Vintage Guitar Magazine Dumble article

[ijedouglas]

https://www.vintageguitar.com/40688/ale ... -1944-2022

[j0k3335]

https://www.vintageguitar.com/40688/ale ... -1944-2022

thanks for the link

[dreric]

I find it funny how EVERY article on Dumble seems to re-state the following misconceptions:

1. Meticulous wire dress
2. Custom transformers
3. Epoxy protection

Sonically Dumble's lead dress and his knowledge of wire and component interaction was impressive. I suppose one could argue that an amp might be Sonically meticulous but meticulous to me means Mil-spec, hi-watt, sound city, matchless etc. As for transformers, all were pulls or stock replacements none were custom wound. The epoxy thing is funny. Have you ever tried to control a cup of just mixed epoxy, it's like honey, yes there are epoxy puddies but they still ooze significantly. Dumble used a silicone product who's name escapes me.

Still, even with his death, the mysteries still infatuate me.

And it's amazing to me that none of the authors of the articles ever mention Amp Garage or the fact that the entire clone market was created on the backs of those who have contributed to knowledge base here.

I see Dumble as a free spirit. Those of use born in the 1960's had a taste of the rebelliousness and non-conformity that he seemed to embody. The world has become much more money focused over Dumble's life time. It's also every easy to become an eccentric when everyone wants what you have. Eccentricities aside it's also very likely that Dumble had his share of psychological quirks and issues like the rest of us. I will say that his commitment to the headband and toupee was consistently impressive.

All of this just adds to the mystery.................................

[ijedouglas]

As for transformers, all were pulls or stock replacements none were custom wound. The epoxy thing is funny. Have you ever tried to control a cup of just mixed epoxy, it's like honey, yes there are epoxy puddies but they still ooze significantly. Dumble used a silicone product who's name escapes me.

I think for the most part he used pulls for transformers but I remember Patrick from MM saying that he ordered custom wound transformers... I can't verify that though.

As for the epoxy, you think they'd get that right by now?

[WhopperPlate]

“Their sustain and distortion helped make Dumble amps popular,” Berlin noted. “But more important, I think, is the warmth of the clean, which you hear on Stevie Ray’s ‘Little Wing.’”

For some reason I always thought he wasn’t using the SSS on “couldn’t stand the weather” sessions. That “Little Wing” tone has always been it for me, and I am kinda surprised I assumed it wasn’t Dumble lol

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/st ... ard-mullen

How did you mic the instruments?

“Just one mic on everything. I used two Shure SM-57’s on his guitar amps: one on a Fender Vibraverb with a 15-inch Altec Lansing speaker, and one on a Dumble 4x12 bottom with EV’s with a Dumble head. Stevie played through two Vibraverbs, but I only mic’d one of the speakers in one of them. I positioned the mics about three or four inches off the cabinet at about a 45-degree angle off the cone.”

Stevie’s sound on Texas Flood has been primarily attributed to the Dumble. How did he discover this unusual amplifier?

“Just prior to the session, I had stumbled across Jackson’s Dumble at a repair shop/rehearsal studio and was blown away by it. This turned out to be Howard Dumble’s shop. He and I got together and designed an amp for Christopher Cross called the Steel String Singer, which became an essential part of Stevie’s setup for the rest of his career. Eric Johnson used this same amp for many years, too.”

*didnt Christopher Cross own a DL , not a SSS?

[WhopperPlate]

And it's amazing to me that none of the authors of the articles ever mention Amp Garage or the fact that the entire clone market was created on the backs of those who have contributed to knowledge base here.

Meh ! god dang amp pirates don’t deserve to be mentioned in the same article as the holier than thou !

[dragonbat13]

I believe the first time I heard of a Dumble was in a SRV article talking about his amps. Dumble? What's that? I must have been about 15 (46 now).

Between the fact that I would never afford a real dumble and the amp garage is what got me into working on and building amps. Well that and I could not afford to pay someone to fix my Twin Reverb.

Cool article to read while working on a blackface bassman.

[Stephen1966]

Great link, Ian, thanks.

There are some great listening suggestions in there