Kev

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.

Unique to the Markbass range, certainly. It was just the idea of choosing a power module rating, a preamp type and other things that you couldn't just buy ready made at the time. Like I say really, a custom spec amp of sorts, within the constraints of the modules they made. Imagine a Class A/B version of it, you may find it easier to see the benefits of

Really quirky, they sounds fantastic too. Think this is the model nate navarro has, or had and used for lots of videos, and it always sounded better than anything else he was using.

That's kinda the point?? I don't think it was ever intended that users bought multiple modules and swapped them etc. Its a way of Markbass releasing an amp without a spec, and the buyer can spec it exactly as they want at the point of purchase, almost like a custom amp. Great idea, but doubt it was remotely economically viable for them.

Nice catch! Love to know the concept behind it being a headless but not being a headless at the same time! Just aesthetics or something else?

Is that a bit cheeky?? When I saw this, I thought it was a limited edition bass and there were only 100 being made, not that the first 100 were just numbered.

Fighting talk, I don't understand half of the percussive stuff Amos pulls off. Myung could be doing amazing things for DT I guess, it's not like you can hear him in the mix 😂

Aren't Tesseract on support? That would be the reason why I would have bought a ticket, DT do nothing for me to be honest! Amos is in a different league to Myung, his techniques and feel are stunning.