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Author
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Topic: Dumble Amps
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Tim Harr
Member From: East Peoria, Illinois
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posted 12 October 2006 09:20 AM
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I do not want to get into a contest about the value of these Dumble amps. I can say that I have heard one played at a reasonable distance.They sound amazing. I saw & heard Larry Carlton using one and it was fantastic. Could not imagine the same quality coming from any other amplifier...no matter who was playing through it. my $.02 |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 12 October 2006 11:17 AM
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Ever seen Carlton's pedalboard, or rack? Ever heard him play ACOUSTIC? The Larry Carltons of the world, of which there are few, do not need an over-hyped super-amp to sound good---Andyou can bet that Carlton's amp cost a lot less that 23K!! |
Darvin Willhoite
Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
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posted 12 October 2006 03:54 PM
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According to Larry's website, he also uses a '57 Vibrolux on some of his recordings. ------------------
Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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CHIP FOSSA
Member From: Monson, MA 01057 U.S.A.
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posted 12 October 2006 09:21 PM
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Well, this is discouraging, now.All of a sudden, we now have to deal with the fact that we've already spent UMMTEEN dollars on our rig(s), only to find out, now, you will not sound GOOD unless you get one of these $20,000+ amps. You know, I really don't care what they sound like. My Vegas 400 and Evans FET 500 sound real good to me. Isn't this insane? Think about it? It's nuts.
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Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 12 October 2006 09:58 PM
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"Isn't this insane? Think about it? It's nuts."No, because there are those who see the value in them, both as an investment and a tone monster. Value is always subjective, and if you think it's "insane" you don't see the value. But again, I'll compare it to rare coins, stamps, baseball cards, vintage acoustic instruments, antique automobiles - are those things "insane"? You don't have to have one to sound good. It all depends on what *your* sound is, and as previously noted, it takes a unique touch to get the best out of amps like Dumble, Trainwreck, Two Rock etc. The average player will probably sound worse, because everything is so articulate. Gene, no offense taken - I see what you meant now...no problem. These are just unique items in the musical world, and you either understand and apreciate the value, or you don't. It DOES make a world of difference to play through one - but as I said, a lot of players would do that and not get it AT ALL - they'd wonder where heri tone went.
It's long been said tone is in the hands, and there is absolutely no doubt that fine equipment magnifies that point immensely.
Alexander Dumble may be a weird guy to some people, but he does know how to make an amp sing. |
John Macy
Member From: Denver, CO USA
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posted 13 October 2006 07:18 AM
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Jim,Have you tried a Zen Drive yet? It is pretty amazing, very Dumblish. Robben Ford has stopped taking his Dumbles on the road and is using 2 Fenders with the Zen. I have been playing my lap steel through it into a 66 Deluxe and it is so Lindley it's scary. When you mentioned "sing" in the last post, well the Zen sings like crazy, and is the most touch sensitive pedal I have ever used. Now the bad news, last I heard he was a year backordered, and now the website says he is taking no more orders till he gets caught up. They sell for $180 on the site, but I have seen them go for over $500 on Ebay cause of the wait. Like all great things it seems, you have to wait...  |
Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 13 October 2006 07:58 AM
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quote:
All of a sudden, we now have to deal with the fact that we've already spent UMMTEEN dollars on our rig(s), only to find out, now, you will not sound GOOD unless you get one of these $20,000+ amps.
