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ok, as i already stated in another thread i just purchased a brand new framus cobra head incl. FS for 1300 euro. i thought this deal was just too good to let it go. i've only played it in my bedroom so far, gonna bring it to band rehearsal sometime next week.
as of right now, the clean channel sounds GREAT. best clean channel i've ever had, and my old mesa DC5 had a damn fine clean channel - think mark IV. contrary to internet rumors, the bright switch really does change the tone
the crunch channel has WAY less gain than i expected. about as much as my marshall jcm800 2210 split channel head, which is just about right imho. moreover, it's kinda difficult to get the pinch harmonics to sqeal like a dying pig
maybe this will change as the volume is turned up. boosted with a tube screamer it's just fine, though, even at bedroom volumes.
the lead channel is also way darker than i expected. the head in general is way darker than i expected. this is the channel that initially gave me the most trouble, but after a few minutes i could dial in a decent lead tone (seriously, have you ever had to turn the presence up past noon to get a good LEAD tone?!?!). gain for days, that's for sure, although not even close to 5150 lead channel levels - but then again, half of the 5150 lead channel gain is unusable, anyways. not so the cobra. it stays defined and usable all the way to 10.
this amp pushes some serious low end even at low volumes.
also, as i'm used to marshall and 5150 style midrange controls, the cobra's midrange was kinda weird at first, as the frequency is much more low mid centered rather than high mid like a 5150 or marshall. on a 5150, the mid control is the cut control...turn it up, and you'll cut through the mix like a hot knife. on the cobra, it's almost like a second bass control, very interesting.
furthermore, the note articulation is amazing. it seems to be a VERY unforgiving amp. i didn't think the 5150 covered up so many details. i guess in the long run this amp will force me to further clean up my technique. also, even at these low volumes there was a LOT of clarity. you can do all kinda of weird chords with high gain and still hear every note.
however, the notch switch is totally unusable for me. scoops the mids right out, but seriously, if i wanted to sound like that i'd get a solid state amp or a metalzone in front of a gorilla pantera and grindcore guys will love it, though. i'm just too much of a marshall/midrange guy, and therefore the huge creamy (low) midrange response of the unnotched crunch and lead channels is gonna suit me waaay better.
so far, my only gripe is that it sounds like crap at really low volumes. very fizzy top end and hardly any usable sounds in general. i couldn't really push the volume so far, but i got up to loud bedroom volumes (think 8:45 on a 5150) and it definitely got a LOT better. the nasty top end fizz disappered and turned into a huge wall of sound. so far i have high hopes for it being a great sounding high volume amp. i'm gonna keep you guys updated, so stay tuned for some high volume report sometime next week.
as of right now, the clean channel sounds GREAT. best clean channel i've ever had, and my old mesa DC5 had a damn fine clean channel - think mark IV. contrary to internet rumors, the bright switch really does change the tone
the crunch channel has WAY less gain than i expected. about as much as my marshall jcm800 2210 split channel head, which is just about right imho. moreover, it's kinda difficult to get the pinch harmonics to sqeal like a dying pig
maybe this will change as the volume is turned up. boosted with a tube screamer it's just fine, though, even at bedroom volumes.the lead channel is also way darker than i expected. the head in general is way darker than i expected. this is the channel that initially gave me the most trouble, but after a few minutes i could dial in a decent lead tone (seriously, have you ever had to turn the presence up past noon to get a good LEAD tone?!?!). gain for days, that's for sure, although not even close to 5150 lead channel levels - but then again, half of the 5150 lead channel gain is unusable, anyways. not so the cobra. it stays defined and usable all the way to 10.
this amp pushes some serious low end even at low volumes.
also, as i'm used to marshall and 5150 style midrange controls, the cobra's midrange was kinda weird at first, as the frequency is much more low mid centered rather than high mid like a 5150 or marshall. on a 5150, the mid control is the cut control...turn it up, and you'll cut through the mix like a hot knife. on the cobra, it's almost like a second bass control, very interesting.
furthermore, the note articulation is amazing. it seems to be a VERY unforgiving amp. i didn't think the 5150 covered up so many details. i guess in the long run this amp will force me to further clean up my technique. also, even at these low volumes there was a LOT of clarity. you can do all kinda of weird chords with high gain and still hear every note.
however, the notch switch is totally unusable for me. scoops the mids right out, but seriously, if i wanted to sound like that i'd get a solid state amp or a metalzone in front of a gorilla
pantera and grindcore guys will love it, though. i'm just too much of a marshall/midrange guy, and therefore the huge creamy (low) midrange response of the unnotched crunch and lead channels is gonna suit me waaay better.so far, my only gripe is that it sounds like crap at really low volumes. very fizzy top end and hardly any usable sounds in general. i couldn't really push the volume so far, but i got up to loud bedroom volumes (think 8:45 on a 5150) and it definitely got a LOT better. the nasty top end fizz disappered and turned into a huge wall of sound. so far i have high hopes for it being a great sounding high volume amp. i'm gonna keep you guys updated, so stay tuned for some high volume report sometime next week.
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