NAMM 2020 PREVIEW: VHT AMPS - D-50 (DUMBLE STYLE AMP) // DEMO

The D-Fifty is VHT’s take on an extremely rare and iconic boutique amplifier, the Dumble Overdrive Special, played by greats like John Mayer, Robben Ford, and Larry Carlton. This puppy is handwired on eyelet boards and is powered by two 6L6 power tubes with three 12AX7 preamp tubes.
This is a two channel amplifier with footswitchable clean and overdrive channels. You can further sculpt your sound with a voice selector (Jazz or Rock), a bright switch, and a mids boost.
This vintage style amp has some helpful modern features like an effects loop and bias points so you can effortlessly change your tubes without having to open up your amp or hire a pro.
The VHT Amplification D-50H is a cost effective alternative to the absurdly expensive Overdrive Special. Go check it out at NAMM 2020!
Additional Tools:
Nash S-63 & T-63
Gibson Custom Shop ES-339
1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom
Revelation Cable
#demosinthedark #vhtamps #dumble

[@babetteleblanc7620]

What do you think the street price will be?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i talked to my guy at vht. this will street at $849

[@babetteleblanc7620]

Demos In The Dark that’s excellent!

[@robertashton8069]

@@DemosInTheDark great price, oodles of tone width. Also loved the tasty playing! Can you mention what tubes are in it?

[@DemosInTheDark]

hey robert - ruby’s (aka if i had other tubes on me, i woulda changed them). ;)

[@robertashton8069]

@@DemosInTheDark tnx for info!

[@uglydogproduction2552]

This is a great amp! Holds all the sounds you throw at it. Great work VHT

[@thromboid]

Robben Ford is class! So glad to have been able to catch his show here when he toured this part of the world a few years ago. Great sounding demo, and enjoying the dark theme. :)

[@DemosInTheDark]

robben is a treasure. i've been trying to get him on DITD Live (with little luck, but i'm gonna keep trying!)

[@thromboid]

@@DemosInTheDark Here's hoping!

[@AndrewLanich]

Finally pulled the trigger on this amp because of this video! Very well done, glad to have found your channel. Now stop furthering my gear acquisition syndrome!!

[@claytonmurrayguitar]

How are you liking it?

[@deaconddd]

That T-63 really brought out the bite in that amp. Great combo.

[@DemosInTheDark]

totally. i LOVE that combination!

[@goatee4259]

Tasty playing and tasty tones. This is the best VHT D50 demo out there.

[@shanevendrillo6715]

I cant stop watching this video the riff along with the tone takes me over.

[@DemosInTheDark]

aww thanks!!!

[@Naughtez]

First video I saw on this channel, regularly revisit for that opening riff. Superb work and a fantastic advertisement for this product.

[@DemosInTheDark]

that’s rad! thank you so much!

[@Naughtez]

@@DemosInTheDark Now available in the UK through Bax! Argh! Might have to sell some stuff to make room...

[@placeoutofplace]

Listening to the gain channel. Trying to decide between this amp or a fender bassman 66/67 black panel. I’m just after an old school chunky raw 6L6 amp sound. Thoughts ?

[@rickya3877]

Nice to see a more affordable Dumble style amp...sounded real nice

[@DemosInTheDark]

anything is more affordable than the real thing! haha

[@michaelgriffin5304]

At a street price of $850I have a feeling we'll be seeing this join many rigs. That's a killer price for a tube amp. Cross our fingers it's well built and has great QC!

[@DemosInTheDark]

certainly tough to argue with the price tag. i haven’t broke this one yet. 😁

[@joeweber8471]

The intro song is so damn good. This has to be my 100th time watching this.

[@DemosInTheDark]

haha thank you!

[@TheRazorblades138]

You said there were bias ports on the back for the tubes. Not in any pictures I see. Are they under the back plate?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i’m sorry it took me so long to respond! this slipped through somehow. i apologize. the bias points and bias pot are on the underside of the chassis. again, really sorry it took so long to respond.

