Cobra Head

Read about the 183 Cobra on the gear page.

So I took the D Lator out of the circuit today and OMG! The Cobra is increadable. Most clones need the D lator to tame high end and work well with FX. I’ve gotten used to using them and they’re great as a global master for low volume playing. I think when I first got the cobra I plugged it in with nothing in the loop for a hot minute but quickly added the D later because I’m so used to using it. Well I can say the amp sounds 100% better without it. May be an issue with my Lator, bad tube? 

The D lator was adding bass and smoothness that the Cobra doesn’t need. Without it the tone is perfectly balanced with everything at noon. The biggest difference is the feel and touch sensitivity. Just amazing! There’s an immediacy and connection to the instrument that’s just off the charts. Touch sensitivity and dynamics are ridiculous. Works better with single coils now as well. Literally couldn’t stop playing, totally nails early 90’s blueline tones out of the box. 

I have a bunch of delays and reverbs and they seem to work fine straight in. Currently running an immerse reverb and chrono delay and they sound great. 

All hail the mighty Cobra!!!

Tag, yes I knew it didn’t need the D lator and you prefered it that way, I just didn’t realize how much tone it was sucking in this particular circuit. Amp sounds amazing, really love it. I’ve owned many clones, Bludo, Two Rock, Fuchs, Welagen, Redplate… the Cobra is as good as it gets!

“The amp arrived, everything is perfect! I cannot believe how wonderful this amp sounds, every note jumps out of the amp with sparkle, clarity and definition like Ive never heard before. I get what they say when they say the amp just sounds like more. I judge any amp by its clean sound and I just love the way every note and every sublte nuance is picked up with such feeling. The gain channel is glorious with that rich violin like sustain that makes every solo a joy to play and hear. Just want to say thank you and Im in love with the sound of this amp. Its my new Seinfeld amp, I just plug in and its ‘serenity now’ lol.”

-Kurt

Hi Lou,

I got the amp. Just wow! I’ve owned a Fuchs, played a Glass Works, and a Two Rock TS1. None of them are like you’re amp. I’ve never played anything like it. It is beyond special. It’s just more. Responsive. Bold. Aggressive. I’m sure others have heaped more eloquent praise. The Clean Channel is just exactly what I was hoping for. It is magical.

I played it through the Open-Back single G65 that I have. I got home late, so could only play through it for about an hour. I can tell immediately if an Amp is going to work for me, and this certainly will.

“Alright alright alright folks. Just received this from Lou yesterday and what a beast! I have a Quinn SDO (non-183) and played Dumbles and this thing is right up there with the best of them. I got it with the negative feedback control at Lou’s advice and that def adds some additional color to play around with. I have a lot of time ahead of me to really learn the ins and outs of this amp, but true to what everyone has said, if you set the controls at noon, it sounds phenomenal as a starting point. I didn’t make it past that to tweak it further but will in days to come.

A big plus of this build was the color scheme we went with — I think it is a winner. Here’s a pic from Lou’s bench.

Finally, Lou is truly passionate about his amps and was a real pleasure to work with and very accommodating in making sure that he got my desires set for this amp. Great, great guy.”

“Want to add to what others have said about their Cobras. I’ve had it for about 2 months or so. Mine is the head with a 1×12” oversized Dumble style cab. Celestion Red Back speaker. Black Cobra skin tolex. Sounds freaking great. The cleans are so good. Never ice picky, rounded highs. That’s important for lap steel because the high D string (I play in Open D) can sound thin at times. Nice full bottom too. Very well balanced. The overdrive is ridiculous. Grinding and muscular, very different from other amps. That lower mid howl is there is spades. And the master is the best I’ve ever had on an amp. It’s like an attenuator. The massive tone is still there even at bedroom levels. Quite a feat to pull off I’m thinking. I play slide, both lap steel and learning to play bottleneck. It’s a thing of beauty to hear slide thru this beast. It just rips. I know that David Lyndley plays thru a Dumble as well as Ben Harper. Of course, Sonny Landreth on bottleneck. So there are guys who do it. Don’t know too many others. I think I’m in pretty good company. So yea, loving the Cobra. Plus Louis was a pleasure to work with. What a great dude he is. Super friendly and normal. Normal is good. Lol. Anyway really, really digging the Cobra. I score TV shows for a living and can’t wait to use it on some of the shows I create music for. Moonshiners would be a great one. The Cobra can get pretty nasty for some of those dark and ominous back woods cues I do for that show.

Would like to post a pic or 2 but I just can’t figure out how to do that. Maybe someone can tell me the easiest way to get some photos.”

