Anderson Cobra

Flamed maple top. Tigers Eye finish with binding .Tele body style but with contours . String through body with very nice adjustable bridge . II selected a T/A standard neck shape. Its slim and with a satin finish . nice case, You get a choice of a tshirt or strap when you send in your warranty card . 22 frets One volume, one tone, 5 way selector . tone knob is push pull to split coils . It has Anderson pickups. H3 in the bridge and H1 in the neck . Mahogany body and neck and maple top .

This Cobra was made in July 2006 . It suits my musical style as i play in a rock covers band . I use it with a Mesa Road King and Stiletto run through a 4X12 traditional cab . I find it to be a fairly quiet guitar although the single coils make a little noise when i split the coils . The single sounds are pretty convincing and the humbuckers are really nice in my estimation . I can get a Les paulish sound with humbuckers . I love this guitar

It was set up with a medium action . That was fine with me as i dont go for really low action . Pickups were adjusted nicely . Lovely flamed maple top . Intonation is incredible on this guitar . I've not found any flaws on this guitar yet .

This guitar seems to made very solid . It looks like these guys love what they do . This thing has so much attention to detail .

Roy at Anderson helped me spec the guitar . He took alot of time with me listening to what i like in a guitar and was a big help selecting the right appointments on the guitar to suit my playing style . My experience with Anderson was very good .

I've been playing for 35 years and own numerous Strats & tele's . One early 70's Les Paul and a late 50's Gibson j45 acoustic . I did my research on the Cobra and feel like i made some good choices when selecting, pickups, neck shape, etc... I love the weight of it. Its a soild body but its incredibly light . Lovely contoured body . One thing i noticed about it when i got it was that is was very resonant and loud on its own without an amplifier . I always feel thats a good trait in a guitar .

Tom Anderson Cobra - Born On 10-10-01P. 6120 Orange quilt maple top over mahogany body, with a mahogany neck/rosewood fretboard. P100's like the P90's except no buzz, wired with a 5-way switch and push-pull on the tone to split the middle position. String-thru bridge, Grover tuners. 24.75" scale neck. Included a custom form fitting case with a plush interior, Buzz Feiten tuning system. List $3200.

I play mostly country, blues and rock. This guitar sounds so good it has become my #1. I was amazed the first time I played it. The tone and character of this guitar is incredible. I was blown away and immediately a fan. Tom Anderson is definitely building a tone machine. I have a couple of Gibson Les Paul's, two Fender 62' RI Strats, and a Fender 52'RI Tele. I love these guitars but my Anderson is an all around guitar capable of handling any style or sound. I play through a Dr. Z Maz Jr. 18, which is the best amp on the market today, in my opinion. My effects chain from guitar to amp is usually Barber Tone Press, Tim overdrive, Analogman King of Tone(sometimes Fulltone Full Drive 2), Analogman Clone Chorus, Fulltone Supa-Trem and T-Rex Replica Delay. I have tweeked this set-up to my own sound that really suits me and my playing style

Perfect! The Buzz Feiten Tuning System is great. My guitar sounds awesome and stays tune better than any other guitar I've used before.
The action and set is superb and the finish is out of this world. It has a highly figured maple top. It's beatiful and book matched. I've never used the soap box pick ups til this guitar and I have to say love the tone. They have this blended sound of a single coil and humbucker.

It's a very well built guitar. The hardware is nice and applied tight. Nothing on this guitar is of poor quality. You get what you pay for. In this case, This guitar is not cheap by any means, however you're buying and paying for a well crafted instrument that took time to build and didn't sacrifice an ounce of quality. This guitar is suited for playing live to serious studio sessions. I'm giving it a 9 only because they are so nice and I'm always afraid of dinging it or bumping it into a wall, ect... but hey it's meant to be played.

I haven't had any issues. However I sent an email inquiring about merchandise such as straps and shirts. They responded within 24 hours which is pretty good. I think if I ever had a problem it would be resolved in a timely manner. Tom seems like he really cares about the quality of product he is producing. I think that's great.

