Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

[Skarekrough]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I realize that Dumbles represent an investment to some people( as do the Gibson's Lew mentioned). I as a musician, sort of resent what "Investors" have done to the price of some of the vintage instruments. Some of these investors don't even play, and use NICE intruments to enhance their PORTFOLIOS. Back to the Dumbles, I"m as big a fan of Robben Ford as anyone, But listening to his recordings, his tone is no better than say, Joe Bonnamassa, Gary Moore, Buddy Whittington, Clapton etc. As a player and not an investor( At least w/ instruments). I judge an instruments worth on how well it performs and not how much money it will bring.

Actually, you have the vintage craze to thank for the level of quality you are seeing in instruments today. Most companies have gotten neurotic about creating a guitar as close as humanly possible to the classics and the results have been MUCH better instruments available on the free market because of it.

If the 59's never got collectible then the odds are the entire Gibson historic line would never exist.

 

[ES350]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I played through one of the 70's Dumbles (I don't remember what model, but it was a combo) that somebody had at the Daily Planet studio in NYC in the early 80's. Back then they were pretty much an LA studio sausage thing; Lindley, Jackson Browne, Christopher Cross, Robben Ford, etc etc snore. It sounded good, like a BF Fender with the edges smoothed out and a lot more gain...but I do remember seeing some cheesy Dymo labels though. I liked my '58 Bassman better and that's what went on the tracks...

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I'm pretty sure dumbles aren't that expensive to buy new. The problem is that the maker only builds for a very select few individuals, and then is very eccentric about how he builds them and in what time frame, so getting a "new" dumble is particularly difficult. It's this fact that also drives up the price of dumbles on a used market, plus the mumbo jumbo hocus pocus attached to the name.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

There are a lot of good amps on the market these days that can get 99% of us where we want to go--that wasn't always the case when Dumble designed his amp. I think there are a lot of players who WOULD NOT like the Dumble--it's not a Triple Recto gain machine. I've played on a couple of Dumbles, years ago. They are something special, in my opinion; yet in a way that is very hard to explain.

You hear Santana and how he gets that singing, sustained "woman" tone? Most good tube amps (like a BF Fender) will do that when they are heavily over-driven and cranked. The cascading gain structure Randall Smith designed into his Mesa amps gave his amps a unique voice.

What the Dumble seems to do so well, is that it SINGS like the LEAD Channel of a Mesa Mark IIC+, Mark III or Mark IV....

...but it does it without the distortion....even at fairly low volume!!!! It's an amp that just seems so incredibly responsive and touch sensitive. I don't know how the amp does it, whether it's some sort of compression.....however it's done...it was very seductive.

Worth $30K? Well, not to me--I'll stick to my Mesa amps. But if one "...fell of the back of a truck...", hey, it's mine!!! LOL!

Bill

 

[louthunder]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I guess we are all always looking for that elusive TONE!!!!! Maybe if buying a Dumble would quench the major GAS we all have, buying a Dumble would be worth it at any price. The one I played was pretty sweet for sure, but again I've gotten that feeling on far less expenive amps. I've got one of Scott's tweed amps, and after a year, it still raises the hairs on the back of my neck!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

Are they worth 20K?? Well is a 59 Les Paul worth 300K??

1. Probably
2. No way!

BTW, some people think nothing about about spending $20,000 - $30,000 on a brand new Subaru...something that will end up in the scrap heap in twenty or thirty years. That Dumble will still be working perfectly and have another twenty years or more of great tone left in it when that Subaru has been melted down into scrap metal.

Lew

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

Cars are more expensive then amps. A week in the USA is more expensive to me then a Stratocaster that would last for 50 years - proves nothing.

But, yes, we pay dumb prices for vintage or legendary gear. It's like having the discussion again about the new Frankenstrat copies - $30000 for a copy of a $300 guitar...

