Amp help, Framus Dragon

[Justice4all]

Hey all,
anyone had some experience with this head? what it compares to and sounds achievable, and not achievable on it?
How much gain does it produce?
There is one here where i live and wonder if its a good amp to get or stay away from, the price is $2200 in mint cond, good?

[Justice4all]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

Bump
must be some "Amp Techs" out there!!!

[RiffRaff]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

How weird is this! I think you and I are the only two people who've ever heard of this amp and asked about it at just about the same time!!! I'm going this Sunday and try one out - I met a guy who is sponsored by Framus and is selling one of his Dragon heads - I'll let you know what I think of the amp when I'm done. I'll probably wind up buying it, the guy played it for me over the phone and it sounded awesome - more vintage than high gain although it's got plenty of gain on tap if that's your thing. Three channel, the clean channel was like a freaking fender twin - no breakup at all. I think they sell new for about $2400 US - the one I'm looking at is basically new and the guy is said he would sell it to me for $850 US.

[RiffRaff]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

I took half the day off today and went to try out the amp, here's what I found. The amp is a dual master volume - you set one to your rythmn playing and the other to your lead level, for each channel! Each channel has independent EQ, Gain, Volume and Presence controls. I tried the amp out with a Strat and my Heritage H535, the amp sounds good with both pickup types but the setting on each channel to obtain best tone are significantly different, if you swap guitars prepare to turn dials or set up on of the overdrive channels for HB's and the other for SC's (the clean channel sounded good with either pickup type on the same settings), oh I played the amp into a Framus open back 2X12 cabinet with V30s and my Bogner big 2X12 closed back cab with V30's, naturally the closed back cab had a boomier bottom end that I needed to dial out on each channel.

The clean channel is great, plenty of clean headroom with the ability to dial in a little gain for a very nice bluesy bite, very responsive to pick attack - this channel is very accurate, all of my fretboard blunders popped right out!

Crunch channel = my favorite, playing around with the gain and volume allows you to go from light overdriven JTM 45 sounds to full on JCM 800 smacked with an overdrive pedal. I compared this amp directly with a 50 watt JCM 800, verticle input. The amp has more sizzle than the 800 but much less than the soldano hot rod 50 I played through a few weeks back, I find the interaction between the gain, volume and master volume to be huge, I set the gain straight up, volume and 3/4's and master volume and 1/4, this tamed the sizzle and kicks butt, it's sweet crunchy and LOUD!!! To get the most out of this amp and not sterilize anyone within 25 feet an attenuator is needed.

Lead Channel: I read on HC that this is not a high gain amp - whoever said has never played one - this channel will SCREAM if that's what your into, I messed with the gain, volume and master just to see what it can do and I was able to dial in a lead tone that will hold notes on my H535 forever.... scoop the mids top off the bass and if your and angst ridden youngster you'll be right at home, if anything I will set this channel up as a crunch sounding channel for my strat and set up the crunch channel for my H535.

Best part - dual master volumes, set master 1 up for rythmn or low volume lead fills, set the second master up for screaming and you've got everything covered!

The front panel also has a dial for "deep" - good for filling in the upper bottom end on an open back 2x12 cabinet and there's a dial for the effects loop (parallel). The amp offers a midi thru put allowing you to set up a midi pedal to switch your midi effects and the channels on the amp. the back of the amp has effects loop in/outs, midi in/thru, two speaker outupts, impedence selector (4, 8 16 ohm) a line out and fuses.

What didn't I like? The footswitch doesn't have LED's.

The amp offers the best of both worlds, a very good clean channel and some great crunch sounds, I bought the one I tried out (it's like new), when I got it home I checked out the tubes - all of them are Sovtek..... I was surprised, if the amp sounds this good with cheap tubes I can't wait to get a quad of Svets and JJ's in there.

[Scott_F]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Framus/Dragon_Top-01.html

[Jonny R]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

Hey all,
anyone had some experience with this head? what it compares to and sounds achievable, and not achievable on it?
How much gain does it produce?
There is one here where i live and wonder if its a good amp to get or stay away from, the price is $2200 in mint cond, good?

Are you talking in New Zealand dollars or US dollars?

[Seraphial]

Re: Amp help, Framus Dragon

Dude, you talking about the one on trademe at the moment? A friedn of mine played through one and declared it was one of the best amps he'd ever played through (he's no slouch either). NZ$2200 is a steal - and if you don't like it, flick him to me!