IMO, no you don't have to deal with this. Lots of the best players in the world have proven this time and time again. One note from Albert King through a Roland Jazz Chorus proves this in perpetuity, or Albert Lee through his Music Man amps, Ray Flacke and B.B. King through their Lab-Series amps, and the list goes on. The amp is important, but the interaction of the player, guitar, strings, effects, cables, and amp ultimately determine the tone. I've tried to stay out of this, even though I'm not a fan of ultra-pricey rigs like Dumbles. Some years back, I got to play through an Overdrive Special, and have tried a couple of Trainwrecks. Not to mention lots of other great amps - Dr. Z, THD, Tone King, Blues Pearl, Victoria, Matchless, as well as the classic designs - Fender, Marshall, HiWatt, Magnatone, Gibson, Ampeg, Valco, Vox - and lots of others. I've owned and used a bunch of these (no, not a Dumble - even when they were $10,000, I thought they were too pricey, and I strongly prefer class AB amps, so I never even thought about the Trainwrecks I tried). But I have to say that, IMO, there's no "magic" amp. This is way too subjective. For example, in David Lindley's or Robben Ford's hands, I like the Dumble sound a lot, but in some other well-known examples, I don't care for it. It does what it does, like all the other good amps out there. Some people use it well (to my tastes) and some people don't (again, to my tastes). But that can be said of any good amplifier. I think this has much more to do with whether or not I like the player's approach than anything about the amp. I intensely dislike the prevelant cognoscenti attitude that basically says "If you can't figure out how to make a Dumble (or put your other choice of hyper-priced boutiquey amp here) sing, you're somehow deficient and/or just haven't worked with it long enough." To me, any of these amps have their place, but are far from universally appealing. I've owned some of them long enough to find out what I like or don't like about them. I have a THD Flexi 50, which also requires some dial-in time, and still get to play my early Tone King Imperial (now owned by a friend) if I need it. They're great amps, to my tastes. But neither is applicable to every situation - not by a long shot. But I still argue that - again to my tastes - a blueprinted Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb are the finest guitar amps ever made, bar none. Leo Fender was a complete genius in guitar amp design. He set a very high standard for class AB amps. About the best anybody can do, IMO, is blueprint these amps or a good clone, with careful attention to lead dress and component selection, and then play around with tube, speaker, transformer selection and bias. The Deluxe Reverb, in particular, is unbelievably versatile and great. But I understand completely if someone else feels differently. A lot of this depends on playing style. I think people should try different amps, and see if they can dial in what they need. I've sometimes been very surprised what worked and what didn't. Sometimes an amp can channel your playing into a new area. But never get an inferiority complex because you don't have such and such an amp. All IMHO. BTW, I don't think this compares to rare coins and stamps. An amp is, first, a utilitarian device. Nobody uses rare stamps to mail anything. If you appreciate them, that's great, but it has nothing to do with the relationship between ordinary vs. pricey/boutique amps. That is, of course, my opinion - naturally not shared by 'investors' who buy vintage guitar/amp stuff to mount like a prize elk's head. |
Herb Steiner
Member From: Cedar Valley, Travis County TX
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posted 13 October 2006 08:24 AM
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One of my closest friends and musical collaborators is Pete Mitchell, who's got some beautiful equipment. He's a tone freak. He has a Trainwreck brain, in a plain black cabinet. Total function, total lack of visual flash.When he plays his Gibson Super 400 through the Trainwreck into a D-130, you can hear the angels sing. Dumbles, Trainwrecks, et al. make the $3800 Standel seem like a bargain. Which it is, IMHO. ------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association |
Greg Simmons
Member From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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posted 13 October 2006 08:31 AM
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Never mind the Dumble, just get a Bruno Cowtipper 90 and be done with it In fact , here's one for sale ------------------
“Back then, everything was different, and you only saw it once; now everything’s the same and you see it over and over again"
-Peter Case
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Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 13 October 2006 09:17 AM
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"BTW, I don't think this compares to rare coins and stamps."The comparison was simply to other things that do not seem to have the inherent value of the market price. And I wasn't implying you have to be a great player to make a Dumble sing, although I guess it came out that way - you have to be the *right* player - it takes a certain touch and control. Some play that way, some don't. It's not light-vs-heavy, just something in the variables of attack. My Holland is like that - a tremendous player/friend sounded like complete junk playing through it at a jam. The same night, a mediocre player plugged into it and sounded fantastic. |
David Mason
Member From: Cambridge, MD, USA
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posted 13 October 2006 09:20 AM
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Musician's Friend is still selling the Crate Powerblocks for $100 each - you could buy 100 of them and a hundred 4X12 cabinets for $30,000 easy. With 15,000 watts on tap, you could jam with a Dumble owner and his "tone" wouldn't hardly matter would it? I'd say that rig would be pretty "responsive to picking dynamics", all righty....