 

[Imp]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

it's the fact there's so few and dumble handmade them all IMO..

that'd be like homemaking your own guitar and saying it's as valuable as brian may's red special.. it's the star connection

 

[blueslegend8]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I think it's ironic this thread was started. Because I woke up this morning and I had Dumbles on my mind and I had never seen this thread before now.

But anyway, If I had the money I wouldn't think twice about buying one. Any I wouldn't think twice about buying a 50's strat.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

If you've got the money for it... all the more power to 'ya. The reason why these amps are as expensive as they are is because there simply aren't any Dumbles being made any more (publicly I mean - for the professionals he's a phone call away). Years ago, sellers couldn't sell them for 10k; now 20-30k is the norm. I think when they were originally gaining popularity weren't they around 5k?

I think these days I'd be as happy, if not happier with a CarolAnn OD2 100w amp (I realize this one is more Marshally and aggressive than a Dumble) or a Fuchs TDS-100 and both can be had for under 4k. We're living in a great period for tone and we can either close our minds to it or embrace the newer gear.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I would like to play one to hear what the fuss is about....then I would have an opinion

 

[Wattage]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

A human body is composed of a few dollars worth of chemicals when it all comes down to it right. The value of things is all artificial again so what?

I've played thru one that I am sure was the real deal and yeah it was a pretty miagical amp. It may have been one of the ones Bludave played thru as well if it was in Copaigue a number of years ago.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

i'm a huge eric johnson fan, but i'd rather have a marshall jvm. that's expensive enough for me . johnson uses a dumble for his intermediate gain fuzz sound, but i always thought his marshall tone was the holy grail of lead guitar tone when i was a teenager. screw that man, i'd rather have a custom guitar built by each of my favorite manufacturers and buy a few nice mesa and marshall stacks with that kind of money.

 

[theodie]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I'll tell you what is nuts: the price of Gibson Les Paul guitars - new or old!

Lew

Yeah, what a ripoff that is also! I cant imagine why someone would pay the prices for them. New or old that is.

$30,000 for an amp is just as bad and anyone who pays that much nearly deserves to be pimp-slapped.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

Right, I got another one:

Who put the less in Les Paul.
They cost more.





















































How bad was the joke?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I think they tend to all sound different, because he builds them for the specific owner. They may have the same sonic signature, though- I've never used one.

However, how hard is it to clone one? Certainly it can be done for less, and you could even silkscreen the lables on!

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I realize that Dumbles represent an investment to some people( as do the Gibson's Lew mentioned). I as a musician, sort of resent what "Investors" have done to the price of some of the vintage instruments. Some of these investors don't even play, and use NICE intruments to enhance their PORTFOLIOS. Back to the Dumbles, I"m as big a fan of Robben Ford as anyone, But listening to his recordings, his tone is no better than say, Joe Bonnamassa, Gary Moore, Buddy Whittington, Clapton etc. As a player and not an investor( At least w/ instruments). I judge an instruments worth on how well it performs and not how much money it will bring.

money is a persoinification. the invesotors money is the ultimate truth beauty and artisitic endavor. it is flawless in all its mainfestaions. If he owns the worlds most valuable guitar, he becomes the greatest artist. simple as that.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

I've played through a few different ones. They are a pretty magical amp.......... Are they worth 20K?? Well is a 59 Les Paul worth 300K??

No. Its worth 1/2 a million now.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

Tone isn't something you can equate to a dollar value.

Doubt it.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Who put the DUMB in DUMBLE

Some of these investors don't even play, and use NICE intruments to enhance their PORTFOLIOS.

Back to the Dumbles, I"m as big a fan of Robben Ford as anyone, But listening to his recordings, his tone is no better than say, Joe Bonnamassa, Gary Moore, Buddy Whittington, Clapton etc.

Funny you should mention Bonnamassa since he's got a Two-Rock hiding out behind the Jubillee's & Budda's... if you see him live, any time you hear reverb it's the Two-Rock.

I don't understand much of the Dumble magik either... probably because I play with a heavy touch and when I tried to "push" the amp, muscle it around the tone got smaller. A very unique thing.

Steve Kimock plays Dumbles too.