How the Dumble is an instrument and not just an amp

[dogears]

Bottom line, the amp becomes and integral part of your style and playing and adds dimension to your playing that was not there. As posted on TGP.....

Here is a clip I did the other day. I have been really trying to incorporate the bloom of the Bludo Ojai into my playing. I busted out the ubiquitous A minor Centrifigal backing to try out some ideas. I also put a new set of Winged C tubes in. I really need a set of STR415s! Mullard V1 and Siemens V2. Ribbed matched Telefunken in PI. Loopalator with G Major 2 and MiniMix in circuit. Just a little delay during tracking. Waves IR added in Mix. G12-65 speakers. Multimiced with mostly SM57 in mix. Thanks for listening....

http://scottlernermusic.com/2010/ojcen320x.mp3

On a technical note, using a balanced ribbed Telefunken in the PI spot and carefully tuning the PI trimmer, the bloom and harmonics were even further enhanced. Telefunkens work magic in the PI spot. Not a huge fan in V1 or V2, but magic in the PI!

[Structo]

I really enjoyed that clip Scott.
More melodic and the swells and the bloom was pretty awesome.
I notice on my amp the bloom happens more when I hang on a notice with some vibrato on the fret, if it's going to happen it will happen there.
But what is weird on my amp is that it only happens on certain notes or frequencies.

Could be a room thing.
At one point I had it working very well.
But it seemed to fade away, Maybe the tube needs replacing there.

Just curious when you record these clips how loud are you playing?
Like gig loud or medium loud. Like 100db or higher?

Oh, what are you using for the player on that link, I like that a lot, much simpler way to play the file.

[odourboy]

Impressive!

[dogears]

Thanks guys!

Like medium loud to loud. Gig level maybe. Over 100db, I'd wager.

[stelligan]

Nice to hear the long tones from that amp. Sounds very nice. It has most definitely altered your style for the better IMHO. Not that you haven't always played superbly. There is more breathing and space here to break up the super cool lines. FWIW, I have listened to your clips many times over the years with my wife hovering around the house or on our laptops with wine on the patio. This clip is the first one that she inquired "who's that playing?". She liked it. She is a foxy chick and after all, isn't that the main reason we all are musicians. To get the girls............

[mlp-mx6]

Excellent! Very lyrical.

[Bob-I]

Thanks guys!

Like medium loud to loud. Gig level maybe. Over 100db, I'd wager.

I run my 50 watt Peavey conversion at a measured 80-85 Db from 3 feet in front of the speaker. It takes about 9:00 on the master to get there. Plenty loud although occasionally the sound man tells me to turn up to prevert drums from bleeding into the guitar mike.

Sounds great Scott. After I get back from this trip we'll find a day when I can come down so we can get this amp sounding right.

[ericlee]

Great clip Scott,
Really enjoyed it. Ojai really has some magic so does your playing.
Best wishes

[erwin_ve]

Bottom line, the amp becomes and integral part of your style and playing and adds dimension to your playing that was not there. As posted on TGP.....

Here is a clip I did the other day. I have been really trying to incorporate the bloom of the Bludo Ojai into my playing. I busted out the ubiquitous A minor Centrifigal backing to try out some ideas. I also put a new set of Winged C tubes in. I really need a set of STR415s! Mullard V1 and Siemens V2. Ribbed matched Telefunken in PI. Loopalator with G Major 2 and MiniMix in circuit. Just a little delay during tracking. Waves IR added in Mix. G12-65 speakers. Multimiced with mostly SM57 in mix. Thanks for listening....

http://scottlernermusic.com/2010/ojcen320x.mp3

On a technical note, using a balanced ribbed Telefunken in the PI spot and carefully tuning the PI trimmer, the bloom and harmonics were even further enhanced. Telefunkens work magic in the PI spot. Not a huge fan in V1 or V2, but magic in the PI!

That was a great take Scott!
This particular clip has more air. Like a horn player who has to take time for a breath after a phrase.
I certainly would say this is good interaction between your guitar/amp and you.

[johan]

Great playing and tone Scott! I love it to death. Any hints on the Ojai mod

Sweet bloom! I need to tweak my PI Trimmer

Still I think you're a bit too "shy" and polite. Mix your guitar more up front and not "behind" the backing.
Your playing is superb so don't be afraid to show it. Oh, and I want to hear something nastier

[CHIP]

As always, superb clip. It's tonal nirvana when your amp inspires your playing in such a way that you, the amp and the guitar blend together as one for musical expressions.

[tjauernig]

Nice clip Scott.

The Bloom is the elusive thing with these. When I got to play a real ODS, owned by Kim (Kimbo) Davis I got to experience the bloom first hand. That amp must have been tuned just right because every note on the guitar would just sing. And the volume could be at a whisper and the amp would still do it. It was crazy cool. Kimbo always describes it as "tone arrows".

Kimbo let me take a few peeks inside the amp. If I remember right, he said he got it in 78, then Dumble had done a few mods to it over the years. Kimbo said the amp developed the "tone arrows" after a mod he said Dumble did to it that he called "fat city". Kimbo had no idea what the technical details of the mod were/are.

Whenever, I hear that term "bloom", I always remember playing that Dumble of Kimbos. And I have to say, I've played a few others that have come through Daves Guitar Shop in Wisconsin, and a few at guitar/amp shows over the years, and Kim's was the only one that had it this way. I mean literally at a whisper of volume it would do it. It was unbelievable.

One of the Masterpiece 50's I built at Peavey had it to a certain degree, but not like that Dumble. The "Orateur" amps I build now will do it, but you have to be approaching small gig levels with the volume. In my own experimenting, it seems to have a great deal to do with the whole relationship of the PI, NF and the OT. There's some sort of mystical balancing act that has to be achieved here. One of the things I did take note of on Kimbos Dumble was 705 volts on the plates of the 6L6's. (which he said were the original set that came in the amp)


Anyway, enough of my jabber. Great clip as always.

[jelle]

Scott,

Awesome! Playing and tone. You are there.

Jelle

[wjdunham]

Scott, that's an awesome clip - I could listen to that one all day long. Very nice ideas being expressed, it definitely sounds like you are one with the whole instrument chain - I found myself not listening to the amp tone or the guitar, but to the music and the feeling. It seems as though this particular setup has inspired you in a different way than the many others you have played? That's what it's all about I guess, very nice job.
Bill

[BobW]

Scott, Great tone bloom, and nice phrasing.