Dumble Overdrive Special

The Overdrive Special is a guitar amplifier made by Dumble Amplifiers. Founder Howard Alexander Dumble first began producing what would become his flagship amp model in 1972, building them by hand in small numbers and incorporating bespoke changes to suit the amplifier to its buyer's preferred tone and playing style. Dumble was inspired to design the Overdrive Special after hearing Robben Ford perform with a Fender Bassman head, and as a result the amps have been described as having a "highly evolved" Fender-style tone, with a thick overdrive, long sustain, and highly sensitive dynamics. Ford, Carlos Santana, Larry Carlton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and John Mayer have all owned examples. Dumble's reputation and the scarcity of his amps have made the Overdrive Special among the most sought after amp models on the secondhand market, with used examples of the Overdrive Special typically selling for tens of thousands of dollars, and sometimes over $100,000.