I've been playing guitar for around 20 years. I've owned quite a few electrics and acoustics. I've found that Anderson Guitars are made to last and made to enhance your playing. I also really enjoy my Les Paul's and Strat's, however if you are a one guitar man. This would be the guitar. If it were stolen I would track it down. If I couldn't find it I'd definitely replace it. This guitar will stay in my collections. I've always heard players talk about the Anderson's and always wanted one. I finally decide to make it happen. I thought life is short. Make the most of it you can. IF you looking to be buy an Anderson Cobra or really any make of an Anderson. You are on the right path. There will be no regrets in purchasing this guitar and you'll cherish it.

Born 10-18-00, made in the USA, with 22 frets, quilted maple top, mohagany back, H1- & H2+ pickups, fixed bridge, volume, tone, 5 way switch with push pull feature. I understand this to be a "basic" setup for Cobra's, but basic cannot describe this guitar. I give it a 9 because I just discovered the H/S/H with switcheroo is more versatile.

I play through mostly Bogner Shiva's, but also have a Soldano SLO, 66 Fender Super, and a couple of others. I have been using a 60 Flametop Les Paul wit Rio Grandes, and a Melancon Strat. Up until now, I thought that to be the perfect combination. I originally found this particular model about a month ago on sale as a "new old stock piece" It sat in the store for over 2 years, probably because the top isn't as "perfect looking" as some of the others. My thinking was that on lazy nights or unimportant gigs, I could bring this to cover both the Strat and Les Paul tones for reearsal, and would use the other two guitars at gigs where the perfect tone is needed.

Much to my suprise, It blew my Les Paul away!!! It had more crunch, with more clarity. No muddiness, and the tone and volume controls are amazing. The bridge humbucking position is as beefy as the Paul, and has more clarity. The guitar is easier to play, and is lighter.

As far as strat sounds, it is almost as good as my Melancon, lacking just a touch of depth, but sounds better than any Fender made in the last 10 or 15 years. Also, I can get a Tele sound without the harshness.

I cut work just to go ply this baby at loud volume at the studio. By band is stoked. They used to comment on how good my tone was, now it's better.

Perfect!

Outstanding! I may never play my Les Paul's again.

Spoke with Roy about getting a Drop Top, and he was very helpful. He spent quite a bit of time with me on the phone. My next Anderson will probably be a Hollow T H/S/H configuration wit a Fishman power bridge. I'm still looking.

As you may gather, I own a lot of gear. I have 3 Les Pauls, 2 Strats, a Tele, PRS ( I'll probably sell this piece of driftwood, sure is good looking though! I haven't played it in 3 years!) I am a convert ( drink the punch! ). If it were lost or stolen, I would pay the regular price to replace it, and wil buy another anyway, either a Drop Top or Hollow T.

'97 Anderson Cobra, purchased used. Mahogany body, quilted maple, cherry burst top. H01 and H01+ pickups (vintage), fixed bridge. It has a '62 roundback mahoany/rosewood neck, 1 11/16 nut, big frets. the contoured body fits like a glove...the most comfortable guitar I've ever strapped on.

It is a very versatile guitar, the number four pickup selection sounds especialy good, and the number two gives a very good neck pickup strat sound. Of course all of the humbucker tones are there.

The guitar is immaculate...as all seem to agree, the fretwork is beyond compare. It plays like butter.

This guitar is light because of the contours, but very solid...it will outlive me for sure.

Ok, here is where it gets real good. I emailed the Anderson folks with a question on a guitar I saw for sale on the ebay. I basically wanted to know what neck profile the guitar had...the owner could not tell me. Tom Anderson emailed me the next morning and asked me for more information, which I provided. He then sent another email with the answer I was looking for. I wasn't even buying a new guitar. It's this kind of response that has earned Anderson the highest customer support rating you can get...a very nice man.
A

I have owned a few nice guitars in my day, a '63 strat, '70 Les Paul Custom, '69 ES335. My main rig for 25 years was my '63 strat and a 67 twin reverb. Unfortunately I have parted with all of my old stuff (darn stock market), and am now trying to rebuild. The cobra doesn't have the place in my heart my old strat did, but it plays easier, and is more versatile...I'm hoping to purchase an Anderson Classic next. If you buy a used Anderson in perfect shape...you really get a great deal. I'm sure it will just sound better and better with time.

