Framus Dragon Top

I think you already know the main features, three independent channels, two master volumes, all midi-switchable, FX-way, deep-switch...
Most versatile amp I've ever played! Don't know the year the amp was made, bought it used.

I'm using exclusively Framus Guitars (Camarillo Custom, Panthera Studio Custom) and this amp kicks ass with both of them! I've never heard a warmer clean sound before and the crunch channel beats every Marshall in my opinion. The lead channel also sounds great. I play mostly hard rock to metal and it has great gain reserves so that everything is possible. For death metal the distortion might be to "soft", but with an EQ in the loop everything is possible!

This Amp is built like a tank, I just need a new quad of power amp tubes.

Very nice people, never had problems with them!

I'm playing now since five years and owned many amps like Marshall 8100, Laney GH100L, Engl Screamer 50 and this amp is the holy grail of tone for me! I was always searching for an amp that fits my style and this amp's got everything I need!
If it was stolen I'd find the bastard and beat the hell out of him before I'd get another one!
For me it's the ultimate amp!

Faily versitile 3 channel amp that I use for Hardcore, Rock, Blues, a bit of metal. Parallel effects loop with blend, Deep knob(adds lows), Midi input, 4,8,16 ohm selections. Footswitchable channels and 2 volume selections(better this then a boost...you can use it to bring down your volume OR boost it). Can be to much gain for some applications. Plenty of volume that needs to be attenuated for smaller venues.
A couple of places this fall short is:
1. Lack of lights on the foot switch and crappy cable-this means you have to look at the amp to see what has been clicked on
2. Lack of switchable effects loop (like mesa Dual rectifier)
Besides these, great amp with lots of features

I have used lots of guitars with this one. Godin Flat Five, Ric 330, USA Strat, 52 reissue tele and it has sounded great with all of them. I get excited every time I get to play a show with this amp because it sounds so dang good!! It is so thick and warm..even on the clean channel!! I like the clean channel as much as my fender combo. Channels 2 and 3 do make a little noise when you aren't playing but I think it is an issue. This amp needs to be cut up loud to sound really good. It doesn't quite have the balls when it's low in volume. It fits my band very well and made everything sound thicker. Being only a three piece the added thickness is a plus!!
The distortion is killer! Plenty of Gain. I run it about half way on channel 3. Channel Three has a good bit more thickness then 2 but I think it makes for a good sound going from 2 to 3 for a verse chorus change. I give this a nine because sometimes it has 2 much gain. Even channel 2 does but I have noticed what preamp tubes that are put in it make a diffrence.

I've had it about 3 and half months now and have had no problems with it. Just the other day I did burn out a preamp tube but other then that it has been great. (I here the preamp tubes run very hot so I guess this makes them wear out quickly) I gig it regularly (1 once a week or sometimes more) and have practise 1 or twice a week. These both are pushing the amp hard. No problems.

I bought my amp from Josh Sage and he has been a great help and has answered any and every question I have had. I have been able to call him any time to ask him questions. I have not dealt with Dana B so I don't know about them a 10 goes to Josh Sage

I've been playing for 7 or 8 years. I love this amp. If it were stolen I would track the person down and drop the amp on their head. It could take it. I like the cosmetics, the sounds, the features, and the service I have had with my Dragon. This is a world class amp~!!

This amp has a ton of features. It's 3 channels, and each channel has gain, volume, 3 band EQ, and presence. Very nice. The presence feature is probably what I like the most. Most amps have one global presence control, which can be a problem dialing in overdrive/distortion sounds. The dragon head lets you get a nice chimey clean sound without having to live with a buzzy lead sound. It's also got 2 switchable master volume levels, extremely handy. The midi capability is pretty cool, I've used it for channel switching, but that's about it. It's a 100 watts, plenty loud enough for anything I've played, and very versatile. I've used it for alt-country, jazz, fusion, R&B, rock, the works. One thing that keeps it from being a 10 is the footswitch. The manufacturer doesn't make it yet, so the U.S. distributor had to come up with a footswitch on thier own. That comes under customer support, I suppose, so Dana B. Goods gets a 10 in that category.
One last thing here is the effects loop. It's a parallel loop, with a separate global control and tube driver. It's good, but a series/parallel option might have been better.

