The Mojo Hand FX DMBL Drive is an overdrive pedal from Mojo Hand FX that takes its cue from Dumble amplifiers, the hand-built amps whose tones are among the most sought after and expensive in the guitar world. Mojo Hand FX calls the DMBL its "take on what many consider to be the 'Holy Grail of overdrive tones'"1. Pedal of the Day's Mike B described it plainly: "The DMBL pedal works to specifically re-create those coveted (and pricy) tones"2.
Inside, the pedal uses Burr Brown op-amps and germanium clipping diodes, which the maker credits with a natural, touch-sensitive overdrive1. Mojo Hand FX says the circuit is fine tuned with the elastic, touch-responsive characteristics that made its inspiration legendary3.
What the DMBL Drive does
The DMBL sits in the family of overdrives built around the sound of Dumble amplifiers: amps known for a singing, touch-responsive overdrive rather than heavy distortion. Mojo Hand FX's approach uses germanium clipping diodes, a component choice often associated with a softer, more touch-sensitive clip than silicon, paired with Burr Brown op-amps in the audio path1.
The maker's own description of what the circuit is tuned for:
"the DMBL's circuit is fine tuned with all of the elastic and touch responsive characteristics that helped make it's inspiration legendary."3
For a player, that means the pedal is designed to respond to how hard you pick: back off and it cleans up, dig in and it drives. Pedal of the Day's 2014 review found the Gain knob covers a wide span, "ranging from a beautiful clean boost to a nice sustaining, growling drive sound"2.
Delicious Audio's buying guide to Dumble-style pedals includes the Mojo Hand FX Extra Special DMBL, the higher-gain version of the pedal, at $1794.
The controls: Gain, Bass and voicing switch
The DMBL keeps its control set small: Volume, Treble, Gain, and a two-way tone toggle1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Treble | Sets the high-frequency content1 |
| Gain | From a clean boost to a sustaining, growling drive2 |
| Bass | Shapes the low end; the reviewer found it really makes a difference in the tone2 |
| Tone toggle (2-way) | Up: smooth bottom, flatter EQ. Down: pronounced bite, midrange growl1 |
The Bass control earned special mention in the Pedal of the Day review2:
"One of the things I like best about the DMBL is the Bass Control, which really makes a difference in your tone."2
The voicing toggle is where the two personalities of the pedal live. Mojo Hand FX describes the up position as a smooth bottom with a flatter EQ and the down position as pronounced bite with midrange growl1. Mike B heard the two settings as "a jazzy sound and a more rocking midrange-y sound"2. For a player deciding where to set it, the up position suits cleaner, rounder voicings while the down position pushes the mids forward, which helps a guitar cut through a band.
Versions and pricing
Mojo Hand FX sells the DMBL in three forms:
The B-stock units are factory seconds with minor finishing blemishes, in perfect working condition, sold at a discount3. If a small cosmetic flaw does not bother you, it is the cheapest way into the circuit.
Pedal of the Day's 2014 review put the then-current price at "all for less than 200 bucks"2, and Delicious Audio listed the Extra Special DMBL at $179 in its 2024 Dumble-pedal guide4.
Build and bypass
The DMBL is hand-built in the USA in rugged die-cast enclosures, as Pedal of the Day reported in its 2014 review2. The pedal is true bypass, a point both the maker1 and the reviewer confirm; Mojo Hand FX pedals generally are true bypass, per the review2.
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Questions
Is the Mojo Hand FX DMBL Drive true bypass?
Yes. Mojo Hand FX lists the DMBL as true bypass, and Pedal of the Day's 2014 review noted that Mojo Hand FX pedals are true bypass generally. With the pedal off, your signal passes through without the circuit coloring it.
Is the DMBL Drive built in the USA?
Yes. Pedal of the Day described the DMBL as hand-built in the USA, using rugged die-cast enclosures. Mojo Hand FX also sells factory B-stock versions with minor finishing blemishes that are in perfect working condition at a lower price.
How much does the DMBL Drive cost?
Mojo Hand FX lists the DMBL at $169.00. A B-stock version with minor finishing blemishes sells for $135.00, and the Extra Special high-gain version is listed at $179.00. A 2014 review put the price at under 200 dollars at the time.
What does the voicing switch on the DMBL Drive do?
It is a two-way tone toggle. In the up position you get a smooth bottom and a flatter EQ; in the down position the pedal delivers a pronounced bite and midrange growl. The reviewer at Pedal of the Day described the two settings as a jazzy sound and a more rocking, midrange-forward sound.
Is the DMBL Drive a Dumble clone?
It is a Dumble-inspired design rather than a copy. Mojo Hand FX says the circuit is fine tuned with the elastic, touch-responsive characteristics that made its inspiration legendary, and Pedal of the Day described it as working to re-create the tones of Dumble amplifiers.
Sources (4)
- DMBL - MojoHandFX, MojoHandFX (mojohandfx.com)
- Mojo Hand FX DMBL Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-07-12
- MojoHand, Mojo Hand FX (mojohandfx.com)
- Best Dumble-Style Pedals For Your Needs & Budget, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-25
