Fab Amp Fab CM8 Combo

Rob made me this amp in late 2002. It has 2 preamps - Ampeg SVT Clone and Marshall Plexi Clone - that run through Rob's own single 6L6 Class A power amp. Each channel has an independant EQ. There are essentially 3 channels considering the two and a blend channel which makes it possible to blend the tone/volume of the two preamps. It has a passive effects loop (which i don't use... rarely use effects), Line out (that disengages the speaker), 4/8 ohms selector, power amp bright switch, and i had Rob install a 10" Sound City Speaker. The features alone on this amp are incredible, and the variety of sounds available through the 2 preamps and the blend make it very versatile.
One quick note: Running this amp through an extention cab blew me away. The 10" speaker is obviously very limited in what it can handle and how much air it can move. After hearing this plugged into my 12" Mesa Boogie Thiele Cab i just about creamed my jeans. The Plexi channel has ALOT of Bass and it will flubb out the 10", but through a cab with higher power handling it sounds HUGE. I have gigged with this thing (8 watts) running through a cab, and have had to turn down! My only regret is that i didn't get just a head because now i always run it with an external cab.

I have noticed the amp has a very interesting personality. It sounds COMPLETELY different with different guitars. Even to the point that when i plug in a different guitar i find myself re-EQing it. This may be a bother for some, but I have a collection of guitars and love the huge variety of sounds i could get out of it. I'm playing it with a '62 RI Jazzmaster, Custom Tele w/Texas Specials, Late 80's ProTone Strat, and a Turser SG. I can get a lot of styles out of the amp, due to the tone differences of the guitars. It will do everything EXCEPT very sparkly cleans (8 watts doesn't have much headroom obviously) and high gain ( it has plenty of gain, but it is real power tube gain, not modern preamp metal gain). The amp sounds incredibly articulate on any gain setting. It does mush up some on the blend channel if everything is cranked, but i hardly use it this way, and the best tones in this thing are the inbetween ones, not fully cranked.

I've had it two months, and was wary of it at first. But i have never had any problems with it and have been "kind of" rough with it. I've actually gigged the thing without a backup. I have grown to trust it.

Seeing as rob was so helpful on the phone in the creation of this amp to my specs, he really has the best "customer support" of anyone i've dealt with. I've never been able to call and talk one on one with the guy who's hands are in my amp as i am talking to him. I haven't had any problems yet, but i have asked a bunch of questions about the amp and things i can do to it and with it. Rob maintained contact with me after i got the thing and answers email the same day. I'm giving him a ten on this

I have been playing for about 10 years, and collecting guitars and various tube amp oddities for about the last 3. I have owned a marshall JCM 900 combo, Peavey Classic 50, Vox AC15, Fender Hot Rod Deville, Marshall Valvestate, and various Champs Valco's and Univox small combos. I can't really compare the Fab to any of the marshalls or other bigger amps, because they are like apples and oranges. Compared to a champ or other small combo it is a million times more versatile and usefull for a studio application (or even live). NO other amp i have ever owned or played has as distinct a character as the Fab.