Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

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dbharris
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by dbharris »

Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
#102 was probably still a low plate classic then too. But RF always sounds good and apparently #102 does too!

-Dan
WhopperPlate
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by WhopperPlate »

Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now
Charlie
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Guy77
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by Guy77 »

WhopperPlate wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:17 pm
Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now

Hi Charlie, if I had to choose the sound I liked best I would also slightly favor that recording I posted from 1988.


G
Charlie Wilson
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by Charlie Wilson »

WhopperPlate wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:17 pm
Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now
Ruby Gold.
CW
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ayan
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by ayan »

Nice picture, I'd never seen it before!
G.
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Matt J
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by Matt J »

Charlie Wilson wrote: Wed May 15, 2024 12:17 am
WhopperPlate wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:17 pm
Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now
Ruby Gold.
CW
Awesome gut shot!
Are there any other confirmed internal shots of #102?

Matt J.
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martin manning
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by martin manning »

I see it has the pro tour option, 12 chassis mounting bolts ;^)
llemtt
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by llemtt »

Charlie Wilson wrote: Wed May 15, 2024 12:17 am
WhopperPlate wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:17 pm
Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now
Ruby Gold.
CW
Awesome!

Rectifiers/bias board has also been updated with later version..

M.
WhopperPlate
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by WhopperPlate »

Charlie Wilson wrote: Wed May 15, 2024 12:17 am
WhopperPlate wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:17 pm
Guy77 wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 11:26 pm Here is a video of him playing the amp live back in 1988. I believe that is his dumbleator sitting on top of it.
I noticed the amp did sounded a little darker here with the dumbleator. It still sounds amazing!!

I wonder if the ageing of the components over time also changed the sound of the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI71Tlo4cY

Cheers
G.
More like replacement components .

AFAIR 102 has had a cap job ;, original caps replaced with F&T electrolytics.

I maintain the assertion that those caps are not my cup of tea. They lend themselves to a scooped midrange , and bright and potentially grainy high end response within most amplifiers.

They feel great , and the harmonics will feel alive, but the pitfalls can be bothersome .

I certainly like the way 102 sounds back in the day more than it how sounds now
Ruby Gold.
CW
I stand corrected on F&T, thanks CW

Weren’t the original sprague ?
Charlie
hitchcaster
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by hitchcaster »

Image

the layout in files says stock 60/70s twin iron but it looks different? i thought it was red knob twin/showman PT but ive never been able to figure this out. the 6v relay transformer in there is "cal-rad" . layout says its radio shack.
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erwin_ve
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by erwin_ve »

The relay transformer is a Calrad 45-728 6 Volt 1.5 Amp transformer.
PT is a export model, still unsure if its a Fender or Peavey or something else...
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martin manning
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by martin manning »

hitchcaster wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 12:07 am the layout in files says stock 60/70s twin iron but it looks different? i thought it was red knob twin/showman PT but ive never been able to figure this out. the 6v relay transformer in there is "cal-rad" . layout says its radio shack.
Not having actual gut shots, some details appear to have been copied directly from the 124 layout. Note the layout of the PS board in the 102 photo is also different.

The 022756 PT specification in the layout drawing may have been based on word that it was a Showman unit, which would be 125P34A or 022756. The export model would be 125P34AX. Of the stuff that really matters, some of it is still shrouded in silicone. Perhaps the assumptions used for the layout should have been stated clearly in the Files post.
talbany
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by talbany »

martin manning wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 10:24 am
hitchcaster wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 12:07 am the layout in files says stock 60/70s twin iron but it looks different? i thought it was red knob twin/showman PT but ive never been able to figure this out. the 6v relay transformer in there is "cal-rad" . layout says its radio shack.
Not having actual gut shots, some details appear to have been copied directly from the 124 layout. Note the layout of the PS board in the 102 photo is also different.

The 022756 PT specification in the layout drawing may have been based on word that it was a Showman unit, which would be 125P34A or 022756. The export model would be 125P34AX. Of the stuff that really matters, some of it is still shrouded in silicone. Perhaps the assumptions used for the layout should have been stated clearly in the Files post.
Martin
The transformer numbers in the 102 layout were recorded by an amp tech in Germany ( who worked on the amp) sometime in the late 90's (IIRC) as well as the CTS pot numbers/Tapers, The export P.T was added later and again IIRC was from a Red Knob Twin. At the time of the layout this was all the info we had on 102.

If someone here wants to do the updated version of 102 based off this picture, have at it :D

Tony
" The psychics on my bench is the same as Dumble'"
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martin manning
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by martin manning »

That's good background info, thanks. Your layouts have been the go-to references over the years, and the differences revealed in this 102 gut shot don't really matter, unless one is going for an exact copy. In fact a lot of the questions that have been coming up lately are related to translating to the "universal" board layouts that most people are using now. That's not difficult for experienced builders, but for those that build strictly from a layout it's a challenge. I would argue that if that means a person learns to read a schematic that's a good thing.
talbany
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Re: Robben Ford & His Dumble Overdrive Special

Post by talbany »

martin manning wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 11:19 am That's good background info, thanks. Your layouts have been the go-to references over the years, and the differences revealed in this 102 gut shot don't really matter, unless one is going for an exact copy. In fact a lot of the questions that have been coming up lately are related to translating to the "universal" board layouts that most people are using now. That's not difficult for experienced builders, but for those that build strictly from a layout it's a challenge. I would argue that if that means a person learns to read a schematic that's a good thing.

I agree with that as well. For accuracy's sake and for those wanting to do an exact layout of the amp in it's current form I have updated the 102 R.F layout thread with the most recent pictures C.W posted here.. :D

https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 64#p140264

Tony
" The psychics on my bench is the same as Dumble'"
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