Bigwan Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) I've played 3 Foderas. 2 I wouldn't have given tuppence for. The 3rd was without doubt the finest bass I've ever had hands on. The fact it cost the same as my car didn't matter. If I'd had the funds (4 grand second hand) I'd have bought it on the spot. A truly religious experience. I left the shop reeling, literally speechless. In answer to whether they're worth it I could only say... possibly... Edited November 6, 2014 by Bigwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1415291418' post='2598888'] There are many things I would not buy because of the price tag. It doesn't make them "not worth it" or a waste of money. If you can afford a Fodera, and can [i]appreciate[/i] what it is, buy one and play it every day. It will be one of the best basses you've ever picked up. [/quote] Yep... I haven't found a Fodera worth the money to me... but I wouldn't rule out paying that sort of money on a bass if I had it. Having said that, I would also say you need to spend more than £1k on a bass but do you need to spend £5k...? I am having trouble affording to pay £3k, but if I had that money sitting around, I know exactly what I'd spend it on. For me, I haven't found a Fodera I like to spend that on but maybe a Smith or Avella..?? The thing is, people do pay that, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell them. The question is yours and yours alone.. what are they worth to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Coffee Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1415304881' post='2599114'] I've played 3 Foderas. 2 I wouldn't have given tuppence for. The 3rd was without doubt the finest bass I've ever had hands on. The fact it cost the same as my car didn't matter. If I'd had the funds (4 grand second hand) I'd have bought it on the spot. A truly religious experience. I left the shop reeling, literally speechless. In answer to whether they're worth it I could only say... possibly... [/quote] Where did you find one Fodera in our neck of the woods, never mind three of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 [quote name='bassman344' timestamp='1415306897' post='2599137'] Where did you find one Fodera in our neck of the woods, never mind three of them? [/quote] The Gallery. Not many Foderas round these parts right enough Michael, but then if you'd asked me where the nearest Dingwall was a few years ago, Ahoghill wouldn't have been high on the list either, so you never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Umm, as a Fodera salesman, I should probably keep well clear of this thread I love my current Fodera more than any other I've owned (I think I've had 4 others) and it was, even by my standards insanely expensive. If I'm sitting around at home with nothing to do then it's always the one I pick up first and every time I do it makes me smile. Because I know the Fodera guys quite well I often think of them working on it and remember their faces when they gave it to me - the level of personal pride and love of what they do was clearly apparent and they were desperate for me to like it (it was made as an 'exhibition' bass for NAMM so not actually commissions by me). Does this make it 'worth' the money it cost - for me yes, but then I'm obviously biased Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebassist Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Can you post s picture molan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) [quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1415311447' post='2599199'] Can you post s picture molan? [/quote] Sure, it's this one: I just love looking at the headstock, lol Edited November 6, 2014 by molan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebassist Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Wow stunning. I remember salivating over that when they posted it on Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebassist Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Also molan, have you played a Ken Smith? If yes, how do they compare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Fodera barely make 10% on each instrument. Criticise their price if you need to but their materials and staff benefits (healthcare, pension) costs are a major part of why they cost what they do. Got nothing to do with screwing people over. It's expensive to employ people in New York. Huge difference between Smiths and Foderas in sound and feel BTW. I've had three Smiths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebassist Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 If you could only have one. A Fodera or a Smith, which would you go for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Coffee Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1415307685' post='2599147'] The Gallery. Not many Foderas round these parts right enough Michael, but then if you'd asked me where the nearest Dingwall was a few years ago, Ahoghill wouldn't have been high on the list either, so you never know! [/quote]o Considering we are supposed to be tight from ballymena two dingwalls at least within 6 miles or so was pretty good. Maybe some day I will take the plunge with a fodera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 [quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1415313805' post='2599226'] If you could only have one. A Fodera or a Smith, which would you go for? [/quote] We have both in the shop at the moment All the Smiths I've played have a very individual 'signature' sound. I've tried them with several different body & neck woods and although there are variations they all have that KS tone. If you like that core sound then nothing else really comes close. Foderas tend to have a bit more of a difference between models. There is something of a Fodera tone about many of them but I find on a Fodera I sound like me playing on a nice bass, on a Smith I sound much more like someone else playing a Ken Smith (not sure if this makes a lot of sense but that's kinda how I hear it in my head, lol). One of my Foderas had a cracking vintage P bass tone