Fodera N.Y.C. series - let's get the full story

[LukeFRC]

More pics!

[DiMarco]

Like so?

 

[Graham]

That is stunning

[laumiles]

My Fodera NYC 5 😉

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by laumiles

[DiMarco]

Looks awesome! Mine has become my main axe.

 

[Acebassmusic]

I've been looking for one of the 24 fret versions of these for years. Unfortunately I get the feeling that so few were made and no-one wants to sell them on, that it will be one that always remains on the GPL (gas potentials list) 🙂

Edited July 24, 2020 by Acebassmusic

[DiMarco]

A regular Deluxe 5 popped up in France. Pre in it has been upgraded to a Mike Pope one. Go get it!

Fodera NYC Empire Deluxe 5 d’occasion (zikinf.com)

 

[francesco di napoli]

Buenas, retomo este hilo para comentaros mi experiencia como poseedor de un Fodera nyc Deluxe 5 cuerdas y 24 trastes. 

Es un bajo pesado, no es ligero tengo otros mas ligeros que el fodera, y hasta aqui lo malo que tengo que decir de este bajo. Para mi, es una maravilla, llevo pastillas duales por lo que consigues dos sonidos uno mas moderno y otro mas jazz bass de toda la vida pero con esos toque fodera, he de confesar que tampoco es un bajo plug and play, como puede serlo un precisión bass o un jazz bass de fender que es enchufar y tocar, yo diría desde mi experiencia que me costó unos meses adaptarme, a sacarle todo lo que puede dar e imagino que hasta que no te haces,  es asi, pero cuando te adaptas y lo haces tuyo es de lo mejor que he probado, en conciertos y en grabaciones suena bestial,  no necesita nada, el mástil es mantequilla aparte de muy bonito, permite una acción ridículamente baja sin trasteos aunque a  mi personalmente hay ciertos trasteos que me gustan. El previo es de dos bandas con control de tono pasivo, y para pasar de duales a singles. El cuerpo es de fresno con tapa de arce y el diapason de arce ojo de pájaro, el matil de tres piezas de arce y la pala lleva una placa de palosanto preciosa, el color es definido como " uva transparente". Resumiendo estoy encantado con el,  me encantan los lackland, los MTD, los Elrick ect... pero en estética clásica este fodera me pone burro. 

 

Adjunto alguna foto aunque por aqui arriba, he visto alguna de mi bajo. 

 

https://www.doctorbass.net/es/c/?iddoc=1000171618

 

 

no se como añadir fotos desde mi galeria... jejeje

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Rich

[LukeFRC]

On 12/01/2022 at 09:45, francesco di napoli said:

Buenas, retomo este hilo para comentaros mi experiencia como poseedor de un Fodera nyc Deluxe 5 cuerdas y 24 trastes. 

Es un bajo pesado, no es ligero tengo otros mas ligeros que el fodera, y hasta aqui lo malo que tengo que decir de este bajo. Para mi, es una maravilla, llevo pastillas duales por lo que consigues dos sonidos uno mas moderno y otro mas jazz bass de toda la vida pero con esos toque fodera, he de confesar que tampoco es un bajo plug and play, como puede serlo un precisión bass o un jazz bass de fender que es enchufar y tocar, yo diría desde mi experiencia que me costó unos meses adaptarme, a sacarle todo lo que puede dar e imagino que hasta que no te haces,  es asi, pero cuando te adaptas y lo haces tuyo es de lo mejor que he probado, en conciertos y en grabaciones suena bestial,  no necesita nada, el mástil es mantequilla aparte de muy bonito, permite una acción ridículamente baja sin trasteos aunque a  mi personalmente hay ciertos trasteos que me gustan. El previo es de dos bandas con control de tono pasivo, y para pasar de duales a singles. El cuerpo es de fresno con tapa de arce y el diapason de arce ojo de pájaro, el matil de tres piezas de arce y la pala lleva una placa de palosanto preciosa, el color es definido como " uva transparente". Resumiendo estoy encantado con el,  me encantan los lackland, los MTD, los Elrick ect... pero en estética clásica este fodera me pone burro. 

