such an appreciation of what goes into such designs and the passion behind them.
Destined to be the go-to reference for this amp and its history.
"Five Watt World" + "Dumble", instant like...
Not that I think this would gain any traction but I’d love to see a “The Guitars of Joe Walsh” video, especially the parts about him and Jimmy Page.
And Pete Townsend!
This video brought up a lot of memories that I had forgotten. I don’t remember exactly how, but I was brought to Howard Dumble when he was working out of The Alley, a rehearsal studio in the Valley. I had recently purchased an old tweed bassman amp from SIR rehearsal studios, which, we converted to 2X12 speaker in the original cabinet at SIR. Something didn’t sound quite right and somebody said oh you should come meet this weird guy who is a whiz with amplifiers. The wizard introduced himself as Howard and I brought him the Bassman and he had me play through it for about 20 minutes and he said all right I’ll take a look at it. When he called me back about a week and a half later, the amp sounded amazing. Howard refused to take any money for the work, saying that I should enjoy it and that he wished me good luck in my future - I was working as an “ up-and-coming recording engineer”. Shortly thereafter, I met Aspen Pittman of Groove Tubes fame, and mentioned my amplifier after seeing his collection of amps, and told him that this guy Howard Dumble had recently repaired my tweed Bassman to which he replied oh shit anybody can build an amp like Howard there’s no big thing about dumbles. He then lent me a Groove Tubes amp he had recently “designed”- meaning he hired people to design and build it. In the studio, I was stunned at the sound of the clean channel so much so that I started talking to Aspen about building mic preamp’s. My amp was loaded with 6L6s and the clean channel was special though the Mean channel was a little harsh though with the foot pedal they could be combined. As Aspen added new features over time, I sent my amp back to be updated. When it came back the 6L6s had been replaced with EL34s with the newly added Fat switch. The clean channel sounded mostly the same as before but the Mean channel was much thicker and warmer. This become my go to amp in the studio as it was very heavy due to the 75 watt Celestion keyboard speaker and the newly added 2 speed fan and dual accessory outlet rear panel. People I recorded often remarked the new version sounded more Dumble- like and all were blown away by the touch sensitivity which the “hair bands” I was working with didnt love as it revealed quite clearly the less flattering aspects of their technique. The R&B players loved it as did the blues and slide players.
Aspen was always full of ideas, some his and some not. Say what you will he made things happen. Good topic for a 5WW Short History?
Btw, your video reminded me that Howard had worked on my Bassman which probably explains why everyone who hears it wants to buy it from me including amp techs despite its well- worn cosmetics.
My thanks to Paul Patronete (former Groove Tubes GM) for his friendship and introduction to the often brilliant engineers in Aspen’s employ. They don’t make many like Paul and the world is worse off for it.
10/10 You have a great presentation that has a foundation in research & preparation, you speak in a relaxed professional manner - it just doesn't get any better. Great channel and no one else could do it justice. I look forward to the next...Thank you Keith.
Agreed! Thanks Keith, I enjoyed it so much I watched it twice! 👏🏻🎸💙
Always love hearing the lore and history to these legendary amps. Amazing job as always.
Fascinating stuff as always Keith!
Thanks Keith! Im always learning something new with these videos!
Excellent, thanks!
Outstanding work, as always!
Great info ,thank you.
What a fascinating learning experience. Thanks, Keith!
Great video. Thanks for putting this together!
Great video and very informative
Another video I’ve been looking forward to, the amp histories are my favourite videos.
Really nice job! Thx.
This has to be one of your best (IMHO) episodes. What a challenging and intriguing subject to address... and done so succinctly and comprehensively. Your passion for your work shows. Well done - again. Thanks
Fantastic as ever. Thank you
Fantastic. Really enjoyed learning the history and details.
Excellent content and history, thanks for this one!
Wonderful review!!
Been waiting for this!
Great presentation man. This historical content is super valuable and very much appreciated.
Excellent video! I truly appreciate this Keith!
Thank you for this.
I always learn so much from your videos. This is another great one. Thanks.
thanks for this great lecture!
great stuff as always
Great video. Thank you.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks Keith.
Great work Keith! I really love that you put so much attention to the details of the circuits and the speakers of the amps which play a great role in the tone.
Great episode Keith, educating me further again. Thank you!
Thank you for this one. I have been a lifelong fan of players like Larry Carlton, Robin Ford, and SRV who always captured my ear with interesting ideas and incredible guitar tone. Hearing that Dumble listened to their playing and shaped an amps tonal and response characteristics to bring out their individual playing style makes so much sense. It is an extension of their creative spirit and what made his amps so very personal and special.