Tom Anderson Cobra - Born On 8-6-01P. Transparent Black quilt maple top over mahogany body, with a mahogany neck/rosewood fretboard. Purchased from Mesa/Boogie Hollywood in Oct./2001. Anderson H1- and H2+ Humbuckers, wired with a 5-way switch and push-pull on the tone to split the middle position. String-thru bridge, Grover locking tuners. 24.75" scale neck. Included a custom form fitting case with a plush interior and an Anderson strap. Buzz Feiten tuning system. List $3200.

This is my eighth year playing guitar, and I have a wide span of influences that I like to be able to cover. I play everything from progressive (King's X, Rush) to pop-rock (Better Than Ezra, Foo Fighters). This guitar gives me so many tonal options that I have no fear of running it directly into my Mesa/Boogie Tremoverb Combo with only an overdrive pedal. It's a beautiful sound - thick on the three humbucker positions, and sparkly/chimey on the single coils. My personal favorite is the bridge split position - the H2+ is a fairly hot pickup, and even split, it tends to break up the sound with a slight grit, while maintaining it's clarity. Even the humbucking positions maintain each note with distinction. Throwing the switch into the bridge humbucking position gives me a lead sound that sustains for days. It's very thick in the upper mids, with a focused lower midrange and smooth top end, almost Santana-like. Because of it's shorter scale length and mahogany/mahogany build (which is identical to that of a Les Paul, but i'd be hard pressed to find a Paul constructed THIS well) it will never sound thin or brittle, yet unlike a Paul, it has such clarity that it truly pulls off a sound similar to a Tele in the middle split position, and a Strat in the 2 other split positions.

Here's where I'm going to knock off a point. I'm writing this review less than five months after I purchased the guitar. I just took it to the shop because the D string was starting to fret out, the input jack has become loose, there's a slight grounding problem that has a tendency to mildly shock my left hand, and the tone knob wiggles a bit. These are all minor problems that are covered under my first setup/intonation. However, I was slightly dismayed that such a well constructed guitar had so many problems right off the bat, but I'm tempted to believe that it's stemming from adjusting to elements different from that of the Boogie shop, i.e., my trunk, my cold room, a warm gig, etc. Yet I am ultimately happy with the performance. Many players have commented that my Cobra "fits like a glove", and I feel the same. Upon picking up any other make of guitar I immediately notice how unnatural the neck feels, which is not simply a result of adjusting to the shape of the Cobra's neck. Fenders and other guitars just don't play as smoothly anymore. The finish is absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn't expect anything less of a guitar with a $3200 price tag.

As explained above, I have already experienced slight problems with it, however, I am almost certain that any guitar that sat in a guitar shop for 2 months after it was made would have to be taken in for a setup and have these minor details fixed. After putting locking strap buttons on it, I feel absolutely certain that this guitar will not break, fall apart, bend, warp, or take a crap on me for a LONG time.

I mailed in my registration info to receive either a free strap or free t-shirt. I also received a hand-signed letter from Tom Anderson thanking me for the purchase of this guitar, as well as a full color catalog of their guitars and a price list for their guitars, paint and custom options, and humbuckers. I have no doubt that they will provide me with excellent service.

I would absolutely repurchase a Cobra if something happened to this one. After receiving their catalog, I'm a bit intrigued to hear what the Hollow Cobra sounds like, and I'm currently considering either that or a Drop Top as the next guitar I purchase from them. My favorite feature about this guitar is that the born on date is my birthdate - 8-6. They only make 2 guitars a day, so this is particularly special to me, since it was the first Cobra I played at the Boogie store. I would recommend this guitar to anyone who can afford to spend $3000 - it's all the guitar I could want.

I think that it was made in California in 1994 but I bought it in 1997. 22 frets. H/H Tom Anderson pickups with 5-way switch. Quilted maple finish with mahogany body. Mahogany neck.... Tele style body with fixed bridge. neck scale shorter than 25"(I can't remember). Beautiful......

