Hey!
I just trimmed my first flowering under COBs. I have four of
@BigSm0 's autocobs in this tent. I did not do any defoliating so there was some denser foliage that prevented light penetration, but where the light did reach wowsers! And it did reach most places, I don't mean to make it sound like it didn't, the penetration was a good bit better than the 600 watt HPS.
Anyways I digress. I was amazed at all the buds that ran all the way down most of the stems. There was the cola, but also just "gobs" like you said of big buds on the stems.