Define "bloom" please.

[10thTx]

I'm wondering how you guys define "bloom" on the Dumble amp's tone.

I am a huge fan of Larry Carlton and Sonny Landreth and have had the privilege of seeing them live. Also like some of Robben Ford also. I have quite a few of all 3 of their CD's. So I think I'm somewhat reasonably familiar with some of the Dumble tone.

Would it be appropriate to define bloom as when a "held/sustained" note increases in it's fullness, richness and harmonics but without increasing in volume?

If that is a reasonable definition, I think I'm getting some bloom tone from an amp that is very loosely based on a D type design.

I realize what one hears is somewhat a subjective thing but would appreciate seeing how others define "bloom".

With respect, 10thtx

[Structo]

The way you described it pretty much is the way I think of it.

A fullness that develops on a held note "blooming" into harmonic goodness.

[wjdunham]

There was a great and lengthy thread on this subject a while back:

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... uses+bloom

Bill

[jelle]

The way you described it pretty much is the way I think of it.

A fullness that develops on a held note "blooming" into harmonic goodness.

+1

The tan ultrasound one does a great job at this.

[kingster]

Allan Holdsworth describes 'blooming' as going from 'ooo' sounds to 'eeee' sounds, building with harmonics.

[butwhatif]

That's bleeeming, isn't it

[johan]

Bloom = controlled feedback?

"Emotions wounds us so" from Carltons Last Nite has some amazing bloom, or is that feedback?

[ericlee]

Bloom = controlled feedback?

No really,
Here is an example of a “Bloom” with a modified OTS and Lp’s neck and bridge pickup.
Cab with mic were in a separate room and I was using a headphones so no chance of a feedback. Bloom was happening on some notes on the fingerboard and was more evident on neck pickup.

Neck pickup http://www.drika.biz/bloom.mp3

Bridge pickup http://www.drika.biz/bloom2.mp3

[ER]

In the words of the man himself it's "when the air becomes electric"!

Some amps will do it on a certain frequency, Dumbles seem to be able to do it across the fretboard. Sounding loud without neccesarily being loud. It's just full spectrum harmonics and guitar/amp interaction, that's why HAD would borrow artist guitars to dial the amp in, he didn't need their "fingers", just to be able to get an impedance match between amp and instrument.

The flip side of this is being able to gather that harmonic energy and being able to pack into a very dense piercing note when playing slide, Dumbles do that too...

Kind of like that Percy Jones thing where you hit an open harmonic on fretless bass and then slide it up. Sliding up packs it up, sliding down releases. Lindley is the king of the harmonic constriction/release.

I'll shut up now...

[kingster]

Hi all,
I am relatively new to this forum, and have a great deal of respect for those of you who have successfully built some of these amps. I, like many other guitarists, have been searching for the Holdsworth tone. He gets the "bloom" but without the buzzing distortion that we all find so annoying. His midrange is full and note articulation is great. Can anyone recommend a specific ceriatone amp that can come close to that Holdsworth tone? Much appreciated. From what I have read, the Dumble clones nail the clean end of things, but the overdrive is what I am wondering about.
I have been playing guitar for 42 years now, and just bought an Egnater that I am pretty happy with. I have retired my Boogie Mark 4 and Deluxe Reverbs.

[M Fowler]

Kingster,

You should get ahold of colossal on TAG for information on Holdsworth tone he's has a lot of knowledge in his set-up and tone.