Built a Dumblelator

[M Fowler]

Glad I finally got around to building my Dumblelator is works really well with my BM HRM 100w. Had to read up on how to connect it and use it.

I need to get to Radio Shack for a LED for front panel then put the bottom cover on.

Mark

[dcribbs1412]

Looks great Mark
2" chassis?

I need to get to Radio Shack for a LED for front panel then put the bottom cover on.
Mark

I really like the small led lights (120V) from there.

Darin

[M Fowler]

Thanks Darin,

Ebay 17x8x2 chassis.
FrontPanelExpress 19" rack faceplate
17x8 Bud bottom plate
Fender reverb unit PT and choke
Filtered IEC from Steve at Apexjr
The rest I had sitting around.

I like Radio Shack square red 120v panel lights too. The schematic for this unit called for LED so I better get one.

I didn't plan for rack drilling yet I wanted to make my own custom rack and side rails.


Mark

[alvarezh]

Nice build there Mark, congrats!

Cheers.

[amplifiednation]

Mark that is a great looking Dumbleator! I like the faceplate too!

[M Fowler]

Thanks guys, I just put in a few hours playing through my BM HRM and I noticed the Dumblelator adds something to the amp, smoother and more definition perhaps.

I'll have to do some more reading on the subject.

Mark

[ic-racer]

adds something to the amp, smoother and more definition perhaps.

I'll have to do some more reading on the subject.

Mark

I just got my Fuchs Verbrator (Dumbleator) in the mail today and I cannot agree with you more. I certainly have read that many times in the last years about the effect of a Dumblator on the tone but now I can hear it.

I just opened my HRM up and re-set the trimmers with the Verbrator in place. Both my amps (#124 and HRM) have killer tone with that thing. The sound is so good I have been playing all day, my fingers are bleeding...

[M Fowler]

Glad the Fuchs reverb is working so well that's cool.

Greg Clark gave me some information on setting my BM HRM trimmers but I still haven't done that yet but I really should dial those in.

Mark

[212Mavguy]

...from the peanut gallery dept...
my $ .01

Mine is a C-lator...

have tried on C-tone or derivative builds mainly,

50w hrm (fantastic)

50w Marsh Overlord (50w ODS 124-ish, Nik boards) (this was fine without it, but it worked great with too)

100w SSS #Nik (better with it, easier to control the beast)

also Mesa Maverick, (great)

Best benefit for me is getting the amp to behave the way I want at the volume I want, period.

side bennies...

ability to warm, fatten and bloom, or chill out brighten up, retard feedback onset tendencies with going to right or left of noon on the Drive knob while In knob is left dimed. Typically at smaller venue-ish volumes the out is around 8:00 at lower end of unit's operative sweet zone. This allows for just turning up the out knob and nothing else for a huge variety in overall output volume while personally experiencing acceptable tonal consistency from lower to louder. Setting my main amp to the lower end of it's personal "Zone of goodness" on the Master volume(s) more easily allowed a "lator to operate in it's sweet zone as well from my experiences with mine.

Am a vintage tube collector. From extensive vintage old stock tube rolling experience with mine, strong late 50's Siemens longplate 12ax7, Amperex longplate late 50's 12ax7 are tubes of choice for one of these, their outputs richen harmonic content and do not impart monotonous sounding vowels to overdriven voices to the extent their younger shortplate siblings do, these help the amp to sing like an opera diva as well as bloom in the decay. The tubes' tendency toward microphonics has less effect here, and the richness they impart in mids on up to the presence pixie dust is pretty audible. Unlike many longplate 12ax7's these are not bass heavy in their detailed palette clean or dirty. Two thicknesses of one inch heatshrink covering the bottle sides adds some damping to help with that microphonic behavior, especially after ten minutes of runtime heat the tubing to a more rubbery state. Siemens are a bit more affordable and sound the most detailed to my ears within my collection of Siemens, Amperex, and Mullard vintage euro.

[212Mavguy]

My apology for both the double post and any perception from previous post writing of cork sniffer one upsmanship, not the intent.

Much respect to the OP and all here. Am thankful.

[dcribbs1412]

...from the peanut gallery dept...
my $ .01

Mine is a C-lator...

have tried on C-tone or derivative builds mainly,

50w hrm (fantastic)

50w Marsh Overlord (50w ODS 124-ish, Nik boards) (this was fine without it, but it worked great with too)

100w SSS #Nik (better with it, easier to control the beast)

also Mesa Maverick, (great)

Best benefit for me is getting the amp to behave the way I want at the volume I want, period.

side bennies...

ability to warm, fatten and bloom, or chill out brighten up, retard feedback onset tendencies with going to right or left of noon on the Drive knob while In knob is left dimed. Typically at smaller venue-ish volumes the out is around 8:00 at lower end of unit's operative sweet zone. This allows for just turning up the out knob and nothing else for a huge variety in overall output volume while personally experiencing acceptable tonal consistency from lower to louder. Setting my main amp to the lower end of it's personal "Zone of goodness" on the Master volume(s) more easily allowed a "lator to operate in it's sweet zone as well from my experiences with mine.

Am a vintage tube collector. From extensive vintage old stock tube rolling experience with mine, strong late 50's Siemens longplate 12ax7, Amperex longplate late 50's 12ax7 are tubes of choice for one of these, their outputs richen harmonic content and do not impart monotonous sounding vowels to overdriven voices to the extent their younger shortplate siblings do, these help the amp to sing like an opera diva as well as bloom in the decay. The tubes' tendency toward microphonics has less effect here, and the richness they impart in mids on up to the presence pixie dust is pretty audible. Unlike many longplate 12ax7's these are not bass heavy in their detailed palette clean or dirty. Two thicknesses of one inch heatshrink covering the bottle sides adds some damping to help with that microphonic behavior, especially after ten minutes of runtime heat the tubing to a more rubbery state. Siemens are a bit more affordable and sound the most detailed to my ears within my collection of Siemens, Amperex, and Mullard vintage euro.

Nice info 212Mavguy
Marks build has a choke
does your clator? Wondering what this brings to the tone of a loop
Also interesting way of running the controls on your loop.
I thought diming the in could possibly overload a fx unit?
Interested in others settings they use on a loop.

Darin

[M Fowler]

I turn up the "In" control higher and "out" control about 1 o'clock.

Adding some more build photos since the LED is in and cover on.

The Fender Reverb PT is taller then the 2" chassis so bottom cover was massaged and cork add as filler on the sides.

Great write-up 212Mavguy


Mark

[M Fowler]

More photos not sure if anyone would want to build one like I did but incase you do the photos have been loaded.

Mark

[Structo]

Nice job Mark!

It really does help the amp to sound better.

[M Fowler]

Thanks Tom, as you can see I used that Fender reverb PT layout you have posted a few times and also used the C-lator to come up with my own version. I was working inverted from the layouts so it was a trying experience but I am very happy in how quiet it functions and the tone the unit brings out in the Dumble clone.

One more thing my bright switches are upside down

Mark