This thing sounds pretty amazing. I give it a 10 because it's the only 3 channel amp I could find that gave me all the sounds I needed to hear. I tried out several amps, and would always end up comparing them to the Framus, so there it is.
I'm using Framus guitars, a couple by Ibanez, a Heritage, even a couple of Samicks (!). They all have either DiMarzio or Gibson pickups, and they all sound dynamite.
The Clean channel stays nice and clean to a very high volume. Since it's a tube amp, you can push the power section to the point where the power tubes will break up, but then you're starting to maim and kill small animals and children with the sound pressure level.
The distorion sounds are very flexible, with tons of gain on tap. The Crunch channel gets a nice blues growl to an Angus Young grind, to a Matchless throaty howl with the gain maxed. I'd actually like a little more girth in the Crunch channel at low gain settings, but it's still good. So I actually use the Crunch as my Lead channel, and the Lead channel as a Rhythm/crunch channel...kinda backwards from what they intended, it would seem.
The Lead channel has way more gain than I can really use, but with the gain on 2-3 or so, it gets the chunky Marshall vibe really well, better than the Crunch channel, I think. It can get rather brutal, but since I'm not a metal/nu metal/etc., player, I can't really comment in this respect. The amp is very quiet, even with gain settings cranked.
I give it a 10 because of the flexibility and quality of sounds all in one package. I really could not find an amp that could do what the Dragon can do. I think of the Dragon more as a modern high-gain, channel switching amp that also does very good vintage sounds - if that isn't too much of an oxymoron. For those wishing to inflict more sonic mayhem, the Framus Cobra would probably fit the bill.

Very reliable at this point. I've had it for two years, and not one problem. I have done gigs without backup. I did have a couple of modifications done, which actually lowered the power output a bit, from 100 watts to maybe 80 watts. The amp comes from the factory with a fixed/adjustable bias, and the B+ supply is set at about 500V. I had the power tubes converted to cathode bias, and the B+ was lowered to 450V. These two mods warmed the amp up quite a bit. It's definitely my main amp for just about anything. Since it's a tube amp, something's going to happen sooner or later. This thing is built really well, so it'll probably be later. I just brush well, use floss, and see my amp tech regularly.

Customer support in the Southwest USA is awesome. Dana B. Goods is the U.S. distributor, and I live about 2 miles away, so I've got it easy. I always get answers to questions. I never had to have it repaired. Like I mentioned above, they ended up making a pedal to go with the Dragon head, since Framus was dragging its feet on that issue. Framus is owned by Warwick, so product quality is going to be top notch. But dealing directly with Warwick/Framus can be iffy, so the 10 rating is for the U.S. distributor, not Warwick itself.
The warranty was one year, but didn't have to use it. With the mods it's kind of a moot point.

I've been playing for about 25 years or so. I own several other amps - a Valvetech (which I like a lot, just not as versatile or as powerful as the Dragon), some vintage Gibsons, vintage Silvertones, a vintage Fender, plus some wierd stuff. So the Dragon is able catch enough of the vintage vibe that I want as well as do the modern high gain thing as well. Two things that I might want to modify, and one is the effects loop, rig up a series option. The other thing is the Crunch channel - I might change a cap or two to give it some girth, but I'd hate to lose it's midrange quality, so I may just leave it alone...I dunno.
Like I mentioned earlier, I compared it with Boogies, Marshalls, Fenders, a Framus Cobra, and Matchless. I didn't A/B it with a Bogner, but there seemed to be reliability issues with many Bogners listed in the reviews here on the HC, so I didn't go there. Anyway, through all the playing/listening tests I always came back to the Framus Dragon as the amp able to capture the sounds in MY head.
I did get this amp on an endorsement deal, but that wasn't why I went with Framus. I decided to go with the Dragon AFTER all of the amp testing and comparisons, and then talked to them about getting the Dragon head.
And yes, if it were lost/stolen, I'd get another, no question.

