blue_lu wrote:alright, thanks!
so if I understand correctly:
an ods speaking in general has to be tweaked to a certain pickup-type, while an SSS can do just fine with either SC/Humbucker?
later, lu
Hi blu_lu,
In my opinion there are no Dumble amps (and others) that in general h a v e to be tweaked to a certain pickup or that do fine in general with any kind of pickup.
The question is (as allways where personal taste is involved IMHO), if y o u like how you and your audiences feel if you plug into a given amp. Do y o u get the kind of response, the kind of playing comfort, the sounds y o u and your audience (band, producer,...) like?
Any guitar amp is a musical instrument that is "first class" if in your hands it results in your happy face if you are playing it alone in your house along to a CD or if it results in thousands of moved or dancing people in Hollywood Bowl.
What kind of instrument you chose to play is IMHO a most important p e r s o n a l matter because it can ease the way y o u go as a musician or hinder it to some extent.
Why?:
If you change from one amp or guitar to another that you like better, I bet, that only few in the audience will even notice any difference at all. But y o u will notice the difference, and because you have more fun and a better flow, your performance will be more inspired and t h a t difference your audience w i l l notice.
So I personally would recommend to use the own ears, heart and mind to judge which amp "has to" be tweaked or not. A musical instrument is a tool that must do the job y o u want to have done by it. By the extent of how and if it does what y o u ask from y o u r tool I would judge the quality of the tool.
Having said this, back to your question:
90% of all Dumble amps are custom made for a certain guitar player to suit h i m best.
So it is very probable that you have to tweak every Dumble to your personal taste (or to buy and sell them until chance/karma sends you the one that you fall in love with). I plugged into Dumble amps that I liked a lot and others that had obviously made for someone else with a different taste.
This "tweaking" of a Dumble to your taste you could do in the way of just using different settings of controls and switches, different tubes, adapting your picking techniques or by a visit to HAD (or some other tech) for changes in the circuit (like Santana did, who bought his ODS and SSS second hand and HAD did the tweaking).
What all Dumble amps (that are still in fine working original condition) have in common (in m y ears) is, that they all have a very direct response to the way they are handled. The reason for this is the simple fact that this is precisely what they are meant to do by Mr. Dumble and his customers.
So my impression is, that the differences between different guitars, pickups, picking and fingering styles are more obvious with a Dumble as with some other amps.
So if you feel the need for "tweaking" depends on how y o u like this special Dumble ODS or SSS and so IMHO there is no big difference in general between an ODS and a DL/SSS in regard of the "need for tweaking to pickups". If y o u feel this need, do so (or sell it and try an other) and if you have fun with it as is is, leave it alone.
The small difference between an ODS and a DL/SSS in regard of a "felt need for tweaking to a specific pickup" is, that the DL/SSS in my ears have still a more direct response to your input as an ODS, so any differences of the input signal will be still more obvious at the output as with an ODS.
With a SSS or Dumbleland you will hear every minute detail of the wood, construction, strings and electronics of your guitar, every detail of your fingering and picking technique still a bit more clear and pronounced as with many ODS.
But if what y o u hear and feel if y o u plug into a DL/SSS is in your opinion a reason for some kind of "tweaking" is a question that only y o u can answer, as with an ODS because this is a matter of personal taste.
So my precise answer to you question is as follows:
As far as I know there is no need - in a strictly technical sense - to adjust ot "tweak" a Dumble ODS or DL/SSS to work properly with any kind of pickup (as long as the pickups/guitarelectronics output specifications are those usual for active or passive guitars circuits).
But because most Dumble amps are custom made to fit the personal taste of a specific customer it could be, that in regard of a given Dumble amp with series # XXX y o u may feel the need to "tweak" it more (changes in circuit) or less (e.g.: change of the brand of the input and/or OD tube) to y o u r personal taste.
Cheers and have a fine weekend
Max
