Dumbbell wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 9:47 pm
Sorry if it sounds cantankerous, but these guys have built hugely successful businesses from this mans work. The least they can do is thank him for his enormous inspiration. I'm not anti clone and this is not a diss on their amps (they are mostly amazing), but I think thay should pay thanks to HAD out of gratitude.
Thank you, you seem like a reasonable person. And trust me when I say that no apology is necessary because I am not in the least offended - because I acknowledge your right to your own opinions. I am simply saying that I do not agree with you. If I understand you correctly you say the silent majority have a moral duty to go on record with a public expression of grief. Have you considered that some might consider this inappropriate, even vulgar? And have you considered that we all pay our respects in our own ways? MrD has been part of my life for the past three years only, but for some here, the association goes way back and for some, I dare say, there are no words. The point I'm making is simply this - how can we know they do not "pay thanks" as you put it. I would rather we put this argument to bed, to agree to disagree if we must, and honour the man by doing what we do best here: celebrating the man through the work. Let's not make assumptions based on our own strong feelings.
Please accept my thanks with good grace - I am being sincere. Like you, I feel the loss too, but this is a time to appeal to the better angels of our all too human nature.
A friend of mine in back in the earley seventies worked in Philly at a larger store well before the big chains, He had six dumbles,some were 1200.00.Nobody but few knew about him.He was not afraid to buy something fairly unknown to players,there all gone and sold.
About 15 years ago I was a novice builder, I had made a AX84 thing. I had always been fascinated by the Dumble lore since SRV had come onto the world's view. I'm a Chiropractor by trade and I was working with a celebrity patient who once he heard that I was interested in the amps, loaned me one of his. I asked if I could open it up to see the magic, a swearing to secrecy and I was in. Again, didn't know much then but from what I remember it was a wood sided, HRM build. I liked the amp a lot, my patient was happy my care and he wanted me to meet Dumble to see if I could help him. Apparently, he ha a few health problems. So next thing you know I'm on the phone with Dumble after about a half an hour talking about his health, he says "tell me about your guitar playing and I'll build you an amp". Considering the the only in gold rumor was circulating at the time, I said that I couldn't afford it, to which Dumble said "don't worry about it, we'll work something out". He asked all sorts of questions about my family, my training and experience, my kids and my wife. He was very interested in my work and some of the more esoteric aspects of health care, body-mind stuff etc. He was remarkably nice and open. Until................................he asked about what my wife did for work. I told that she had a resale business on E-bay selling knock offs of designer furniture. And in a second, I was out, Dumble's tone changed dramatically and he kind of went on a little rant about originality and pirates. From what I could sense at the time Dumble was deeply annoyed with the cloners especially Two Rock. Recovering, we agreed to talk when my patient came back from a 8 week south American tour, and that conversation never materialized. I was years from finding TAG if it even existed, I had no idea that what my wife did for work could offend him. It was very apparent that Dumble had is clients in a bind, deal with his eccentricities which were very apparent, or no amp no service etc. I've certainly thought of my brief exchange, our conversation took about 90 minutes, over the years. My celebrity patient moved abruptly and stopped using my services and while I had Dumble's phone number I felt it was inappropriate to call.
Now that the man has passed, clebs are sharing more about him, his sister has interacted on Facebook with some groups etc. To me the picture becomes cleaner as to what Dumble valued and where his skills came from. I have spent my share of time in the speculations "why doesn't he interact? interview? develop a company etc. Honestly, I love the tone, I wanted and still want more of the man.....and that is what I believe motivated Dumble. Being wanted, the person who could solve your problem, in demand, illusive, independent, self reliant and valued, appreciated and in total control of his life seemed to be the themes that ran through what we know of his life. Dumble clearly was a lot of things to different people but the man I talked to was more interested in people and relationships than shaking gold out of or frustrating buyers. While we could and shouldn't have a conversations on the propriety of 1920-1970 public domain electronic theory and published applications, Dumble strived for originality. That drive for originality is what drives many great artists and it makes me feel that the best way to think of Dumble is not as a guy who built great amps and who got lucky and getting his amps in key players hands at the right time but rather as a ARTIST.
An artist that changed the course of my life and playing. An artist that changed an industry. An artist who's legacy is based on his creations and the music his customers achieved.
We should all be this lucky.
E
Eric
1949 Zenith, Zenith Toggle Recoil, Zenith 55 & 440
