Cobra Owners - talk to me!

[sonsop]

Hi guys, I'm new here. {Hi Stan!}

Dear AndersonCobra owners:

Could you tell me your thoughts on those guitars? I’d love to hear about all versions & the kind of music you play on them.

I’m thinking about ordering a TA but only have played his drop top t {I thought it was a cobra, whoops}, classic & hollow t.
I actually owned a classic that I sold and now regret. I was after a warm strat tone and purchased a Grosh that sounded closes to my old strat. However, I do miss the articulation that the TA classic gave me. Plus the feel of the neck & body was outstanding and the sound of my old classic was very sweet and chimey. I also owned a fantastic hollow t that I purchased used. Both TA's were purchased from Steve @ Wildwood. The hollow t would still be mine if the neck wasn't a v shape. The v shape fatigued and cramped my hand, never a good thing but the tone was almost worth the pain. Almost.
Anyway, educate me about the cobra line.
Many thanks,
JoeR

[John Price]

Hello Joe, welcome to the forum!
I feel that the Cobra is a very unique guitar, it allows you to have several sounds that are very usable and real! it can go from being very aggressive with the humbuckers to a nice sweet single coil tone! You can get six sounds from the five way switch with the push pull on the tone control.
I'm really impressed with the way the single coil settings sound, very spanky and tele like in the bridge and full rich tone in the neck! As expected the humbucking sounds just kill!!!!! I like having the H2+ in the bridge / H1- for the neck

You should really check one out! ;)

[Tom Gross]

I have 2 cobras, but I'll talk mostly about my hollow cobra, cause it's more standard. Mine has HO+ & HO- pups.
The Cobras work for me because I am more comfortable with the short scale length than with the fender-scale length.
Some describe the Cobra as a Tele-Paul. I think it's a little more Paul than tele, but it is very versatile. The coil splitting is the best of ANY humbucker guitar, period.
I use mine for Blues, Classic Rock, jazzy-blues, fusion, and fake jazz. The tones I have to have are the smoky, jazzy blues tone on the neck pu, and a screaming rock tone on the bridge pu. The Strat & Tele tones have to be close enough to work with, but when I really need those tones exactly I use other guitars.
If you like the gibson scale, and a fantastic guitar that leans more to the gibson side than fender, this is a great guitar. I was a PRS guy before this, and for a 2 hum guitar, the hollow cobra is the best for me.

[Tom Gross]

My other Cobra, however, is a horse of a different color.
It's a hollow Cobra S, ordered with 3 x P90 pickups and a rosewood neck. I asked for the neck carve to be like the Cobra standard, but a little thinner front to back. It came out unbelievable. It is the ultimate blues axe for me. Here's what I was thinking: I wanted another cobra with a rosewood neck, but I didn't want to duplicate my other cobra. I wanted something strat-like, but with a short scale. I dug the P90's aggressive sound when pushed (and sweet clean sounds). I really worked.
Crank back the volume, and it is like a great strat or tele, but much more playable. The cleans are heavenly. Crank it up, and it screams like Leslie West.

I love this guitar.

[sonsop]

thanks, gents.

ok, here's my thing~
i'm a strat & tele guy all the way. BUT...i want a versatile humbucker guitar that can get a sweet single coil tone when split. i have a cu22 at the moment that i do like, but the single coil tones are marginal, i think they lose all their charm when cranked, and the highs on the hum neck can be shrill if played to loud. granted, the whole humbucker idea is new to me and i tend to crank the pots. i love the fat lead tones hums deliver and that sound is what i'd like to have, minus the muddy lows and shrill highs associated with them and with a very rhythm friendly voice. my cu22 is only a few months old and before i sell i might try new pups. but i think the overall voice of the guitar is begging to be overdriven, which is not my taste at all. although, i will say that i really like the bridge pup, which i think sounds total johnny lee hooker. i know many are not pleased with the dragon two pups, but i actually like them.

how does the cobra compare to a cu22?
how good are the splits compared to a cu22?
Thanks

[Stan Malinowski]

Hi Joe, glad you're finally able to post!

I have a Hollow Cobra S with HO1-(neck) & HO1+(bridge pickups. I selected these pickups after discussions with Roy at Anderson about what I was looking for. Roy describes these pickups as being originally designed after Gibosn 50's PAFs.

