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*Even though this is an old thread, it contains all the relevant information for continuing this specific line of discussion. Starting a new thread about it would be a pointless exercise in repetition.*

Now that I've built both a ROG Umble and a clone of the original one-knob Dumbbell (as featured in the old youtube video I posted above) I can say definitively that they are nothing alike. The Gaspedals Dumbbell is much closer to the overdrive sound people want when they think of the "Dumble Sound". It also responds more like an amp when you play it. And since it's a simple circuit, it has a much lower noise floor than other complicated designs that use cascaded Fets or a myriad of potentiometers and switches. I found the Umble to be unusable because the idle noise sounded like Niagra Falls!
So yes, if you want an overdrive that gives you the "Dumble-like sound", or simply just want a great-sounding overdrive pedal, build this one:
https://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=35636.0

As far as I can tell, the Gaspedals Dumbbell was the very first boutique pedal that attempted to capture the sound of the Dumble Overdrive Special amp. This was years before that became a thing. And was years before the "transparent overdrive" craze became a thing. I've always wanted one of these original versions with a single volume knob, and finally I have a clone (originals are about impossible to find, and they'll set you back some $600-$700 if you do find one).
So how do they sound? Incredible. I don't usually give any pedals the "always on" treatment, but this thing really does work great in that context. It's touch dynamic to your playing in standard mode. Sometimes you don't realize it's even on, until you turn it off. It really does just make everything sound better. In the boost mode, it's a full-on overdriven tube amp in all of the good ways. It doesn't sound like a distortion pedal on top of an amp. It sounds like an amp.
I'm so glad I finally took the time to build one, though it is a pain since there are no pcbs and only one schematic available for the single knob version. I had to build it on stripboard.
It was worth the effort!

Smallbean or Madbear?

RoHS compliant leads, perhaps? They have to be able to guarantee cold solder joints in order to hit their built-in obsolescence quotas...otherwise people might make things that function longer than five years.

Here is my build of the latest Misfit pcb. I jumped at the chance to get the board with a verified CA3260 for the great price Mr. Bean offered. This is an outstanding overdrive/distortion pedal, and yet another great pcb/project to try. I can see why it gets so much love from studios and session players. It just does exactly what you want a dirt pedal to do, without getting in the way of your playing. The 3-band EQ is one of the best I've used on a dirt pedal. The midrange control is especially effective. It can take the pedal from chicken-pickin' clarity, to full-on scooped heavy tones that are borderline metal (I would say, no, this pedal does not do metal).
For the design aesthetic, I'm not really sure what I was going for, other than trying to get inspiration from the original pedal. I guess I wanted that mid-80's "this is a guitar pedal that came with your NES" feel?
It doesn't look like any other pedal I have, that's for sure.

It certainly doesn't have the X factor.

99% of the time, the "X factor" is just perception. You tell someone they're listening to AI music, and they spit out the wine, gagging over "how terrible it is". You don't tell them what it is, and they think they're drinking something good. I tried out making 80's adult contemporary music on Suno, and it knocked it out of the park. There is no way an unbiased, non-cork sniffery, going in blind person would think this was a computer:
https://suno.com/s/1M8g9zEKJy0wHKYp

The days of "the only way to make music is plugging directly into a vintage amp with a guitar nobody can afford" are over.
Deal with it.

There was a time when cryptocurrency wasn't considered "real money" because you couldn't loose it in your couch cushions. Aren't you glad you didn't invest? Those "idiots" who made millions off of it should have continued to hate on technology and I'm sure they regret the decision. They had no idea what they were excited about.

*dumped*

After watching a recent Rick Beato video on AI, I decided to test out Suno's V4 AI system. We musicians are in trouble, because this sounds straight up sick:
https://suno.com/song/08e584da-4c7d-4da3-af31-caf56d3ad829?sh=6LbxuoHh8OlPGVGV

Several listings of these pedals have started showing up on Reverb, and sure enough, they're asking ridiculous amounts, as much as $550 for one that sold! I think the most interesting thing I've found is that this isn't the first time EQD has made the Plumes in a cast iron enclosure. A while back they made some extremely limited green ones. One of those sold for $749.
So I'm guessing they're not done doing the whole cast iron "limited" releases. What a racket.

Saw it on the EQD YouTube.

I didn't even think to look on EQD's YouTube channel, mainly because there wasn't any YouTube link in the email Reverb sent out.
That tracks. Why would they want to bother putting a link to the very pedal that was available exclusively on their site? That would be too logical!

The option for a Misfit board with a verified CA3260E chip is an outstanding deal. Thanks for making it available!

In my internal logic it's: am I putting this on a glass case to flex on dinner guests?

Flex on dinner guests. I'm going to remember that phrase because it perfectly describes the motivation behind stuff like this. LOL!

There were only 100 each of them

I'm impressed you were able to find that piece of information! Reverb's email only said "limited time", not "impossible-to-get-one limited quantity". But it explains why they sold out before anybody could even look at them. I seriously just wanted to see the listing and hopefully get some views at different angles of a unique cast iron enclosure. The listing went down so fast we didn't even get to see any of the original pics! Hopefully Catalinbread will jump on board and make some limited edition pedals in enclosures made of bread. They will go like hotcakes....

Recently Reverb.com had some special edition cast iron Plumes and Blumes Earthquaker pedals that supposedly went on sale on their site. The things sold out so incredibly fast that there wasn't even time to look at the official listing! No doubt there will be second-hand ones that will pop up soon on Reverb for 3X the price as soon as people start getting them in the mail. I wasn't interested in buying one, but it is ridiculous how frantic "collectors" go after these things just to try to make a quick profit off something that really is no different than the original sound-wise. Do they just sit at their computers all day hitting the refresh button with 300 custom searches lined up? So the reason to own one has nothing to do with playing guitar. It's just the old ticket-scalping routine.

First thing I noticed is my eyesight is a lot worse at 48 lol.....

Oy, I have to take my contacts out anytime I'm working on pedals. It's the only way I can read the tiny print on IC's!

Back 20 years ago when the Protone series came out (which were great guitars), they discontinued them because they were chewing into the MIM Standard sales.

Actually, the Protone series came out nearly 30 years ago in 1996. Yet another thing that makes me feel old!