Steve Farris ODS #075

[Runaway J]

There’s a story about Steve Farris’ ODS #075 in a new german guitar magazine (‘guitar dreams’).
http://www.guitar-dreams.de/5686.0.html ... 089569d894

It is of course written in german.

For those interested, here are the mentioned details of this specimen:

- amp was build in 1981
- for a while SF visited HAD nearly weekly for tweaking the amp to his wishes
- amp was kind of a prototype for the later black chassis version
- tone stack has been modded for a wider tonal range and richer OD-sound (whatever that means)
- Overdrive and FX-loop footswitchable
- PAB only via Jazz/Rock-switch in middle position (SF didn't use it much)
- first ODS with ratio control, pot placed backsides at the hole for the poweramp-in jack
- therefore FX-loop on preamp-out via stereo jack (needs Y-cable)
- first ODS with regular presence pot (instead of accent switch)
- first ODS with internal ‘Trigger’-pot
- first ODS with internal PI-balance trimmer
- 100 W switchable to 40 W, LED indicator
- 4 Ohm output with 8 Ohm EVM12L connected (so a bit mismatched)
- cabinet is made of mahogany
- first amp with creme tolex
- 3 x 7025 (1 x Mullard, 2 x GE); 4 x 7581A Philips/Sylvavia
- SF used that amp on countless studio jobs (even for Tori Amos and MADonna)
- it was lent (amongst others) to Eric Clapton and Marc Knopfler for recording

Don’t know if all this is true, and maybe no sensational news for the experts here.
Anyhow ... I found it quite interisting.

Cheers!
Juergen

[dano-rator]

Thanks for posting that.
I like the photo of the amp on the couch, very chic.

[makrisp]

I do not believe #075 was built in 1981? Maybe modified in 1981?

Probably built in the late 1970's?

[ampcrack]

Hi makrisp,

why do you think it was built in the late 70's?

[Runaway J]

Just saw that Rob Livesey's got it on his page:
http://www.roblivesey.com/dumble/
For me 1981 would make sense as the amp has the old style
silver chassis but has the lettering already in the newer font type.

[tonelab2]

The one before it on Rob's dumble page (dumble #006x) was dated August '79 so assuming mr D pumped out roughly 10 units per year during his career late '80 to early '81 sounds about right.

[ampcrack]

I think Mr. Dumble put them out as they were finished.
Meaning, he might have been earlier satisfied with the sound
of #60, which he then sold, but it took him alonger time to finish #55.
#94 (the one that Gregor Hilden once owned) was sold almost a year
earlier than #93, which now belongs to Ben Harper.

I also know that #32 was made in 1978. #48 in 1979, #55 in 1981!

So you could say it's a bit all over the place...

[tonelab2]

You could be right. I imagine a few deals could have turned sour for Mr D in the early days, customers not paying deposit/balance by due date and a chassis being shelved until it was legally o.k to keep the money and resell amp. With his tech skills I don't think it would have taken him long to 'tune' an amp, more a case of tuning the customers attitude ( you want it when?)

[makrisp]

Hi makrisp,

why do you think it was built in the late 70's?

I believe the silver face and no presence knob amps were built up until the late 70's. Transition amps with the blackface, small presence knob and same old style Dumble logo amps "grail tone" started somewhere in 1980.

Again the only way to confirm is from Dumble himself.

[Max]

Thought, this would perhaps make some sense in this thread:

talbany wrote:

Hey Max can you shed more light on the Ferris Dumble..Topology mods tweaks etc..Supposedly one of the Grails... Thanks

Max wrote:

Hi Tony,

sorry, but I forgot to answer:

You can think of the Farris amp as more or less one of the first "classic" amps with both, a "Ratio" and a "Presence" pot and snubbers, that - as far as I remember - still has the 100 - 1,5/4,7 configuration for V1 and V2. From there as a starting point it has been tweaked over the years to perfectly suit the taste of Steve Farris.

The cleans and the OD sounds this amp produces are extremely tasteful. A clean sound with a great body and chimey highs, that never get shrill or harsh.

The OD sound is very special: Singing sustain but sounding "clean" at the same time. The way the snubbers act is the most tasteful I have ever met in an amp with snubbers. With some snubber-ODS I often had the impression, that the OD gets a bit too artificial and "beautiful" for my personal taste.
The OD of the Farris amps is so special (for my ears), as it still has an all natural tone with a lot of high end "sing" and it is "beautiful", both at the same time.

