Robben Ford / Pedal Show w/Dumble

[Tonray's Ghost]

[andrewsrea]

I want to watch this episode, but haven't' found the time to devote over an hour. TPS videos can tend to be too long.

[Chocol8]

I like Robben, but I really do NOT like that amp. My favorite Robben stuff has all been another amp or something acoustic.

[Tonray's Ghost]

I like Robben, but I really do NOT like that amp. My favorite Robben stuff has all been another amp or something acoustic.

I have no opinion of the amp itself, only having heard it thru YouTube, really can't tell much difference from many other quality amps...but the story line of the amp, its genesis and builder and the funny Larry Carlton story are worth watching for. For those that don't have the time for the whole video, there was a time Robben was touring with Larry C. and Larry walks over to his Dumble during warmup and plugs into the amp, after a few moments, he unplugs and tells Robben..."Hmmm, sounds good when you play it" and walks away.

[toomanycats]

Robben Ford is a very intimidating guitarist. He's certainly amongst the most amazing, recherché players. When I hear him I'm incapable of simple enjoyment. I want to grasp what he's doing, to understand it and incorporate it into my own musical vocabulary. That has proven impossible. It's not just understanding what he's doing, or even having the "chops" to actually play his stuff note-for-note. It's his feel. He has this be-boppy, jazzy, western swing sensibility that's impossible to imitate. It's similar to the inimitableness of EVH, or Dickie Betts, though with Robben it's even more pronounced; he makes me feel unmusical, like I'm a sorry hack, with broken fingers and a pathetic, fettered artist's soul. Robben makes me want to quit guitar altogether!

[Tonray's Ghost]

Robben Ford is a very intimidating guitarist. He's certainly amongst the most amazing, recherché players. When I hear him I'm incapable of simple enjoyment. I want to grasp what he's doing, to understand it and incorporate it into my own musical vocabulary. That has proven impossible. It's not just understanding what he's doing, or even having the "chops" to actually play his stuff note-for-note. It's his feel. He has this be-boppy, jazzy, western swing sensibility that's impossible to imitate. It's similar to the inimitableness of EVH, or Dickie Betts, though with Robben it's even more pronounced; he makes me feel unmusical, like I'm a sorry hack, with broken fingers and a pathetic, fettered artist's soul. Robben makes me want to quit guitar altogether!

No worries catman, I'll send you a video of me playing live and your guitar chops will be revitalized.

[andrewsrea]

Got to watch it and it was a good video. IMHO, the takeaway was player 'feel' in the room. Like @Tonray's Ghost said, after YouTube processing, it sounded like a nice Fender BF when clean and like you stomped on a Big Muff Ram's Head with the gain at 10 o'clock when overdriven.

I've copied some of the circuit for my AMI Dumb Luck and can telly you the clean channel has a ton of head room transients and is balanced. The dirt channel has a lot of harmonics, but isn't as compressed as a Marshall, Mesa or Fender. It is pokey and does not cover mistakes.

[Chocol8]

Got to watch it and it was a good video. IMHO, the takeaway was player 'feel' in the room. Like @Tonray's Ghost said, after YouTube processing, it sounded like a nice Fender BF when clean and like you stomped on a Big Muff Ram's Head with the gain at 10 o'clock when overdriven.

Yep, there really isn't anything special or hard to duplicate with that amp. I think they touched on it a bit at the end, when they said they could not separate the fact that it was a Dumble and Robben's Dumble from their evaluation of it. If they had played any number of clean tube amps with stiff power supplies at an elevated volume and no dirt pedals in front, they would have had the same experience of it being revealing and unforgiving. It is also VERY telling that they avoided comparing it to anything. That would have exposed the truth. It really isn't that special sounding, it is just a special story.

FWIW, I have heard Robben play through what I assume was a rented backline twice, both standard Fenders, and both time's he sounded fantastic. Like Robben, if not even better than normal. And if you haven't heard him play acoustic, well...

[tonebender]

I have 5 electric guitar amps. One is an old red knob Fender Champ that I consider a paperweight. That thing could be the worse amp ever produced, I don't even consider it playable. I bet Robben could make them all sound like a Dumble, even the red knob dud.

[Chocol8]

One of the times I saw Robben live, he was playing a red knob Twin! I honestly thought the sound that night was as good or better than the Dumble. There are so many pieces to the equation and the player is such a big one, that I think it is easy to think that a specific guitar or amp has "magical" qualities when in reality they are perfectly normal and not even exceptional.

[andrewsrea]

FWIW, I have heard Robben play through what I assume was a rented backline twice, both standard Fenders, and both time's he sounded fantastic. Like Robben, if not even better than normal. And if you haven't heard him play acoustic, well...

Robben is truly and artist's musician.

Strangely about the video, the talked up the cabinet but neglected to talk the speaker choice. Rolla Celestion G12-65 8ohms were the speaker of choice in Marshall cabs from 1977 to 1988ish, and not the same sounding speaker as today's Celestion 65. My friend has them in a 4x12 Ampeg V4 cabinet, which was on loan to me for about 7 years. These are the cleanest, tightest Celestions I've ever heard and have a later breakup, which lends understanding when Robben said that he lowered the preamp gain and turned up the volume for his tone. The also have less of a 3K mid-bump. I am certain that is also responsible for the unforgivingness of the rig.

[andrewsrea]

One of the times I saw Robben live, he was playing a red knob Twin!

I've repaired a few Evil Twins and their head counter part, the red-knob Showmans. Riveria designed. Most underrated and affordable amps out there. The only down side is their complicated switching jacks got brittle and were at one time, unobtainum. Now readily and affordably available, still a little complicated to replace. But awesome sounding amps, none the less.

[golem]

One of the times I saw Robben live, he was playing a red knob Twin!

I've repaired a few Evil Twins and their head counter part, the red-knob Showmans. Riveria designed. Most underrated and affordable amps out there. The only down side is their complicated switching jacks got brittle and were at one time, unobtainum. Now readily and affordably available, still a little complicated to replace. But awesome sounding amps, none the less.

I've definitely been tempted to by the Red Knob Showman on FB Marketplace I showed you a few months ago. They're not budging on price though.

[Chocol8]

I've definitely been tempted to by the Red Knob Showman on FB Marketplace I showed you a few months ago. They're not budging on price though.

I just found out an amp I bid on 6 months ago sold for just over half of what I offered the guy. Seller was both stupid and delusional, and then I guess too embarrassed to reach out and take my offer.