at the flick of a switch which simply solo'd the neck pickup with tone wound back a bit. Very, very different from the one I currently have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I've never seen one I like the look of, and for that money I'd have to be in love with it. I've played some very very expensive basses I didn't like at all (and I'm including things like Alembics in there), and to spend over that 'excellence threshold' of about £2-3k where the quality of lots of basses is uniformly magnificent, you have to buy into the whole thing, and neither Smiths nor Foderas nor Ritters do a damn thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Smith is the epitome of 'modern' to me and nothing sounds like them...altho' I've gotten ball park with a Sei Flamboyant. If you want that Smith sound, it just has to be a Smith but if you don't, there isn't really anything else you can do with the bass, IMO. I've gone off signature sounding basses..or rather, all variations of, as I am in the 'Leo got it right with a Jazz' vibe these days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 this has been done a few times hasn't it? Worth it? well give me a fodera and ill love it and play it till it's worn out and report back and tell you. a nice one, none of your ying yang crap please. Thanks. Interestingly having looked at their website if I were to go for any it would be an emperor standard special - so one of the cheaper ones - you're talking warwick prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 rubbish - it's the bass bass gear have in stock... well if I ever did get a fodera - it would be that one. Looking at it... £4k isn't stupid stupid money - like I've a thumb bass and a streamer stage one at the moment - great basses, and older 85 and 92 vintage insutments - new list price for the modern equivalent is £3200 for the SS1 or £3500 for the thumb. Not much different. Asking me if think that fodera is worth £500-700 more than one of my warwicks... I'll probably never know! If you want to buy it for me for my 30th next month you need never have a "are fodera's worth it" thead again as you could just ask me for an unbiased opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Just to go somewhat the other way, I've largely stepped DOWN from Fenders to Squiers. I mod them a little, usually just tuners and pickups. Sometimes not even that. More than ever, I could never justify huge costing basses. The law if diminishing returns applies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1415301815' post='2599054'] I should probably leave this alone, but it so happens that I was lucky enough to visit Fodera in NYC, meet the makers, see the workshops. No, I wasn't buying one! Essentially you're buying into a pretty exclusive club, and like any other such club they're a really nice bunch of people who make you feel right at home. They're still a family firm, everyone there is absolutely into what they are doing, and demand permanently outstrips supply. In that environment, you can charge pretty much what you want. How much you'd pay for a Fender or a Yamaha is simply irrelevant. They don't compete in that market. And of course I played one. I am in no way a great bass player (and that's not false modesty) but I own and have owned some lovely instruments, so I can make some sort of comparison. The Foderas I played were simply wonderful basses. Better than Alleva Coppolo or Status or Goodfellow or Dingwall? No, of course not, at this level "better" becomes meaningless - it's simply a matter of what you enjoy playing. If I'd had the money available, I would have had no problem at all with paying Fodera prices. I didn't so I didn't. [/quote] I concur. No money and no lefty Foderas at the time of our visit saved me from serious gas... Jack with Joey and Phil in Joey's office [url="http://wp.me/p2ZbyY-kM"]http://wp.me/p2ZbyY-kM[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1415345949' post='2599348'] Just to go somewhat the other way, I've largely stepped DOWN from Fenders to Squiers. I mod them a little, usually just tuners and pickups. Sometimes not even that. More than ever, I could never justify huge costing basses. [u][i][b]The law if diminishing returns applies![/b][/i][/u] [/quote] Of course! But you don't buy a Ferrari just because it's a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 [quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1415352156' post='2599420'] I concur. No money and no lefty Foderas at the time of our visit saved me from serious gas... Jack with Joey and Phil in Joey's office [url="http://wp.me/p2ZbyY-kM"]http://wp.me/p2ZbyY-kM[/url] [/quote] I see you went for the quintessential "Englishman on holiday" combo of vest, shorts and sandals... good stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 LOL it was 34 degrees and I was wearing shorts, a vest and sandals too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1415352837' post='2599435'] I see you went for the quintessential "Englishman on holiday" combo of vest, shorts and sandals... good stuff... [/quote] Be grateful I was wearing that much ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) [quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1415352294' post='2599425'] Of course! But you don't buy a Ferrari just because it's a car. [/quote] But then I wouldn't buy a Ferrari either - couldn't get my rig in it... ( I manage to make do with a Merc...) Edited November 7, 2014 by Telebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 They are worth it if you believe that they are worth it...but not if you think not. It is that simple. It is entirely subjective. In my world the combination of the very finest components and sublime craftsmanship are just that.......countless builders combine these elements to produce breathtaking basses. Some of them (like Fodera) are highly expensive, others (like ACG) are extremely reasonable. The buyer will decide whether the massive price difference is worth paying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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