Guys,

I’ve been playing my Cobra for the last few weeks and I have to share this with you. This is not meant to bash anyone but just to honestly share my experience with this amp.

I’m no expert or virtuoso guitarist but I love this hobby and have chased Robben Ford’s tone for a long time. I have bought and sold many clones in the past but I have never played a real Dumble ODS. Several years ago I ordered a Bludotone Bludodrive. From the clips I heard and from what I read, the Bludotone was the best clone out there. I spent a lot of money and waited a long time but it didn’t matter as that amp was going to be my lifer amp. It was the be all, end all for my Robben Ford tone chase. 18 months later, I received the amp and absolutely loved it. It was smooth and thick. It sustained forever. I sold most of my other clones including several Two Rocks. But I also always really liked Tag’s clips of 183 and the Quinns. When he started writing about Lou and the 183 Cobra, I was curious. But I also knew that no amp was going to be better than my Bludotone. Curiosity got the better of me and I ordered the Cobra. I was going to A/B it with my Bludo and prove to myself that the Bludotone was indeed the best for that tone and I could sell the Cobra later. Then Lou sent me my amp and that’s when everything changed.

Within the first few notes, I was floored at what I was hearing! Even my ****** playing sounded great through the Cobra. The Cobra has an amazing thick growling low mid range but at the same time has this pleasing top end. The straining, vowel like notes were all there. The sustain was forever and I could even get infinite sustain on the clean channel!! I hooked up the Cobra and the Bludo to my A/B box and went back and forth. Suddenly the Bludotone sounded brittle and harsh compared to the Cobra. I couldn’t believe my ears because I always heard my Bludo as smooth and warm. The Cobra literally changed how I heard the Bludotone. I gave myself a break and came back an hour later just to see if I was hearing things correctly. The Cobra shifted my standard on how a Dumble clone should sound. The Bludotone suddenly became unplayable. I tried to justify keeping it by setting it up differently, changing the tone pots, etc but I knew that I would never plug into it as long as I had the Cobra. So I listed it for sale the same day I received the Cobra! My wife thought I lost my mind because she knew how much I loved the Bludotone. I told her that’s how good the Cobra is.

I own a Dumble Ultraphonix but as I stated earlier, I have never played a real ODS. Remember when people would get their panties in a wad when Tag and Rob (@voodoosound) would say on here that if you never played a real ODS then you really can’t say how good a clone is? Well now I’m understanding what they meant. I still haven’t played a real ODS but Tag says the Cobra is spot on to 183. It’s amazing how you hear an amp completely differently when you have the “real thing” next to it. In my book, the 183 Cobra is the new gold standard for the RF Dumble ODS clones.

If you are on the fence about getting a Cobra, do yourself a favor and call Lou. You’ll make your money back and then some by selling your other clones. Many thanks to Lou and Tag for making this amp available to mere mortals like me. Lou is also the coolest guy to deal with. BTW, I have no affiliation with Lou. I just appreciate him for making such an amazing amp. 

Initial thoughts: I got it Wednesday night. This thing is unbelievable. Wicked. I have never played anything like it. It’s just more: Low, Mids, Highs. It is so bold. I’ve never played an ODS. I had a Fuchs from 2004, until last December. I’m not going to compare them. I do feel the balance from clean to the OD station, is really great. I played it through a Two Rock with a G65, and a Fuchs with EV type speakers. I think I may put my 12L’s in the Fuchs cab. I’m ordering the 2×12 w/65’s from Louis as soon as my check clears. 

Of note, I like 50 watt amps. I thought it might be a little bright on the OD side. Louis had me change the output from 8 to 4. I guess the impedance changes when you go from 100 to 50 watts. Completely different amp! Smoother, more balanced, a little, and I mean a little, less aggressive. I don’t have Ford Level Chops, or even Tag’s(that is in no way a diss on Tag) but this thing is glorious. I had the Fuchs, I played a Glasswerks, a TS1, and lots of pedals. I liked some more than others. Is this a Dumble? I don’t know. I do know it’s the 1st ODS that has sounded right to me, from moment one. This amp for me is a religious experience. And I’ve been playing it dry, as my reverb hasn’t arrived yet. Once I have the 2×12 and my reverb, I’ll post something. 

If you are on the fence, jump. It really is that good…

For what it’s worth, I just took delivery of Cobra number 15 that Tag posted last week. I can tell anyone that the amp is crazy good. I’ve played a ton and owned a half-ton of D style amps and this amp smokes. It’s a keeper amp for life. It’s everything it’s cracked up to be, you don’t need any extra outboard gear or anything special to make this amp do its thing. To be completely fair and diplomatic, there are a handful of builders out there building amps in this category. All I can say is that this amp is killer and competes with any amp out there. If you think you can do better, go for it. For this example of the particular circuit, it’s truly in a league of its own!

