The result of two years of research conducted with a genuine modded Dumble amp, the HRM V2 aims to deliver heightened touch sensitivity and responsiveness
(Image credit: J. Rockett)
J. Rockett has unveiled the Hot Rubber Monkey V2 overdrive pedal – a Dumble-style stompbox that aims to distinguish itself from the rest of the Dumble-inspired pedal market with one key appointment.
The clue is in the name: the HRM V2 promises to deliver the heightened touch sensitivity, responsiveness and versatility of Howard Dumble’s ultra-rare Hot Rubber Monkey mod, which sought to fine-tune the drive tones of the guitar amp by way of additional gain stages and tonal options.
To achieve this goal, the stompbox itself was developed with help from research conducted on a genuine HRM-modded Dumble amp over a two-year period – something that not only sets it apart from J. Rockett’s HRM V1, but many other Dumble drive pedals on the market.
Specifically, the HRM V1 was based on the famed Dumble mod, but was created without the help of the real deal. Instead, it took inspiration from the brand’s Dude V2 pedal.
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(Image credit: J. Rockett)
(Image credit: J. Rockett)
Here, then, things are slightly more interesting: the pedal has been described as a “dramatic improvement” over its predecessor in terms of tonal authenticity and its ability to deliver genuine Dumble sounds.
Control-wise, the HRM V2 is fairly straightforward: there’s a single bypass footswitch and knobs for Level, Gain, Top End and Midrange. It’s all self-explanatory, but it’s worth noting the Top End and Midrange controls help dial in the HRM mod’s “throaty guitar frequencies”.
In practice, the HRM mod delivers a low-mid-centric bump, which has an added ability to cut through the mix, while promising to grant players enhanced touch sensitivity and dynamics.
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And, what’s more, the brand claims the HRM V2 accidentally stumbled upon “some of the best Tube Screamer sounds you could ask for”.
The pedal itself is composed from “carefully sourced NOS parts”, just to add extra authenticity.
Guitar players are faced with numerous Dumble-style drive pedals, so has J. Rockett done enough to stand out from the crowd? Well, the Hot Rubber Monkey mod certainly helps, and while it’s not the first time the brand has attempted such a pedal, it is the first time they did so with the help of a genuine Dumble.
Not only that, J. Rockett has impressive pedigree in the Dumble pedal sphere, with the aforementioned Dude V2 and Melody pedal – the latter of which was designed in collaboration with Mark Lettieri – under its belt.
Elsewhere, it’s got a solid track record cloning another piece of highly elusive gear – the Klon Centaur, with its Archer Select – so the signs are all positive. Plus, it sounds pretty darn good in various demo videos.
The Hot Rubber Monkey V2 is available now for $229.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
