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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
@@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 don't get it. The EQ on those amps suck... funny how something not really that good gets popular, then the butt boys have to have it:) Kinda like collecting beenie babies:)
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 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! 🤑🥺😢
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Joe B is fabulous and I love him, but I don't like his sound at all in this. It's ratty, buzzy distortion to my ears. I've heard him get the best sound many times.
This is going to make me very unpopular on the is thread but I don't see (hear?) what all the fuss is about. It seems that the biggest beneficiaries of the sound a Dumble creates are the guys who spend a King's ransom to hear something nobody else does. I can't recall a time when I was stopped astonished, dead in the middle of a song, saying, "Good God alive, that must be a Dumble amplifier!!" My friends, it's a case of 'The Emporers New Clothes' I'm afraid.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
I have a conundrum my neighbor who is Philthy Rich has a Dumble amp. I have a Fender Twin tone master I can dial my tone master where it sounds exactly like the Dumble. People are amazed actually some snobs get mad as hell😂
RIP Mr. Dumble. I fully respect your work as an amp tech. Fantastic. However no amp is worth that kind of money. There's not that much to a tube amp, and there is nothing you can do to them to make them worth that kind of price. Sorry.
From a design standpoint I 100% agree. A tube amplifier is Kindergarten with regards to electronic design. HOWEVER.... Value is in the eye/ear/perception/street cred of the beholder. If people are willing to pay $100,000+ then the amp is worth that and will change hands for that. Using any rationale basis of value is irrelevant.Theres so much hype and BS in the amp game with so many 'builders' that wouldn't stand a chance in an actual complex modern electronic design gig that the bar is actually set very low. I was in the business for 15+ years, I know it very well. I've built and sold amps to several people on this video over the years. Dumble was a great old school engineer that had great ears. I've not been blown away by any Dumble amp I've played personally and I've played quite a few, but none were built for me so theres that. I tend to like the clean channels, but the OD channels don't work for me. However, the concept of his later OD channel was actually really decent from a harmonic generation and balance standpoint. One exception for me was a Dumble modified Marshall from 1973 with trem that was just off the page good. The ironic thing was he had not changed the design at all or modified it, just totally stripped it, rebuilt it with much more care, changed the material type of four resistors to metal film, but kept the original values and adapted a technically much better grounding scheme with regards to SNR and dynamic range. Incredible clean dimension for a Marshall. I was with Eric Johnson in his studio in 2006 tweaking an amp I had originally built for Joe B and Eric literally turned two of the aluminum tube socket covers around by 180 deg, played, smiled and said that's it, I want it. Technically that change will have no effect on anything except how a person feels it makes a change. The ironic thing was with his pedalboard and other amps there was about 40dB of horrendous hum through the entire rig that he didn't even notice or care about. But great playing comes from the artist being inspired more than the gear itself. Joe let me sell the amp to Eric and told me to build him one exactly like Eric had liked. Its a weird business. Glad I'm out of it though doing much more interesting electronic design work. But much respect to HAD and may he rest in peace. He was one of very few truly qualified in that business and really was the start of the boutique business before there was such a thing. He beat Smith from Mesa by quite a few years. I also admired the way he didn't take the usual crap from customers we are all subjected to. Didn't like your playing, wouldn't build you amp. Period. That in itself rocks !!
Why is Alexander in the shadows? We know it's not the money, he doesn't want to mass produce these amps, he picks certain players, we get all that. Why no interviews? Why answers to the questions everyone asks? Oh and where is Rebecca Dirks?
@@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.
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 !
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 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.
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!
