Framus Cobra Top Head

Go to their website, 3 chn, tube/solid state

Overall this amp isn't too bad. It doesn't do much but what it does is good. Clean channel is great especially when you roll the deep off and add a reverb. The crunch is punchy and clear but the lead channel is where this amp really is at. As it has three channels it takes a fair bit to break it up. The lead is overly compressed and is one of the most brutal metal tones I have ever heard. Best amp for METAL going around!

A little noisy without a gate but you can't expect not to have that when your faced with this much gain. Oodles and oodles of it.

I have owned this amp for about 2 years now. My band tours heavily both national and international. I love this amp, unfortunately this amp is not meant to be toured heavily with. Besides blowing tubes constantly, I have experienced countless problems with the channel switching and midi controlling, which is due to framus using tiny light relay components to switch the channels. They are one of the most unusual ways to switch channels I have ever seen.

Unfortunately digital switching is very temperamental. I had to have them replaced on tour. As well as the amp casing bowing on top from too much heat.

Don't get me wrong I think this amp is great. But I think it is a great "studio" amp. This is not an amp that is reliable on tour. By tour I don't mean a 5 night club stint.

I took this thing around the world and on warped tour and it died on the 7 date, we still had 55 left.

Unfortunately too many amp companies make their amps to last out the 1 year warranty period, after that it is your fault.

I contacted Framus for the light relays and they could not help me out, I sourced them from a shop in NY. They were polite but not overly helpful. A little disappointing.

I have been playing guitar for 15 years and professionally for about 7. I have also guitar teched for Buckcherry, Parkway Drive, Thursday and Saosin for the past 2 years.

I love this amp for its clarity in the overdrive channels and love the cleans, I hate that it is built from useless components that are overly inclined to fail under stressful circumstances.

I wish it had a reverb and I wish it was built with less "bells and whistles" and more rugged parts for touring.

If it was stolen I would not buy another, probably go for a bogner ecstasy or a uberschall. Solid amps.

No Idea of year made. 3 channels (clean,crunch,and Lead).It has effects loop with an effects mix knob for less or more.I would probably only use the clean and lead channels for my style of playing. The other channel "crunch" is kinda like an old stock marshall. In other words its dirty but not too dirty. This channel would be ideal for classic rock. The lead channel is good for everything else-from Pantera, Dream Theater,Killswitch to Dimmu, even hair metal. It has 2 masters which are good for switching to a slightly louder LEAD sound live via footswitch.

I play prog rock/metal and i love the tone. Very good distortion with good clarity of soloing. I'm endorsed with Mesa Boogie, but i like the Cobra better. I have an Engl "Modern Rock" preamp that sounds great but not as good, and a Tube Works RT-2100 that also sounds great but not as good as the Cobra.I use Jackson 7 string guitars with Evolutions and Invaders and its a brutal combination with the Cobra.I've only played it at my home and even at high volumes its not feeding back. The clean channel is very clear. I run an ART ProVerb in the effects loop, and its super with the clean and great with solos.

I never gig without a backup regardless. I've only had it for a month.

I know a repair guy, but havent had any problems with it yet.

I also bought the Cora Cabinet which is sick too. I originally used a Mesa cabinet and it sounded great through that as well. What i hate about it is the price. I paid $1600 for it USED! I almost bought a 5150, and could've bought 2 of them for that price. The 5150 sounds awesome but not as tight as the Cobra.

It is a 2006 model with the standard 3 channel form. It is not a really versatile amp as it is made for styles using good amounts of gain. This means not only metal but anything requiring a good lead sound. The only thing I wish it had, is a second gain control for the lead channel. I could use it higher or lower than the first to swap from lead to rhythm playing. The footswitch should be included too.

The amp can make decent crunch sounds and pretty good clean sounds. The lead tones are its spot as it really screams with plenty of depth, dynamics and harmonics, lots of clarity and note definition as well. Heavy rhythm playing is also jaw-dropping, you can actually feel the ''punch'' of palm mutes on your stomack, it is a very tight amp and has lots of gain. People should take into consideration that it is a dry sounding amp so saturation is not there but all harmonics and tone depth are more than present, kinda like Diezel amps sound like (actually the lead channel is based on the Diezel vh4 lead sound and its pretty obvious)

I had no problems until but checking the build quality of the amp i found out that its pretty high so I dont think reliability is an issue

I had no problems with the amp but I emailed the customer support for some info and got no response. I ve also heard of others not getting a response so I think customer support sucks, thats for Europe and not for the american support center.