For all styles....... this brand made for all kind of musics. Actually I play rock to metal and this gear suits it well. Very rich/full sound.... the sound is not bright because it is mahogany. I like everything in this guitar except the output from pickup, I'm thinking about changing it to EMG-81 or Seymour Duncan JB because I need more gain.

Don't have to explain much about this brand. Everything about works such as action, fit and finish are perfect!!!!! No buzz at all!!! No flaws!!!!!!!

The hardware is very durable, however, my sweat is too salty so it has rust. But the finish will last forever. The strap buttons are very solid.

Dunno.....

If it were stolen or lost I will not buy it again because it is damn expensive!!! I like everything about this guitar except the gain from pickups. It is a great guitar but I think that the price is so expensive, so, if you are really rich, buy it!!!! you will find that it is a good guitar that you will keep it until you die.

Tom Anderson Cobra. Built 4/11/00 in Southern California. Quilted Maple on Mahogany body finished in transparent purple with natural binding and matching headstock. The neck is Mahogany with an African Rosewood fingerboard. Heavy frets, 1 11/16" nut width, standard Cobra neck shape, chrome fixed bridge, split shaft tuners, Anderson H1- in the neck position and an H2+ at the bridge, 5 way switch with push/pull switch on the tone knob to split both humbuckers in position 3. Also features the Buzz Feiten system. Features are pretty basic in relation to other Andersons I've owned and rated accordingly.

I've always dug the "Les Paul" tone but I don't find them to be ergonomically suitable. The Cobra solved that problem for me and then some. The tone is very full and focused all around, but always has a Tele sort of clarity to it. To me it's a Les Paul meets Tele sort of thing, thick and snappy. The humbucker tones are all there like one would want from this style of guitar, but the thing that really impresses me is how convincing the split tones are. I have a hard time believing that those classic single coil tones are coming out of this style of guitar. I originally bought it to fill my needs for the LP sort of tone and it turned out to be far more versatile than I expected. By the way, I bought this guitar based on prior experience with Anderson guitars and had no intention of buying a Les Paul.

Another thing that impresses me about Andersons in general is that the volume and tone pots actually work. The volume can be adjusted without altering the tone much if at all (depends on effects, etc.) and the tone knob always maintains excellent clarity and sounds great at any setting. I have noticed that in order to get a more convincing LP sound, the tone knob needs to be just slightly more than half way up. Too much cut all the way up.

One other thing that impressed me is a drummer that I record with commented that the Cobra sounded like a nice Martin miked up in the studio when played clean in single coil mode through a tweed amp. I'd like to hear a Cobra with an X-Bridge to compare.

The guitar also has very little background hiss.

There are absolutely no flaws in workmanship of any kind on this guitar. Absolute perfection. I've tried alot of other "high-end" guitars and the feel of the Andersons and especially the pyramid profile frets just suit me best. Best setup/fret work in the business. Actually what got me hooked on Andersons is how easy they are too play. I've been dealing with tendonitis for several years now and the Andersons have really helped me out.

The finish is great. I never EVER thought I would be caught dead with a purple guitar, but this thing just grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go. The maple top is trans-purple while the back and headstock are sort of a transparent/metallic hot rod purple. I've never seen a metallic finish before that still lets the grain show a little. Very cool. I also love the finish on the back of the neck. It's in between gloss and satin. It just feels perfect.

They are durable guitars. Don't let the pretty looks fool you. The fixed bridge is good in that string breaks won't drop the guitar out of tune, but I haven't broken a string in ten years.

Customer service doesn't get any better than Tom Anderson and his staff. Roy and Laurie are great. I've sent my TA's to them for mods and setups several times. They always get them back to me quickly. They have always been extremely helpful on the phone too. It's really cool to deal with a company that loves guitars just as much as I do. They always take good care of their customers.

I'd also like to recommend Wildwood Guitars. Britt and Steve are very helpful and they know their products better than any other store I've dealt with. Very cool guys.

