Fodera - what are they thinking?

[bubinga5]

2 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

It's in the eye of the beholder I think. The pot controls flow in an arc with the line of the body IMHO.

Sorry but I don't know which dude is beholding your eye. If I smoked some northern lights I might get close. ..  I would still absolutuley love to play one though. 

[bubinga5]

2 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

If you're not keen on the Standard Special, you'll probably hate the layout on my Deluxe.

What a bass though.

Im sure if I played yours I would forget about it. Because that is superb.

[bubinga5]

19 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

If you're not keen on the Standard Special, you'll probably hate the layout on my Deluxe.

What a bass though.

What is the tone like. Very comprehensive I'm sure. Is it a Mike pope preamp, if so/ can you take me through the controls Hiram.? Strings, what the EMG's are like. It s stacking up to be a bright instrument on the emg's alone imo

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by bubinga5

[bubinga5]

6 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Yes, it's a Pope pre-amp in this.

No problem:

The larger knob top left is the Master Vol with Tone ring on the outside of it.

Moving clockwise, you have the Treble, Mid & Bass cut/boost.

The jack socket is below those three. The two switches are active/passive & are midrange freq select and above them you have the pan for the pick-up's.

Im used to the East pre. U Retro. Stacked Volume pickup selector switched by the toggle.then bass with a Treble selector. With an up switching being the bright bright sound. And then the tone knob. 2 switches one active passive. The other switch engages your want to from bam to front. I don't think explained that we'll.  

[Misdee]

 

 

As a rule, I am not really into exotic wood basses but that is an absolutely stunning instrument. Might be the nicest Fodera I have ever seen.

Edited June 3, 2018 by Misdee

[Misdee]

14 hours ago, dyerseve said:

Not sure why you have chosen to list those cities. There are plenty of places they could move to in the US where it would be many times cheaper than NYC. It's an enormous country with 52 states and hundreds of cities!

It's all irrelevant though really as they are successful as they are and seem to have no wish to move off to make their basses any more affordable 

I only mean to make the point that NYC is not uniquely expensive.

Yes, Fodera could build their basses elsewhere, but the profile of the  company and their stellar roster of famous endorsees rely on their being in NYC. So, if they had been based in Iowa to begin with, they would not be the Fodera we now know. And if they were to now relocate I doubt they would lower their prices. Why should they? All it would mean is a bigger profit margin, but would it be worth the inconvenience and loss of prestige? Almost certainly not.

Foderas are expensive, but if you want that level of quality it's good to know that someone has the expertise to provide it.

[Chris2112]

On 01/06/2018 at 20:48, Misdee said:

Just to muddy the waters further, AJ is on record as saying that his signature Fodera is essentially a big Fender Precision Bass. the instrument he made his name with in the mid-70s.

Fodera basses are not really my cup of tea, but there is no question that they are worth the money they cost. The fact that they are manufactured in NYC may contribute to a small extent to their price tag, but it is not realistic to suppose that they would be half the price , or even anything remotely like that if they were made anywhere else in the USA. The reason they are expensive is because of the amount of skilled man-hours it takes to make these basses.

 

Anthony's earlier records were mostly done with the 'career girl' jazz bass. Someone on Talkbass has a really interesting project on the go to build a replica of that. 

That said, the Contrabass has evolved, as the years went on, into something of a super Precision bass. I've always viewed it in that way. I'm not sure which version of the Contrabass was the first to do away with the bridge pickup but once it was gone, it was never coming back. Anthony considers each new Contrabass very carefully, each model being an evolution of the last and a step closer to his ideal. His most famous Contrabass was known as, IIRC #10 or #11. I'm leaning more towards #10. It's appeared already here, with a flamed redwood top. He appeared on loads of records and video recordings with that bass and yet, like the rest of his basses, he sold it on when he received the next model. 

Over the years, he has stripped back what he wanted towards his ideal. Active electronics, gone. Bridge pickup, gone. Double cut, gone. He still gets a lot of 'cut' from it by switching to a pick on the fly. Notice that he often plucks all over the body to adjust his tone and then moved to a pick when he really needs that extra presence.

[plangentmusic]

I'll add my two cents.  I used to own a Fodera.  The overall assessment is "meh."  

I think the appeal is that they're "specialty " instruments , which really means they can only make so many a month so they need to charge more to maintain business. Use fancy wood and call it "hand made "  (even though all basses are a combination of hand made and machine made) and people will think its something special.

Of course, if you like them and can afford them, then great.  It's worth it.  I just have never done a session, a gig or a recording where someone wanted a "Fodera" sound.   And I think mine was especially dull, so, I sold it. I hope the new owner is appreciating it more than I. 

[thebassist]

I personally prefer having the jack on the front for the very reason that it gives me the option of sitting or standing. I don't have an issue with the look of it either actually.

I've just commissioned my first Fodera build - it's costing a fair amount but I'm obviously comfortable otherwise I wouldn't have proceeded. I play 6ers and my tastes are generally quite conservative/boring - I find they're one of the few builders who make extended range basses that I like the look of - I've gone for an Emperor 6 by the way.

Edited June 4, 2018 by thebassist

[plangentmusic]

7 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Which model was it out of interest?

The Emperor.  