 

Adjunto alguna foto aunque por aqui arriba, he visto alguna de mi bajo. 

 

https://www.doctorbass.net/es/c/?iddoc=1000171618

 

 

no se como añadir fotos desde mi galeria... jejeje

google:

Hi, I return to this thread to tell you about my experience as the owner of a Fodera nyc Deluxe 5 strings and 24 frets.
It is a heavy bass, it is not light I have others lighter than the fodera, and even here the bad I have to say about this bass. For me, it's wonderful, I have dual pickups so you get two sounds, one more modern and one more jazz bass than ever, but with those foolish touches, I have to confess that it is not a plug and play bass either, as a precision bass or a fender jazz bass that is plug and play, I would say from my experience that it took me a few months to adapt, to get everything it can give and I imagine that until you do it, it is like that, but when you adapt and You make it yours is the best I've ever tried, in concerts and on recordings it sounds beastly, it doesn't need anything, the neck is butter apart from being very nice, it allows a ridiculously low action without frets although I personally have certain frets that I like. The preamp is two-band with passive tone control, and to go from duals to singles. The body is in ash with a maple top and the bird's eye maple fingerboard, the three-piece maple mat and the headstock has a precious rosewood plate, the color is defined as "transparent grape". In short, I am delighted with him, I love the lacklands, the MTDs, the Elrick ect ... but in classic aesthetics this fodera makes me stupid.
 
I am attaching a photo although up here, I have seen some of my bass.
 
https://www.doctorbass.net/es/c/?iddoc=1000171618
 
 
I don't know how to add photos from my gallery ... hehehe 

[dafonky]

On 09/05/2020 at 22:23, Belka said:

No idea. I'd guess it's probably real but has been refinished by an owner or perhaps the Japanese shop.The body doesn't look cheap to me, it doesn't have the neck heel carve but not all of them did. I just don't think the finish is particularly attractive.

 I don't think it's a carbon fibre neck either, just carbon effect lacquer as you say. 

I honestly don't think anyone would fake an NYC. Contrary to what some people believe, the vast majority of Fodera copies are poorly executed Chinese jobs that no-one would ever confuse with the real thing. If someone had access to Fodera pickups/hardware and the luthiery skills and wanted to fake a bass they'd probably do a custom, not an NYC, as they could charge a lot more money for it. 

So, it's almost certainly the real thing, with an unconventional refinish. The pickups with the Fodera butterfly on them are Lane Poors. 

Hi everybody

 

here my experience with the early 90‘ies „pre serial „ NYC Empire models: 

the carved body/ neck heel came after 1999 , on the second generation of NYC Empire basses . The first series basses from 1994-1999 had standard Fender like bolt on necks and body shape and heel. They were built in small batches when Fodera was , as you mentioned, a small shop with a handfull of people working there. None of the bodies were exactly the same, they are hand carved. 
( i had a pickguard made especially for one NYC bass which did not fit exactly on my other NYC basses ).
I have played several of these old NYC Jazz basses , most of them ( 90% of the ones i ever saw later )  had 60‘ies Jazz bass pickup spacing ,( alder and ash bodies, maple necks or thick rosewood fretboards) and at that time , a lot of them were 4 stringers …..the reissue models/ second version

 ( starting 2001 I think ) were mainly 5 string basses , with the carved neck heel. and not the classic  Fender neck/ body bolt on system . All of them have an active circuit , with active/passive switch or push/pull knob.

Pickups are Bartolini, EMG , Lindy Fralin , Lane Poor or Seymour Duncan  on early 90‘ies models, different hardware ( black, chrome or gold finish)  sometimes even  bridges found on Emperor or other more expensive models. Most of the 90‘ies models have a quilted top . ( a lot of them were even fretless models ! ) 

All of the 4 string basses come  with a D-tuner . 

5 stringers mostly had angled headstock and three piece neck, 4 string basses not. Some early basses had the back of the body painted in black  ( while the top was quilted ) , these are NO fakes , but looked a bit cheap though ! The blue one above even had the back of the neck in black…….

 

These old models are really nice basses , a bit heavy weight, but very reliable instruments.

 

Best regards 

Edited February 21, 2023 by dafonky
Correction