[@mikeelzeysguitarstudio4922]

Ryan - my fav sound on the clip is the intro with the 335? Was that guitar being played through this amp?....or what amp? Also.....it may have been stated here somewhere.....what cab / speaker is connected to the head, what mic and effects / EQ ? ...... Not that you would be intentionally making the amp sound better but we know that cab/speakers/mic/EQ has a huge effect on the sound of an amp so it really has to be considered when listening to a recording. Thanks.

[@jacoobyslaps]

I’m after this strictly for the clean tone. I have a pedalboard for everything else. Do you know how well it handles fuzz?

[@DemosInTheDark]

yeah man, it’s 50 watts with a ton of headroom. just run the master at max and use the channel volumes as master. you should have no issues whatsoever!

[@PNWGuitar]

Are the components quality since it's hand wired? Seems like a great amp if it doesn't fail on you

[@CraigRMerriman]

Sweet sounding amp! VHT is solid gear.

[@DemosInTheDark]

this is my first experience with vht. i’m into it!

[@Hexspa]

Idk about all this hyperbole but I used to have a VHT power amp and it sounded just like this. Great tone, just not what I expected at the time.

[@DemosInTheDark]

the internet runs on hyperbole, my friend.

[@Hexspa]

@@DemosInTheDark For sure. Not casting shade, just referring to the expensive-sounding nature of this amp. I don't remember the one I bought being too expensive. Thanks for the demo and reply!

[@McLguitars]

Right at the end (10:16) you hit a foot switch. Did you have an overdrive pedal on top of the overdrive channel or was it a pab or something? When you hit it the gain lessened just a bit. I'm definitely buying one of these amps regardless 😆. Just curious what you had going on there!

[@DemosInTheDark]

heck of an ear you have there! i didn’t have any drive or boost going with this. it’s all amp. it’s possibly a bad fade out on the audio track or something happened in premiere pro or with youtube compression during upload. regardless, your attention to detail is ASTOUNDING!

[@McLguitars]

@@DemosInTheDark hahaha right on. I thought that might be the case after I made the comment. Little details are everything. It's the 5% difference in things that make a deciding difference! Like the 5% difference between an R9 and a vintage 59 burst that constitutes a $200,000 price difference! Great demo btw. I enjoyed it.

[@DemosInTheDark]

well when you put it like that... absolutely! this amp is gonna street for $849, so not as weighty of a decision. haha! appreciate the kind words! thanks!

[@Ray-xx5np]

You mentioned that the amp has bias test points... where are they? I have them on my PRS amps along with a recessed bias trim pot on the rear panel, but I dont see them on this amp, or an access to a bias adjustment pot.

[@DemosInTheDark]

it’s under the chassis.

[@jonbenge2418]

Demos In The Dark I just received one of these amps and I really like it. My footswitch is lit when the OD is not on, and not lit when it is on. Did yours do this?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i think my foot switch was still in the prototype stage. sometimes it lights up, but most of the time not at all. so i can’t really offer any assistance on that.

[@jonbenge2418]

@@DemosInTheDark Thanks for the info. I think I'll just rewire and fix it.

[@arielmatamoros27]

It's amazing, I came for the review and found in the comments I can buy a Ceriatone from an authorized US dealer now 😂. Great video, and your playing helps us to get the idea of how close to the Dumble it actually is. I'll be pending on the release.

[@DemosInTheDark]

the internet is a magical place!

[@arielmatamoros27]

@@DemosInTheDark it surely is 😂🤘🏻🎸

[@jjerszy]

Was the tone during he intro ALL amp ? Any pedals in the loop?

[@DemosInTheDark]

just some light delay!

[@george_charette]

I thought VHT was gone… I liked what I heard...

[@vncstudio]

The VHT brand name was sold by Steve Fryette years ago to a Chinese company.

[@jcollell]

Is the effects loop buffered or passive? Sounds great and a steal for under $900.

[@DemosInTheDark]

it’s passive. still a bargain though!

[@orbith3357]

All the other videos of this amp have people telling me how good it is - whilst producing entirely medioca tones on it. First 10 seconds of this video and you sold me, amazing OD tone man!

[@DemosInTheDark]

oh hey! thanks! it’s a great amp. i plugged it in again the other day. sounds killer.

[@DemosInTheDark]

@GROOVE ECHO awesome! you will enjoy it!