This amp is all tube, 100watt which uses EL34's and 5 preamp 12AX7's one of which is a buffer for the FX loop. 3 Channels, Clean, Crunch and Lead with gain, volume, treble, mid, bass and presence for each individual channel. It has two Master Volumes which are switchable for a boost. Also has a midi interface so you can change amp channels and FX patches at the same time which is fantastic...I hate standing on multiple footswitches. Apparently it's mostly free wired by hand aswell. It also has a global Deep pot for low end and an FX mix pot.

I use a 75 Strat, 96 Gibson Les Paul Standard with Duncan Alnico 2's and a Hamer SS1 with a Duncan JB. For an amp capable of high gain this is the quitest amp I have ever played in relation to background noise. Iv'e been looking for an amp that can cover blues, classic rock and metal tones for quite a while aswell as something that can do a bit of country "twang". This amp can do all this in spades. What surprised me is how great the clean channel is, it can really sparkle or you can dial it in to break up, anyway it's real versatile, you could do funk styles with is aswell. The Crunch channel gets you all those classic Marshall tones with more thick tone. The Lead Channel has a real smooth sustaining distortion, a bit like a Soldano with a bit more flexibility in tone. It's really a great amp as you get mean modern tones as well as real vintage/classic tones. Contrary to what another review said this amp definately can do Metal.

It's two years old, I brought it used and it has'nt had any issues yet.

Have'nt had to deal with them.

Iv'e been playing for 15 years and have worked in guitar stores for acouple of years so iv'e been able to demo heaps of amps and racks.

Iv'e owned a Marshall 25th Jubilee 100watt head, Marshall rackmount pre-amps and power amps, a Rockman Sustainor rack, an ADA MP1, Peavey 5150 (5150'S are awful) and a Gallian Kruger 250ML to name a few. In my search I tried out the Soldano's, Mesa's, Carvins Vai, Hughes and Kettner, Marshall TSL/Mode4 and ENGL's.

The insane thing is I brought this amp without actually playing it as there are no distributors here in New Zealand.

By chance one came up for sale second hand here which was brought in from Australia. I'd heard so many good things about them and found heaps of sound clips (the previous owner sent some clips aswell) on the net as reference.

I don't really recommend blind purchases on any other amps other than a Framus. Really this is the best amp i've ever played. I was close to getting an ENGL. Although ENGL makes amazing amps they sound too clinical and focused for my style.

The Framus Dragon is a hand-wired three channel all tube 100 watt guitar amplifier. Each channel has its own gain, presence, volume, bass, middle, and treble knobs. The master output section has two master volumes, deep knob, and a variable effect mix knob (allowing you to adjust the effects loop in parallel or series). This head can also be used with a midi switcher. No reverb which suits me just fine, I'm not one who likes washing away the tone of great tube amp.

Okay, here we go. This amp slays me. I'm finished searching and purchasing other amps. I've owned Mesa, Marshall, Laney, VHT, Ampeg (Lee Jackson), Peavey, Hughs and Kettner, Vetta, Mitchell and Kittyhawk. I've tested Rivera, Bogner, Soldano, Matchless, and countless other obscure tube amps. Isn't it funny how you play an amp by itself in a store and think "Wow this thing rules" only to take it to a gig and struggle to get a decent sound out of the thing. In the 25 years I've been playing guitar this always holds true. At the gig, that is the true test. The Dragon seems to be voiced with "the gig" in mind. The way this amp sits in the mix has to be heard to be appreciated. It's huge sounding without covering over the vocals. Godzilla-like without crushing the front of house sound. All three channels (clean, crunch, and lead) excell in what they do. I agree with the rest of these reviews when it's said that this amp is quiet. Ever listen to a 5150 on high gain with no guitar playing? You won't hear anything like that with the Dragon. All tone, no noise. If you like to shred this amp is for you. String and note definition is superb without being too unforgiving. Unlike VHT which has great clarity but leaves you feeling as though you're playing naked. The Dragon has wonderful mids which is where the guitar tone lives, unlike Mesa's scooped sound ( lots of low end rumble and lots of top end hiss void of any warmth for soloing). The Dragon's mids aren't harsh like Marshalls are. There's none of the "ice pick in the ear" sound when you are lined up in front of the cabinet. The Framus Dragon gets a big fat 10 for its sound!

