Cobra vs. Drop Top

[Michal]

What are tonal differences between Cobra T and Drop Top T(both with P90)? I mean 24.75" scale, maple/mahagony body vs. 25.5" scale, maple/basswood body. Do you have any experience with using walnut body with maple top? Several European guitar builders use walnut(I'm not sure it's the same wood as in the USA) to "replace" mahagony.

Thanks for you help. M

[tom]

i'll speak about the walnut. all the walnut i've seen here is heavier and harder than the mahogany we use. i did make some guitars out of it in the very old days and i remember them being hard and spikey sounding.

[Michal]

Thanks, Tom. Back to my first question: I want to buy a guitar with soapbar pickups. Until now i have played mahagony P90 equipped guitars(like LP special) only. But in your gallery i have noticed that you use P90 more often on long scale maple/basswood guitars. Do you think this combination is more suitable for P90. Thanks a lot. M

[tom]

p90's can be dark sounding, so i think the extra tension and snap suit them well. we have probably used them equally on both scales.

[Michal]

You compare woods regarding the frequency response in the reference section on your site. But i'd like to know haw it's with attack between cobra and drop top. Whitch of these has the sweetest hights and longer sustain?

[tom]

part of the difference is the mahogany neck. to me the top end is sweeter and softer. in theory, the lower tension of the shorter scale should make for more sustain, but i think we could argue that all day.

[TimH]

I've had some good experience with both types of guitars and I own a cobra. To me, a drop top in basswood/maple is a very straight forward sounding guitar. What I mean is even frequency response. I find that guitars I really love have some exagerrated frequency range that makes it have a unique flavor. For instance, the mid range of mahogany maple or the top end of a classic in swamp ash. I'd agree with Tom what the cobra has a much sweeter top end, especially with the split tones.

[Michal]

O.K. if i get right, cobra is more traditional sounded. I play songs by Hendrix, LZ, ZZ Tom, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Reef,... and I've found out that P90s cover all of them. My mail axe in custom build tele -the body is made from maple and hard ash and the neck if from single piece maple. Pickups are Lindy Fralin steel poled 42. Now I'm crazy about TAG design :) You replies show that cobra would be better suited for me but from the playabibity point of view I've prefered long scale guitars.
M.

[Tremendo]

You replies show that cobra would be better suited for me but from the playabibity point of view I've prefered long scale guitars.
M.
Hello. I've come from 26 years of playing different guitars, recently using all 25 1/2" scale necks; 1982 San Dimas Charvel, Parker Fly Deluxe, 2004 Fender American Strat Deluxe, etc, etc, etc. The only 24 3/4" I've had is an old Les Paul Goldtop (I happened to lay down tracks with that last week in NJ because it was there). Different types of guitars. I bought a used '03 Cobra about 5 months ago to give it a shot. Loved the tone. Loved the tone. Loved the tone (did I say I loved the tone?) It has the 62 roundback neck, which is thick for me. A month later, I bought a new Cobra with M1/M1/H2+ and it has become my favorite goto guitar, even though it's a 24 3/4" neck. Also, ALL my guitars have always had 9-42's, but I leave the 10-46 on the Andersons. The Cobra with the M's and the H2+ @ bridge allow me to do everything from California punk rock and modern rock to 80's rock to traditional strat sounds and clean. The only sound I don't get with the M's is a soft full jazzy neck sound, but the other Cobra with and H1- in the neck handles that pretty well.

Just my opinion and experience recently getting into Andersons.