9 of the Best Compact Dumble Style Pedals

This 4-pot classic which Mick Taylor of That Pedal Show tends to favour was neck and neck with my Mad Professor Simble - right at the start of my Dumble ToneQuest Journey - and based on several head-to-heads I eventually sided with the Simble - although for larger periods it was very much a 50/50 decision - I very slightly preferred the overall tone and timbre of the Simble, and it's slightly keener price helped seal the deal - but I still of course really love The Dude, and in just very slightly different circumstances I could have ended up with that.

Another 4-pot classic, this time favoured by Phillip McKnight of Know Your Gear fame. For my taste I have always found this particularly D-Style variety a little too subtle, or slightly thin and anodyne really - while there are still scores of pro players who still have a preference for what I believe was the first of the Dumble Style overdrives. Originally made by Hermida, and then by Lovepedal - this is a more understated take on the Dumble, and does not quite have the degree of vibrancy that I like for my own needs - it is nonetheless a worthy contender.

This was my first Dumble-style pedal and I still love it - and it will probably remain my favourite of the simpler 4-pot only design ones. I initially could not decide between it and The Dude above, and carried out numerous head-to-head tests to discern whose tone I preferred overall. I believe at the time there were 3 things that really swung it - firstly I did seem to feel that the timbre of the Simble was just a bit sweeter to my ears, next its prices was just a touch keener, and lastly it was available and in stock - while The Dude was out of stock with UK suppliers at that time - so the Simble was the first chosen.

I know Brian Mena / Menatone best for his 'Top Boost In a Can'(Vox), 'Red Snapper' / 'Fish Factory' and 'The King' pedals. I must admit I occasionally forget and overlook the also excellent 6-pot Dumbstruck D-style pedal - which has been in the frame a few times, but was inadvertently left out of the last overview. With all of the Dumble-style pedals I already have now, I really don't need another, but if I did spring for one more - it would likely be this one! The control differs slightly from the others here which follow the amp topology and naming more closely while the Dumbstruck in some ways features more logical controls and delivers fantastic range just be slightly different means.

Before the release of the Kondo Shifuku and my recollection of the 'Dumbstruck' above - this pedal was in contention for the next in line to rotate out the Euphoria. It's another great example of this genre which has again the right sort of timbre that appeals to me. I do feel it is somewhat outmuscled by the Kondo Shifuku though, and would probably play second fiddle to the Dumbstruck too overall for my taste - but remains still another worthy contender.

A little like the Dumbstruck - this is a pedal I occasionally overlook and just plain forget exists in this space - although I did include it in my previous overview. For those who prefer things a little simpler - we are reduced here to the classic 3 Level/Tone/Gain dials - alongside a Dark push-button voicing switch. This is another pedal that does the job very nicely, although there are others here that I obviously prefer a touch more. For those who are put off by too many dials and switches - this is probably the one for you - it is also the best priced of this selection.

This Japanese pedal obviously betrays its inspiration somewhat in its title, but has a more pleasing tonal profile for me versus the more subtle Zendrive above. Occasionally copies of this turn up on Reverb.com, but mostly you need to acquire from Tanabe.tv Japanese site - which may put some players off. For me it's a slightly more dynamic and significantly more versatile alternative to the Zendrive - of course made with primo components. Moreover you have a switch on the side of the pedal the toggles between 3 modes - Marshall, Dumkudo and Dumble.

I rotated this one in - in preference to the Simble, by virtue of the 3-way voicing switch here which gives you far more versatility in tone. As I've noted several times before - the Bass dial here works similarly to the Presence dial on the Wampler Pantheon - in that you should start it off fully counter-clockwise - or as far left as it will go, and just add in a little low-end to taste - and to the tiniest degree. If you start with the Bass dial at 12 o'clock the pedal sounds horrible in any and all of its modes. The pedal is a touch idiosyncratic in use, but once you get a handle on it - you can dial in a wide variety of really decent Dumble-style tones. In some ways I preferred the one tone I managed to dial in so well on the Simble - but the Euphoria is much more versatile and adaptable. Neither of those gets quite close enough to the lofty heights of my now beloved Kondo Shifuku!