NEW AMP ordered

[Gabe]

Hi guys ''n" girls,

I have just ordered a Fab Amp, which will be made customized to my preferences by Rob Franklin.

Now someone here on the HFC pointed me in his direction, but now I cannot find who that was anymore. But I have to say:"Thanks and thanks again".

The web link is: http://fab.stuff.home.comcast.net/index.html

This guy is extremely easy to communicate with and you almost cannot want anything that he is not willing to try.

So let me work out the details on my low-wattage amp, which will be a unique boutique amp:

It will be rack mounted, poweramp 3 rack units and preamp 2 units high. The amps will have custom faceplates (new, not yet on the website) and will work at 220 VAC, as we are accustomed to in Europe.

I am planning to put my TC Electronics G-major rack effects unit in between making it possible to get stereo sounds. As speakers I intend to use my Celestion Vintage 30's that I've made cabinets myself from solid pine wood.

Poweramp: stereo, single ended EL84's, 2 x 5 Watt in pentode and 2 x 2 Watt in triode mode, switchable. MUD switch, and switchable solid state/ tube rectifier.

It will also contain a Headphones out making quiet practice possible. On a tube amp!!!

Preamp: two channels, foot switchable. One with the SSVT, which is good for clean and jazz and will take overdrive/distortionpedals well, and one with the Powerwave preamp for over the top distorted heavy guitar sounds, with a foot switchable boost. The foot switchable functions can be controlled via the effects device via 2 jacks.

It will be top quality and the price is alright. Listen to the clips on the website.

As soon as I've got it and have tested it out I will give a report on it.

Gabe

Here's a picture of what the new faceplates will look like: my preamp will have two rows of knobs. What do you like more, the lively colour version or the classy looking gold version?

Edited to add picture.

[Scottcrud]

Man, I just checked his website, unbelieveable prices, a 100 watt metal head for $800.00!?! Am I missing something here?

Also, I like your Avatar.

[alpep]

wow cool stuff

[belgian]

I do have to check this one out !!!

I went the Valvetech way... a 2x12 combo with celestion vintage 30's..

Let's meet after the new toys arrived.

[Gabe]

I do have to check this one out !!!

I went the Valvetech way... a 2x12 combo with celestion vintage 30's..

Let's meet after the new toys arrived.

That is a good idea, Conrad.

Gabe

[El Kabong]

That is the face plate that Rob's graphics guy designed for me. My amp will be covered in snakeskin, baby. The coloured logo is a sticker. Rob has been very cool. The designs you are looking at are the proto types for my amp. It is the first studio fox made for metal. The low input does clean plexi to Van Halen 1. The High gain input is for a modded JCM 800 sound. Mine has a headphone out and a slave on the rear.

[Scottcrud]

but how can he sell amps for those low prices!?!

[Gabe]

That is the face plate that Rob's graphics guy designed for me. My amp will be covered in snakeskin, baby. The coloured logo is a sticker. Rob has been very cool. The designs you are looking at are the proto types for my amp. It is the first studio fox made for metal. The low input does clean plexi to Van Halen 1. The High gain input is for a modded JCM 800 sound. Mine has a headphone out and a slave on the rear.

Hey El Kabong,

I thought it was you who pointed me in the direction of Fab amps. I even did a search on the old and on the new forum to find the thread, but I was not able to find it anymore.

So I understand these faceplates have been custom made for you. The pictures were sent to me by Rob Franklin as an example of how his amps will look with the new type of faceplates. I actually told him that I got his name and website-address from someone at the HFC.

I like these faceplates very much. In my opinion the small round knobs look a bit classier than the chickenhead knobs, although the latter may be easier to use. Have you decided already which one you will choose, the colourful or the gold?

And to you : "Thanks, thanks and thanks again, El Kabong"

Gabe

[tombo]

but how can he sell amps for those low prices!?!

Yes, how can he sell amps for those low prices???? That's just unbelievable!?!?!?!?!?!

[GusS]

FAB!!

i bought the first ever fab. it was an 8 watt ptp single ended 1x12 6L6 combo. 2 footswitchable channels, effects loop. NOS mullard 12ax7 in V1, Westinghouse 6L6GC. Cost, get this $130.

how was it so cheap? cheap parts he's been accumulating, cheap construction, the cabinet wood so soft that he had to glue the speaker to it. the chassis was a piece of phosphorescent highway sign. inside, the wiring looked like a rats nest. the kicker: no external or internal fuses.

He claimed the clean was an SVT clone and the dirty a Marshall clone. He later admitted that was baloney. Nevertheless the amp sounded decent especially through an external cab and it did not kill me.A great value at $130.

