Doesn't sound any better than my 25th anniversary
And there are players who will claim that your PRS amp doesn't sound any "better" than their $700 Marshall. Who's to judge "better?" It's entirely subjective, and therefore, somewhat pointless to contemplate.
It isn't a matter of sounding
better. It sounds
different. It has a different feel when you play through it, too.
The 25th Anniversary won't do what the Dumble does. The Dumble won't do what the 25th does. They're different amps, both in design and intention.
Of course, back when Dumble was building amps in Santa Cruz in the early days, they weren't terribly expensive, but they were each custom built and individually tuned for the needs of a given pro player - so each one sounds different.
The market price for these things was driven up by collectors. Most players couldn't get an amp from Howard Dumble because he preferred to build amps for session players and rock stars. Can't blame him for being picky about who he wanted to work for; the amps were never intended for mass production or the general guitar market. So they're rare, and each one is unique. And of course, there is that rock star cachet that people are willing to throw money at.
I'd rather play my PRS amps, too. Not because they're somehow
better, but because they suit my playing style a little more. They're certainly every bit as good, just different.
But I take my hat off to a guy who could create a unique sound that is sought after 30+ years after it was designed.
