Tell me about the Framus Cobra

[MDV]

Currently using a powerball with an EQ20 in the effects loop. Great sound. But I'm starting to want for some things. I want more grit, bite and punch, mainly. As always, tight, fast bass, heavy as $%&#, saturated and aggressive but ultra-clear; that sort of thing (things one would choose a powerball for!).

Some other recent attempts, to give you an idea what else I like and dont

- Uberschall. Too dark and loose. Didnt like it. At all.
- Deliverance. Lacked the requisite low end. No snarl and growl; bit farty. Too dark. Great lead sound though.
- VH4. Liked the tightness and deepness, liked the aggression, saturation and attack, didnt like that high gain sound had no 'chime' left in it. Instant 'black album' sound. No longer sounds like theres a guitar string vibrating in there. Decent, but...sterile, too hifi.
- Herbert. Woofy.
- 5150. Too dark.

Previous amps of note
- Screamer. Brittle and harsh
- TSL. Thin and woolly.

Where does the Cobra fall? Soundclips are very promising, but you know how that is.

Anything else I should look at? 

The only way I can get one, as far as I can tell, is to order blind off thomann, so anything you know would be nice.

[Johnny Mac]

Mark, at the London bkp meet i was saying I was kind of thinking about flogging my (Koch) Powertone II head and getting a Supernova (check the spec of this monster!) I don't know when that is yet but it sounds like you need a demo for elimination purposes!
When we get another London Bkp meet arranged, that would be a good time to have a go! Even if its not for you, you would have a great day  :D

[MDV]

"For elimination purposes" :lol: I'm not that fussy.

Ok, yeah, I am.

Sounds like it would indeed be a great day (but could well fall victim to the reasons i didnt go to the last two, in manc and london: time and travel :( We shall see, however! and thanks for the offer!).

[Diurno]

I have a Cobra and a 5150. Honestly, with a mix of jj and Tad in the pre, the 5150 doesn't sound dark at all. It has great mids and tight low end. I use it with a kfk eq and a bbe maximizer...but i also had the kt88 mod. However, even the "stock" 5150 of a friend of mine doesn't sound too dark...it has a great punch.

The Framus has EL34 in the power amp, it is more rough...more low end grunt! It is a bit darker than 5150, surely. But it is much more versatile, a great clean tone! And it has a double master volume switchable for solos

[JDC]

hey MDV, have you tried an invader?

[MDV]

I havent. Nor the savage. Both interest me rather a bit.

[JDC]

if you keep the powerball there is the axe fx as well

[MDV]

Who said anything about getting rid of the powerball?

Another amp, JDC. Another.

[JDC]

lol, I'm out of ideas for amps now, but you've got me looking at savages on youtube now, I thought it was suppose to be a rock amp

what speakers you got in the bogner? I saw some interview with the diezel bloke the other day going on about g12k100s as having better low end than v30s and that they use v30s cos they suit more styles of music/tones (or something like that, not that I've ever swapped a speaker, I'll find the video if you want it)

btw nolly used to have a cobra, he's replaced it with a vh4, peterG who lives near him has an invader, so they probably have a good idea of the differences, and they know bulb who has an axe-fx and an invader so they might be the best people to ask

[MDV]

Interesting that he replaced it with the VH4. I like the VH4, and I'd replace a powerball straight up with it, but the EQ makes a shite load of difference - enough for me to like what I got better. VH4 + EQ? Wish I thought of that before I went to try one!

I've heard the savage SLAY. Not in person alas, so I cant say with certainty what it can and cant do and how it sounds in any great detail, whether its better for me and such, but there are definitely some great metal sounds in that amp.

I'm on a standard uberkab - G12Ts and V30s. Been thinking about speakers, actually. Swapped some out before; can make a $%&# load of difference. More than valves, I reckon.

[JDC]

I thought you stopped using the EQ in the loop after you got some clear tones, what settings do you use on the EQ and the amp?

