There are few sights more beautiful to these eyes than the Appalachian Mountains awash in the brilliant colors of autumn or during the rebirth of life in the spring.  I usually try to visit the North Carolina and Virginia mountains every year during the fall, but had the distinct pleasure of making an early trip this year with a friend of mine to visit Cub Creek Audio near Roseland, VA.
 
 

Cub Creek Audio, just north of Lynchburg, VA, is owned and operated by Rob Hawkins, who specializes in tube amplifer repairs, specifically vintage Fenders; though he is thoroughly competent at working his magic with most older tube amps such as Ampeg and Vox.  Several guitarists I know have been raving about the work Rob has done on their equipment, and at their urging, I decided to pay him a visit.  Having played a number of vintage Fenders serviced by Rob, I can attest that he has a wonderful ear for tone, and a great knowledge and appreciation for the designs of Leo Fender.
 
 

We were greeted with an absolutely perfect April day for our trek into the mountains of Virginia.  As expected, "Shorty" the pit bull announced our arrival in the driveway.  I was told about him before the trip and he was described as the friendliest dog you'd ever find.  He certainly was quite affectionate, but I was also informed that he reserved this treatment for humans and not other dogs.  Luckily, he seemed to like us a lot and was happy to have visitors on that day.
 
 

We also heard some nice guitar tones emanating from the workshop as we approached.  It turns out that Rob is a devotee of classic guitar sounds, and has a particular affinity for surf music.  He played a portion of a CD that his band is in the process of recording, and I must say that his sound and ability are very authentic and of a high caliber.  In my opinion, this is a very good quality to find in a repair tech because it should aid him in his ability to voice the amps.  On top of that, vintage Fender amps have long been the bedrock of surf tones, and Rob has an excellent idea of how good ones should sound as well as a strong command of how to bring sick ones back up to speed.
 
 

The whole mindset in this region of the country strikes me as more laid-back and peaceful.  With surroundings such as what we encountered, it's no wonder things seemed so mellow.  The fresh mountain air, and the trees and flowers in full bloom added to an aura of tranquility.

My friend had previously left a couple of old tweed Fenders for repairs and we were on a return engagement to pick them up, in addition to drop off a Pro in need of attention.  Rob successfully restored his old narrow panel Deluxe and tweed Vibrolux back to excellent sonic shape.  I had already investigated his blackface model repairs and was enamored with the tonal results; so to hear equally stellar sounds from his tweed mods reinforced my impressions that it is worth the drive for anyone seeking superior service for their vintage tube amps.
 
 

Rob knows a lot about speakers and tubes.  He is a good source for hard-to-find products and can offer his expertise on the mysterious voodoo that surrounds these subjects.  Everything that I have personally played that he has serviced sounds first-class.
 
 

Rob is currently not online (which is probably a good thing for him ;-), but can be reached via telephone at (434) 277-9355.  If you are within driving distance of the Lynchburg, VA area and need expert vintage Fender amp repairs, you will be rewarded with first-rate service and a wonderfully-scenic road trip.  Rob is a nice person, so I imagine his customer care would be very good.  Cub Creek Audio can also accomodate long-distance transactions with prior shipping arrangements.  For more specifics on Rob Hawkins and Cub Creek Audio, please see information listed below:
 

Jason

The Weber forum is a great source of information for guitarists interested in toneful equipment.  Here is the information from the Virginia Tech Registry concerning Rob Hawkins at:  http://www.webervst.com/techreg/virginia.htm

Rob Hawkins
  Cub Creek Audio
  56 C&E lane
  Roseland, VA. 22967
  Phone 434-277-9355  (updated Nov. 2003)
  Accepts Cash or Visa/Mastercard only
  Rates: $30 bench charge, $22 per hour. Typical BF recap job with the best components is $100-$110

  Mods, De-Mods, Cash n Carry parts, New/Used Equipment for sale/trade.
  Will pick up and deliver in central Virginia.
  UPS pickup point. At Cub Creek Audio I service and repair vintage tube amps from a to V (Ampeg to Vox)!
  Quality parts and attention to detail ensure reliability and excellent tone.
  I do work for music stores in Charlottesville and Lynchburg, as well as for Pro and Semi-Pro musicians in and out of state.