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Fodera Basses


57pbass

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I have played one Fodera in my lifetime. It was an Emperor 5-string built in the early '90s. It had Bart p'ups and preamp, figured maple top, walnut body, maple bolt-on neck, and Brazilian rosewood fingerboard (recovered, I believe, from an old pool table!). I played it thru an Aguilar DB-750 head an Aguilar 1x12 cab at Jimmy Coppolo's shop in NYC. The same day, thru the same rig, I also played a 5-string F Bass, a 5-string Atelier Z, and a 5-string Elrick. Out of that bunch, the Fodera was my favorite in terms of both sound and feel. (The F Bass came in second.)

 

It belongs to a friend who brought it to Jimmy's this past December when I had a chance to hang there with Bastid E and wraub.

 

Hope this helps.

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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I remember the Fodera of which Sweets is speaking, and I agree, it was indeed nice, very nice.

But it exemplified something of which all the Foderas I have played (8 or 9) have displayed.

They just seem...overpriced.

As noted, they are expensive, and the price seems, to me, out of proportion to the actual instrument.

Granted, there is a fair amount of actual human handwork that goes into these instruments, but I think a $1750-2500 price point seems more realistic, based on what I have seen.

 

Just my opinion, please continue shopping. ;)

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Originally posted by robb.:

they're expensive: in the $3k to $4k range.

 

robb.

However, they've got that "new standard series" -- more affordable, still built in the Fodera shop, but with fewer options to choose from.

 

Learn more about them here! :)

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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Originally posted by Sweet Willie:

Originally posted by robb.:

they're expensive: in the $3k to $4k range.

 

robb.

However, they've got that "new standard series" -- more affordable, still built in the Fodera shop, but with fewer options to choose from.

 

Learn more about them here! :)

They look interesting. Does "necks and bodies are carved collectively, rather than to a specific customer's requests" or whatever imply CNC work?

And what of the prices?

Just curious...

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Originally posted by wraub:

They look interesting. Does "necks and bodies are carved collectively, rather than to a specific customer's requests" or whatever imply CNC work?

And what of the prices?

Just curious...

 

Peace,

 

wraub

I'm not sure. Best bet would be to e-mail The Groove Shoppe and ask what they know about prices since they're the seller for the New Standard series. They might also be able to shed light on the CNC question. David Beasley is really good about answering e-mail.

 

Peace.

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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If I had the money I'd love to get a custom Fodera matched to fit my hands, with:

 

-32 or 33" neck (I don't like excessively long necks).

-EMG Pups

-Ultra deep cutaway

-The kind of bridge that let's you drop your tuning, then reset it immediately to standard.

-Built-in switchable compressor/attenuate/mute control

-Wireless connection to any amp.

 

As far as the finish goes, I'm a big fan of a natural finish.

Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; one lick and you suck forever.
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I have played a few and while well-made, they are not my style.

 

It's tough to say about prices. In NYC, you're in a great spot to find people with money and strong music jobs. Materials and expenses are more as well. Fodera isn't the only maker that is probably higher than they "should" be, but that's free enterprise. If they can sell enough and keep the quality high, that's their business model.

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

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Originally posted by wraub:

Does "necks and bodies are carved collectively, rather than to a specific customer's requests" or whatever imply CNC work?

they are not CNC carved. vinnie fodera has said so himself. he says that when he makes a custom bass, he carves out only the one body. this requires a certain amount of setup and breakdown time and equipment per bass.

 

by doing these parts en masse, he is able to use approximately the same amount of setup and breakdown time and equipment, but for more parts, thereby decreasing the cost per bass. thus, by offering fewer options and personal touches, he is able to drastically decrease the total cost of the instrument.

 

robb.

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