This is a great guitar. There isn't much more I can say about it. The only thing I can think of that I would change would be the tuners. I wish they were locking, but that's just because I'm lazy. If I needed to replace it, I know they could build one that is just as incredible. Anderson is the most consistent builder I've ever encountered. I would consider this guitar to be more of a specialized instrument that I use for certain tones though. The Hollow Drop Top Classic is what I would call my all-around guitar. However, I could definetly use the Cobra as my main and only guitar if I had to. Great stuff!

1996 Tom Anderson Cobra featuring standard Les Paul wood and scale length format. Mahogany back with maple top combined with Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and 22 frets. Five way switch expands on the Les Paul theme adding two extra "flavors" not available in typical dual humbucker instruments. The passive humbuckers are manufactured by Tom Anderson as a compliment to their product. Anderson clearly feels motivated to create his own "signature" with his line of pickups obviously aiming at defining the instruments he builds not just by way of flawless construction and playablility, but in terms of sonic "signature" as well. Bridge is "fixed" and manufactured by Gotoh. Tuning machines are supplied to Anderson by Grover. Tuning machines are of the non-locking variety and any user familiar with string replacement on instruments by Fender will find the procedure equally simple. Frets are quite simply the best available in terms of set, crown and final finish. This is by no means a subjective issue. Frets cannot be better crafted than those that adorn the neck on virtually any Tom Anderson guitar. They do not waver and are always without fault at all times. The Anderson Cobra is supplied like the others in their broad range of electrics, with a clever UV finish that sets quickly upon application and resolves into a super protective hard, thin coat that does not obstruct the instrument's sonic abilities in any way whatsoever. This finishing process appears to by one of the very best alternatives to traditional nitro lacquer available today. Some players and builders seem to feel that nitro finishing results in a certain sonic "blueprint" traceable to the finish itself but this like many other factors is only one issue. Many other variables contribute to the end result in the construction process. Each must be carefully taken into account and treated with maximum care.

A proper perspective in this category is only secured by way of divorce from hype and marketing influence. Sadly, the majority of individuals working in the business of sales concerning musical instruments of this type know very little about tone. Having said that, it is impossible to guage the sonic properties of the instrument without taking into consideration particular qualities that drive emotions of the vintage market. After all, this is a new instrument and no matter how well crafted, the issue of "time" cannot be overcome by any factor other than time itself. Generally, newer instruments feature "wood compression" inherent to newer manufactured instruments that have not had the benefit of years of slow, natural drying combined with steady use. HOWEVER, this is ONLY an issue where the development of "raw" tone is in question. Raw tone relates to the sonic characteristics of non-master volume, single channel tube amplification produced in both the 1950's and 1960's. In addition, raw tone is that which is associated with well played and dried woods associate with instruments of this period. The harmonic "impressions" that come with vintage Les pauls, SG's, and Junior types are not present here. This is a MUCH more refined affair. The Cobra is not designed to compete with these instruments. My A/B tests suggest that the Cobra alongside other newer instruments, is best suited for use with more modern equipment. There are many choices. The Cobra presents it's own characteristic properties that are unique to it and in this way, a player can step out in bold fashion and forge his own identity. This is a top choice where departure from vintage equipment is the goal. In general, the Cobra presents with a rich, full sound. It is absolutely quiet and user friendly in the extreme. As with any electric guitar, the player can select from a wide varity of pickup choices to assign any desired "voice" to the guitar. Just don't look for Angus Young and Billy Gibbons tones here. The guitar is too refined for such work. The good news is this. As players we must insist on variety. Musical expansion demands it of us. For the player who prefers classic tones but has an "open ear" for something modern in his collection, this would be a fantastic choice due to the perfect playing qualities in concert with exceptional versatility. It plays so well, that one could easily see how a player could enjoy this so muc as to make it the main guitar for daily playing activities. Hence you have the modern flavors at hand and the hassles common to many vinatge guitars can be set aside for recording classic material, rather than having to struggle excessively with tuning headaches and noice.