I've had this amp for 7 months and I play quite a bit. (3 bands) It's never let me down at a live gig or recording session. Time tells everything, but for now it gets a 10.

Never needed the company's support. I can't really give a rating on something I haven't experienced. No opinion.

Again I've Got to give this amp an overall rating of 10, because it's simply the best amp I've ever owned. If I lost it or if it were destroyed, I'd buy another without hesitation. I will purchase another just to have a back up. I don't think I could live without the tone I've gotten used to.

I have to give this amp a 10 on features. Someone tell me what is missing to rate it at 6 to 9. 3 (Channels each with gain, presence, volume, bas, mid, treble) a master volume, a 2nd master volume for boost, a deep (low-end) boost, separate buttons for each channel and 2nd master volume (and matching footswitch), effects loop with front wet-dry knob, midi capable and ALL TUBE. I bought the 4x12 Dragon Cab too.
The deep boost and master volume let you play this thing at very low volumes and still get an incredible full marshall 4x12 sound.

I mostly play a Fender Custom Shop Showmaster (super strat) with SD 59 humbucker in bridge and Fender CS fat 50's in middle and neck. I also play a Hamer Special with P90s.
The effects I use with it are a Roland Space Echo, Maxon OD808 overdrive, 1980s Ibanez CL9 Compressor, and a Dunlop Univibe.
The clean is the most sparkling Marshall clean I have ever heard. I have always been a reverb nut and I don't have a problem with out it here. The gain let's you change from shimmering to more raw. This isn't a Fender blues channel.
The crunch channel is really versatile. There is every Marshall tone you have ever wished you could have and they are easy to dial up too. You can turn the gain way down and get some of the blues tones that I like.
The lead channel. This thing will cover 90% of the metal tones out there. If you want the other 10% get a Cobra but I think you sacrfice other tones in the Cobra. Also you if you have the crunch channel dialed in for blues you can set the lead channel gain down to get some of the crunch channel tones.
This amp is quiet (really quiet).
This is not a Fender amp. I have a Fender Twin Reverb for that (although I almost never play it anymore).
I am like so many others I read reviews from on HC. I have spent a fortune buying gear (and a lot of high priced boutique stuff). The only 3 rigs that I would classify in the same tone was a Mesa 90//90 stereo power amp + Mesa V Twin preamp + Intellifex reverb + 2 Marshall 4x12 Vintage cabs. Awesome sound but strictly Mesa. I had a VHT Classic 100 (nice but not great). And a 1973 Marshall JMP 50 watt head w/ 4x12 cab (good marshall clean but had to use pedals for distortion since not too many places I could run at full volume).

This amp is about a year old and I have never had a problem with it. I will rate it a 10 because most gear I have had that had problems di so in the first year.

The dealer (Music Makers in Austin)was straight up with me that outside of their in house amp tech, I shouldn't count on Framus because they are overseas. I haven't had to and the dealer says the customers haven't had to have any work performed.

I have played for about 20 years. I own a bunch of gear (Matchless, Mesa, Bogner, and all of the other "designed to impress someone else" brands) but decided 2 months ago enough is enough and started selling most of it. The single electric guitar amp I have kept is the Framus Dragon. For all of the years of collecting "holy grail" tone, I didn't miss a heart beat making that decision. I haven't stepped into a music store (they use to be my 2nd homes) and turned on another amp since I got the Dragon a year ago. Now how many people who have raved about their "10" rated amps can make that claim.

I would absolutely go out and buy another Dragon if it were stolen (with no stops on the way to check out others).

Words can't describe how awesome this head is, 3 seperate chanels with
a deep knob and a second master volume to control all 3 chanels which
is great for solo's. This head does it all, from early plexi sounds
like VH and AC-DC to an all out assault on metal. it also has built in
midi. What makes this amp my dream amp is this, It has the intense tone, gain and dynamics of a bogner or diezel on chanel 3, but on chanel 2 you can get a cleaner,warmer and still heavy as hell older tube amp sound with the same intense tone and dynamic range. This amp is loud, I mean really LOUD (100W), I play live and use this amp in the studio and it's perfect either way.

