Fab Amp ACDC15/30 Head

I have a FAB Matchmore ACDC15/30 head. I wanted a DC30 with a better effects loop but without the price and that is what I got. The first channel is an EF86 with a real neat FAQ 3 position switch that allows you to set the tone from real thick to very bright. The second channel has all the vibe of an AC30 including the interactive tone stack. This amp is real quite and the effects loop is one of the best I have tried. The features are great for me because I picked them out. The poweramp is a single ended 6550 for 16watts with a half power switch and has a Slave out which is really useful when I need the tone of the Fab direct into the board. The channel switching is done with an external AB/Y switch and each channel has a seperate effects loop. Super quite operation is one of the neatest features of this amp. I give it a nine as nothing is perfect but for my needs this is close!

This amp gets pretty much every classic tone you could desire. The cleans are pure to chimmy depending on where the gain is set. I play classic rock and seem to have all the bases covered. From the early Stones to mid 70s Bad Company I can dial them in easy. Both channels break up when pushed. Channel 1 becomes progressively crunchy after 2 Oclock. Channel 2 when dimed sings with pinch harmonics and the tang of Jeff Beck much like the AC30 it was designed after. Both channels display very chimy qualities and show off each different guitar's individual tone. I use double coil PUs and an Gibson SG but have also tried the amp on a Strat and a Tele, they all sound amazing! Originally I bought this amp for the bedroom but somehow it ends up at all my gigs. The tone is too good I cannot leave it at home. Both channels take pedals well if I need more modern tone and distortion.
It really does sound awesome but no 10 from me.

I waited to review this amp for a while as I was not sure I liked the way it is wired. I have had it for over a year and no probs so far but the wiring is not like any other amp I have seen. So I take it to a local tech to see if it was safe. My Tech told me that the design was good. When I stressed to him that I was concerned about the strange wiring and layout he showed me the insides of a Top Hat and sure enough the same terminal strip wiring except Fab uses several smaller strips rather than two large ones. I have banged this little amp around and like most my gear, it shows the signs of abuse. Yet it just keeps on working. I give it an 8 here, so far so good.

When ordering my amp Rob was very friendly & helpful. We must have gone through 20 E-mails before I was content with my order. The order took twice as long to get here than I was first led to believe but I was informed of the delay and even given a few NOS tubes to make up for it. The nearest Fab service center to me is in CA. The amp came with a 2 year warranty but hopefully I will not have to use it. After recieving the amp I had several questions that were all answered within a day. Rob has always been good following up his E-mail and I really believe that if I did have a problem that it would be looked after.

I have been playing for 30 years and have had many different amps.
If my Fab was lost or stolen I would order another as the price is hard to beat. I love the Voxy tone and this amp has it x2. The price is by far the best thing about this amp. If it cost twice as much I would still give it 7s across the board. For what I paid there is nothing else to compare it to. A hand built tube amp for less than 500, with NOS tubes and a 2 year warranty. I still have to pinch myself to see if I am dreaming. The only thing I wish for is that Rob gets more service repair centers.

This is a follow up to my previous review....I still have the amp, and it still sounds good, however I opened up the chassis and based on what i saw I am no longer confident that this amp is built to last. Very sloppy wiring and soldering, definately not a pro job. Like I said....the amp sounds good, however...when something goes wrong I doubt i'd spend the time or money to have the amp fixed.

I think the Fab Man has left the building......

Overall...I would not buy this amp again. I am happy with the tone....yes, but based on what I saw inside the amp, it's just a matter of time before it all goes south.

1993 Fab Classic Master with AC30 and AC15 preamps. You can switch between the 2 channels as well as blend them. My amp also has a built in boost, and a really cool built in power attenuator. I had this amp built by Rob Franklin to fill my need for a low wattage (12 watts) amp I could crank. The amp has 4 and 8 ohm outputs, and is powered by 2 EL84's. Rob made this amp to my specifications....so for features I give it a 10.

This amp sounds GREAT! The cleans are chimey like a Vox, and the overdrive is also Vox like. The amp is NOT noisy at all. My favorite setting is blending the 2 channels and hitting the front end of the amp with a clean boost. I am running the head with a 1x12 cab loaded with a Celestion G12H-30, and it sounds great.

It's too new to say....however, the amp is built well...and it is put through rigorous testing before shipment. I am confident in this amp.

Rob was a pleasure to work with, he helped me design the amp that best suited my needs, and you won't find a nicer guy.

I've been playing the guitar for 23 years, nowadays mostly as a hobby and a few occasional gigs. I own or have owned many high end amplifiers, and I can honestly say this amp has great tone! If it was stolen, I would have Rob build me another ASAP. This amp gets a lot of use because of it's excellent tone, and relatively low wattage....but don't let the 12 watts fool you....it's pretty damn loud!