I haven't been around for awhile so for those of you who don't know, "D" built me a half fast ODS back in the early days as a favor to a struggling musician. He was very open and outgoing in those days back in Santa Cruz. I liked him very much and have defended him often on this forum. I was building a little solid state amp I called Nun's Breath in those days. I think his current iteration owes at least a little to the name of my little amp. Anyway I built the head cab and the speaker enclosure for my ODS. I bought the Altec 417 B from him.
I was digging through piles and piles of electronics related stuff and came across this. Inside the envelope are 6 sheet of hand drawn plans for the oval hole open back cabinet that "D" was using in those days.
I'm posting the envelope as a teaser. I'm headed out of town for about a week to visit family in California. I want us all to have access to this drawing I guess, but I would hate to see some mass marketer start building them you know? I'm in a quandary. It's a bit of historical arcana that we are all interested in but if some turd starts advertising this stuff for money I'm gonna be pissed. So what do you all think? Maybe I just sell the envelope and contents. Kinda like a rare album you know?
[IMG1163]http://i47.tinypic.com/vicob7.jpg[/img]
Last edited by skyboltone on Tue Dec 18, 2012 1:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
Wow, all i find digging around my place is dirty undies... Well, that does seem a bit of a dilemma, and i see your point about profiteering. I wish i had an answer for you on how to share that information, but things have a way of getting around. Like that naked picture of you from college that someone snapped while you were wasted that inevitably ends up plastered on someones facebook wall. Geez, who wants a repeat of that. Anyway, if you or someone else smarter than me comes up with a way to circulate those plans without negative recourse i would love to have a peek, and i assure you, ive never been good at making a profit, nor is that my aim.
Life's too short to worry about what other people do. I'm only repeating this philosophy because I forget it myself and it applies. Maybe offer copies for sale here on the board? Least you'll weed out the really cheap s.o.b's like me.
I can understand your dilemma. I'm sure if they are posted, they will be copied, by both amateur and pro builders.
On the other hand, they are of historical value, and although there are some that take more than they give to TAG, I still see TAG as responsible for documenting the work of two great amp builders. TAG has also been responsible for getting their designs into the hands of more musicians.
I don't think that has in any way hurt Alexander or Ken's business. Those with the cash still want the real thing.
I also don't see any loss of resale value on a real TW or Dumble from the "Attack of the Clones."
In fact, the free sharing of information probably hurts the pro cloners more than the original designers. It used to be that if you wanted a Dumble, but couldn't get your hands on an original, Two Rock was the only game in town.
Thank god the car makers didn't build their businesses around withholding information, otherwise cars would come with the hood locked with a special key that only dealers could open to service the engine.
Structo wrote:Not sure what to do Dan but if you feel like sharing you could send the drawings via email to people you want to send it to.
But those have a way of leaking out....
Do you still have the amp?
No the amp is long gone. I had no idea really. Nobody did. I sold it to an acquaintance but I just can't remember what his name was. I'd sure like to track it down. There was a bandmaster floating around a few years ago on Ebay that had been modified by D for a friend of mine named Dave Green. Dumble used to do that back then. He said though "don't connect my name to this amp". I guess he was protective of his reputation even then. In those days Jackson Brown was his main customer. He showed me pictures IIRC of a giant PA amp he built for them.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
skyboltone wrote:There was a bandmaster floating around a few years ago on Ebay that had been modified by D for a friend of mine named Dave Green. Dumble used to do that back then. He said though "don't connect my name to this amp". I guess he was protective of his reputation even then.
I know someone who has one of the bandmaster dumbles and he said the same thing that he didn't want anyone to know that he had modified it. I don't see the point in that, it sounds really good.
skyboltone wrote:There was a bandmaster floating around a few years ago on Ebay that had been modified by D for a friend of mine named Dave Green. Dumble used to do that back then. He said though "don't connect my name to this amp". I guess he was protective of his reputation even then.
I know someone who has one of the bandmaster dumbles and he said the same thing that he didn't want anyone to know that he had modified it. I don't see the point in that, it sounds really good.
My buddy has one too. I think it may have been a dual showman though, it is 100w 4x6L6. It has push pull controls for traditional Dumble tone sculpting. The amp sounds killer!!! It was in a hardwood cabinet with no faceplate. I built a nice suede shell for it. I don't know the details of its history though.
You may be surprised how much it might go for on eBay.
I don't think it is valuable for any secrets it might contain, you can pretty much figure out dimensions from his catalogs, and the port using photogrammetry.
The value to me personally is seeing the hand drawings of Mr. D.
I think I'm going to redraft it for show and tell and then see what the future brings for the originals.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
1163]http://i47.tinypic.com/vicob7.jpg[/img]