[@DrewMonge]

Brace yourselves for all the "it doesn't sound Dumbley" comments (from ppl who've never owned or tried a Dumble). Also, not taking into account the nuances of recording audio and uploading it to KZbin is not going to be a mirror Sonic image of what the amp sounds like in person. Also dismissing the fact that no two Dumbles sound exactly alike. People need to stop with that BS and just be glad there are companies out there at least trying to create something the rest of us "non-millionaires" can use. I think this is great! Hats off to VHT throwing their hat in the ring. 💯👏🤘

[@DemosInTheDark]

absolutely! i tried to be as transparent as possible about not being (rich enough to be) a dumble expert. dumble or no dumble, i think it’s a great sounding amp!

[@robertashton8069]

You notice it's in the other room. Bet it sounds plenty " Dumbly" in there! And the price is right: I'm negotiating with me right now...

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Heres the facts it suffers from quality components which equates to an undesirable sound.. Let this be known Howard was a stickler for specific parts choices carbon composition resistors, dale precision miltary plate resistors, mallory capacitors, switch craft switches and jacks, 815 816 sprague orange drop capacitors RG 59 coax coupling wire.. And proper lead dress. I been building and repairing amps for over 40 years I speak facts.. Just because it looks like fine wine 🍷 cause some think it does dont mean it is! In reality you end up with grape juice! Ask yourselves when you make a real butter cookies do you use real butter or margarine? The sound they were attempting to achieve was defeated by its own execution. BTW I own a Dumble repaired some, built many.. I used to work in a music store.. I saw many.... I even designed for Peavey electronics back in the day..

[@jayceburns8246]

@@sammyrothrock6981 Good for you... (in a Stewie Griffin voice)

[@rhesreeves5339]

@@sammyrothrock6981 well I'm seriously on the verge of getting my friend's VHT for 600 so I appreciate your honest comment. I have been a professional guitarist for over 40 years and I need to know if it's gonna be durable and roadworthy. My friend has several clones and he doesn't care for the VHT because he wanted the SRV Dumble sound and these are more the overdrive type. I wonder if for 600 I should get it and send it to my amp guy to be modified some. If I pay him 200 then I've got the Modded VHT at 800 which might be cool. Ideas?

[@shanevendrillo6715]

One of the best channels on You tube. So good...... thanks Ryan for all your efforts. If you have a patreon page let me know.

[@DemosInTheDark]

thanks so much! that is a generous compliment! i don’t have patreon, but we have t-shirts on demosinthedark.com if that catches your fancy! thanks again.

[@pastorkev777]

This amp seems to have a amazing clean tone and I would have to mess with the overdrive to see if will work with me. Additionally I hope it can have tubes switched out easily. As I would like to run JJ 6V6s or vintage 6EZ5 tubes.

[@DemosInTheDark]

sure! super easy to swap tubes. super easy to swap anything! they advertise it as easy to modify and, being hand wired, it certainly is!

[@Diax1324]

Is this a particularly bright amp? You have the only good demo on youtube but I cant decide.

[@DemosInTheDark]

i wouldn’t say it’s overly bright, no. it’s pretty balanced.

[@mrcali68]

WOW!!! Sounds KILLER!!!

[@DemosInTheDark]

yeah, not bad eh?

[@grizdeluxe]

Who's John Mayer?

[@DemosInTheDark]

son of the hot dog tycoon

[@rhesreeves5339]

Aspirin tycoon

[@infinitedurr]

Is the effects loop the typical unpowered Dumble loop, or is it a ‘normal’ loop?

[@DemosInTheDark]

hey dave, i actually don’t know off the top of my head. not sure if i’d be able to tell without pulling the chassis out again. i’ve heard vht is extremely responsive to emails though.

[@shanevendrillo6715]

Hey Ryan, do you have any links to your material? Blown away by the amp, and will certainly purchase one to accent my lineup of Boogies, Soldanos, Marshalls, Fenders, and so on. I was blown away by your demo groove. I have to keep going back to the beginning of the video to keep listening to that track. Fantastic sounds, and playing. I will continue to watch your videos, and hopefully, I can find some of your music. Thank You so much for such a great review, and your amazing playing!!!!