“No question one of the best channel switching amps I have ever used….there is little doubt that EL 34 based amps are (IMHO) better amps than 6L6 amps for overdrive..No doubt in my mind, 6L6 amps are better for clean and 12 strings….prior to my Cobra, I would bring a 6L6 and an EL 34 amp to my gigs in order to take advantage of the strengths of both..unfortunately, the roadies didn’t appreciate that arrangement and thus have consistently hassled me for streamline my system….well..I have found it in the Louis Electric cobra…..there is no doubting the versatility and smoothness of the overdrive channels(s)…such richness!!! Makes even me sound good nut then Louis has been teh King of time for years!! But, what is more astounding is how sparkly the clean channel sounds….To me, the best test of any clean channel is with my Rick 660-12….Even my cynical roadies were knocked out!! Thus, after many quests to the mountain top, I have found it in the Cobra 183.”

Well it’s been quite a long time since I’ve posted on TGP… I’ve been pursuing another hobby and playing went on the back burner for a while. I started playing more again about 5 months ago and decided to order a 183 from Louis.

I know exactly what Tag is talking about when he talks about the Dumble “chirp”… All the best Dumble recordings have it. It’s a crushed glassy smoothness with a high end but warm sonic signature on each note. Crazy hard to describe, but you know it when you hear and feel it. This is the only D style amp I’ve played that has it; And it’s wonderful.

I’m the lucky one with a 183 NAD today. It is a stunningly good sounding amplifier. I’ve played 1 real Dumble in my life and many clones; I will say that this amp is likely better than the real one I played, and better than any other D clone I’ve played. Crazy touch sensitive, and sustain-y at any volume level. It also doesn’t have that harsh fizzy character or loose bottom a lot of clones have.

In short, Louis knocked it out of the park with Tag’s help. I’m happy to be the beneficiary of his many year quest for D tone perfection. Louis was great to work with and even called to touch base tonight make sure all was in good order.

Thanks for being a tone seeker Tag… Your effort has paid it forward for players lucky enough to own a LE 183.

Blessings,

JT

To be honest I just plugged in and got lost in the amp, and could have easily pulled up a chair and played it all night. It was like riding a wave and just a total joy to play. It was effortless and there was no tweaking and dialing-in. It’s just an inherently musical sounding amp. You can get notes to be fat and singy or growl and squeal just by adjusting your attack and touch. Man, I don’t know what to say other than it was a fire-hose on tone!

I went back and forth between the Cobra and Tag’s Quinn and they were both great. That being said, neither was lacking in anyway. Nor did one outshine the other. They were like two spoonfuls of the same delicious soup with just subtle differences in each. What really put a smile on my face was the fact that I was never anxious to switch back to the Quinn. I was getting everything from the Cobra, which meant no more need to chase yet another piece of unobtanium gear!

I had two real ODS’s obtained from Dr. D many years ago and I know how these type of amps feel and sound intimately. At the time I was always going for the Larry Carlton smooth, sustaining type of tone, but realized later on that I’m more of a rock and blues player which the 183 type amp compliments much better. That being said, it certainly is capable of producing similar tones as well. I have also played and or owned a few of the other well known ODS type amps, but other than the Quinn and now the Cobra I never felt they sounded or responded like the real thing.

Even though it has taken a long time, I feel like I’m finally coming home to the sound and playing feel I always wanted.The fact that Lou is easily accessible and cares so much about every amp makes it even better. After playing the amp yesterday the waiting for it to be completed is insignificant. I’ll soon have the missing “instrument” to playing freely and creatively. It’s so refreshing since IMHO so much modern guitar amplification is simply that “Gear”, like a typewriter you hit a key and you get a letter on the page, but there is no nuance to it. It’s more homogeneous. A great guitar amp feels every bit as important to the equation as the right guitar and ultimately the right technique and ability of the player. The Cobra gets me to that place and I hope everyone who’s waiting for one has the same experience.

Well …. that is amazing! The amp just sings and really performs better than I ever expected. I have Fuchs, Ceriatone, Two Rock and Glaswerks amps and the 183 is more flexible and has an amazing feel to it. The thing I noticed was that I could get great tone from a 335, Strat and LP without much effort at all while other amps tend to favor one of the guitar types more than another. I ran it through a few cabs as well and it did a great job. One thing I really appreciated was the 4/8/16 ohm selection instead of just two options. It made switching cabinets a breeze and allowed me to use an attenuator without any issues as well.

Great job!!!

