“It’s amazing and hands down the best one I’ve ever played”: Keith Urban on what it’s like to play through the Dumble that John Mayer used during his blues trio days – and how it became his main amp

Keith Urban and John Mayer have shared a strong onstage guitar bond over the years, but it turns out their connection also stretches into the realm of guitar gear, too.

For example, we recently found out about Urban’s upcoming PRS signature guitar, which he was inspired to develop after witnessing Mayer play an entire Dead & Company show with his ‘Dead Spec’ PRS Silver Sky.

Before that, Urban recalled how Mayer had actually helped convince him to slim down his guitar collection, with the two eventually agreeing that having fewer guitars can make you a better player.

Now, the country rock heavyweight has revealed the latest piece of gear that connects the two guitar greats: a holy grail Dumble Overdrive Reverb tube amp.

In an new interview with Guitar World, Urban revealed his current go-to guitar amp is a Dumble that once belonged to Mayer. Not only that, it was the amp Mayer used at the height of his blues power, when he first formed the John Mayer Trio.

The John Mayer Trio would only put out one standalone live album – two, if you count the trio segment in Where The Light Is – which was called Try!. According to Urban, the Overdrive Reverb that he’s currently got his hands on was one of the amps that Mayer used in this era. Furthermore, it's the best amp Urban says he's ever played.

Try (Live at the House of Blues, Chicago, Illinois, September 22, 2005) - YouTube

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“Right now, my primary amp is a Dumble Overdrive Reverb that, weirdly enough, used to belong to John Mayer back in the Trio days,” he says. “It's an amazing amp and, hands down, the best one I've ever played.

“I run it with a Fender Dual Showman because the two of them together have different responses, and tonalities. The two blended together gives me a bigger, fuller sound.”

Through the tunes and tones of the Trio and their 2005 album, Mayer was propelled into the blues guitar limelight. It marked a turning point for the singer-guitarist, and put his then-rather-underrated guitar chops into the spotlight. And Urban is in possession of the amp that helped underscore this entire era.

Mayer’s affinity for Dumble amps – as well as other high-end boutique tube amps – is well-known. He’s in possession of quite a few, and as of March 2022, even owned the 005 Dumbleland Special that Stevie Ray Vaughan used to record Texas Flood.

Keep your eyes peeled on Guitar World for the full interview with Keith Urban.