I described the tone I was looking for as "rockin' in the hb mode and clean, clear and deep while in the single coil mode". I feel that my Cobra S delivers on those requirements.

Some of the comments made previously are pretty accurate - you are playing with a 24.75" scale so don't expect PURE fendery tones because of the pickup placement. The guitar does fall between a LP and a tele , depending on how the pus are configured.

I also have a CU22 (5 way-rotary) and while I do appreciate it's sc tones I do prefer the Cobra. One of the inevitable "problems" you will experience with the Cobra is the volume drop from humbuckers to sc mode.

Overall a VERY flexible tonal machine which can be "tweaked" to specific needs via the WIDE variety of Anderson pickups. The best example I can give is how two guitar players at essentially OPPOSITE ends of the tonal spectrum LOVE the tones of my Cobra S. At one end you have me, a middle aged blues/classic rock player into older Doobies, SRV, Dire Straits, etc. and at the otehr end is my nephew, a young 20's dude who is in to Swedish/Finlandish Death Metal (or something like that). The Cobra givbes me the tones I wnat for my needs and my nephew says of all my 20 guitars he has tried the Cobra S ROCKS!!!!

Just my opinion though!

BTW - Joe, Your ToneQuest Reports you lent me are in the mail as of today. All I can say is you must be rich - $69 a year for a subscription!!!! Thnaks for lending them to me!

[John Price]

Your first impression of the Cobra might be that its just a Tele style guitar but it's way more than that! This is a serious instrument that can be used for all styles of music! :cool:

[sonsop]

Thanks, guys.

Yo Stan!
Yes, I am rich {but look whose talking!}, but that's beside the point...it's a silly good rag for gear sluts like me, who don't own THAT much stuff. Seriously, I got a stack if you want to check more out. They do track down some sweet gear for insightful reviews and they get lots of players to open up. The Ronnie Earl piece is very good.

Well, I like the same music as you Stan but I'm only 38 {is that middle aged?} and I think after the new Grosh that I just grabbed for a song is paid off, I'll be healthy and ready for a new guitar. My goal is to gather a Tom Anderson that will ease my humbucker jones, and the cobra sounds like just the ticket, and also be a representation of TA's modern design and playing attributes.

The PRS is a winner for lead tones, but the voice of my cu22 is a little to mighty for rhythm or at least that's where I'm at with it today, and I’ve come to really loath how sterile the split tones are when cranked. At a low volume they have some personality, but no way jose do they fit the bill for my single coil cravings when played loud. I think my PRS has a clear, articulate voice that's perfect for churning out crunchy, monstrous chords and there is some stuff that I play where that's what I'm going for, but overall I'm on an altogether different sonic path.

Final questions:

Are the Cobra’s split tones sweet and chimey?

How do they compare to PRS guitars that offer spilt humbucker tones? And are they night and day or are the Anderson’s splits only marginally better or worse?

Does the Axis Bold As Love sound live in a Cobra? The BB King & Dicky Betts sound? Any SRV Lenny sounds?

How about a retro jazz tone?

Are the lows clangy and fat like a Tele?

Thanks!
JoeR
:)

[Tom Gross]

My main guitar before the cobra was a PRS semi-hollow cu22, and one of the main reasons I switched to the Cobra was because of the split-coil sounds. They are by far the best split sound possible from a single coil.
Those tones do live there.

Here - go to this great player's site and listen to Little Wing on a Cobra with the neck bucker split:

http://www.patchwerkz.com/LeonsStuff.cfm

Also check out his "Leon's Blues" on the same page for some great TA tone samples.

[Stan Malinowski]

Joe,

These are MY opinions on the last questions:

- Cobra Split Tones Sweet & Chimey: On a 0-10 scale I'd say 7.5/8.0 and I base this on HO1+/HO1- pickups per Roy's recommendation to maximize this trait. I don't think ANY humbucker will give 100% sweet & chimey like a true single coil.

- How are the split tones realtive to PRS? Question back to you: 5 Way Rotary or 3 Way Toggle. I have a CU22 and I (IMO) GREATLY PREFER the Anderson sc tones over the PRS split tones.