[@DemosInTheDark]

hey thanks! you know, my gig is mostly backing other people. i regularly play with a group called The Honeydogs and played on their last album, "Love and Cannibalism", which was a ton of fun. I regularly play with an artist named Mark Mallman and will be on his upcoming record, but none previous. I do have a project called Sleep Study, but it's not terribly active. we have a few records on spotify. mostly just session work and advertising work on my end, but not a lot of steady stuff.

[@antoinesurot6742]

Will there be a dealer in France or Europe soon?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i’m not sure! you’d have to ask vht on that.

[@rockinron3215]

I ordered it. Will get probably end of March.

[@DemosInTheDark]

awesome! in think you’ll dig it!

[@ivanarsenyev591]

Do you still currently own the amp? If so, how has it served you? I’m sold on the tonal aspects of the amp, but have heard less than great things about the company’s customer support, so I’d need the amp to be very reliable. Otherwise I’ll go a different route.

[@rockinron3215]

@@ivanarsenyev591 I actually canceled the order because Covid hit. Later I ordered a Ceriatone OTS 20 and have never been happier. They have build wait but it is well worth it. They have the best customer service and a big selection.

[@lorensteele2962]

I played a fantastic sounding vht special 6 combo @ music store. Ive got a dumble clone but this demo definately has me intrigued. Traynor is also a brand that does the fender clone w marshall tendencies lot of dumbles are set-up for. Interested to check out one of these in person

[@DemosInTheDark]

you know, they let me hold on to it after the demo and i’m still using it for stuff. it sounds pretty darn impressive!

[@greatgooglymoogly]

Seems to be missing the dynamics of a real D style amp. To me that was the really great part of D style amps. Will be curious to check one out to see what the deal is.

[@Diax1324]

To be fair, he has the mids, overdrive, and master volume pretty much as high as possible. That'll reduce touch sensitivity and make it more high gain. Edit: He also has the mid boost on

[@DemosInTheDark]

yeah, i juiced it for the driven stuff. mainly focused on extremes. thanks for catching this comment. i didn’t see it. 👊

[@TempoDrift1480]

You must have several at home huh? Seems like you know an awful lot about real Dumble amplifiers.

[@greatgooglymoogly]

@@TempoDrift1480 I have played and recorded with a Dumble in my work as a studio musician. Spent a lot of time playing thru a real Dumble. Heard quite a few of them live as well.Closest I have come to the sound is the Zendrive and Fuchs amps are very good too.Will check out the VHT when I can find one. This demo seems to lack a bunch of stuff from the real amps in my experience.

[@yourguitarist]

Just say DUMBLE! wtf? Great video...you're a monster guitar player. 👏👏👏

[@DemosInTheDark]

shhh. i don't think anyone knew what i was referring to. 😂

[@charlesfitzgerald3201]

you make that 335 sound really nice .

[@DemosInTheDark]

thanks man! it's actually a 339 and it's REALLY easy to sound good playing it. it does most of the work!

[@scottmoreau3478]

Any idea how much the head weighs?

[@paulblanchet542]

Great demo! Do you think it would work well with Celestion V30s?

[@DemosInTheDark]

everything does! 😁

[@danielflanders3913]

No it will suck. I recommend EVL's or even better a 4x10 loaded with Rajin Cajins or a Celestion Alnico Creamback

[@OmicronTauKappaClassicDaddy]

I dig my VHT Standard 36 which is no longer made. Good sounding amp!

[@wallsdownstudios4112]

I've always wanted one! But you can't find them ANYWHERE used

[@Shotswith.aj_]

@demosinthedark You know when and where he’s gona be avaliable?? What price? Btw very nice demo!!

[@DemosInTheDark]

i don’t know when, but i know it’ll be $850. and thanks!

[@Billy_Blades]

Very original and design. Did VHT pay Dumble ?

[@SyafiqMustafa]

can I get some good tones in home volume? excellent demo btw, subscribed!

[@DemosInTheDark]

hey thanks! yes, there’s a master volume, so you can juice it all day long and keep the output nice and low!

[@SyafiqMustafa]

Demos In The Dark awesome! thank you 🙏🏻

[@jonv5489]

What setting did you use for yout intro?

[@DemosInTheDark]

man, i’m sorry. i filmed this thing in december. i don’t remember.