P.S. quote:
Could not imagine the same quality coming from any other amplifier...no matter who was playing through it.
Eric Clapton – 50 & 100 watt no-master volume Marshalls (the golden years)
Jeff Beck – 50 watt no-master volume Marshall
Duane Allman – Twin Reverbs and 100 watt no-master volume Marshalls
Carlos Santana – Twin Reverbs and Mesa/Boogies (the golden years)
Jimi Hendrix – 100 watt no-master volume Marshalls
Allman AND Clapton – “Layla” – Fender champs
Eric Johnson – Fender Deluxe Reverbs & 50 watt MarshallsThose poor dumb bastards, if only they’d had some decent equipment maybe they could’ve amounted to something.... [This message was edited by David Mason on 13 October 2006 at 10:32 AM.] |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 13 October 2006 08:50 PM
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David, I don't think anyone was saying a Dumble, Trainwreck or other boutique/collectable equipment is required for a player to get great tone. However, some players DO get great tone using such equipment, and are willing to pay the premium price for it. If they see the value, good for them. And if I hit the lotto, one of the first "toys" on my list would be an Overdrive Special.No one can rightly say "it's not worth it", because it's only "worth it" in the judgement of each individual player. Just as I don't understand the "worth" of a $300 volume control, others don't understand the worth of a $23,000 Dumble. My guess is most players who don't think an amp could be worth $23k have never played one, so it's hard to flat-out say "it's ridiculous" if you have no experience with it. I've never played a $300 volume pedal, and I don't understand the value, having a lot of similar products that seem to work fine for far less money. I don't say it's ridiculous, but I question the "why", because it's not exactly rare or unusual. But I understand someone's view of a Dumble as a very expensive "I don't get it" item. However, there are no grounds for simply saying "it's ridiculous", or a ripoff, or whatever other purely negative thing has come out. The amp is simply not understood in many cases, and that's perfectly normal, especially if it's something you've never heard of or been exposed to. My impression of Tim's comment was simply that he experienced the best tone he'd ever heard. What's wrong with that? John, I haven't seen/heard a Zendrive yet, but I've done some searching...haven't found any around here yet. If it sounds as good as reported I'd use it with my lapsteel and 400, probably. FWIW another amazing and overlooked pedal is the Lovetone Brown Source, which is the least-reknowned of their VERY expensive line of effects. On first listen, it sounds like an underpowered, anemic overdrive. But use one live with a cranked up Fender like a Pro or Super, and all of a sudden youd swear you're playing through a plexi Marshall. It's stunningly weird and amazing. I used one with my Teles for several years and it was one of those "how did you DO that" things with other players. Really fun. [This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 13 October 2006 at 08:55 PM.]
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Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 14 October 2006 04:24 AM
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Just for fun, I plugged my Mexican Tele, for which I paid 300.00 with EMG pickups, into a Digitech Bad Monkey OD pedal (30 bucks on Ebay) into my Chinese made Vox AC-30, which I bought new for 800 dollars (incidentally, that's the most expensive amp I own!)----And it was as touch-responsive, feedback-controllable, tone-adjustable a rig as I've ever played through!