I do however have a hard time understanding why anyone would spend $800 on a FAB when at that price you can buy some of most legendary amps out there.

his amps seem to have come a long way looks-wise at least. gone is the logo made with stick-on letters from home depot.

rob struck me as nice but crazy. rottin roti, his canine assistant, comes up often when you speak to rob. his boys seemed a bit fucked too.

[El Kabong]

Well, the chassis are now farmed out and custom made on a per order basis. They are blue printed by Rob and then sent out to the guy that does the metal work. Each chassis is now custom fabricated to order, in a bedroom suburb of Vancouver.

The cabinets are now made by someone else as well. They have a Marshall type look, with proper rounded edges. Mine is being made to fit the exact dimensions of my custom cab, that houses a single Celestian Century. Above the face plate will be black grill cloth to let air circulate better. These are not depicted on the Fab Amp web site.

Then the tolex work is also sent out to a professional to get done.

The graphics are done in MA. The custom plates for the front and rear are being manufactured somewhere else.

Rob does the design, electrical work and final assembly. He has made a little over 300 amps since yours, Gus. He has all of the design and safety concerns addressed and mine will be the first to have a full 'booteak' (sic) look cabinet.

His web site has not been properly updated with new graphics in a very long time. The visuals on the finished cabs on his site could have been a deal breaker for me. He sent me a few shots of more recent stuff. It looked ok, but we started discussing going the extra mile to have a fully finished, professional look. Mine is the first one of this type and is still a work in progress.

My custom back panel has a 110/ 120 V switch, as I live in Japan. It has a mains fuse at 1 amp, main power switch, HV fuse at 1/10th of an amp for slow blow and 250 ma for fast blow. There is a pentode/ triode switch, 4 and 8 ohm taps, a slave and headphone out.

I did my homework. I almost did go with Reinhardt, before I found Fab Amp. I checked Winfield Thomas, Doberman, Emery and a half dozen others. Some were found by posting. Some were researched in magazines and on line.

I'm not sure where you got the $800 tag, or for what model, but mine works out to be under $500.

(I also found a guy that did fully finished 1-2 watt heads in the US, that were all tube, but the clips sounded like a 1981 SS Yamaha for $250ish including shipping, so inexpensive builders are out there).

A recent mail forwarded to me from a customer who is a high ranking NASA official, claimed his sounded better than a Matchless. (I did ask for another tone report after the honeymoon period wore off).

Don't take my word for it, here is a review on another forum, regarding his amps.

http://www.therealallanholdsworth.com/foru...1&highlight=fab

[GusS]

El Kabong,

My post was a review of my Fab and my interactions with Rob. I got the $800 100-watt metal head figure from Scottcrud's post. You don't need to defend your purchase, I have not tried his current work so I wasn't commenting on it.

[El Kabong]

No harm or foul on my end, Gus. I just wanted to clarify what I was on about when I brought up the Fab Amp name on an earlier thread, that prompted Gabe to order. I didn't want Gabe to think that he just ordered something that he didn't want.

(Sorry, I did a quick scroll and didn't see Scott's post).

When mine is done and any honeymoon period has worn off, I will be posting pix and a tone report. It will be awhile, though. After the head is done, it will come to me via Canada Post, as a bulk package. With the weight being 30lbs incl. packaging, a courier was a little expensive, considering the cost of the amp.

Burt

[Scottcrud]

Go look at the models, he has the prices listed for them, I was looking at a 100 watt Metalhead head- in plain English $750.00 The 100 watt wave head is $800.00. Gus, that thing looks like crap, real similar to my first amp which was a Alamo 1x12 combo.

[Guest cruster]

GusS pic screams 'I made this.' Actually, I've been thinking of doing the AX84 P1 project...but after seeing that I'm not so sure.

[Gabe]

I didn't want Gabe to think that he just ordered something that he didn't want.

Thanks Burt,

I have seen the design of the back of you amp and it looks great. Good attention to detail. The picture I have is in PDF format and I cannot post that.

I guess that handwiring so many amps will cause a vast improvement over time.

Of course the looks of an amp are not as important as the sounds you can get out of it!

Gabe

[spknoevl]

I noticed this thread and thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I bought one of Rob's amps and had it delivered just over a month ago. The amp I ordered does not resemble Gus' amp in any way. Seeing as it's one of his first, it should not be surprising that Rob's amps have come a long way. The construction and finish of my amp is solid and professional looking. The wiring is neat and orderly, and the control panel is gold finished with chicken-head knobs. This is hands down one of the best amps I've ever owned, and I've pretty much owned them all at one time or another.

I've attached a link to the review I wrote in harmony-central.

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data..._5_Head-01.html

martinjwebb-guitar@hotmail.com

[Gabe]

Thanks very much , Martin.

The review you have given resembles the one in the allanholdsworth-thread referred to by El Kabong (Burt) in a post a couple above yours and this one. But I see that that was also written by you. A very nice review of what appears to be a very nice amp.