[hunter]

You should try a Diamond Nitrox.

Or if 1 channel is enough, a Soldano Avenger.

[Nolly]

Interesting that he replaced it with the VH4. I like the VH4, and I'd replace a powerball straight up with it, but the EQ makes a shiteee load of difference - enough for me to like what I got better. VH4 + EQ? Wish I thought of that before I went to try one!

Have you tried a VH4 + boost?  :twisted:

The Cobra is a nice amp. It's bright, punchy and aggressive, with plenty of note definition and clarity, and a very tight low end. That's at high volumes though - quiet it's harsh and fizzy, and that's even after the much needed retube/rebias. The
Put the VH4 next to it and the Cobra gets completely wiped out by the huge midrange and low-end, and ends up as hissy fizz. The VH4 is equally tight, but darker and with the best clarity and note-definition I've come across (funny you should say it has no "chime" to it - to me it really does have that sparkle when you hit big chords under gain). Boosted, it's just ridiculous for metal, though the louder it gets, the less it needs the boost. Also, the inclusion of an extra channel really makes all difference for versatility.

Funnily enough after staying at mine, Misha (Bulb) has been trying very hard not to buy a VH4, though he has relented and bought a Diezel cab as a compromise.

[MDV]

I change settings every time I use it. At the moment its something like

Using channel 4, mainly

Gain - 4
Bass - 6
open mids - 3
focussed mids - 0
treble - 8
pres - 6
depth - 5

All those can vary +/- 50% though. For leads I invariably smack the mids on max, for example.

Pre vol ~1
Power ~ 3
Obviously these are the most variable. Found I like the sound rather a lot more with the pre vol backed off. It gets more 3D and grittier as opposed to fizzier with the power section getting driven just a bit

Then I've got the EQ taking about 6db out of 400Hz and adding about 3db to 2 through 6k, mix about 30%. Improves the sound a hell of a lot when on but flat - I only recently started actually adjusting it.

Thanks for the suggestions hunter. Heard badness about both of those, though - the diamonds in sound and the avengers in reliability. But its worth a try, if they're available.

Whats the opinion on VHT/Fryette - sig x, PB UL.

Also, are there any valves and speakers that would grit it up and give it more punch and presence?

Dare I say it...mods?

The PB really is very close to what I want, it just lacks a certain edge.

[MDV]

Interesting that he replaced it with the VH4. I like the VH4, and I'd replace a powerball straight up with it, but the EQ makes a shiteeee load of difference - enough for me to like what I got better. VH4 + EQ? Wish I thought of that before I went to try one!

Have you tried a VH4 + boost?  :twisted:

The Cobra is a nice amp. It's bright, punchy and aggressive, with plenty of note definition and clarity, and a very tight low end. That's at high volumes though - quiet it's harsh and fizzy, and that's even after the much needed retube/rebias. The
Put the VH4 next to it and the Cobra gets completely wiped out by the huge midrange and low-end, and ends up as hissy fizz. The VH4 is equally tight, but darker and with the best clarity and note-definition I've come across (funny you should say it has no "chime" to it - to me it really does have that sparkle when you hit big chords under gain). Boosted, it's just ridiculous for metal, though the louder it gets, the less it needs the boost. Also, the inclusion of an extra channel really makes all difference for versatility.

Funnily enough after staying at mine, Misha (Bulb) has been trying very hard not to buy a VH4, though he has relented and bought a Diezel cab as a compromise.

Perhaps I need to revisit the VH4 with some additional weaponry (EQ, OD). It is a very nice amp.

I just found it too smooth, basically, or thats another way of getting at what I mean to say. Its got the best low end of any amp I've ever heard. Very nice and tight and deep. But its high end washes out the sound of a ringing guitar string that the PB manages to retain even under very high gain.

Interesting that you say the cobra is bright, but diurno thinks its dark. Very strange.