- Here's where our "age gap" comes into play - I've never heard Axis Bold As Love! BB King Tone - pretty good (note I have a Hollow Cobra which helps). Dickey Betts - pretty good in humbucking mode. SRV "Lenny" Tones - not bad in split coil neck & bridge mode. Retro Jazz - pretty good on neck humbucker. Once again I have a Hollow Cobra with low=powered HO1+/HO1- pickups which I honestly feel helps the situation.

If you are interested you can jump in a car and be at my house in about 2.25-2.5 hours. I have my Cobra, 2 Anderson Classics, numerous PRSs, 59 LP REissue and of course the Grosh Retros. I could lead to either 1) clarifying the situation or 2) really confusing matters!

BTW - Ronnie earl is one of my favs - I Have been waiting for him to come to Black Eye Sallys in Hartford (best live Blues in CT). With age he has really scaled back on his live performances:mad:

[Tom Gross]

A few added comments / corrections:

- These are of course just my opinions

- I too have HO1+/HO1- pups in my cobra

- I agree with Stan on his eval of the split tones

- I wish I had that ToneQuest with the Ronnie Earl Article - what did it say? Ronnie used to be a bit of a friend of mine, but I haven't seen him in a few years. He is an amazing player, very good & kind (but a little strange - in a good way) human being, and a tone genius.

[sonsop]

Stan:
Question back to you: 5 Way Rotary or 3 Way Toggle. I have a CU22 and I (IMO) GREATLY PREFER the Anderson sc tones over the PRS split tones.
ROTARY

Thanks for the offer & it sounds like a ton of fun! I will keep that feather in my cap. And Axis Bold As Love is the name of my favorite Hendrix CD. If you want I'll make you a tape {I still use those critters} or I can send you the cd and you can burn it.

Stan-I'll drop a few more issues in the mail for you if you want.

Tom-send me your address & I'll shoot over a copy of the Ronnie Earl TQ. I'm at work & it's here so I can get it in the mail today.
JoeR

[Tom Gross]

Originally posted by sonsop
......Tom-send me your address & I'll shoot over a copy of the Ronnie Earl TQ. I'm at work & it's here so I can get it in the mail today.
JoeR
Thanks for the offer - but I just found the article at the tonequest website, it happens to be one of their samples. I can't save it but I can print it.
Thanks again!

[Stan Malinowski]

Joe,

I like the split coil PRS tones on Rotary Swiches better than the PRS 3 Way w/split. Therefore my previous statement that I GREATLY prefer the Andy's sc tones over PRS tones is still correct.

Hendrix was slightly before my musical time. I started an active interest in music/guitar around 1973, 4? years after Jimi died. I was only about 9-10 when he passed away so I really wasn't "musically consciouis" of his efforts. In latter years I ded pick up some Hendrix CDs (Greatest Hits) but I still never got into him. GREAT guitarist, GREAT talent but just not my cup of tea.

My opinion is that the Cobra could cover Hendrix type stuff OK, but not great. I may be way off base but I think Hendrix type stuff is more "amplifier" based than driven by the pure tone of the guitar.

[sonsop]

Stan,

Cool. I think your think Hendrix "amplifier" based theory holds much weight for a lot of those extremely sloppy and poorly recorded live concerts. If he was alive and healthy I think he'd have made much more prudent choices of the albums representing his genius. Anyway, the studio stuff just kills me and Axis Bold As Love is total Stratocaster nirvana. You should really check it out; it is one of his most amazing works.

Ok, last but not least:

Hollow Cobra vs. Regular Cobra and what’s the scoop{s} on the S version?

Gracias.
JoeR

[Stan Malinowski]

There was a lot of speculation that if Hendrix was still alive he style would have progressed into a jazz-rock fusion.

Hollow Cobra versus Solid Cobra - I feel the hollow Cobra is more open and equally distributed across more of frequency range than the solid Cobra. I really think it helps to make the single coil tones more "Fendery".

The Cobra S is the dual-cutaway (Strat body) version of the Cobra. I believe Anderson says that the singlecut model is a bit more focused in the mids. Again I think the S model body may help push things a bit towards the Fendery side of things.