Billy Zoom trashing Dumbles

[jelle]

Henry Kaiser is a sweet guy who invited me into his house and took the time to teach me about dumble amps and his approach to tone. I was impressed by his knowledge!

If you do not get the sounds he makes, I get it. I dig his tone on the CDs he gave me.

[LeftyStrat]

I'm sorry for stirring up this hornets nest. *EDIT* Deleted unnecessary name calling.

While I appreciate the edit, I still want to know why you'd put a fellow amp garage member down. What constitutes you referring to me wiredturte/ tv the wired turtle/ Tavo Vega, as a sh$thead.
Whats the issue, if I've wronged you..help me make it right

If youre referring to me in the thread at the GDP, you can see quite clearly that I was upholding that dumble amps actually sound great.
-tavo

I apologize, it was a mistake. I mistook someone else's post for yours.

[hywelg]

After reading this thread a couple of days ago I headed off over to Billy Zooms Jet Set and had a read. What a load of sycophants. If Billy says it it must be true!! Hah, if he says its a Twin with a single component change then it is !!. What bollocks.

Best to stay away from that forum. It'll just upset you reading it.

I also note the 'fuzz pedal' reference has been removed.

I also had a listen to some of Billy Zooms amp clips. Nice, but nothing special. I bet he won't let anyone inside them now!!

[martin manning]

Nevermind. I guess there wa no edit.

[wiredturtle]

thanks Lefty!

[ER]

I like Henry Kaiser. As a musician and a human bean.

There I said it.

He's rich and can do what ever he wants? Good for him! Did you pick what family you were born into?

What we need is a good amplifier for the masses comrade! If Henry's grandpa hadn't launched so many ships maybe we would all be more equal that way.

Where would we be if Hendrix didn't let his freak flag fly?

Hollow bodies and vintage amp no stutter effect;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5EMuO5P ... re=related

Happy new year everybody!

[Structo]

Hey, I wasn't dissing Henry, just sort of setting the record straight and a little background about him.

You are right, we can't choose our parents, at least not in this life.

Henry sounds like he would be a fun guy to be around regardless of the silver spoon.

Not quite sure what to make of Derek Bailey making all that racket on his guitar.

[Matt J]

That's cool that you got to meet with Henry, Jelle, and look over some of his Dumbles. Did he talk to you any about or show you the tan Steel String Singer combo he has? I've always been interested in that amp, especially since it's the only SSS I've seen in a combo cabinet. It looks like it has some type of tremolo circuit from the picture I've seen.

- Matt J.

[M Fowler]

Roadjunkie Here's something to keep in mind. I don't know how long you have been involved with guitars and amp building. I've been involved in them since I was 15 with long long periods of lapses. I've forgotten way more then I ever learned. Billy states this was in 1985 when Alex brought these amps to him to look at. When you consider that almost everything was built off the Fender format with the exception of Vox. Mesa, Marshall and every other conceivable build was based off Fender could Billy have been looking at what he saw as a Twin? We are talking about a time when I was still in my mid twentys and the only guitar I owned was an Ovation Folklore. The realm of possibility exists here.

When you consider that almost everything was built off the Fender format with the exception of Vox. Mesa, Marshall and every other conceivable build was based off Fender

So the 5f6 that became the JTM45 has nothing in common with a VOX AC30 huh? Or making a hot rod Fender and calling it a Mesa Boogie!

[Max]

Where would we be if Hendrix didn't let his freak flag fly?

ER, indeed! It's IMO one of the most bitter ironies in the history of music and arts in general, that members of the "Woodstock Generation" - as can be read in some of the posts here concerning Henry Kaiser as an example - have opened again a modern times bureau of detecting and investigating degenerated music´.

Obviously some Hippies did find their way back home into the McCarthy era - Congratulation!

Henry's SSS #001: Yes, this combo has a built in "vibrato" (frequency modulation) like a Surf Box etc.

Concerning the topic of this thread: Is building Dumble style amps really so dull that mutual character assessment seems to be that much fun?

Cheers,

Max

[LeftyStrat]

mutual character assessment

That's one cap away from...

[Max]

mutual character assessment

That's one cap away from...

This kind of statement is in my opinon old hat in Dumbleland. You'll find many posts here at ampgarge with the message that Dumbles are Fenders with some tweaks. And now it shall be an exiter and/or of importance that someone tells that Alexander has tweaked only one cap instead of some and perhaps some resistors, too?

And because most memebers here will be able to read a schematic it's IMO not that difficult for all here to find out the differences between a Twin and a 2nd generation ODS e.g. So why all this fuss about a statement that is that old hat - if character assessment isn't the intention?

Cheers,

Max

[heisthl]

Max - I think an automobile analogy works here:
Some people love their Volkswagons and others love their BMWs. The conflict occurs when an "expert" tells his fellow volkswagon enthusiats that there's nothing special about a BMW except for a different hood ornament and a solid state turn signal blinker. Even though the obvious is apparent to the BMW owner he still feels an obligation to point out to the other VW enthusiats that they are being misled. The real question is "Why are they being misled?"
BZ can surely read a schematic and even if his impression of the amps he saw in '85 were that they only had a one cap difference he certainly should know by now that his statement is no longer true even in his own mind. His posting on the thread was not that long ago. I can only speculate the intention of his statements were to elevate himself amongst his peers. It would seem he has plenty to be proud of in his playing career and amplifier endeavors so I really don't understand the motivation.

[Max]

so I really don't understand the motivation.

Of course I understand what you are talking about in your automotive example.

But in my opinion this forum is about discussing if such a statement ("only one cap apart") is right or wrong in a technical sense (and BTW: I think this is complicated enough - at least for me).

But I have strong doubts that it makes much sense speculating about the motivations for whatever post in whatever forum and if these motivations are right or wrong in an ethical sense. IMO this makes no sense at all, because for such a kind of ethical discussion you would need universal ethical standards.

But AFAIK modern civilizations are based upon the belief, that ethical standards are always of an individual nature and only legal standards are of an universal valid natur.

So IMO it may perhaps make sense to discuss, if whatever post in whatever forum is in accord with the currently valid legal standards. But such a kind of discussion in regard to ethics (does BZ or Mr. Dumble or whoever behave "as he should"? etc.) is IMO necessitative endless and without any sense at all (perhaps personal relaxation about "having said it" an exception), because AFAIK universal ethical standards - that would be needed to discuss and/or decide if someone behaves "as he should" - aren't existing.

Cheers,

Max

[Structo]

Huh?