I use a 57 reissue LP, and 2 GMP's all loaded with duncan custom pickups. My band is in the vein of Sevendust and Saliva. This amp is not noisy at all, and the clean chanel is awesome, I guess if you like
a Fender then it's not for you, but I am not a Fender Guy. This amp
will do almost anything, Marshall MKII/Plexi/800/900/2000 and boogie
but it does them BETTER. I know because I own all of the above and have used them all in a Pro studio Environment. Another musician on a seperate review said it won't do metal, BS I run the gain on 7 for leads and it's still a little to much, some players use dist as a cruch, and yes a bogner will dist till you can't define the notes, but
this head won't. If you like a bogner with the gain turned all the way
up, then the Framus Dragon is not for you.

I have only owned it for a couple months so I can't say. I have
not had any issues yet.

I have not had to contact the manufacture

I have been playing over 20 years, and have used and owned it all. When I bought this amp, I had a choice between a Bogner Uberschall and
The Framus Dragon. I went with the Framus because it does what the
Bogner does on chanel 3, and chanel 2 does the rest. The bogner will distort more, but like I said the notes get lost. If I lost this head
I would be devastated.

3 channels (clean, crunch, lead). 100 watts. Loud, loud, loud....midi switching, 2 seperate master volumes. Bought mine used for a steal on Egay and it came with an aftermarket footswitch that switches silently. No Led's on the switch. bummer. 4 EL34's. I give it an 8, because there's no reverb and no lower power setting (to switch from 100 watts to 50). But still a hell of a lot of cool features.

I'm playing straight ahead heavy rock stuff. Mostly playing re-issue Dan Armstrongs(a clear one and a smoke clear one). These guitars have a great pickup designed by Kent Armstrong that are simply unreal for high gain rock. (There's a reason Grohl is playing these!!!) Anyway, I've been using a Mesa Tremoverb 100 watt head with a 4x12 Mesa cab (w/vintage 30's). Great clean(way better than the plain Dual recs), and Mesa distortion(a little muddy and compressed, but still usable). Anyway, THE FRAMUS DRAGON SMOKES THE TREMOVERB IN A BIG WAY!!! I've played a lot of amps, boutique(Bogner, Tophat, etc...)and Marshall DSL, JCM 800's. There is no comparison. The Framus amp is noiseless. Beautifully designed. The clean is certainly one of the best cleans I've ever heard using EL34's. Gotta crank it though. The crunch channel is superb as well. Wanna play the blues? No problem. Wanna get a good plexi type distortion? Turn the gain up to 5 or 6. Wanna get an AC/DC, Sabbath distortion? Gun the gain to 9 or 10. And finally, if you need some good Heavy tones (anywhere from Fu Manchu to early Metallica) the Lead channel has some of the most defined high gain tones I've ever heard. No Mesa muddiness, No Marshall treble/mids problem. Palm muting sounds sick. This is what I've been looking for. It was a bit of a gamble, because there's not a lot of info out there on this somewhat new name in amps. The gamble paid off in spades. Oh by the way... there's two master volumes, so this can be used as a volume boost that is completely silent and instant. Gotta give it a 10. Can't imagine what the Framus Cobra sounds like! They say it's a step up. No need.

Only had it for a couple of weeks, but for a 3 channel amp, that has midi capability, Framus has kept it real simple. Tubes, tubes, tubes...Your local amp guy should not have any problems fixing if there's a problem.

Never dealt with 'em. They are in Germany, but there's a couple of US dealers(distributors) that could probably help.

Pretty much covered this in the above. Been playing for 12 years. Played a lot of amps(especially lately). If you can get one under 2 grand it's a steal. If the word gets out and the right players start playing these, it's going to be a very popular amp for SERIOUS players.

2003 Framus Dragon, 100w w/EL34's, three channels, separate eq for each channel, effects loop, two Master vols, depth knob, midi capable. Great features and very versatile.

