Hi,


I can't help it to listen to this video all over again and again... it's such a fabulous sound Robben Ford is getting out of his rig... really immense, bloomy and lots of sustain/feedback.



I've heard this Dumble is a heavily modded 6L6 powered non-HRM but still I find the low end of his sound to be pretty tight, it's definitely not as flabby as what I've heard from other (Ceriatone) OTS amps. The flabbyness is the reason why I went for EL34's... to get a tighter low end.

But apart from going into details on Ford's amp... it seems his 6L6 OTS sounds way brighter and tighter than say the 'standard' Ceriatone OTS with 6L6's. Of course he doesn't use the mid boost but still...

I'm wondering... how did you guys mod your amp(s)? I have yet to hear an OTS which sounds a bit like Fords... most Carlton/Ford cover vids I've seen feature a very thick dark sound instead of a bright and punchy one...



Cheers,
Emiel


p.s. of course people who are living in the Netherlands/Belgium/northwest Germany and wouldn't mind modding my OTS are very welcome at my place 

FWIW the specs of RF amp are worthless without a dumblelator.
I remember you(Emiel) played on my amp with your guitar; it was flabby. My guitar didnt sound flabby.
So you have to pick brighter pick-ups or mod your OTS to get a tighter bass and more highs. There are a lot of other things to try.
Fe. try EVM12L speakers. I think you will be pleased...

I modded several OTS and noticed that most users listen from a very different perspective.  Fe. too much lows can also mean too less highs. Translation is different for someone who is modding.
So; "1 fits all" mod doesnt seem to apply to the OTS because it is so sensitive to a your playing and the guitar you use.

Well if you want to know the inside, you beter learn some basic electronics. Otherwise it's impossible to explain what's happening in other amps.

OTS is very close to some original dumble. But the OTS is one design/tweak. Leaving the layout the same, there are much variations possible in picking the right cap/resistor value. It has a huge impact on the sound. Dumble did this to match the players input and guitar. That's why there are many variations in the originals.
If you're looking  for a brighter sound, try the EVM12L speaker; you'll love it...

For me personally: choke was 4H, changed to 10H, made my amp less hairy, and less compressing. Improved low end. It has a wider dynamic range due to that choke.
Also the LNFB can be tuned with the resistors and cap. that way you can make a knee in your frequency and this affects the compression.
Snubbers across v2; original is 330pF, I changed it to 250pF. More highs.
Resistor after coupling cap v2b was 180 k, now it is 150k more highs and punchier.
Bright cap across master 68pF more highs. and so on; there are countless options...
All is tuned for use with my dumblelator(or Clator if you're not familiar with the nomenclature).

FWIW my amps clean channel sounded almost the same as a Van Weelden when I used a cab with 2x12 EVM12L. The drive channel was diffrent, I liked mine better, but YMMV.

I beg to differ, there may be some differences between output transformers in various brands of amps (I put in customers choice when I build) but the rest of the parts are the same or better than what you would get in any high priced amp. The Ceriatone is a clone of ONE model of Dumble, they are all differently made for individual players. I had a prominent player here that owns a Dumble he had made for him in the early 80's. When he heard and played my Ceriatone he ended up selling his Dumble and ordering a 100W HRM from me. Freed up $40K of capital for other uses. A good builder can tailor the amp to your liking and make you very happy!
Unless you really know amps and components and a fair amount of electronics that's just a silly statement. These amps can hold their own against any of similar type.

     I think that the tone of these amps will reflect on the players note control. Anyone who can manipulate these amps with absolute control can get what we all perceive as the classic "Dumble tone". You can watch any player and the way their hands move in hopes to imitate them but some the best guitar players can use so much accuracy that its hard to replicate it. D-amps are so subjective to guitars/hands/strings/action etc. that its hard to pinpoint an exact sound, its better for me to use Dumble references as a vehicle for new sound/ideas.  Of course this is all IMHO

I asked, he does not want the press....

So, it is a bullshit story!! wanna sound interesting?

 Jon is not bullshiting us. He's a respectable builder (and a hell of a guitar player). The only reason you're not familiar with him is because he's not frequent in the guitar player/builder community (Yet). He's been building Mic pre's, audio recording equipment, guitar gear for a very long time and has a reputable boutique company. There's no reason for him to bullshit any of us, he's merely respecting someone's wishes to remain quiet. He's been involved in electronics for the past few decades and has a vast knowledge on how things work.