Framus Cobra Opinions?

[CaseyCor]

Get yourself a Digitech Bad Monkey and run it as a clean boost. It's a Tubescreamer type OD, and can be picked up for around $30. If you dig it, you're good to go. Or if you like what it's doing, but it's not perfect, you can always spend a bit more and explore the 100s of OD boost options out there. The Bad Monkey is a good way to get started with clean boosting without dropping a ton of cash.

I used the shit out of mine with my Single Rec. I still use it with my Amplitube rig I run now, and it's great. Add a bit of hair onto a clean Fender sound, or use it as a clean boost into the Recto or SLO models.

 

[Brandon Breeze]

Get yourself a Digitech Bad Monkey and run it as a clean boost. It's a Tubescreamer type OD, and can be picked up for around $30. If you dig it, you're good to go. Or if you like what it's doing, but it's not perfect, you can always spend a bit more and explore the 100s of OD boost options out there. The Bad Monkey is a good way to get started with clean boosting without dropping a ton of cash.

I used the shit out of mine with my Single Rec. I still use it with my Amplitube rig I run now, and it's great. Add a bit of hair onto a clean Fender sound, or use it as a clean boost into the Recto or SLO models.

I've used my iPad with Amplitube right into the clean channel of my Krankenstein and it sounds awesome with some of the amp models.

Back to the Framus, the owner says he wants to keep the cab for his other band member, so I just need to convince him to get another cab and sell me the half stack.

Why is the amp not very loud? I just picked up an Orange Dark Terror and it would be loud enough out of a 4x12 to jam with a band.

 

[rottingcorpse]

I loved the crunch channel. Dug cranking the mids all the way and engaging the notch switch.

Loop sucks. Get the loop mod done somewhere trustworthy. Also, I found the 1st gen cobras to be easy to break if you bias them hot (where they get yummy). I had to let them cool off before moving them, since I have a tendency to bump things. I did have bad luck with the 3 cobras I owned, but would still like to get another one and get the loop mod done.

 

[Spaceboy]

It sounds so bland in front of a mic, but amazing in the room. Framus amps have a weird things going on.

 

[7 Stringer]

Get yourself a Digitech Bad Monkey and run it as a clean boost. It's a Tubescreamer type OD, and can be picked up for around $30. If you dig it, you're good to go. Or if you like what it's doing, but it's not perfect, you can always spend a bit more and explore the 100s of OD boost options out there. The Bad Monkey is a good way to get started with clean boosting without dropping a ton of cash.

I used the shit out of mine with my Single Rec. I still use it with my Amplitube rig I run now, and it's great. Add a bit of hair onto a clean Fender sound, or use it as a clean boost into the Recto or SLO models.

I've used my iPad with Amplitube right into the clean channel of my Krankenstein and it sounds awesome with some of the amp models.

Back to the Framus, the owner says he wants to keep the cab for his other band member, so I just need to convince him to get another cab and sell me the half stack.

Why is the amp not very loud? I just picked up an Orange Dark Terror and it would be loud enough out of a 4x12 to jam with a band.

Don't get the impression it's a quiet amp, but I should of mentioned I meant versus my other amps it was not as loud. I had to really crank it up, almost dimmed. And then it would become noisier and harder to control.

All this like I said was compared to the rest of my other amps.

Chris

 

[Brandon Breeze]

It sounds so bland in front of a mic, but amazing in the room. Framus amps have a weird things going on.

I find this to be true of the Krankenstein as well. It's hard to capture anything close to it's actual sound.

 

[ultradef]

I have a Cobra head and cab that I'm looking to sell. PM me if you're interested.

 

[JeffHenneman]

A lot of great info in this thread, I will start by summarizing. Then I will add my tid bits.
1. Maxing out the gain on the crunch channel is the money shot.
2. Using any kinda clean boost pushes the amp to full potential. Especially for metal.
3. Is very picky about the cab you use. I don't have the framus cab, but it slays with my evh cab, which I hear the speakers are basically a greenback like the the cobra cab.
4. The amp need to be biased in a certain range, a very narrow range, or the sound is just not right somehow. It's hard to explain.
5. This amp is pretty light considering it is a typical 100 wat head. Not sure if that really affects the tone. Just reittering what others have said.

Now here are some of my observations.
1. The sound is massive when strumming open chords with a lots of gain. That is my favorite thing about this amp.
2. This amp is so touch sensitive as far as the controls go. What makes it even tougher to dial in is the fact that those pots have a small range. Outside of that range the sound either gets dull or it sounds not so good.
3. The mid range control is different than most amps. It acts like a general wide spectrum control rather than tweaking a small frequency range like most amps. When I first got a cobra I had trouble wrapping my head around it.
4. The presence controls are really different also. I don't even know how to explain it. It almost seems like the treble control picks the frequency range and the presence cuts or boost that range.
5. This is one of the only amps I use a boost with. I like the sound of maxing out the gain on the crunch channel, but I also like boosting that channel. I always go back and forth.
If I run a boost out front on the cruch channel, I can dial almost the exact same sound on the lead channel with no boost and the gain up pretty high.
6. With my evh cab it packs some serious punch, but it does not sound like that with any of my other cabinets.
7. I definitely run the channel volumes high, about 2-3 o'clock.
8. The clean channel can sound really great but that is only with low output pickups. You can also roll back on the volume control on your guitar and get a nice clean.

The cobra has a certain tone that you can only get with that amp. When you add in the fact that it is a little tuff to dial initially, you get the polarizing reviews. That's why its a 50/50 chance most people will either love it or hate it. It's not rocket science or anything but it was a little difficult for me to dial it in correctly when I first got one. Don't let that deter you though, you just have to have a little patience initially and then you will be rippin in no time.

 

[Oblivion DC]

Let me add - the Cobra sounds pretty great with a VHT/Fryette Fatbottom cab too. Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the effects loop mod is that was brought up earlier in the thread?

 

[rottingcorpse]

Let me add - the Cobra sounds pretty great with a VHT/Fryette Fatbottom cab too. Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the effects loop mod is that was brought up earlier in the thread?

If you turn the effects knob off of noon, it really effects the sound. It can be changed to a straight series loop, taking the knob out of the equation.

 

[the4thlast1]

Some really great info in here....The Cobra was my main giging amp when I first got into amp whoring. As everyone mentioned it needs to be dialed in a certain way and when it is its very awesome. I had no issues with volume or being heard in a live mix....It cut through very well and was more than loud enough.