I am pretty happy about my amp but if I went 2 years back in time (when I bought it) I think I would keep my money and buy an Elmwood 3100 head or some other kind of amp just out of curiosity. When I considered buying an amp, I thought of Engl Powerball or Savage, Ashdown Fallen Angel 180, Koch Powertone and Laney Vh100 and Gh100. Engls were too compressed and not as expressive when it came to leads but they were great for rhythm with lots of saturation. The fallen angel is a class below the others at all points of view. The Koch was pretty good but I wanted a dryer sound with a bit more depth and smoothness. The Laneys were really warm and smooth but were too ''british'' for my taste and a bit too more ''wet'' than I needed.

I have two bands... one NU-METAL and another PUNK ROCK and ROCK... the Framus Cobra 100w head is best for me for both of these styles of playing... I use notch in first band and some additional effects in the second one like VOX distortion and delay... Nice 3 channel switching... I have FULL STACK and believe me, this wall is make me crazy when I play... I only miss some reverb but in other hand, MASTER 2 volume is very useful... nice one...

THIS HEAD IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SCREAMS OUT POWER... clean channel is well undistorted all the way to 10 points of volume, but if I give it gain little more than 6, then it becomes slightly distorted... for me this option is useful... distortion is very brutal, Marshall, MESA BOOGIE, ENLG, Peavey and other top brands can hide their distortion in compare to this baby ;) I've wired 2 amps on A/B switch... Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Lead and this baby and believe me, my baby was on 2 and it was louder then Marshall on 6... Marshall sound is more soft, but this don't mean that Cobra can't be soft... Cobra can be soft and brutal as you didn't hear it before!

It have never let me down... I have Cobra now for 3 months and I played around 25 gigs with it... it's brilliant... it's sounds like it had on the first day... brilliant... never broken... always in shape and ready to action...

I missed footswitch included, but then I ordered and I got it the very next day... nice one... in Slovenia is very good Customer Support for Framus so I'm not scared... ;) warranty is 2 years long... we have 2 authorized services in 2 biggest cities in Slovenia and both are very easy to find so I give them 10... salesmen are very kind and honest...

I've been playing guitar for the past 4 years, I'm 18 years old now, I play on DEAN Razorback Slim Bubblebee, Jackson WRMG Warrior (Update 2007) Black Edition, on some gigs I also use BOSS GT-8 but mainly I use it for home practicing on headphones without amp... I use VOX bulldog distortion and delay... very nice made effects, ouh and I use Line6 ??ber Metal effect... it's like notch on the amp but I like to hot-rod it a little bit... Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Lead Head and 4x12' Box, I would buy Cobra again if it were stolen... I LOVE THE LOOK, SOUND AND IT'S ANORMOUS POWER, i hate the wheelies... they are a little bit slow... :D
Like I said I miss Reverb a little bit and footswitch included (i had to pay 47 ??? for it)...

IN THE END, THIS BABY IS THE BEST, NOT ONLY IN IT'S CLASS, IT CAN EVEN COMPARE TO PRODUCTS WHICH ARE EXPENSIVER...

This is a late 2006 model. The features are standard eq's 3 channels blabla..... Dual master volume is handy and the notch switches also. I only use the notch switch at the crunch channel. The external bias is also handy cause you need to bias it hotter.

Nothing is great for every style. This one is good at everything but PERFECT for heavy metal. Crisp cleans, tight as nothing else crunch and lead and singing saturated tones on the lead channel. Some people say it lacks the saturation Engl's have but that is not right. With proper biasing and decent tubes, its just as smooth and full sounding. Hit a pinch harmonic and let it ring forever. The fact is that the sound is so controllable and so tight that seems like lacking saturation but it doesn't. When palm muting or soloing the saturation is obvious,try that on an Engl se and you'll not be able to hear what you're playin. Another common mistake is with the lead channels eq. Do not set the controls above 1200. The eq is active and sound loses its warmth and smoothness above that point. And never use presence control high, use it lower than 1000.

Nope, had problems with it, thats why I've given it a bad review some time ago. Yet, no problems since.

There is NO customer support.

The ultimate metal amp along with Engl Se and Diezel vh4. They all crap on Rectos, Riveras, Peaveys, Laneys, Vht......

Bought this amp Feb 2007 after listening to and playing everything else available including Diezel Herberts (really good but noisy and expensive), Bogner Uberschall (awesome distortion but really only a one trick pony), Krank Krankenstein (absolutely awful, far too tinny and thin), Engl Powerball and SE (nice but nothing really special soundwise).

You know the deal regarding features: 3 channels, each with its own master volume, midi, notch switch (just great for that Pantera scooped mid-sound), 100 watts, more than enough power for most venues.

Be nice if it had more midi capability but for the money is perfect for what I need.

Sound quality is where this amp really excels. The clean channel is unbelievable, I mean the Herbert's clean channel is good but this thing is amazing. From pure funk clean all the way through to jazz tones to SRV, it is just incredible. I really did not expect a clean sound this good but heh.

