Robben tells the story of this genre-defining amp, and we invite some friends over to play it!
Welcome to the show. We are delighted, humbled and quite frankly still in shock to have been able to make this video. Robben Ford joined us in a previous video to discuss his current rig and playing – watch it here: https://youtu.be/D0HIUT8J3I8 – but he also brought the Dumble Overdrive Special amplifier and 2x12 cabinet that he has used on every major release since Talk To Your Daughter in 1983.
It is an amp of incredible significance not least because of its sheer rarity and the elusive nature of everything surrounding Alexander Dumble, but also because it is the amp that helped shape Robben’s voice on the guitar as we know it today. We’ll leave the rest of the story to Robben in this video and express our utmost gratitude for the opportunity to tell it via That Pedal Show… and indeed letting us play it with a few mates which forms the second half of the show.
Massive thanks to Robben Ford of course, and to Jake Loosemore and Charlie Allen for also being such wonderful humans.
Enjoy the episode!
Please check out…
Robben Ford’s Guitar Dojo - https://www.robbenfordguitardojo.com/
Tour dates, general info, merch etc - https://www.robbenford.com/
Signal chain etc…
When Robben is playing, he uses three pedals. All into the front, no FX loop. Clean channel on the Dumble.
• Hermida Audio Zendrive
No longer available new
• Strymon TimeLine
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: https://bit.ly/2pSEFKm
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/WqoJDn
• Mad Professor Silver Spring Reverb
https://www.mpamp.com/eu/silver-spring-reverb
When we are playing the Dumble (after 25:30) the guitars are plugged straight into the amp, no pedals in line. There are two pedals in the amp’s effects loop.
• Free The Tone Future Factory Delay
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
• Chase Bliss Audio CXM 1978 Reverb
https://www.chasebliss.com/cxm-1978
Recording chain
Close mics: Sontronics Delta 2 Ribbon and AKG D190E, both into Neve 1073DPX
Room mics: 2 x AKG C414XLS (mid-side config) into Neve 1073 500 series preamps
Mixed with Neve 8816 with SSL Bus+ parallel across the insert mix.
All signal routing and A/D done by UA Apollo X16.
Interesting bits & go-to sections
0:00 Coming up…
1:13 Robben plays us in
2:46 Here it is: THE Dumble
3:15 Before the amp’s debut
4:00 Moving on from Talk To Your Daughter
7:22 Robben, Alexander & the Bassman
12:00 The genius who lived his craft
16:33 Robben & Larry’s Dumbles
17:45 Robben on hearing us playing through his amp
19:00 Robben + 61’ Tele + Dumble ODS = magic
22:11 Hit the Zendrive
23:10 The Dumble 212 cab
25:10 Thank you Robben
25:33 Some days earlier…
26:19 Introducing some friends
30:14 Dan, Tele, Clean
34:02 Jake, Strat, Clean
38:00 Charlie, ES-335, Clean
43:00 Mick, Les Paul, Clean
44:35 Dan, SG, Overdrive
46:51 Charlie, 345, Overdrive
49:32 Jake, Les Paul, Overdrive
51:27 Mick, Strat, Overdrive
54:26 Dan, Tele, Overdrive & Clean
56:57 Final thoughts
Guitars used in today’s show
• 1960 Fender Telecaster
• Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster
• 1961 Fender Stratocaster
• Gibson Memphis 1963 ES-335 (Charlie’s guitar) with Monty’s Retrowind pickups
• Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Goldtop, Murphy Aged
• 1965 Gibson ES-345
• 1962 Gibson Les Paul (SG)
Amps in today’s show
• 1983 Dumble Overdrive Special head & 212 cabinet with Celestion G12 65 speakers (the ‘Rola Celestion’ newer ones, replaced three our four times over the years)
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