Kev

It's just another layer of protection. A scammer can fake everything, but that shouldn't mean there is no point in considering steps like this. Anything to try and discourange buyers and sellers alike from avoiding using a Goods transaction.

I dunno, DOB seems like a real easy one. How many friends or family members do you not, or can't easily find out, the DOB of? Whereas I imagine scammers would be rather reluctant to disclose such information.

Well yes and no. It isn't up to folks, its in violation of Paypals terms of use. You are in effect defrauding Paypal if you pay for goods using friends/family. I feel like there should be more scrutiny on payments you are making to a contact for the first time, even if its just additional questions like confirming their date of birth or other details that prove your connection to them is personal. LOADS they could try, if they wanted to.

Well of course, because Paypal Friends and Family enables his scam. I really wish Paypal would do something to discourage these kind of payments. as there are clearly huge swathes of people out there who don't realise how naive it can be to send a stranger money this way. You'd think they would, given they're also being scammed out of fees every time.

Interesting move, may well be beneficial. Since Doug Castro left and turned his attention to Neural, they seem to have struggled a little to keep innovating the way that they once did. The ADAM and Photon are cool but feel half baked. Same with that new amp. And if you believe the FB groups, their customer services has somewhat nosedived in recent times. Perhaps Korg will help with this? Interesting OP though. Has any brand been ruined by Korg??

Haha sorry! T'was a bit blunt. Really love the bass, but what made you opt for the the single string bridge design, and the gold vs black hardware?

There's obviously a market for it, but it seems to take lightweight unnecessarily far. At this point, surely the size and awkwardness of a cab is more of a problem than weight. I had Gen 2 Barefaced and they felt fragile, certainly wouldn't imagine a need for something even thinner and lighter. Is it just all aesthetics? I don't think wrapping a cab in bubble wrap every time it leaves the house is a great thing. Surely the whole point in it being lightweight is so its moved around easier? The marketing also seems to imply improved strength, not really seeing an emphasis on treating them with unusual care? I take very great care of all my equipment, but yeah, Ill still knock it from time to time. I feel like with this it would be a quick panic check every time it happened...

Keen to hear that one! Interesting design, terrible choice of bridge/bridge colour for me, otherwise quite like they've not attempted to copy the Wal shape.

Looking at these other photos in different finishes, it appears it is a trick of the camera! Just a straight edged body contour making it look darker.

I mean to be fair, this isn't the Ernie Ball forum. If someone posts a thread saying how amazing something is, naturally it almost invites people to say otherwise, nature of the interwebs and discussion forums I'm afraid! We can all dream of a world with positive vibes only, sadly never going to happen.

Nope, never ever going to get excited by tobacco sunburst. Neck is lovely though, and its not original! That body wing in a completely different wood grain looks awful, unless its a trick of the camera.

Oh dear. How on earth will that hold up on the road?!! Looks a poor design for sure, however pretty it is.

They influence cost, but no more than any other luthier, unless fancy woods need to pay extra rent in NY as well? I'm not necessarily saying there is such a thread, I'm just interested as I just don't understand how they cost $30k to build, yet it was mentioned how many hours it took to build one or something, which is quite a thing to calculate, so I guessed it must have been discussed somewhere, my mistake. But in their 10% profit on each one you think they are including unspecified "research and developments" costs of prototypes built years before, they can apply any value they want to that, so its making more sense now... I'll bow out as its just going round in circles. I guess I just won't buy one and stick with Alpher 😅

Is there a conversation on Talkbass somewhere where he specifically references how the Presentation II costs Fodera over $30k to build?? Or even this mini bass at almost $17k, still taking their 10% profit pledge as true? I haven't seen Fodera use a wood that a much cheaper luthier does not use at least as good a grade as, so wouldn't have thought this would have any bearing on price. It seems to be all about the shops location, and how many hours it takes them to build each bass. Still, I can't fathom the figures at 10% profit.

Aside from the Duplo knobs, I really like it to be honest!

Oh I agree that Warwick have huge prices too, but most of their basses don't get insane until you start spec'ing up a custom model. I shudder to think what a Fodera Presentation II with customisations would cost!! But some interesting points raised here for sure, but I'd still question if they only make a 10% profit on bulding a $35k bass, there's something not quite right. But i'll certainly have a read into why the Presentation models need to be so expensive.

I mean I'm not trying to argue or just attack Fodera, as they're not alone as you say! But 10% profit margin, am I right in saying that it therefore as a starting price costs them ~$32k to make one of those Presentation II models? If so, how??

Sorry I couldn't find the mini bass there, they all seem full scale. Can you link me?? And in fairness I am more referring to their signature/artist range like this one than their base level standard range, so it probably is unfair of me to base all on that, but a business model where they break even (this is what I know of their model, from your post) is still completely bonkers, and they should really move the shop if there is any shred of truth in that. I think their standard range prices still came in a few thousand dollars higher a piece than top end masterbuild basses from the other builders you mention. Isnt it more like $20k for the full scale presentation model? Are they made during high rent months in NY or something?? 🙂 Edit: Just flashed up the 2022 price list, $35,200 for the Presentation II?!!

By all means link me to an $18k Fender/Alembic/Sadowsky mini bass? Or even a $9k one?? If it truly costs so much in NY that they only break even on 5 figure basses, their business model is completely insane. But I just don't believe that.

Just madness. And people will buy it, gleefully. I don't get the travel bass trend, but I get there is a market and loads of builders are doing them now. Saw one for $3,000 odd the other day and thought who on earth would pay that kind of price. Little did I know. It's hard to watch some luthiers struggle to make a name for themselves, build for little profit if any to get their names out there, and there's companies like this basically printing their own money, because they have a NY workshop.

Sounds good, honestly can't really remember watching live footage and hearing Myung before, anyone know of any good vids taken?

Certainly the case for me. 3 years amp free!

You certainly weren't their target audience! I think I remember them being expensive, i.e. a fully spec'd amp was a good amount more than many other Class D Amps out at the time. And, at the end of the day, there was probably always a stock amp close enough to ticking all the boxes available. Although, I'm seeing a lot less Markbass amps around in general these days? They were all over the place when the Momark came out, can't remember the last time I saw anyone with one now.