Steve Farris ODS #075

[markusw]

Hi Markus,

after having recovered I might just take the next airplane to Marseille and chill in Cassis for some time:

http://www.ot-cassis.com/us/decouvrir/mer/

But I would take along Karl as an mp3 file of course.

Have a great time,

Max

Hi Max,

looks like a very nice place to chill a while
Have fun there!

Cheers,

Markus

[Max]

I've played Andy Brauer's Dumble #104 (I think 104) at length several times. It is a classic stack but with 220/150 plates. 4.7uf on all stages.

Scott,

obviously one more with a "classic" tone stack and a 220/150 configuration.

Did #104 have the "h.f. taper"? What kind of slope resistor?

And what is known in regard to Ry Cooder's "Borderline Special"? Gil wrote "100k classic". 100k plates or 100k slope or both?

All the best,

Max

@marcusw:

Yes, Cassis is a great place to chill for some time.

Take care,

Max

[talbany]

I've played Andy Brauer's Dumble #104 (I think 104) at length several times. It is a classic stack but with 220/150 plates. 4.7uf on all stages.

Scott.. What did you think of #104..Clean and OD.. If you didn't care for it can you elaborate on why..Design/ setup whatever..or personal preference..Thanks!!

Tony

[Structo]

So I've been trying to follow this anthology of ODS amps.
It seems to me that HAD used the HF taper or treble bleed on the amps that did not have a presence control? Is this correct?
Or did he even have it on amps with the Accent switch?

So when he moved to his Skyline tonestack with the .001uF cap on the Bass pot, he did not use the HF taper anymore and went with the Presence pot?

Or am I missing the boat entirely. (could be the drugs....Anybody ever try Klonopin?)

It's fun to try and categorize the different eras of amps. I wonder if HAD has ever even given it a thought?
They probably just evolved for him as he went along and built them for different artists, fine tuning and finding new things that suited the player better.
I do wish the Skyline stack was a bit more responsive.
I don't get a lot of change with it unless I really turn the knobs quite a bit.

[talbany]

A little bit of Dumble history about EJ/SRV/Chris Cross..etc

"The SSS was purchased in the 90's by another very well known guitarist here as was Erics Odyssey and the ManZamp Preamp. This gentleman decided to part with the SSS and Eric was trying it out again. The amp had been regrooved by Alexander. He opted not to get it back in the end and I believe the amp has been sold to Carlos Santana. It is really a beast and very loud. Most of the time during the AVM period if you heard him live he wasn't using it anyway but rather using the preamp section to power the old Odyssey power amp because he preferred the sound of that pre section more than the ManZamp pre amp. The Odyssey was a 100w power amp and Ej had a very early prototype. I think it broke up a little easier and of course wasn't nearly so loud. The SSS is really stadium approved and even when dialed in...hardly distorts. He is looking for a little dirtier bit on the DR amps than what this actually does. He has acquired a very early ODS which he is toying with. VERY early...one could call IT a prototype.(I wonder which one!!!..)"

[The bit in the following kind of confuses me, because I believe Cesar Diaz said that "Texas Flood" was recorded using only Vibroverbs...]
The truth of the story is that Richard Mullen discovered the Dumble effect when Stevie used the famous "velvet glove" to record Texas Flood at Jackson Browne's studio. It was just sitting in the corner and they plugged it in to see what it sounded like. Richard was so impressed with the amps that he had Alex build an entire array of gear for Chris Geppert aka Christopher Cross who at that time was riding high and had unlimited funds. Chris bought these Dumbleland 300w thingies...for rhythm and an overdrive or 2, and I think that this where Ej really first became interested. Chris and Ej were always exchanging amp and guitar ideas. Amigo was where the Chris X records were made and our engineer Chet Himes and some business partners had bought the studio from Warner Bros. Alexander had a shop there.