All Tom Anderson guitars are spectacular in terms of fit and finish. Everything is looked after and adjusted to perfection. It is common to find NO imperfections in the manufacturing process and the equipment is absolute in terms of reliability. Players with special desires related to pickup voicing and action can easily treat these issues with the many options available today.

The Anderson Cobra I have has lived with me for a long time now and under consistent use has worked perfectly. The finish is solid and the feel is one of an instrument that has been built under special conditions not common in the electric guitar market today. The care and attention is obvious.

Simply put, this is one of the many areas where Tom Anderson Guitarworks shines. Every customer is appreciated and treated as such. Many companies in and out of the music industry could learn much about how to keep customers from this group.

When I sit down and draw comparison to new Les Paul guitars produced by Gibson, I cannot help but wonder how the price is justified. These instruments are mentioned as a reference to "alarming" pricing that lives in these "mee too" nothing special, mass produced logs of firewood. They should be ashamed. Out of nearly 200 examples of the 1959 reissue "burst" the common features are average playability combined with "ordinary" mass production finishing results. The pickups are awful and the frets are just okay. For a fraction of the cost, the Les Paul enthusiast could easily turn his back on any new Les Paul in favor of the Anderson Cobra. I did. The Les Paul is mentioned here based on the fact that the Cobra is clearly designed as a "comfortable" alternative to the Les Paul. Thankfully, the Cobra also comes with it's own voice, at a fraction of the cost. In essence, it is my feeling that if you love Les Pauls and you maintain a deep understanding of what makes the great ones great...then you know that Les Pauls are not made anymore. If you have many thousands to spend AND lots of investigative time along with the "right" connections, then you have a chance at getting a truly great Les Paul from Gibson's "musical years." In short, the Cobra is the everyday great "ride" for the rest of us. It is the informed player's machine for getting a lot of jobs done with one instrument.

I bought a used Tom initially born on 12 21 93. Gold top sprayed over maple top. Back is Hondurus. Mahogony neck , rosewood board. High Gloss finish.

I have 8 Guitars and used to make Basses for Tobias in late 80's. All Toms are sick when it comes to Tone. This thing sounds great unplugged as well as clean or dirty. Hands down the easiest guitar I have ever played (15yrs)
Only my Acoustic sits out and I never play it even though I just bought it a few months ago.

Go to your nearest dealer grab any of the shelf and you'll see what the buzz is all about.
This guitar is so smooth.

My Tom is 6 and it looks brand new except for a couple of dings everyone thinks it is new. 2 strap buttons help as a stand.

Have yet to use

15 years, I own tons of Boogie gear. ATobias bass. Three self made guitars + various guitars.
If it were stolen I would kill everybody I thought had anything to do with the theft, then myself.
This guitar makes me play - I just cannot walk by w out picking her up.
I was going to order a Tom to my specs, then a used one came up at a great price. I'll just have to get another though.
My poor Vintage Fender Tele has been in its case since I bought this Tom.