So I'm relieved that I don't need a Howard Dumble amp to sound good. |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 14 October 2006 08:59 AM
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Hehehehe....I love you Steve. Even if you DO hate Howie!By the way - your tone sucks. And it always will until you get a Dumble. (now he'll just worry about it for the next 10 years. And I'm gonna get a nasty phone call...) ;-) |
Eric Jaeger
Member From: Oakland, California, USA
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posted 16 October 2006 04:53 PM
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Great topic. There's no accounting for taste... I've heard this argument in skis (John-Claude Killy could destroy me skiing barrel staves), bicycles, hi-fi.... If it matters to you, it matters. If it doesn't, it doesn't.I will point out that Hendrix, Clapton, Beck (Jeff, that is) et. al. HAD NO CHOICE (or very little). Twins, JTM45s, Sunn, Kustom (ugh). There wasn't very much to choose from. How are we to know they wouldn't have chosen a Dumble if one was available? EC likes simple, but he's been through some very odd tweed Twin derivatives lately. I saw Robben Ford this summer with his Dumble. I saw him a month later playing with Larry Carlton. Carlton had HIS Dumble, Robben a pair of re-issue Twins. Larry ran through so many effects I couldn't tell what he was playing through. Robben sounded great. Who knows. Apparently Neil Young has over 400 tweed Deluxes, and of them only ONE has the tone he wants. Is this insane? Artistic obsession? Who knows? I guess to me, whatever you feel you need to get your message across, one way or another, is what it takes. No judgement either way. -eric |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 17 October 2006 06:08 AM
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"I guess to me, whatever you feel you need to get your message across, one way or another, is what it takes. No judgement either way."That's a great comment. It's the tools that work for you. I just don't understand people getting *mad* because some piece of equipment they've never played (or from a maker they've never heard of) is relatively expensive. What does it matter as far as *their* musical adventures go? |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 17 October 2006 06:15 AM
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"I just don't understand people getting *mad* because some piece of equipment they've never played (or from a maker they've never heard of) is relatively expensive. What does it matter as far as *their* musical adventures go?"Yeah, Jim!!! Some people can be so STUPID !
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Greg Derksen
Member From: Calgary, AB. Canada
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posted 17 October 2006 07:40 AM
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Most Dumble's were made for the artist, "Tuned" if you will, to the needs of the players, So I doubt there are any two alike, A friend of mine had one , I played it twice, through its own combo speaker (EV)
and through a Marshall Cab, It is a great amp
no question about it, Its no better IMHO than a Nice old Bassman or a great old Marshall
or Vox, Just Different, But remember those
are all great amps, and by and large keeping boutiue amp builders busy chasing those tones.
For a good sample of Dumble tones, listen to
Politician and Worried Life Blues both off Robben Ford's Mystic Mile, Scarey good tone.
Its a very Smooth complex tone , Not as Middy as Boogie but not as Aggresive as Marshall, Just a great overdriven tone.
The clean tone to me was BF Fender like with more of a HI FI ness to it,and more mids.
Its actually IMHO not an amp that would sit well in todays country, Z and Matchless do a much better job of cutting through the Mix,
of jangle, rattle and roll, Greg |
Greg Simmons
Member From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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posted 10 December 2006 09:30 AM
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Here's one f'ya...just in time for Christmas 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130054220482
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=003&ssp agename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=130054220482&rd=1&rd=1 [This message was edited by b0b on 11 December 2006 at 07:04 PM.]
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Brad Sarno
Member From: St. Louis, MO USA
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posted 10 December 2006 01:44 PM
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Here's an interesting link on tonestacks. There's an incomplete description of the Dumble tonestack.
http://amps.zugster.net/articles/tone-stacks#Dumble It's essentially a Fender, but with some added switches to alter values for tone shaping. Can anyone explain exactly what's so special about a Dumble? I don't get why they aren't easily, and cheaply cloned. Really, they're just hotrodded Fenders right? The Two-Rock prices are crazy high. So Greg, you say that Bruno Cowtipper is a good Dumble-like amp huh?? Brad[This message was edited by Brad Sarno on 10 December 2006 at 01:57 PM.] |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 04:58 PM
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"It's essentially a Fender, but with some added switches to alter values for tone shaping. Can anyone explain exactly what's so special about a Dumble? I don't get why they aren't easily, and cheaply cloned."1) It's based on Fender ideas, but NOT "essentially a Fender".
2) There's a lot more to it than some switches for tone shaping. there are a couple of websites that have VERY early experimental schematics posted...and those are not the amps you see Larry Carlton or Dean Parks using.
3) They are special because they ae finely crafted, tuned and tweaked specifically for an individual player, parts are measured and matched with extreme precision - just do some Google searchs and you'll find plenty of info, or visit some amp forums.