Thanks again

Brian

A blue Cobra head came in yesterday from Lou, and I’ve had a couple sessions with it to get a feel for it. Having owned around eight or so of the various takes on D-style amps, I kind of thought this would be another slight variation on the theme, but it surprised me. For me anyway, it represents a big jump in sound and feel.

Some observations:

1) I know next to nothing of electronics, but it sounds to me like the circuit design limits the unpleasant harmonics, leaving just the good ones. I use a lot of double stops and triple stops in my playing, and the true test is if you can hear the individual notes in the stops under gain and how nicely the nearby notes compliment each other (these stops sounded congested in my other amps). The Cobra shines here…the harmonic stew generated with this amp is really sweet.

2) As mentioned previously in this thread, the feel under the fingers is great. Not stiff in the least. You can really clean things up with a lighter touch. Does that clean-sounding gain in spades.

3) About that negative feedback knob: I tried it all the way up (most feedback), in the middle, and all the way down (least feedback). I strongly prefer it all the way down. To my ears, removing as much negative feedback as possible makes the amp livelier, clearer, a touch gainier, and adds character. Not harsh in any way, or hard to control. Just sounds better to me. Maybe at high volumes, more negative feedback would be useful.

4) Even the high E string has weight and heft to it. Something new to me.

5) I thought the circuit’s emphasis on low mids might make the wound strings sound wooly, but the EQ seems spot on. I use lower output humbuckers, and the wound strings sound clear, even with a lot of gain. Touch of delay and reverb in the loop seems to be the ticket.

6) I think someone mentioned this previously, but the easiest way I found to get a sparkly clean sound once you have the gain EQed, is to hit PAB in clean, and turn it off when using the gain side.

Thanks to all on this thread who contributed tips and settings. It’s pretty close to perfect with everything close to noon (except the master, of course). And thanks to Lou and Tag for bringing this project to fruition. It’s a pretty special amp, and I feel like I’m just scratching the surface. Looking forward to getting it in the studio.

Good afternoon Lou!

The amp arrived safe and sound yesterday, thank you. I’ve been playing it all day today, and it is incredible. Very warm but precise, and the note separation and chime/bloom are incredible.

I don’t think I’ve ever played an amp this musical in my life, including my KR12 and Baby BB (still great amps, though). I might toss my OD pedals because the amp gives me exactly what I like.

Every guitar I’ve tried with it now (around 7) has sounded beautiful and took to the amp with little or no adjustments to the amp controls. The OD and EQ bypass is enough to work with to get a great sound from each guitar. Amazing!

Thank you again for such a fantastic amp! It’s perfect.

Have a great weekend, and take care.

“6L6 Cobra in the house. Lou knocked it out of the park. Amp absolutely smokes! I asked him to tweak it a tad brighter and optimize for balanced od/clean tones. Everything at noon, killer fat articulate od then bouncy chimey cleans. Love it! A little less low mid at same settings as el34 but chewy and chirpy and very open. Great feel on both channels. Neg feedback control sounds great, very usable range. I usually keep it stock but turning it up adds just a bit of bite and top end without getting harsh. Need to spend some more time with it but first impressions so far are everything I’m looking for in this type of circuit. Lou was great to deal with. Build was on time with good communication along the way. Well done!”

“Alright alright alright folks. Just received this from Lou yesterday and what a beast! I have a Quinn SDO (non-183) and played Dumbles and this thing is right up there with the best of them. I got it with the negative feedback control at Lou’s advice and that def adds some additional color to play around with. I have a lot of time ahead of me to really learn the ins and outs of this amp, but true to what everyone has said, if you set the controls at noon, it sounds phenomenal as a starting point. I didn’t make it past that to tweak it further but will in days to come.

A big plus of this build was the color scheme we went with — I think it is a winner. Here’s a pic from Lou’s bench.

Finally, Lou is truly passionate about his amps and was a real pleasure to work with and very accommodating in making sure that he got my desires set for this amp. Great, great guy.”

Hey Lou,

Finally recovered enough to pick up a guitar and I got a chance to sit down with the Cobra last night.

In a word: WOW! What an inspiring amp, worth every penny.

It’s incredible how clear the sound is, even with heavy drive I can play lines that I’d normally play clean without sounding out of place or harsh. And man this thing can scream too, with this incredible, singing quality that comes out from bends and vibrato. Really impressive how the playing dynamics come out through touch, where it can be gentle and smooth, or screaming and in your face. The buttery mids and round low end make it a joy to play – my Tele normally feels a little tough to work with, like I have to fight it to get the sustain I want, but the notes just flow out of the Cobra.

Thanks again, been a real pleasure to work with you. Really grateful to have been part of this journey.

– Ryan