John 5 and the Framus Dragon

JOHN 5 has played on a hell-of-a-lot of gear throughout his career so far and when it comes to the music he is creating at any given time he is a serious artist who seeks out the best tool for the job. “I want to use the best amps in the world,” John 5 says.

 

The guitar prodigy first published his use of the Framus Dragon head and Dragon 4x12 cab while recording for Marilyn Manson’s 2003 release ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’. He claimed on his website at the time that he used the Framus Dragon extensively throughout the record, which saw Manson mix up 1920’s era Swing music with some very catchy, hook-laden heaviness. The guitar sound on this album was very Rob Zombie-esque, super chunky ‘n crunchy, the kind of sound that gives you goose-bumps every time a power chord is palm-muted.

The Dragon is designed to be played at high volumes, where it delivers its full spectrum of sound, making it the ultimate live amp, but as John 5 has proven it is also perfect for studio conditions. With the amount of variables involved in studio recording, the Dragon’s super sensitive and ultra responsive controls mean things can be tweaked to perfection so much easier.

While a lot of amps these days can sound over compressed and digital, a Framus is more boutique and natural – the real deal. Framus amps follow the guiding principles of the much loved cabinets of yesteryear. They are hand crafted from poplar ply and covered in a European "rubber/leather" covering that is as beautiful as it is durable. The highest quality hardware and removable castors are used throughout. They are fitted with genuine V30 Celestion speakers and offer stereo or mono switching in most models. 

All this adds up to make some of the finest quality heads and cabinets available on the market today and Framus amps are fast appearing as standard equipment with many leading artists.

Check out the Dragon: www.framus.de