Product: Dumble Odyssey
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
01/21/2008
at
11:46pm
by
jaimo
Email: jb dot boutique dot tones<at>gmail dot com
Features
:
10
A volume and accent control and power supply! that is all you need to get the total sound out your preamp unit or tube amp. The volume control acts very much like a typical 90's power amp but without all the knobs and other switches that don't do much at all. My Odyssey was built by the man himself in the early 70's, I use a manzamp Dumble made preamp, Pearce G2r and CAE+3 preamp. Absolute simplicity with pure Dumble tone at it's best.
Sound Quality
:
10
I have owned vht 2/90/2, marshall 9250, and mesa boogie. They were good power amps but I have to be honest and say when played next to the Odyseey with the same settings through the preamp unit, there is a definite difference in tone. I have also played a round with different tubes on my Odyssey but currently I prefer using JJ's and it just sparkles when playing cleans and sings like a violin on the distortion and gain settings. I know it used often but there is a reason why Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robben Ford all choose to use Dumble amps....they are built to last forever and have a very unique sound that is only know as a Dumble. Most of todays amps are replicated in some way or another to the tone of the ODS and the Odyssey is certainly one of those amps I think will be with me for a long time to come.
Reliability
:
10
Going on 2 years now and never had a problem with my Odyssey. I don't think there is much that can go wrong with them.
Customer Support
:
1
Well I have tried to contact anyone that can at least help in tracking down anyone that knows absolutely anything about the vintage Dumble gear and even Howard himself but all roads lead to a dead end. I think amplifier help in relation to his gear is now non existent which is a shame.
Overall Rating
:
10
10 for sound and really is hard to find any of these around anymore which is bad luck as they are the best power amps ever made. Again you need quality gear to get the right tone you always been after so I suggest hunting down a preamp that will best accommodate the Odyssey in every way. If you enjoy solo guitar (instrumental) then the Odyssey is the amp to go for but if you desire is strictly for today's head banging metal sound then you should look elsewhere. I mean it will still give you what you want and yes I have tried it but it really warms up nicer when you work on your chops and let the amp do all the singing for you. But for the amount of money I spent on the Odyssey I think I would have bargained the seller down a grand or so but then again anything that is a vintage Dumble is worth it's weight in gold for today and the future.
Excellent amplifier!.
