Found at a yard sale: Beach Boys' Dumble amp, once owned by Ben Harper, mysteriously surfaces
Tales from the Guitar Underworld: Ben Harper's Hidden Treasure
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and dig deep into the gritty world of guitar legends as we uncover the remarkable story behind Ben Harper's lucky find – a coveted Dumble tube amp, tucked away in the most peculiar of places, with a secret linked tothe rock 'n' roll pantheon itself.
Alexander Dumble's fabled tube amps may be gearing up for a shocking comeback, but these elusive, vintage marvels, crafted with sheer dedication by the master himself, remain frustratingly hard to come by. Hunting down one of these rare gems on the second-hand market isn't just a pastime; it's a test of patience and pocketbook.
These mythical amps, with a lineage as distinguished as the legends who've played them – including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Joe Bonamassa – are now sought after like gold dust. With their scarcity and legendary status, these amps command jaw-dropping prices today. But, luck favors the bold, as three-time Grammy winner Harper discovered when he stumbled upon his very own.
"A friend of mine stumbled across it," he reveals to the Fretboard Journal. "He was on the hunt for a bass amp and picked it up at a yard sale for what anyone would expect to pay for a yard sale bass amp. Once he got it home, he soon realized the goldmine he held in his hands and gave me a ring.
"He was all fired up, telling me he'd found not only a Dumble but thought of me the moment he saw it. It was the first Dumble I'd ever owned.
"Convincing Dumble himself? Now that was a challenge, he'd seen and heard it all, he reflected. "We'd discussed him making me one, but I needed one ASAP since I had Jackson Browne's Stevie Ray Dumble amp that demanded round-the-clock care. It was of too much historical significance to be on the road."
Rock Your World!
When the yard sale amp landed in Harper's lap, he was well-aware of the Dumble lore and all its cryptic whispers, myths, superstitions, and hidden rules.
"Word was that if you picked up a Dumble second-hand, third-hand, you had to make sure it was okay with him," he explains. "There were codes of honor and ethics surrounding the procurement of a Dumble, not sold through official channels. So, I reached out to him to make sure it was alright that I got this Dumble through a friend who found it at a yard sale. To my surprise, he invited me over right away."
Enter Dumble's humble abode – a sacred temple for guitar enthusiasts the world over. Impressively, the amp only needed minor tweaks to bring it back to life. Then, the incredible happened.
"He peeled off a piece from the back, disappeared into a back room, and then resurfaced with a carbon copy bill of sale," he recounts. "With a gleam in his eye, he said, 'This is one of the Beach Boys amps.' Talk about a rush! The pleasure of returning a child to its creator was unmistakable."
To stumble upon a genuine Dumble at a yard sale and have it for pennies is one thing. But, to then uncover the relic's rock 'n' roll pedigree? Now that's a story for the ages!
Harper and his friend's serendipitous find might just be the most incredible Dumble discovery ever, outshining the many acquisitions by guitar icons like Joe Bonamassa – who recently added his ninth Dumble to his collection. It goes without saying that this legendary aura will continue, even with the arrival of the Dumble Preservation Society, committed to preserving the illustrious legacy of the revered amp builder, who bid adieu in 2022[3].
Speaking at NAMM 2025, the reborn firm informed our website, "We've had the Dumble Preservation Society since Mr. Dumble passed. We promised him we'd keep his legacy alive."
- The Dumble tube amp that Ben Harper found at a yard sale was once owned by one of the Beach Boys, as revealed by Alexander Dumble himself.
- Although Alexander Dumble's rare amps are hard to come by, Ben Harper managed to acquire one through a friend who found it at a yard sale.
- Since the discovery of the Dumble amp, Ben Harper has become its guardian, ensuring it stays in top condition and is treated with respect.
- Fender, Gibson, and other renowned guitar companies are overshadowed by the unique appeal of a Dumble amplifier, a testament to its legendary status in the world of entertainment and music.
- The discovery of the Dumble amp by Ben Harper is a remarkable story that adds to the mythical lore surrounding these coveted musical instruments, further fueling the excitement among guitar enthusiasts around the globe.
