Sound:
I definitely need to experiment a lot more with this instrument. Here's my first impressions. The Cobra generates a LOT OF BASS! With bright amplifiers, it generates this huge full bell-like clean tone, which I personally love.
Although the pickups are single coil, they're so powerful that, with the volume pot turned all the way up, they can overdrive most amps even at moderate volumes. Personally, I think the Cobra, combined with a Fender Super Reverb, would be just about the best clean-sounding rig in existence. I'm currently running it through a Carvin Vintage 33. With the Carvin's SOAK knob turned up, I can get a pretty close approximation of Brian May.
The guitar really responds to different pick positions and fingering techniques. Many, many tones are available.
Feature:
I think the Cobra is made out of Ash. Since it's not an expensive guitar, the wood used is not birds-eyed or flamed. I bought the guitar for its sound and playability not because of its visual aesthetics.
It comes with three Allen wrenches, whammy bar and cord. Nothing fancy.
Quality:
The workmanship is truly incredible for an instrument of this price range. The finish is absolutely flawless! I've checked this guitar with a magnifying glass and have not found a single imperfection. The electronics are very quiet, much better than comparably priced Fender Strats.
Value:
This guitar easily compares with more expensive instruments from other companies. In terms of overall quality, it's comparable to the Ash Lite Fender Strat.
Manufacturer Support:
This is a good question. I haven't had any cause yet to use their support. The dealer prepped the guitar very well and I've had no problems with the instrument so far.
The Wow Factor:
The first thing I noticed were the Tri-Sonic pickups - bright chrome, bigger than typical Fender pickups, with big bold pole pieces. I immediately recognized them as the same pick-ups that Brian May of Queen uses, and that's why I took the instrument off the rack. When I plugged it in, POW!!! I was playing though a small Roland Cube amp, but the guitar sounded like a Strat playing through an early sixties Fender Dual Showman (the ones with the BIG transformers)! Those of you who've had the pleasure know what I'm talking about. The Cobra generated this full-range clean tone that exploded through the store like a sonic boom. That was it. I bought the guitar on the spot.
Overall:
This guitar does the things I want. I'm actually thinking about selling my Ibanez Artist AS-200 thinline.
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