[@jonv5489]

Demos In The Dark Bummer. Aside from some delay, did you use any pedals, or plugins? I bought the amp based on the intro. Remember what that Dumble sounded like, do you think this amp is similar to an actual ODS? Or not really?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i try not to take too many liberties on mixing intro tracks. i like what is laid down to represent the product as best as possible. just trying to show what it would sound like with a full band. i do some EQ stuff, light compression if necessary, very rarely some transient shaping. considering that the amp was overdriven, we can count any added compression out. what speakers are you using? that is a MASSIVE factor.

[@jonv5489]

Demos In The Dark I will be using a Celestion Seventy 80 G-12 80w.

[@trevecho]

Were you using a closed or open back cab?

[@DemosInTheDark]

closed

[@trevecho]

Demos In The Dark sounds great!

[@DemosInTheDark]

yeah man, it’s a great amp. they sent it to me in december of 2019 and i’m still using it when appropriate. actually, quite a bit more than i expected!

[@trevecho]

Demos In The Dark awesome! I plan on stimulating the economy with a purchase of one of these very soon haha

[@DemosInTheDark]

fantastic! treasury thanks you. 😅

[@civic831000]

Its made in USA?

[@DemosInTheDark]

china

[@jerryodom1342]

It’s funny how they came out priced at around 850.00 and now due to popular demand are 1000.00. Plus cost of 2x12 speaker cab being around 407..00 with tax.

[@DemosInTheDark]

the used market is BONKERS right now

[@jamesprice6381]

ive been tweaking these circuits for a very long time, 2bh, unless its wired like R Fords, they wil pretty much sound like everything else. That said i DO like it, n would buy one in a heartbeat n rewire it lololololol

[@DemosInTheDark]

if you got them skills, hell yeah!

[@UNKUHNOODLES]

And so it was... That a like was dialed in.....

[@DemosInTheDark]

this is the way.

[@anthroknight]

Great to see and hear this. I've been thinking recently about trying to find a 12/20, but this might be a better choice, especially if they release a cab with that cool black/grill work. It's a shame you didn't seem to ride the volume of your guitar to see how well the amp cleans up. Can you comment on this as you've been playing around with it for a few weeks. Great work -- new subscriber here!

[@uglydogproduction2552]

I can't wait to get my hands on there take of the original. Hi expectations! But for now a 4x10 Marshall cab compliments it well.

[@ulmestrat]

Sounds good !

[@DemosInTheDark]

i'm into it!!!

[@ulmestrat]

@@DemosInTheDark I own a CERIATONE OTS 50 W and it sounds also very nice (only changed the tubes), although missed reverb and so i combine the amp with a F-Reverb Unit . That is really fantastic - try it !

[@DemosInTheDark]

ooooh! that sounds freaking perfect!

[@sagezen6414]

Nice playing

[@DemosInTheDark]

thanks so much!

[@buckshotjenkins]

Steely Fandanstic!

[@DemosInTheDark]

haha! thanks!

[@mikeoxley9121]

Good job on the demo, Ryan! It does have that Dumble low mids thing going on. I talked to Howard Dumble on the phone around 1980 (Guitar Player Mag published his phone #). He sent me a Spec Sheet and Order Form for an ODS combo, which was $1850 then. I didn't order one (was a poor college student then). Oh well!

[@DemosInTheDark]

whoa! if you knew then what you know now, you coulda paid for that college!!!

[@andrebrito3816]

I see “scramble” I Subscribe!

[@BrendanMowatSmith]

Ooh, colour me intrigued. Sounds great.

[@DemosInTheDark]

worth looking into!!!

[@Rodya6272]

I had a horrible experience with VHT and their special 12/20, no customer service for over 6 years and they all of a sudden come out with this amp. They contacted me on Facebook about it but I doubt it'll get anywhere. The pros of it being handwired and affordable caught my eye. But problems from the beginning and with no solution lead me to lead others away

[@DemosInTheDark]

thanks for sharing your experience. sorry it was a bummer one.

[@jerryodom1342]

Well the price has risen to 1000 plus tax.=about 1100, just for the head…..and about 407 after tax for the matching 2x12 chrome back matching cab…

[@DemosInTheDark]

huh! good to know! thanks!