4. They are not easily closed as no two are alike, and musch of the circuitry is "gooped" in opaque epoxy so you CAN'T copy it. It's one of those things you either understand, or you don't. If you understand Anapeg pedal steels, you would have a good starting point for understanding Dumble Amps. But if the idea of custom-tailored, price-is-no-object equipment seems silly to you, then you'll never grasp it. There is a market for Dumbles and Trainwrecks, just as there is for Anapegs. But your average player plugs into a Dumble and often sounds worse than usual, because the things are so articulate and unforgiving you had better know what you are doing - they are "touch" amps. Hope that helps at least a little bit. |
Ron Randall
Member From: Dallas, Texas, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 07:59 PM
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I consider my matched pair of custom Standels an investment. The sound is wonderful to me, thru the vintage virgin D130's. 4 6L6-GC-WC power tubes running class A (wide open all the time) in each amp. Balanced effects loops. Switchable phase. Vintage and modern tone switch. This part of my playing is a hobby. Strats, lapsteels, Stringmaster, Pedal Steel.
I play out with Walker's Stereo Steel and a pair of reconed D130's. Power, light, portable, replaceable, extremely good sound in a loud band situation with too many geetars. Tons of headroom, put in the back of the pickup and go.
If I ever record for real, or play a steel show where I am featured, I will bring out the Standels.
I have collector type fishin' lures and everyday lures. Folks have collector grade cars, and the everyday car.I hope I have added something here.
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Ron Randall
Member From: Dallas, Texas, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 08:01 PM
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What could possibly make a '62 Strat worth $20,000? |
Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 09:10 PM
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quote:
Here's one f'ya...just in time for Christmas
It sold for the mere pittance of $16,200. Actually, these haven't gone up anywhere near as much as the really desirable vintage guitars. There was an Overdrive Special at the Philly Guitar Show last month. No price on it, not a lot of obvious interest in it. I assume he was just "fishing". I looked it over, but didn't ask any questions - I guess I really didn't want to know the answers. quote:
What could possibly make a '62 Strat worth $20,000?
People that are willing to pay $20,000 for them. Actually, it's more like $25-30,000 for a nice '62 Strat right now. I saw a truly pristine '65 Seafoam Green Strat sell at the show for, I believe, $115,000. Crazy, baby. I have been kicking my butt for the last 20 years for turning down a nice '63 foam green Strat in the early-mid 80s for $1400. That seemed like a lot of money for a Strat then, but I shoulda did it, and I knew it. I was ready to plunk the money down, but I was talked out of it by - guess who? I was in grad school, money was tight, blah, blah, blah, but I shoulda did it anyway. |
Bill Hatcher
Member From: Atlanta Ga. USA
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posted 10 December 2006 09:10 PM
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44 years. |
Gene H. Brown
Member From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
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posted 10 December 2006 09:29 PM
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Magnatone, anyone? Heh, Heh ;-)
------------------
If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
;)
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Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 09:31 PM
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"What could possibly make a '62 Strat worth $20,000?"Collector's value. Different years, colors, condition...they are just like any other collectable item, they just happen to be musical tools as well. It's funny how some people think a '57 Chevy is "collectable" but don't understand the same thing about instruments. |
Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 10 December 2006 09:51 PM
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quote:
Magnatone, anyone? Heh, Heh ;-)
Yeah - how about a '57 Magnatone 260 with true vibrato? In stereo with a Deluxe Reverb, it simply cannot be beat. One can pick up one of these for about a grand in good shape, a true bargain in the vintage world. For some reason, Magnatones have never really caught on. |
Greg Simmons
Member From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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posted 10 December 2006 09:54 PM
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quote:
Actually, it's more like $25-30,000 for a nice '62 Strat right now.
hmmh, those F&#ders still go for chump change eh Check out the '59 Les Paul Standard on Gruhn's site for $175,000...imagine how much the price would be if it didn't have replacement knobs, tuner buttons etc.  [This message was edited by Greg Simmons on 10 December 2006 at 09:57 PM.] |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 11 December 2006 05:53 AM
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"Magnatones have never really caught on."Shhhhhhhhh!!!! You'll ruin it for us! (I have two and they give more tone for the price than just about anything!) Seriously, the suitcase-looking M modals are amzing sounding amps, as are the little "tweed Champ" and"tweed Deluxe" type ones I have. |
Greg Derksen
Member From: Calgary, AB. Canada
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posted 11 December 2006 07:36 AM
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Brad, I think you were referring to the other Greg, Hi Greg!