Now channel 2 is where this thing really scores. Without the notch switch engaged it can get all the Engl sounds without all that over-saturation. (Might sound great in your bedroom but if you want to be heard in a band situation then less is more - trust me). However if you want to get that Pantera sound or Master of Puppets sound, flip the notch switch and hey presto, you're Diamond Darrell (RIP). I couldn't get nearly as good a tone on the Krankenstein!!

Channel 3 is actually different tonally to channel 2 with even more gain and a slightly different mid-sound. This channel is so good for solos it's untrue.

If you want to sound like Killswitch Engage then this is the amp they used for As Daylight Dies and one of the reasons I bought it.

I use Jackson Soloists and Kramer Stagemasters all with Seymour Duncans which seem to suit this amp well. My guess is with EMGs you may have to knock off the gain somewhat.

I play melodic metal core, sort of cross between Killswitch Engage and Whitesnake as well as regular gigging playing rock and metal covers from Deep Purple through Dokken and up to Pantera. This amp just does it all.

This amp only gets noisy when cranked right up on channels 2 or 3. Other than that this thing really is pretty clean compared with other amps I tried.

Only owned it 3 weeks, so can't comment yet on reliability. I gig regularly so always carry a backup (rocktron voodu-valve run straight into the pa, not ideal but better than lugging around 2 heads)

Company pretty efficient in answering questions, website not as good as Diezel or Bogner.

Comes with 2 year warranty, but I have a tech who lives nearby so fairlt relaxed

Have been playing 28 years and have owned Marshalls and rack systems mainly. Decided to go back to the old half-stacks and after enormous deliberation decided on the Cobra. I'm so glad I did. It probably does not have the features of the Herbert but it's ??1000 cheaper which allowed me to buy a Bogner UberKab which just makes this puppy smoke!

If it were stolen I would claim on the insurance and buy another one...the only problem is getting hold of them in the UK

I bought this amp from Eric Ellis (Bury Your Dead) so I don't know when it was made, when it was serviced, when it was purchased, etc. I'm nearly positive though this was thee exact head he used in their live dvd, so it has some hours penciled in.

This amp is great for any style of music in my opinion. Some say it calls mostly for metal, but I think the tone is so distinct and unique that it could make any style of music sound extra special.

It's a three channel head with an effects loop and midi section. I don't put the midi section to use. The effects loop sounds great, although it would be more convenient to have the option to select the effects loop 'on' or 'off' on the footswitch (like Mesa/5150). Speaking of the footswitch, the cable is soooo long... kind of a pain in the ass sometimes. It's worth mentioning but not such a big deal.

Maybe my hearing is becoming worse and worse but I do wish this amp could go louder. Compared to a 5150, this amp doesn't have the most power as far as volume goes.

Haha, I almost forgot. It lights up red on the inside which is just plain bad ass. Come on!

Like most amps (well at least for me), it takes time to dial it in just right. My Framus took some time to get right but sure enough it came through like a champ.

Clean channel really suprised me when I first plugged it in. Crisp-As-Can-Be! I could compare it to a Fender Deville. Very warm. No extra bullshit even with active EMG 81's or 85's.

Distortion is excellent, the lead channel in particular. Sounds great with single note style riffs. Strumming a chord never felt so nice! I use the crunch channel as my 'eq' channel, so to speak, by taking out the low completely, set the mid at about 1/2ish and the treb. at about 2/3ish... sounds neat for transition parts.

The Framus has given me some unwanted feedback at times but that was when I ran in through a dbx gate/compressor, and that thing has a mind of it's own. Sometimes it works great (dead silence) and then other times the smallest thing will set it off. But all in all I don't think that is related to the Framus.

When I first got the amp in the mail, I used it for about a couple of days until it kind of just 'died'. But it seems logical that that might have happened due to shipping from the opposite end of the USA. I took it to my local amp guy, he took care of it and it has worked beautifully ever since (May 06).

I play out of the Framus and the Mesa Triple Rec. both at the same time so I don't exactly have to worry about a 'back-up'. So if one breaks down, it's not such a big problem. However, the Framus (the Mesa as well) are both completely reliable. I've lugged them all around southern California and no problems.

I've never had to actually with Framus the company at all. I'm sure the warranty isn't valid anymore. Who knows where this amp has been. Either way, I have someone who can fix it if I have problems.

I've been playing for almost six years and I own a Peavey 5150 and a Mesa Triple Rectifier as well as the Framus.

All mentioned above have their great features but nothing is perfect. But something most notable about the Framus is, like I said, the distinct and unique tone. It's to the point where I can pick it out of anywhere and say, "That has to be a Framus!"

If this amp were stolen I would MOST DEFINITELY buy a new one. It's an instant classic!

