mmmm... Dumble

[Picker]

Howdy all.
New to the forum and this is my first post.

I've got the itch ... I have both a craving for finding that 'tone' coupled with a hankering to start another electronics project and found my way here.

Anyway, I've had for some time had a fascination with that dumble sound. Starting w/ SRV and the others... on through reading reviews etc. on Fuchs et al. I was considering the Ceriatone, but after reading here for the last few days, I both got a little gun-shy about the quality and also a real craving to build an amp on my own. (been a dream of mine for a while)

My electronics background is limited but I have --
Built a Neve-type Mic Pre from a kit (seventh circle audio) so have some experience soldering etc.
Replaced several components on my existing amps following the advice of my friend and amp guru (Mike). (quick tip... make sure you disconnect the ground wire you used to drain the charge before you turn the amp back on).

I have been going back and forth with the idea of either building something like a Fender Princeton first to start or just dive right in to the Dumble-works. The princeton would be nice to have, but Weber is out of the Chassis and I kinda really want the Dumble eventually anyway... so....

Where do I begin? Should I just get a chassis, buy some parts, pick a model and go to it? Can I really pull it off when I can't even diagnose the problems I 'm having with my Fender Twin? grrrr... (maybe more on that later in the general discussion.) Whacha think?

[ayan]

Howdy all.
New to the forum and this is my first post.

I've got the itch ... I have both a craving for finding that 'tone' coupled with a hankering to start another electronics project and found my way here.

Anyway, I've had for some time had a fascination with that dumble sound. Starting w/ SRV and the others... on through reading reviews etc. on Fuchs et al. I was considering the Ceriatone, but after reading here for the last few days, I both got a little gun-shy about the quality and also a real craving to build an amp on my own. (been a dream of mine for a while)

My electronics background is limited but I have --
Built a Neve-type Mic Pre from a kit (seventh circle audio) so have some experience soldering etc.
Replaced several components on my existing amps following the advice of my friend and amp guru (Mike). (quick tip... make sure you disconnect the ground wire you used to drain the charge before you turn the amp back on).

I have been going back and forth with the idea of either building something like a Fender Princeton first to start or just dive right in to the Dumble-works. The princeton would be nice to have, but Weber is out of the Chassis and I kinda really want the Dumble eventually anyway... so....

Where do I begin? Should I just get a chassis, buy some parts, pick a model and go to it? Can I really pull it off when I can't even diagnose the problems I 'm having with my Fender Twin? grrrr... (maybe more on that later in the general discussion.) Whacha think?

My two cents: if you want to build a full-blown Dumble-like amp, it's a lot of work and it will cost you on the order of $1,000 (give or take) in parts to get all you need to build it. That being the case, you will want it to come out about as good as possible. It may be a consideration to build something simpler first, like a Champ or a Tweed Deluxe, and the takle the big project. Personally, I modded Boogies and an old Deluxe Reverb to death before I built my first D-like amp.

Cheers,

Gil

[Picker]

Well.. that may be what I end up doing.

I'm really craving the Dumble, but can't afford the $3000 plus price tag for the good ones, am not sure about the Ceriatone, and like the idea of building myself (if I can get a good result).

Maybe postponing my grandiose ideas would be prudent. I just want to learn and get something exceptional in the process. Instant gratification and all that. My brain says "How much harder could it be?" but my experience replies back... "Plenty!".... Anyway... still thinkin' about it.... The Champ or Princeton would be nice to have in the arsenal anyway.

[Funkalicousgroove]

I'd say start with a tweed fender, then maybe a Blackface fender, then we'll help you build your dumble!

It's good to have some experience troubleshooting before attempting one of these, they have 7-8 different circuit boards, numerous filters and switches, and a number of things that can go wrong. Not trying to scare you off by any means, but it's good to hone your skills on something really simple.

[Luthierwnc]

I'll third the two opinions above. These amps have a lot of interrelated parts so it is hard to diagnose problems. The ability to say, "Oh, that is a filter noise or a feedback squeak" really narrows the field. I authored a post last year on this subject that might help. It also has some safety tips to keep the short hairs curly.

Just in case, start with a big donor chassis that has quality transformers. If the first amp is successful but not quite what you want, a little here and a little there and it is something else. Some of my poor amps have had 4 or 5 iterations before I'd actually take to the club (my acid test). Probably a Spitfire or a 5E3/4/5 tweed variant is something you can build and enjoy playing right out of the box. The 5F6-A Bassman (and all the Marshalls and Vox's that are very similar) is not a really difficult build either.

Cheers, Skip