FUMBLE
The Fumble exists because we made the biggest mistake in JHS history.
In May of 2025, we released the NOTADÜMBLË — our second solderless DIY kit pedal, containing two of the most coveted sounds from the Dumble universe. The overdrive side was correct: a boutique style overdrive built around the lead tone people associate with Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, and Robben Ford. The clean side, however, was supposed to be a reverse engineered copy of the "A Box Later," a buffered effects loop device that Howard Dumble built sometime in the 1980s outside of his amplifier designs.
A week after launch, while planning a Short Circuit episode video about the NOTADÜMBLË, we discovered the wrong circuit had been used. The clean side of the NOTADÜMBLË wasn’t the “A Box Later”– it was a separate Dumble preamp box that had been reverse engineered years earlier and mistakenly confused with the intended circuit.
The remaining inventory was sold, the NOTADÜMBLË V1 was discontinued after 15,000 units, and customers who requested returns were refunded.
What the Fumble Actually Is
The Fumble is a faithful production version of the Dumble BBC-1 circuit. Once the NOTADÜMBLË V1 was discontinued, customers began asking for that clean circuit to be available as a standalone pedal.
Further research revealed that the BBC-1 was based on a JFET preamp derived from a 1970s Barcus Berry acoustic preamp. Howard Dumble adapted the design into a standalone enclosure for a small number of players and later incorporated the same JFET stage into his amplifiers as the FET mode.
The Fumble recreates that circuit in a compact enclosure with a simple control layout and affordable price point.
What It Does
The Fumble has two knobs, true bypass switching, and creates a particularly enhanced clean tone.
OUTPUT is the master volume control.
INPUT is not a standard gain control. Instead, it simultaneously attenuates bass and input gain at the front of the circuit. Fully clockwise applies no cut. As the control is turned counterclockwise, bass and gain are gradually reduced for a tighter and leaner response.
Use the Fumble Four Ways
- As a permanent buffer and clean boost at the front of your board.
- To push the front end of overdrive pedals.
- To drive the front end of an already dirty amplifier.
- As a solo boost at the end of the signal chain.
Who This Is For
If you bought the NOTADÜMBLË V1 and enjoyed the clean section, this is the circuit that was inside it.
If you missed it, the Fumble delivers a simple JFET clean boost with a unique control set and tonal response.
Who This Isn't For
This is not an overdrive or high-gain pedal. Players looking for the lead-tone side of the Dumble sound should consider the NOTADÜMBLË V2, which combines the proper Box It Later clean section and overdrive channel in a solderless DIY kit format.
The Name
The "Fumble" name and football helmet icon originally appeared as an internal concept in 2012 for a Dumble-style overdrive project. That project never moved forward, and the name remained unused for over a decade.
When the NOTADÜMBLË circuit mix-up occurred in 2025, the name was revived as a reference to the mistake that led to the pedal's creation.
Features
• True bypass JFET clean boost
• INPUT control functions as a bass and gain attenuator
• OUTPUT master volume control
• Compact enclosure
• 9V DC center negative operation
• Current draw: 5mA
• Assembled in Kansas City
Specifications
• Dimensions: 1.96" x 3.93" x 1.21"
• Power: 9V DC center negative
• Current Draw: 5mA
