Cobra Tone?

[Paychek]

I am wanting another TA in the near future and I am asking questions about different models, so when the time comes I will know what I want. I curently have a hollow drop top classic as my only guitar and I want a guitar with more different sounds. I think the cobra might be the way to go. First of all I have never had the chance to play a cobra.
The cobra has a different scale length. What is the difference in playability? With two humbuckers, and a five way switch, what are the 5 positions with the two humbuckers. The cobra is all mahogany. I would think that the cobra should sound like a LP with more sounds. Am I right to a certain extent. Any info and others thoughts will help.
Thanx
Mikey

[sylvanshine]

I've always viewed a Cobra as a hydrid Les Paul and Strat. The problem in describing a Cobra is that it comes in so many flavors.

I have a hollow and a solid, both with solid rosewood necks and the exact same pickups, yet they sound quite different.

I can't hear a sonic difference in the scale length, but I do feel a difference in string tension.

The standard Cobra wiring is:
Position 1: neck
Position 2: neck split (similar to Strat neck with middle)
Position 3: both
Position 4: bridge split (similar to Strat bridge with middle)
Position 5: bridge

Tone push pull adds bridge.

p.s. the Cobra Special is all mahogany. Other Cobras are like Les Pauls, mahogany with a maple cap.

[tom]

the normal cobra wiring is a bit different than stated above. pos 2 is neck split. to me it's more like just the neck strat pickup. pos 4 is bridge split.we split to the front coil, so it does have a bit of the strat quack. the push pull splits both , but in pos 3 only.

[tom]

you edited and beat me to it. you're fast. please disregard my previous post.

[oscar100]

cobras are cooooool!

got 2 with different tops -

teh scale length feels like a strat but with less fight

not at all like a lp even tho its teh same scale length

its a real versatile guitar but you can hear the infusion of strat/tele ness compared tp a LP / PRS etc

its great for funk and clean stuff in a way that mahogany gtrs usually arent

IMHO get one fitted with teh magic M series pickups - thats a stunning combination!

[pluto]

I love my Cobra S (see other thread). I've toyed selling that guitar over the last couple of years and in fact almost did it again, but it's my go-to guitar for high gain type stuff. Very focused and punchy mids is how I would describe that guitar. I only basically use the bridge pickup unless I use it at church where I use the 2 position (I call it the 4th position, but I guess TAG calls it the 2nd position) through an acoustic modeller. Shorter scale length definitely makes it easier to bend strings as there is less tension. The body on my Cobra S is really heavy, not Les Paul heavy, but still the heaviest cobra I've ever touched (according to my bathroom scale doing the step on with guitar, step on without guitar, primitive, caveman weighing technique, it weighs between 8 and 9 pounds), and I definitely think the additional weight adds to the tone. Not sure how and why, but it does. The cobra or cobra s is so different from drop top type guitars, that it's definitely worth owning. As far as a Hollow Cobra- I used to own the S version-it is a lot different sounding than my solid cobra s. It lacked the mid punch of my solid s which is to be expected. For the stuff I play, I prefer the solid cobra.

[michaelomiya]

Originally posted by sylvanshine
I've always viewed a Cobra as a hydrid Les Paul and Strat. The problem in describing a Cobra is that it comes in so many flavors.

I have a hollow and a solid, both with solid rosewood necks and the exact same pickups, yet they sound quite different.

I can't hear a sonic difference in the scale length, but I do feel a difference in string tension.


Tone push pull adds bridge.

p.s. the Cobra Special is all mahogany. Other Cobras are like Les Pauls, mahogany with a maple cap.

Everything that sylvanshine says, and that the overtone is next to zero. Meaning that "natural echo" (when playing those classics w/ vintage trems) is gone as a result of the mahogany. Hey, that what gives it that midrange PUNCH, which sounds sooooooooo good through a Marshall. BOOOM. Yeah, that's it. The shorter neck scale means a higher string gauge to "feel" like those 9's on a classic, or you'll really feel that lack of "tension", just a personal thing.