[jebroad]

On 31/05/2018 at 22:47, skidder652003 said:

If Im honest 8k for some rather nice woods and strings? well call me cynical but this will probably be around for some time...

I’m not amazing at making basses but I’ve recently done a build using a fancy top (I bought the neck) and it isn’t the kind of thing that I would sell for over 1000. 

[skidder652003]

3 minutes ago, jebroad said:

I’m not amazing at making basses but I’ve recently done a build using a fancy top (I bought the neck) and it isn’t the kind of thing that I would sell for over 1000. 

yeah but you live in Uttoxeter not NYC !

[Misdee]

21 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

 

Anthony's earlier records were mostly done with the 'career girl' jazz bass. Someone on Talkbass has a really interesting project on the go to build a replica of that. 

That said, the Contrabass has evolved, as the years went on, into something of a super Precision bass. I've always viewed it in that way. I'm not sure which version of the Contrabass was the first to do away with the bridge pickup but once it was gone, it was never coming back. Anthony considers each new Contrabass very carefully, each model being an evolution of the last and a step closer to his ideal. His most famous Contrabass was known as, IIRC #10 or #11. I'm leaning more towards #10. It's appeared already here, with a flamed redwood top. He appeared on loads of records and video recordings with that bass and yet, like the rest of his basses, he sold it on when he received the next model. 

Over the years, he has stripped back what he wanted towards his ideal. Active electronics, gone. Bridge pickup, gone. Double cut, gone. He still gets a lot of 'cut' from it by switching to a pick on the fly. Notice that he often plucks all over the body to adjust his tone and then moved to a pick when he really needs that extra presence.

AJ started using his Jazz Bass in the mid- to- late 70s. Before that he used a Precision. His work with the O'Jays, for example, is a P Bass.

[BigRedX]

On 01/06/2018 at 11:04, Frank Blank said:

I totally agree with this only I have never desired a high end bass, not really high end anyway, my recent found love of Rob Allen basses means I'll be purchasing one from him direct quite soon but I've never lusted after a more expensive bass... apart from a Wal maybe but I'm sensible enough to know that my Wal desire stems from a love of Mick Karn and his playing and I'm not him nor do I want to sound like him when I play. Wal basses reminds me of seeing Japan and digging those albums.

Of course most of Mick's playing with Japan was done on a Travis Bean TB2000. He didn't get the Wal until around the time of the Tin Drum recording sessions.

[plangentmusic]

The best tone Anthony ever got was on the Al Dimaola Casino album -- which I believe was a Gibson Ripper played with a pick. 

[Frank Blank]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

Of course most of Mick's playing with Japan was done on a Travis Bean TB2000. He didn't get the Wal until around the time of the Tin Drum recording sessions.

This is very true, in fact when I saw them he was using a Travis Bean.

[jebroad]

4 hours ago, skidder652003 said:

yeah but you live in Uttoxeter not NYC !

Fair point, and I’m not that great

[Woodinblack]

On 02/06/2018 at 23:19, bubinga5 said:

Always been a bugbear with me. I do understand because of the preamp layout they have to put the knobs in certain places, but surely when you go to the highest end of instrument aesthetics as Fodera do, you would want the knobs to flow with the design. They just look like an afterthought  plastered on the front of the bass. Maybe its just me. 

No, its not just you, that is a mess. As is that headstock and that string retainer and hole for the truss rod. 

I am sure it is a lovely guitar and fantastic to play, and I am sure it is very well thought out, but it really doesn't look like it.

[BigRedX]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

No, its not just you, that is a mess. As is that headstock and that string retainer and hole for the truss rod. 

I am sure it is a lovely guitar and fantastic to play, and I am sure it is very well thought out, but it really doesn't look like it.

Visually everything about that instrument is nasty IMO.

[thebassist]

My only real critique is the incorporation of a string tree.

[chris_b]

These basses are custom orders. Within reason the customer can have they want on it.

[The59Sound]

Fodera's - for people with more money than sense.

If I drive a Ferrari, does that make me Schumacher? Thought not! 

[thebassist]

40 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

The above bass (which I recently sold) is a Standard Special and the headstock does not break away at an angle like the one on page 3 which is a Deluxe, hence the inclusion of a string tree.

Yes I know why the string tree is there - It's just that I personally don't like them that's all.

[plangentmusic]

43 minutes ago, The59Sound said:

Fodera's - for people with more money than sense.

If I drive a Ferrari, does that make me Schumacher? Thought not! 

That's the equivalency, but it isn't analogous.  A Fodera really isn't that much better than any high end  ($1200 + ) bass.  It's  not a piano. 80% of the sound is the pickups and fancy wood doesn't necessarily sound or play better than ash or alder or even basswood. 

[thebassist]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Yes, I’m kinda with you there, but the headstocks on the Standards have so little break on them I think the string trees are a necessity rather than an option. I’ve no doubt if the Standards had the same angled headstock it would increase the price of their cheaper range of instruments which is kind of self defeating for the sake of a string tree. I think the fact that it’s a big black blob on a light coloured finish doesn’t really help either. Anyway, regardless of its appearance, it really was a fantastic bass to play and I shall be reinvesting the £’s in another one.

Nice! What you getting?