my anderson cobra was in newbury park, california, on 3/12/99--the serial number or "born-on date" is 3/12/99P. the cobra is a 22-fret single-cutaway guitar with a one-piece honduras mahogany back and a figured maple top that has been "bent" or "dropped"--see my previous review on the drop top classic for a more detailed explanation. the neck is a 24-3/4" scale with a honduras mahogany neck and a madagascar rosewood fingerboard--the madagascar rosewood fingerboard is a $60 option; indian or brazilian rosewood is standard. madagascar has a deeper tone with more growl than brazilian, which has more sparkling top end and overtones. all cobras have two anderson humbuckers of your choice--i opted for their H1- in the neck and their H2+ in the bridge position; i was looking for something a little hotter than a PAF sound, as well as darker and rounder. switching is done via a 5-way switch with a master splitter:
1. neck pickup in series
2. neck pickup split
3. neck and bridge pickups together split, combined in parallel
4. bridge pickup split
5. bridge pickup in series
please note that i had the master splitter on my cobra wired in reverse--typically, the master splitter wires position 3 as both neck and middle pickups in series, combined in parallel--like a les paul's middle position. since i use more clean and bright sounds with combined-pickup tones, i asked anderson to wire the master splitter in reverse.
i also opted for the l.r. baggs x-bridge, which allows you to get acoustic sounds out of the guitar. without a doubt, this is the best-sounding system of its kind that i've heard. my friend brent has a fishman powerbridge, and it sounds very good, but it altered the tone of his strat, making it slightly thinner and more cutting. i've also tried the parker fly and brian moore systems, but i found their electric magnetic-pickup tones to be too brittle and somewhat sterile for my taste--the x-bridge doesn't change the tone of the magnetic pickups at all, so you get all the wonderful, rich humbucking tones out of the cobra. electronics are passive, except for the x-bridge--the active electronics are bypassed by the l.r. baggs ctrl-x circuitry, which allows you to get both electric and acoustic tones without compromise.
finish is a tranparent cajun red with what several guys in the anderson shop have called the best top they've seen in a long time. scott from the woodshop said, "this is the most slammin' top in the shop right now--i'm sure this top was hidden away somewhere before you found it." the "cajun" nomenclature refers to the fact that black filler was rubbed into the guitar's wood before the finish was shot. i'll have some pictures posted on a website showing the construction of the guitar--the folks at anderson were kind enough to let me shoot pictures of the guitar as it was being built over several months. there will be a picture of chuck flynt in the finishing department holding up the guitar after the black filler has been applied. from what tom has told me, most of the finishes for figured tops are cajun finishes, even if they don't carry the "cajun" nomenclature. e-mail me at andergtr@aol.com, and i'll give you the URL of the website that hosts the pictures as soon as they're up.
the l.r. baggs x-bridge is a gotoh fixed bridge design--it's absolutely rock solid, easy to adjust, and looks fantastic. i opted for gold hardware--against the cajun red finish, this guitar looks absolutely breathtaking.
tuners are regular split-shaft gold grovers. these are my favorite tuners--the split-shaft design makes string changes a breeze, as you can cut the strings to length and then not have to worry about estimating the string legnth and then clipping off the excess.
neck profile is the anderson cobra standard profile, which is fairly even in taper from nut to heel, and which is just slightly larger than the anderson standard profile, which i have on my drop top classic. i opted for the anderson heavy frets, which are beautifully p

my style is rock/pop/funk, with a leaning towards a big, high-gain rock sound a la dann huff on the second giant album, "time to burn." i was going for a decidedly thicker and bigger sound with the cobra--in my mind, i was looking for what i term an "idealized" les paul sound, which to me means the chunk and muscle of a les paul with more top-end articulation. the cobra satisfies that bill and so much more--you can get some incredible clean sounds that you wouldn't expect, and the added texture from the x-bridge brings that over the top. there are literally INFINITE possibilities you could get from combining the x-bridge acoustic sound with any of the pickup combinations, and i'm having a lot of fun exploring them.
i'm using this guitar with a mesa tremoverb head and a mesa recto 412 bottom cabinet--check my detailed reviews in the amp review database for more about these two products. with this combination, i get an absolutely immense sound. compared to the drop top classic through the same combination, i get more lower-mid muscle and punch and a bit more upper-mid bite, due in large part to the rear-routed construction. dialing back the presence just a little bit, i got a huge, fat, round, and sweet tone--again, the "idealized" les paul tone comes to mind.
right now i'm using no effects--the woody sound of the guitar is just something that i don't want to obfuscate in any way. it's a joy hearing my fingers against the string windings and against the fingerboard wood.
the guitar is noise-free in the humbucking positions and extremely quiet in the split positions--anderson shields all of their cavities with shielding paint, and this really pays off in reducing noise.
this definitely is a more specialized guitar--i probably wouldn't bring this guitar as the sole guitar to a session. however, for a big, chunky les paul-like tone, the cobra has no equal, IMHO. given that i have a drop top classic to cover the more "superstrat" kind of parts, i've got a lot of bases covered with just two guitars.
in the future, i plan on getting an anderson hollow T classic to cover more of the telecaster tones. i've never been much of a telecaster guy, but playing a lot of hollow T classics recently has really made me a convert! no wonder dann huff uses one as his main telecaster!