To say it short and simple: Perhaps nothing special in a technical sense - but (for my ears) the most tasteful voicing I have ever met in a Dumble ODS - period.

Tony, I hope you are fine!

All the best,

Max

I can further add this to the discussion about the manufacturing date:

The info, that this amp has been made in 1981, comes from the ad, Andy Brauer had placed at the Bay, when he offered the amp on the behalf of Steve Farris. You find this ad on Rob's page http://www.roblivesey.com/dumble/.

On the same page you find a "1978 catalogue". But I doubt, that all pages of this catalogue are from 1978, as it already uses the Los Angeles address (small handwritten card). In this catalogue you find some pictures of #075. So '81 perhaps makes some sense indeed.

As far as I know, #075 could be regarded as a kind of "prototype" for the early eighties "blackface" "classic" amps. The sound is quite similar to the "Talk To Your Daughter" Dumble tones - perhaps with a bit more "polished singing silver gloss". Just listen to the "Welcome To The Real World" recordings to get an idea what I try to express with "polished singing silver gloss". The tone of this amps flies! Of course a lot of 80ies Fx on these recordings, but an experienced ear perhaps can imagine nonetheless, what the pure tone of the amp would sound like.

Cheers,

Max

[talbany]

Juergen

Thanks for the post.. Ferris amp has me intrigued.. I wonder what cuts Clapton and Knopfler used the amp on..Welcome to the real world.. Have it it!!

http://www.audities.org/audities/collec ... ive_a.html

http://aczemaitis.com/Scripts/vintage-g ... oduct=1968


Tony

[Max]

Juergen

Thanks for the post.. Ferris amp has me intrigued.. I wonder what cuts Clapton and Knopfler used the amp on..Welcome to the real world.. Have it love it!!

Tony

@Juergen and Tony:

Hi,

as far as I know, all these info came from an interview with Andy Brauer about the Farris amp. And I don't think, that there have been any recording sessions in Los Angeles in the 80ies without Andy Brauer knowing "Who is Who".

And after all Andy started all the "Dumblemania" in Studio City with his own "rental" ODS. Jackson Browne introduced Andy to Alexander, Andy got an ODS for "Andy Brauer Studio Rentals", and then all these guitar cats had to have one for their own.

So if someone wants to know a bit more about the Farris amp or Dumble history in general, he could just visit Andy here: http://www.andybrauer.com/

BTW: Don't forget to bring your "Custom Shop" Strat/Les Paul along when you visit him. He can do true magic on any guitar. You enter his shop with a Relic and leave it with the real stuff.

Cheers,

Max

[talbany]

Juergen

Thanks for the post.. Ferris amp has me intrigued.. I wonder what cuts Clapton and Knopfler used the amp on..Welcome to the real world.. Have it love it!!

Tony

@Juergen and Tony:

Hi,

as far as I know, all these info came from an interview with Andy Brauer about the Farris amp. And I don't think, that there have been any recording sessions in Los Angeles in the 80ies without Andy Brauer knowing "Who is Who".

And after all Andy started all the "Dumblemania" in Studio City with his own "rental" ODS. Jackson Browne introduced Andy to Alexander, Andy got an ODS for "Andy Brauer Studio Rentals", and then all these guitar cats had to have one for their own.

So if someone wants to know a bit more about the Farris amp or Dumble history in general, he could just visit Andy here: http://www.andybrauer.com/

BTW: Don't forget to bring your "Custom Shop" Strat/Les Paul along when you visit him. He can do true magic on any guitar. You enter his shop with a Relic and leave it with the real stuff.

Cheers,

Max

Very Cool!! Max Thanks.. Your the best.. Take Care!!

Tony

[dogears]

I've played Andy Brauer's Dumble #104 (I think 104) at length several times. It is a classic stack but with 220/150 plates. 4.7uf on all stages.

Nice amp. Did not bowl me over as being superior to any of the well built "clones".

[ayan]

I've played Andy Brauer's Dumble #104 (I think 104) at length several times. It is a classic stack but with 220/150 plates. 4.7uf on all stages.

Nice amp. Did not bowl me over as being superior to any of the well built "clones".

Hmmm... I thought that amp had sold in eBay a long time ago, before you were "Dumble born," Scott.

Gil