Overall the Framus Cobra is one of a kind. I would recommend it to anyone who was in the market for a quality amp. While nothing is perfect, I think it stands above the rest. It is 100% worth the money.

Standard features. External bias (handy),deep control (nice), 3 channels ( clean, crunch , lead) and midi interface (stupid)parallel effects loop (really responsive to multieffect processors).

Well its an amp for heavy metal. Thick sound on the crunch channel and unmistakable tightness even at full gain. Pretty clear sounding and really low noise when using a good instrument cable. Surprisingly good clean channel though! Crystal clear cleans with chime and full bodied notes. The lead channel is horrible. Mediocre for single note playing but awefull for power chords and palm mutes. Sounds waaaaay too muddy and there are lots of cracks in the sound. Definition, clarity and tightness want to appear at the deep side of the sound but feels like something is not allowing them to do so. Maybe I'm having a technical problem with mine and I don't know what it is so if anyone knows just mail me. But then maybe it is just a horrible channel.

I think I might have bought it damaged cause of the lead channel sound.

F@cked up customer support. The official framus support center has never responded to my email for the prob with the lead channel (if it is a prob). They get lots of complaints and I'm sure about it but they never answer. They know that their products are non well built and anyone who thinks they are, should probably buy an Engl or a Diezel and he will see what well built is like.

I ve been playing for ages and owned tons of pretty expensive high end stuff. I thought this amp was great cause of the reviews at this website. But it was a waste of money. I got really dissapointed with the product and the support. Even if my cobra has a problem and is not just of poor quality, I'm sure I'll have to pay a good amount of money to get it fixed cause there is nothing wrong with the tubes or with pitty costing stuff like that.

This is a brand new 2006 Framus Cobra tube amp head. I play mostly metal but sometimes clean. This amp does both of those tones perfectly. It has 3 channels with independant eqs and a parallel effects loop.I wish it had a series/parallel effects loop and a built in noise reduction circuit like some of the Engl amps have.I mainly play this amp at home and haven't gigged with the amp yet. Its 100w which is enough for me.

The clean is what sold me on this amp. I have never owned a high gain amp that had such a wonderful clean. The gain channels are awesome as well. I like the fact that different tubes can change the cobra's sound drastically which is something to keep in mind for you tweekers out there. I think the amp sounds as brutal as any Engl or Mesa out there. I'd compare it to the Engl SE without as much saturated gain. To me, this has enough and not overkill. You will need a noise reducer if you are playing with passives since this amp can pick up a lot of those nusances, but for the most part, the amp is a lot quieter than most high gain amps out there.

The first cobra I had made unnatural (for a cobra) noise. It sounded like the ocean roaring. I believed it was damaged by UPS in shipping since it was fine when it left the distributer. Framus has since then replaced the amp with a new one and its as good as gold.

I bought the amp from Derek B at rock solid amps. He and Framus were amazing. The first amp I had, the tubes glowed bright orange and died. Framus immediately sent out new tubes free of charge. I replaced them but the amp still made a lot of noise even when nothing was plugged in. Framus sent out a new amp the next day free of charge and payed for the old amp to be shipped back. Derek B and Framus kept in-touch the whole time. This was the best customer service I have ever had. I even got emails from the headquarters in Germany to help me out. The amp has a 1 year warranty I believe.

I've been playing for about 16 years and I have always sacrificed either a good clean or high gain tone for something else. With the cobra, its the best of both worlds. I would definitely get another cobra if something happened to it. Its got the perfect touch sensitivity (like a VHT), Gain (think mesa and marshall) and clean (like fender) in a one amp package. I've had Engls (great amps and would buy more), Vhts, mesas, marshalls, peaveys, and fenders. I like the cobra the most since the gain voicing is dryer with just enough saturation which gives it a pissed off raw/brutal voice. I wish it had a serial/parallel effects loop that could be switchable and a built in noise reduction circuit like certain Engls. Those would be the only things I would add.

3 channels,clean(fender),crunch and lead.midi interface built in,an fx loop that works!2nd naster volume(i will be heard!)4 el34(eh)=100w output also bass boost in the power amp control.external bias adjustment.

although the clean sounds as good as anything else,i would say the amp is leaning more toward the heavy end of the market.very clear but heavy distortion,you wont need a pedal just plug straight in!

i have only had it for a few weeks but all seems ok!

not a lot of info on the website but the us dealer emailed me the schematics when i asked for them!

been a boogie man for the last 15 years(dual recto)but think youll see them on ebay now!also got the cobra cab with the greenbacks in did an a/b with the recto cab.the recto cab has more low bass and the top can be a little harsh.the greenbacks (which i thought i would hate)i actually prefer.they dont have the low bass of the v30 but have more mid range punch.after all isnt the bass frequencies for the bass player!