The Cowtipper is Not a Dumble type amp, The Bruno Super 100 is,
The Bruno Cowtipper is a refined BF Fender Circuit,
What makes them so special is great players like Ford ,Carlton have been able to really connect with getting a great Overdrive Tone
that wasn't Buzzy, Too Aggressive or Rock and Roll sounding, Almost like a Sax sound, Very Smooth.
Go out and Buy Ford's CD "Mystic Mile" and be done with it, Just a great Tone,
Some of Eric Johnson's earlier stuff had some Dumble Semi Clean/Dirty Tones that were
remarkable, Can't think of the tracks right now, but I don't think that was a Overdrive special ,it was a Steel Stringer Singer, more of a clean "Hi Powered Twin" tone.
In the end its just an amp , that some very great players have been able to manipulate
for their sounds, and that makes them a fine tool. Like a nice old Marshall or Fender, it Inspires, Greg
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Dave Zielinski
Member From: Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 11 December 2006 09:01 AM
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Jim sliff you are on track. I agree with you 100%I have only played one dumble and was impressed.. That said, I have played matchless, hollands, Dr Zs and have been impressed. I think the draw on the dumble is that only a very small percentage of amazing players had used them and they sounded amazing using whatever amp they were plugged into at the time. Dumbles have a certain tag because as I get it, hes a one man show, and goes further than anyone- Makes his own trannies, chassis are milled, etc.... Its no doubt they should cost more, based on the work and time involved. However, you are dealing with a collector item as someone also mentioned. That can drive prices into insanity. (ie: vintage strats) BTW.. john mayers road rig consists of 4 dumbles overdrive specials. So he doesnt just sit them under glass. As far as far a player, he really is something else when playing blues. His cds and recordings are all pop-contemporary, but I've seen him wail and he really has his act together. (FYI..my wife is a big fan, so im forced to listen at times! hahahha) If i had his fame and fortune, i dang well too would go out and buy vintage strats and tweed bassmans....as many as I could afford!
(and bigsbys, rickys, d18s, j45s.....and on and on.....) On the custom/boutique amp circuit (pun intended) there are some guys making fantastic amps... rodgers, carr, victoria, holland, fuchs, tone tubby, dr. z and the older matchless are unbelievable. Try em all and buy what you like. (or can afford) Have a good day! |
Dave Zielinski
Member From: Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 11 December 2006 09:06 AM
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magnatone! my bro tom and i grew up with dads accordian rig-- mag 480. wow. 260s can be had for nothing, and they are worth it.) Don;t overlook what Jim said about "touch/dynamics" When I first got my tweed bassman, I sounded horrible because of the same thing- they are dynamic amps- whateveryour hands do- comes right out!. More so with the dumble. they make you a completely different/ cleaner player. all right im out of here... I have a 1962 strat that may be for sale... ill take 25,000. Dave |
c c johnson
Member From: killeen,tx usa
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posted 11 December 2006 09:15 AM
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Jerry Byrd the master of touch and tone used one old fender twin reverb and it is my opinion that tone doesn't get any better than that. cc |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 11 December 2006 09:58 AM
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All of my Fender amps will soon be in the "For Sale" section, as Mr. Sliff has made me realize that I will never get good tone out of a blackface DeLuxe Reverb, and a 100 watt Twin just won't open up enough. Funny how them Dumbles will, though.
And I'll be selling ALL my guitar related stuff, along with all my guitars, of course.
See y'all at the accordian forum.