anderson guitars are known for being impeccably set up and constructed, and this one is no exception. i had bruce nelson from the shop personally assemble and set up my guitar, and he did a wonderful job with it. typically, each assembler does one to two guitars a day--with an eight-hour day, that means a good four hours or more dedicated to each instrument for setup, fretwork, and assembly. this allows anderson to keep an eye on quality control in a way that few other manufacturers can. also, each instrument typically is done in two steps: the first step involves basic assembly, which occurs on one day. the second step involves fine-tuning the action and the adjustment, which generally happens on the second day. on top of that, after the initial setup and play test, anderson puts the guitar back in the case and lets the instrument sit for a week before doing another final adjustment and setup; this is because the instrument will settle, and because the setup will change. again, this just shows their relentless dedication to perfection.
speaking of bruce, if you ever want some quality work done, i would highly recommend him. bruce has his own shop, called nelson guitarworks, and he has the distinction of being the ONLY authorized repairman to work on anderson guitars outside of the factory itself--he does incredibly precise work, and i highly recommend him. to contact him, call 818 999 3334. sorry for the potential plug, but he really does incredible work, and he gets my top vote for buzz feiten system and l.r. baggs x-bridge retrofits, plus he does WONDERFUL fret jobs and everything else.
action and playability couldn't be better. i know this is a cliche, but the guitar really DOES play like butter. bear in mind that i took the guitar before the FINAL setup--i'm going to bring it back later this week for the final setup after the instrument has adjusted--and it still plays flawlessly, without a buzz or any intonation problms.
nothing on this guitar could be improved--the fretwork doesn't get ANY better than this, the pickups were adjusted for great balance and tone, and the finish and all the detail work is flawless.
the contoured neck heel, which is standard on all andersons, makes this instrument a joy to play at the upper frets. the neck/body joint, unlike some instruments, is impeccable--it COULD NOT be tighter.

it's too early to tell whether THIS particular guitar will withstand everything my drop top classic has withstood, but based on the experiences of other cobra owners and on andersons in general, i'm not worried at all.
everything is just rock-solid on this guitar. i would never gig without a backup guitar, just because a broken string necessitates having another instrument, but this is as solid an instrument as anything i've ever played.

anderson is the epitome of customer service. roy fought, who is the customer service/dealer person, never makes you feel rushed, and is a fountain of information--he will always take the time to make sure that you totally understand all the details. tom anderson and laurie berg are also just great people--beyond building what i consider to be the best guitars in the world, they're just wonderful human beings, and they always treat me like an extended member of the anderson family when i go by to visit the shop. (i live five minutes from the shop.)
the entire staff at anderson are just extremely helpful, as well. i know i'm leaving some individuals out, but that's only because i can't remember them. i'd like to personally thank tom, roy, laurie, bruce, art, dave wakefield, dave poleschook, scott, steve, ralph, jesse, john, and chuck, plus everyone else at anderson--they've always exhibited the kind of customer service that exemplifies the quality in their guitars.
i've had setup work and adjustments done, and i've never felt that i was rushed. the guys have always taken as much as necessary to do the job right, and that shows.
anderson guitars have a lifetime warranty. i've bought their instruments used, and they still have done the work for me without charging me--of course, they won't do a fret job for free, but for minor adjustments and my twice-a-year setup, the guys have always been cool enough to do the work for me while i waited.
in short, customer service DOES NOT get any better than this.

i've been playing guitar 15 years, and own another anderson drop top classic. honestly, there's NOTHING i would change about this guitar--it's superlative in every sense of the word.
i would be saddened if this instrument were lost or stolen, but the good news is that anderson could make me another one that would equal this instrument--or even exceed it. if i ever had to replace this guitar, i would--in a heartbeat.
as i said, this is a specialized instrument, but it's one that does EXACTLY what it claims to do. as i said, this is an "idealized" les paul--that's what i wanted, and that's what i got...in spades. if that appeals to you, i highly recommend checking out this guitar.