In the history of guitar amplifiers, few inspire as much awe as those bearing the name Dumble.
Trevor Boone has just unearthed one of the maker's most mythical builds, and it has a new owner: actor Jason Momoa, who's using it to record his new album.
Each Dumble was hand-built by Howard "Alexander" Dumble. Only around 300 are believed to be in existence and have been owned and played by guitarists that include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robben Ford, Carlos Santana, Ben Harper, Joe Bonamassa and John Mayer.
Lowell's George's long-lost Super Overdrive Special is currently in Bonamassa's possession after a 15-year search, and there are parallels of that story here. However, it took Boone, of Seattle’s Emerald City Guitars, a slightly shorter but no less exhausting 10-year wait to get his hands on this particular Dumble.
It's one of three tube amps built for the Beach Boys. The trio of combos was assembled circa 1982, with this amp finished in white tolex to match the band's color scheme. The band’s roadies later covered it with carpeting, possibly to make it more roadworthy.
The amp was found, fittingly for a Beach Boys amp, in Hawaii.
“I’ve had to keep this long lost Beach Boys amp under wraps for a decade until the owner was ready to let this go,” writes Boone on Instagram, "and when the call came in I rounded up the shop to head to Kauai to pick this and 20 more amazing items up.
“The amp is a 100 per cent original ‘grail-era’ ODS and includes the original receipts and Beach Boys Road case.
“There are videos where you can see this amp live in original white, as well as carpeted shortly after. I had this photo of The Beach Boys Dumble ON A BEACH in my head for 10 years and it was a special moment to finally get it.”
The carpeted amp was used at Live Aid in 1985, among other historic events. Soon afterward, it appeared onstage when the Beach Boys filmed their 25th anniversary concert in Kauai in 1986 —which is how it Dumble ended up on the island for the past 35 years.
Momoa, a Hawaii-born actor and long-time guitar nerd, seems happy with his undoubtedly pricey purchase, considering his recent post on Instagram.
And considering that Howard Dumble died in 2022, Momoa won’t have to get special permission to call it his own, unlike previous owners who bought their Dumbles second-hand.
“There was a code of honor and ethics when it came to procuring a Dumble that didn't come from Dumble directly,” he explains. In short, you had to ask for the man's blessing.
“There’s a special kind of magic in certain pieces of gear that connects the past to the future,” he muses. “Trevor Boone has been part of my guitar journey since my very first instrument, and over the years we’ve tracked down more holy grails than we can count [including the first Martin D-28 ever made].
“But this amplifier carried a different kind of history — one we couldn’t let drift away. Too much heart. Too much story. We had to keep it in the family — and now it’s right where it belongs, ready to keep making music.”
In related news, Joe Bonamassa sold all his Dumbles in 2014 before asking himself why he did a dumb thing like that. Today, he owns more than ever, with Lowell George's ODS sitting proudly as part of “the world's most expensive three-channel amp”.
Another of the three Beach Boys Dumbles showed up, of all places, at a yard sale, with Ben Harper snapping it up before learning of its prestigious heritage.