I use Guild and PRS guitars and play rock/hard rock. This amp is highly under-rated and definitley belongs in the same league as the Bogner's and Soldano's of the world. Every channel sounds great, but I have my favorite. The clean channel is very clean, full and warm. It will not break up, so if clean is what you're looking for it's got it. The crunch channel is my favorite. Nice natural compression, the gain sweep is really nice going from a medium gain crunch to a thick and heavy hard rock tone w/a kind of spongy feel to it. It sounds great with neck humbuckers! The lead channel is a real monster and I totally disagree with the previous poster that said it doesn't do metal, bullsH!t! It has tons of gain and can do 80's, modern or even death metal with the right guitar and pups. Both gain channels are like a cross between a great Marshall and a Soldano with a thicker, tighter lowend. It's got that Soldano sizzle on the topend that really cuts through. I use a footswitch I got for free from a Framus distributor (www.danabgoods.com), and switching is silent and instantaneous. You can also use any midi footswitch as well. From clean to mean, it's all there.

Haven't had it that long, only 3 months but it seems well built. Come on! It's made in Germany, high quality for sure.

Never dealt with the company directly, but the US distributor I mentioned sent me a great footswitch to use with the Dragon for free, so I'm giving them a 10.

Been playing a long time and have been through my share of amps. This is a great amp with great tones that can cover alot of ground. Framus is not a household name in the US yet, but if you get a chance give one a try.

The Framus Dragon is a 3 channel 100w head, made in 2001. Each channel has its own EQ, presence control, gain & volume. Master controls are master vol 1 & vol 2 (footswitchable for solo level), effects mix (parallel effects loop) and deep. Output impedance can be selected (4/8/16 ohm) so a variety of speaker combinations are possible. I use it with a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's.

Channels and master vol 1 or 2 are all footswitchable, but the amp does not come with footswitches. A four button footswitch with LEDs would be handy! It also has a midi interface for control of the above, but I don't use this feature.

This amp is loud and I have had it modified by Dave Ulbrick to be switchable down to 50W. This is very useful; Framus should consider a 100/50/25 switch like some Bogners and other high end amps.

An option to switch to low wattage class A (like a Fender Prosonic) would be really cool, but you can't have everything.

I use this amp with a PRS custom 22 (dragon 2's) and a '66 strat with DiMarzio Blue Velvets. Am playing mostly classic rock/pop hits, from Beatles, Doors, Creedence, Bowie, Santana, Matchbox 20, Gary Moore, etc. This amp does it all - jack of all trades, but not master of all...

The crunch channel takes some getting used to, but when you do it is good. a slightly clipped sound with good natural compression, reminiscent of an old valve amp cranked (but not as good as my Vox AC-15). It's gain can be a little grainy if cranked up high; I use this channel with gain on about 3. Great for Roadhouse Blues, Rebel Rebel, Matchbox 20.

The lead channel is where this amp really shines. Somewhere between Santana (recent stuff) and Gary Moore (STill Got The Blues album). With the gain around 6 or 7, there's lots of sustain, smooth and creamy distortion without being grainy. Not for metal heads. I've had lot's of compliments about my tone because of this channel. When I use this channel at lower gain level, say around 3, it's more like Lee Ritenour or Larry Carlton.

But the clean channel I don't like. I find it almost too clean and somewhat unforgiving. The natural compression of the other channels isn't there (even at high volume), and if used with the gain cranked up past 7 it sounds harsh. I've tried using a few pedals including a MXR Super comp, but just can't get it to sing sweetly. I'm now using my Vox AC-15 for most gigs because of this. This channel does stay clean at high volume with the gain at 5 or less.

Still gets a reasonable rating because two out of three channels are great.

Used it for two years without a backup (other than my Boss VF-1) and never had a problem. Seems to be built very well. I've had a few Marshalls that are considerably less reliable.

Never had to deal with Framus or the distributor. There are no dealers in New Zealand, so if it ever needs repair it may have to go to Australia. Fortunately the authorised repair engineer (Dave Ulbrick) is excellent, and very helpful. Marks off because I'd have to pay a lot for freight & insurance.

I've been playing for 25 years, in bands on and off for most of that time. I have a few amps (Marshall, Vox, Peavey & Framus). This is the most versatile and has some great features. If it were stolen I wouldn't buy another one. I might need to look at a BadCat or similar to get that class A sound with the added bonus of a higher gain lead channel.
If you're looking at buying one of these, try it at home with your own guitars & pedals first. Or better try it loud at a gig.