Y'all ever notice how much "Lady of Spain" sounds like "Way to Survive?" And how they BOTH sound like "Teach Your Children?" |
Tim Harr
Member From: East Peoria, Illinois
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posted 11 December 2006 02:24 PM
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It is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.. |
Stephen Silver
Member From: San Jose, California, USA
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posted 13 December 2006 03:30 PM
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Dave,The price of the 65 Seafoam Strat is pretty high. I have a 64 Seafoam that I bought at an estate auction in 1974 for $250. I played it out for many years so it is rather beat up. Gotta say though that it is one fantastic sounding guitar. Gruhns insurance appraisal on it last year was in the mid 20's. SS ------------------
Life is mostly attitude and timing |
Dave Mudgett
Member From: Central Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 13 December 2006 05:24 PM
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Stephen - I have to agree that $115K is crazy for a '65 Strat in any color, even foam green. The latest price guide reads $23-34,000 in excellent condition, which I think is probably a bit low for one in truly excellent condition. That is corroborated by your appraisal for a beat up example in the mid-20s. This one at the show was in extraordinary, near-mint condition. The guy had three foam green guitars in a display case. For "investment-grade" guitars like this one, condition, rarity, and desirability are everything. The only reason any of this is relevant is to point out that there are much crazier phenomena in the vintage guitar world than $20,000 Dumbles. Like I said, the last one I saw on ebay went for $16,000, which is only 60% more than they were going for 10-15 years ago. Desirable tweed, white, brown, blackface, and even some silverface Fenders like the Vibrolux Reverb are going for 3-4 times or more of what they were going for 10-15 years ago. I'm not saying I consider a Dumble a bargain - far from it. But that's not what they are about. |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 14 December 2006 09:41 AM
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I have a stupid amount of amps. Just stupid, but it's cuz I tend to buy what I like, and never sell it! When I first played a Dr Z Prescription Combo, I felt like I'd just laid down in my own bed after a long, arduous journey. I saved up and bought one. Abdo-lutely wonderful for country. Just ask Brad P.. Doc tuned it to my style of playing, and to my guitar. One day he called me and asked me to bring my '57 Strat over to do some testing. He was building the proto-type of the Maz Jr. Doc tinkered and tinkered with component values until we were both satisfied. I did nothin' but play. He did all the work. So if you've got a Jr, it was tuned to my guitar, and playing (not that the playing was that good!)
Z's amps are great, and they're a great value, as his pricing is very reasonable in the boutique market.
My other favorite? 1963 Super. I've seen the inside of one Dumble, and there were a lot of parts that had the info scrubbed off, and some parts were encapsulated in some kinda black stuff.
JB http://steelguitaramericas.com/ |
Andy Zynda
Member From: Wisconsin
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posted 15 December 2006 08:34 AM
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I played thru a Dr Z Stang Ray 212.I have:
64 Vibrolux Reverb (VERY NICE!!)
67 BandMasterReverb 15" JBL (Vibroclone)
65 Twin Reverb (Nice!)
66 Super Reverb (
65 Princeton Reverb (Sweet)
65 Deluxe Reverb (d120f) (Very Sweet!)
73 Vibrolux Reverb (Nice!)
80's Music Man HD130 (115 JBL) (NICE!!)
Silvertone 1484 (Gnarly but good)
63 Bassman / 212 & 410 Custom Cab (Yummy) I have played thru:
Dumble ODS 97 (Nice!)
Dumble Overdrive Special (late 60's, decent)
Dumble Steel String Singer (Very Nice!)
Two Rocks assorted (OK)
Fuchs assorted (OK)
KrankenStiens (Nice Marshall tone)
Swarte's (Good stuff)
Sewells (Great stuff!!!) That Stang Ray, was and is the best sounding, most versatile amp I have ever heard/owned. Teles, Strats, SG's, Baritone, Gretsch 6120W, Setzer HotRod, and a 54 Fender Custom Triple 8.
All killer thru this amp. Just me of course, but there it is.
-andy z- [This message was edited by Andy Zynda on 15 December 2006 at 08:35 AM.]
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