So I have given my trust to Rob Franklin and I think I won't regret it. In a short time there will at least be three of us here at the board owning a FAB amp (Burt, Martin, and me)

Furthermore to say that you can have another famous amp for the same money does not make any sense to me. One problem with these famous amps is that thy are way too loud. There is a big need for low-wattage full-tube amps and FAB makes these. Another problem is the fact that these famous amps always seem to miss something I am really craving, like for instance a headphones output. And FAB can make all your wishes come true.

Moreover when you play Hamer guitars you do not actually play the most famous guitars, but still they are very good and most of us here (including myself) seem to think they're better than the famous brands.

I trust that FAB amps will be the best kept amp secret (analogous to Hamer being the best kept guitar secret).

Martin, could you post some pictures of your amp (front and back). That would be very much appreciated. It is possible to host them on e.g. www.photobucket.com, free and easy.

Gabe

[GusS]

Seeing as it's one of his first,

It is the first ever FAB. One day it will be on Sotheby's w/ an opening bid of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS

[spknoevl]

Gabe: You are correct , the Holdsworth Forum review is mine. I was directed over to this forum by a member who mentioned my review was being linked. I haven't taken any pics of the amp since I received it, but I do have a few pics that Rob sent me during the build process. This before the lettering and decals were put on the faceplate. Rob also redid the front grill after he sent me the pic, so it actually looks even better now. The links are below:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y57/spknoevl/FAb.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y57/spknoevl/288653c5.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y57/spkno...pinprogess1.jpg

You're in good hands with Rob, and he will cater the amp to your exact requirements.

Martin

[Gabe]

Hello Martin,

Thanks again.

The only thing that confuses me a little now is that the middle picture you are posting of your amp is EXACTLY the same as is on the website in the metalhead model. See http://fab.stuff.home.comcast.net/metal_head.htm in the middle "Rock solid terminal strip construction".

Well it could be your amp on the website.

Here is your picture:

And here's the one from the website:

Gabe

[spknoevl]

I believe it is. I noticed the pic was added to his website during the build process for my amp although I can't say I had made the connection until now. He actually sent me about 8 pics of everything from the empty box to close ups of the transformers.

I agree with you about famous amps being too loud. The whole reason I bought my amp was so I could have Plexi and JCM800 sounds at home studio volumes.

[Gabe]

FAB!!!!! FAB!!!!! FAB!!!!!

And here is the first pic of the rack mountable (2 rack units high thanks to the horizontal mounting of the tubes) 2 x 5 Watt Franklin Series Stereo Power Amp.

Features are amongst others: switchable pentode/triode (single ended EL 84 tubes one for each side), switchable tube or solid state rectifier, 8 or 16 Ohms (making it possible to hook up two 8 Ohm speakers on each side thus totalling 4 speakers all of 8 Ohms impedance), master volumes and MUD regulators on each side. And there is a phase switch on the back of the amp but I am not sure what this will do to the sound. As far as I have understood it can only be done or will only work on a stereo amp. N.B. everything is hand wired/ hand soldered. No PCB's inside.

And one very important aspect will be the stereo headphone out, with a speaker defeat switch and with its own level potentiometer, all on the front side of the amp.

I think it looks great, it looks fab. It looks neat and clean.

And I have to say that Rob Franklin really keeps me up to date about the whole project. And he has given me a very good chance to think about the amps, the outside as well as the necessary features, while in the process warning me against potentially dangerous wishes etc. etc. I appreciate that very much.

I am sorry I cannot post the pics of the design of the front plates and the back plates due to the fact that these are in pdf-format and way too big for photobucket.

As soon as I get more pictures I will post them. And now that this amp is almost done I guess that work will start later this week on the Franklin Series two channel (SSVT and Powerwave) preamp. That will be great too. And especially together in my rack they will be very very nice, as well in looks as in sound, I trust.

What do you think about this project so far?

Gabe

[Gabe]

I am trying to put up a picture of the front plates and back plates. I have copied from PDF to JPG format.

That is really going to look nice.

And the sound will be good also. I trust.

Gabe

[kurtsstuff]

Well...here's my theory on why their so inexpensive.....cuz....he's not gouging the piss out of anyone....any tube amp on the market consist's of about $200.00 in parts be it bogner,mesa etc....then what ya do is.....get a big name shredder dude to plug your amp to the masses,slap a price tag of $3,000.00-$4,000.00 and being the dumbass public that we are have the mindset that...if we're paying $4000.00 for an amp that (insert guitar god's name here) plays, It's gotta be the best right?? When in actuality...ya look under of behind the stage most endorsers are playing through there trusty marshall....but...the backline consist's of stacks and stacks of whatever amp they are endorsing that week... just my $0.02 worth....hehe