Here is an excerpt from Tommy Taylor..
"There WAS overdrive special on Tones...Zap! And possibly Friends...maybe one or two others.
...
His was quite a bit different from the stock version. It used some parts variations that Alexander changed to make it do what Ej wanted it to do."
[I'm not sure which amp the following quote is in reference to, but it might have been the ODS]
"Well...interestingly enough I remember when he got it. Alexander had finished it finally and Ej was playing through it and it wasn't exactly what he had in mind...we were at his old shop in N. Hollywood at Amigo studios if I recall. He listened to Eric's comments and said oh...and he got a little pad out and wrote some things on it and sent Jerry Holmes to Radio Shack...in about 20 minutes after Jerry got back Alex had it up and running...after soldering like crazy...Ej plugged it in and it was like totally Ej...eric said what did you do...??? Alexander basically said.....you like crummy parts... My parts have too close of tolerances for what you are going for so I just got some parts with really sloppy wide tolerances and put them in some of the key places...and he kind of grinned."

I don't know about the whole tolerance thing..but thought I would post anyway..



Tony

[Structo]

Yeah, a lot of "folklore" in some of these stories but, it makes things interesting.
I think in the music biz, the BS can get knee deep in a hurry when some of these cats start spinning yarns.
Especially when it is a technician talking to less technically inclined artists.

I wish I could remember where I read it, but there is a famous funny story about Muddy Waters talking to a group of young kids that had grouped around him one day.
I'll see if I can find it.

[Max]

The truth of the story is that Richard Mullen discovered the Dumble effect when Stevie used the famous "velvet glove" to record Texas Flood at Jackson Browne's studio. It was just sitting in the corner and they plugged it in to see what it sounded like.

"Just sitting in the corner":

http://homepage.mac.com/bill_jpn_morgan ... 6864-L.jpg

Jackson Browne's Dumbleland Special 150W.

Toni, thanks for this post. Love it.

Have a nice day,

Max

[dogears]

104 had no taper. 100 slope.

Amps feel was more special than the tone. We had my Fuchs SLX on top of it at Andy's and I think I preferred the tone of my Fuchs OD to the Dumble....but...the Dumble had a better feel. More responsive.

I have a pic somewhere of Jim Weider, myself, Andy F, and Analog Mike in front of the Dumble and the Fuchs in Andy's living room.....

I've played Andy Brauer's Dumble #104 (I think 104) at length several times. It is a classic stack but with 220/150 plates. 4.7uf on all stages.

Scott,

obviously one more with a "classic" tone stack and a 220/150 configuration.

Did #104 have the "h.f. taper"? What kind of slope resistor?

And what is known in regard to Ry Cooder's "Borderline Special"? Gil wrote "100k classic". 100k plates or 100k slope or both?

All the best,

Max

@marcusw:

Yes, Cassis is a great place to chill for some time.

Take care,

Max

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Yeah, but you don't have a pic of the dish we blew off the table.....

Thank God for super-glue.....

[Max]

It seems to me that HAD used the HF taper or treble bleed on the amps that did not have a presence control? Is this correct?

Tom,

this is not correct. E. g.: #94 has the "h.f. taper" and #123 has it and both have a presence control.

Or did he even have it on amps with the Accent switch?

I don't now of an ODS with an "accent switch" and an "h.f. taper". So the answer perhaps is "no". What do others know in regard to this question?

So when he moved to his Skyline tonestack with the .001uF cap on the Bass pot, he did not use the HF taper anymore and went with the Presence pot?

#124 (updated from "classic" to "skyliner") doesn't have the "h.f. taper". I know some of the ODS originally built with a skyliner stack (series numbers in the 15X, 16X, 17X range) and as far as I remember now (unsure, was around ten years ago and more!) these did not have the "h.f. taper".

Perhaps he really did not use the "h.f. taper" anymore after moving to the skyliner tone stack (and because of this removed it in #124, when updated?)? What do others know in regard to this question?

Best wishes,

Max

[Max]

104 had no taper. 100 slope.

Amps feel was more special than the tone. We had my Fuchs SLX on top of it at Andy's and I think I preferred the tone of my Fuchs OD to the Dumble....but...the Dumble had a better feel. More responsive.