[@whistlingskull]

Hahaha! "BRYANT GUMBLE!"

[@darwinsaye]

Every time I hear an Overdrive Special type of amp I hear the Klon Centaur sound, and every time I hear the Klon Centaur sound I just hear a really expensive Tube Screamer. Seriously though, the tones of those three things are not very far apart from each other and for my tastes it's not that special of a tone, and definitely only worth the cost of a tube screamer or tube screamer variant.

[@thromboid]

Hehe, you might be right there. I'm waiting for the Behringer TO800 I ordered to arrive - hopefully it'll offer pretty good bang for buck compared to an actual Dumble. :D

[@stevehunter252]

I agree this sounds great, but the parts alone would cost at least $800. Who is hand wiring them for free? They even pay prisoners for work they do in prison. So how is this done?

[@rrguitar1]

China

[@coreymineard]

I almost gave up during the “rhymes with Dumble” part...

[@DemosInTheDark]

you’re a man who likes to cut to the chase.

[@coreymineard]

@@DemosInTheDark Well I just.. Stumbled.. across this review again. 😆 Nice playing, very tasty. Seriously considering this amp because of this demo. 🫡

[@christianboddum8783]

You can't fubmle with a D umble ;-)

[@DemosInTheDark]

nice one!

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Cheap components... No carbon resistors no Dale precision plate resistors inferior coupling caps.. Fizz buzz.. No Mojo.. Cold.. Absolutely nothing like my 102 RF I built.. You can not absolutely can not skip on the quality of the components orange drop quality caps definitely make a difference. Metal instead of carbon resistors are cold ❄... Economy made with Chinese components really show through... I been building amps for 40 years.. Just an honest opinion. Your Playing was cool though 👍. If you want the best value on the planet and your on a budget check out Nik at Ceriatone hes the real deal 🤝 quality exact components fair price and quality!

[@DemosInTheDark]

no offense taken here. i didn’t build it. 😁

[@sammyrothrock6981]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qovLoJWpmKyghZI

[@danielflanders3913]

Sorry cork sniffer but you are full of shit. As a current owner of a Ceriatone a Fuchs ODS and the elusive and rare Two Rock Emerald Pro what makes or breaks these amps is the speakers and the cab. You need a ported cab and the correct speakers. The fizz you are hearing is a closed back back which is wrong for these heads. I've heard this amp through a ported cab and a Alnico Cream back and it hangs right up with all the D amps I own that's why I bought one so I can keep my Two Rock at home. I know it sucks when you realize you could have picked up a hand wired amp for $849.00 that you can drop some carbon resistors and different caps for a fraction of the cost.

[@sammyrothrock6981]

@@danielflanders3913 the facts are they are junk parts and I don't care what speaker you load up its still gonna sound like harsh POS! Why would Dumble go to the extremes if it didn't matter? And I been building for over 40 years so you obviously don't know what your even talking about who did you engineer for? So you want to gut the amplifier and completely recap it and change the resistors you will still have cheap Chinese power transformers you make zero sense 💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 Speaker is only a part of it I played and repaired and built my whole life. My credentials are vast I even engineered for Peavey electronics years ago.. Cork Sniffer 🤦‍♂️ geniuses are born every second I guess?

[@chrisssbrooks]

Do you think this amp would have a lot of issues due to the cheaper parts?

[@AlbusBand]

My band is named after Albus DUMBLEdore 😍

[@DemosInTheDark]

i didn’t know that. i also have no idea what that is. hahaha!

[@AlbusBand]

Demos In The Dark the greatest wizard of all time in Harry Potter...which I know you haven’t seen, but with a little luck (and a growing child), that will change as he grows up 😊.

[@maaaa123456]

Better sounding amp than any Fusch.

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

Too. Much jaw

[@DemosInTheDark]

you are more than welcome to watch a different channel.

[@Berkland1000]

Wonderful playing. Much to much talking.

[@vovagreen7414]

кто-то хорошо сказал -- если бы маршал сделал всего 200 усилителей...то каждый стоил бы как дамбл.... 🙂

[@fistchips]

Is this amp made in USA?

[@DemosInTheDark]

i don’t think so.

[@TempoDrift1480]

I think Nam.