I have never played through a Dumble amp and probably never will, but appreciate the genuine art in his designs.
Great video Keith!
I was excited when I saw this come into my feed. I really enjoyed this. Thanks Keith!
Hadn’t heard of these before, but I went out and bought one after watching the video. It’s pretty good.
Outstanding
Good work!
Keith, this is a wonderful video with good knowledge and great tones.
Great vid! Thanks, Keith!
Excellent video as always, Keith!!
My father is 1200 miles from me and we await your video drops and talk about them. Great job as always Keith. ❤
Like your work.
I grew up in Santa Cruz, California and was a hopeful young guitar player in the 70s and 80s. I met and casually spoke to Howard (we knew him by that name at the time) a couple of times, but he had sort of an eccentric "mad scientist" vibe about him. There was a used music gear store on Ocean St called the "Musician's Trading Post" where I hung out, bought and sold gear and such. I DISTINCTLY remember seeing a stack of two or three Dumble amps sitting on the floor in an out of the way corner at one time - it seems like it was around 79 or 80. I asked the owner about them and was told that those were some amps that Howard Dumble made that he wasn't getting much interest in. They didn't look very cool to my eye, with their "computer" font on the panel and odd knob layouts as compared to the popular amps of the time. I never bothered to plug one in, which is strange because I've always been drawn to oddball gear, cars, motorcycles, and the like. I don't remember their prices, but they didn't strike me as high-priced. I have thought back to that time often and wondered why I didn't buy a Dumble or two then, and maybe a burst to go with them!
Fascinate story... great video, like always.
I _always_ learn something new in this Short Histories, Keith. Thank you so very much. 🥰
Blown away …again!
What a story, and told so well.
Thanks as always.
Nice job on this history episode to Keith and crew!
Great video!
Great video! Much appreciated.
The big kahuna. An amp that costs more than my house. Been waiting for this one.
Thanks Keith.
@@melvynobrien6193 - for me and you....YES...
...but the people that could use literally anything in the world chose to play Dumbles.
Probably never a better natural overdrive amp for tone and touch sensitivity ever made.
This was a great video Keith and quite an education, thanks so much for all you do man 🤙
Another excellent video. Thanks Keith.
Beautiful storytelling about arguably the most mythical piece of gear. Fantastic episode.
Another great episode.
Great video. I remember the first time I heard of them I was shocked at the gain and harmonics. Amps are important, but modelling is getting there. Not quite, but so close, but I'm biased as I am retired and used to be a software engineer and I always thought some day an amp will be copied digitally and most won't be able to tell the difference. Very cool video and great history. Thanks Keith. ❤
Absolutely fascinating a great overview of the subject matter.
Great video! Thanks!
Great episode
Thank you so much. Your videos never ever disappointed.
How did I not know this video was premiering today? Love it as usual Keith. And I believe this video is the first time I have ever seen a picture of Mister Dumble. Great stuff, look forward to meeting you tomorrow night in NYC :-)
Another great episode 👏👏👏
Super informative and interesting discussion. Thank you !
Wonderfully informative!
Thanks for uncovering the mystery, Keith!
That was great, Keith. Thanks to all.
Thanks for this video! Very interesting
Now THIS is a good reason to get up early on a Sunday morning!
Thanks Keith!
Thank you. Most excellent and well resourced as always. Bon appetit
I clocked into work and got this notif. Gonna watch while starting my day
You do such an awesome job with your research, presentation and overall ability to provide insightful knowledge. Thank you very much for your videos.
I love your videos! It's such a great amp, super cool cabs too.
Well done short history, very interesting.😊
Outstanding! Love your channel! Both you and Rick are my go to's every week. Thanks for the excellent work.
My favorite early recording amp was a white Bassman. For gigs a Super Reverb, usually with a second 2 12" Fender cab to fill out the 10s. Then came Dave West with his GA-60, morphed into the 100 watt Grande. I went to work wiring for Dave and playing his new circuit ideas while he twiddled the knobs. Things got louder, wiring like Keith said, the 'color way.' But the Bassman was always there. Though the big amps are history, the Bassman is still a fave. I like the 'bass' channel, with the 'deep' switch on, then bridge to the other channel to boost highs. Wire jockeys like Mr Dumble are very unusual persons, seems I've known a lot of them. Here in southeast Michigan we had Fast Eddie down on Mack Ave in Detroit, an eccentric if ever there were one. Thanks to you for the tribute to one of the best.
Holding on to electrical devices affects your brain. Stay smooth with it and you'll be a happy guy. Thanks again, Keith!