I have a pic somewhere of Jim Weider, myself, Andy F, and Analog Mike in front of the Dumble and the Fuchs in Andy's living room.....

Scott,

thanks a lot for your answer.

Some more questions:

- "transition generation" or "4th generation"?
- "silverface" or "blackface"?
- full scale presence control or small presence control (like #094 e. g.)?
- 100/40W or 50W?

BTW:

This is what Andy Brauer (http://www.andybrauer.com/) once has told in an interview in regard to his "ODS for rent":

- introduced to Dumble by Jackson Browne
- ordered one for his rental business
- brought his "ODS for rent" to the studios
- all the cats went completely crazy about how great an amp it is and lost all interest in the Fender amps they used at this time.
- from then on his Dumble ODS was always hired out.
- it is on countless recordings

Could you or perhaps someone else perhaps post a link to a picture of Andy Brauer’s ODS?

Cheers,

Max

[FUCHSAUDIO]

The second halves of the story is Andy claimed he sold "maybe close to 50 Dumbles" (not sure about that one sound big).

He said "eventually deposits got bigger and bigger, lead times got longer and longer, amps kept sounding different from previous amps...and Howard would no longer provide service nor take my calls"....."Then Howard started selling direct.....".

[talbany]

I remember Dave Barber..(Barber Electronics) had an ODS (not sure of the #) in his studio along with a modded JCM 800.. He said although the ODS sounded killer NOBODY wanted to use it.. It was the mid 80's and Marshall's were the weapon of choice + his studio was in Baltimore..LOL!! Still nobody cared for it and always grabbed the Marshall so he blew it out..

Tony

[Max]

The second halves of the story is Andy claimed he sold "maybe close to 50 Dumbles" (not sure about that one sound big).

He said "eventually deposits got bigger and bigger, lead times got longer and longer, amps kept sounding different from previous amps...and Howard would no longer provide service nor take my calls"....."Then Howard started selling direct.....".

Hi Andy,

this interview (from 2009 AFAIR) did not have a second part (or half) and I have told all its content in regard to Andy Brauer’s "ODS for rent". But maybe you used "second halves" in a metaphorical sense.

In regard to the topic "Steve Farris ODS #075 (and other "transition generation" and "4th generation" ODS and their sounds and specs)":

As you still remember what Andy Brauer has told you in regard to the business practices of Alexander Dumble - do you still remember some of the specs of this amp, too?

- series number?
- silverface or blackface?
- full size presence control or small presence control or accent switch?
- combo or head?
- What kind of wood was used for the cabinet?
- tolex or suede?
- colour?
- grill cloth?
- ratio control?
- if a combo: what kind of speaker?
- 4 ohms or 8 ohms OT or switchable?
- Rock/Jazz with a PB middle position?
- PB footswitch?
- 100/40W or 50 Watt?
- export PT or 117/120V?
- any updates? (skyline EQ, fat-city, etc.)
- on what records (some examples would be fine)?
- pictures?

In case you can remember some of these specs and feel free and find the time to post what you remember in regard to this topic, too – thank you in advance.

Have a nice weekend,

Max

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Dogears may remember more than I do.

- series number? (170's ?)
- silverface or blackface? (blackface)
- full size presence control or small presence control or accent switch? (full size pot)
- combo or head? (head)
- What kind of wood was used for the cabinet? (pine perhaps)
- tolex or suede? (tolex)
- colour? Black
- grill cloth? Black
- ratio control? No
- if a combo: what kind of speaker? (NO)
- 4 ohms or 8 ohms OT or switchable? (rotary switch)
- Rock/Jazz with a PB middle position? (2-positions)
- PB footswitch? (two way OD gain)
- 100/40W or 50 Watt? (100-W)
- export PT or 117/120V? (don't recall it being export style)
- any updates? (skyline EQ, fat-city, etc.) skyline
- on what records (some examples would be fine) ? (don't know)
- pictures? Maybe, have to check some old CD's I may have )

Wish I could recall more, but it was close to ten years ago !
I may have notes, but cannot promise...I do recall 220-150-K plate values...