Kiwi

I was playing just now and noticed Jon's got the piezo and MIDI volumes swapped over...no wonder I was struggling with the layout of the knobs this afternoon! The bass sounds like a piano, no deadspots anywhere and each note sounds HUGE. Its a little like a graphite neck in that respect but with slightly less clatter. Its even a little Fodera-esque in terms of its playability and dryness but with slightly more sparkle. Listening to the piezo in stereo with a spot of chorus and reverb is divine. The bass does feel quite stiff though which I guess is understandable given it probably hasn't had a lot of time with strings on. The eq Jon fitted doesn't have the mid-sweep control because the unit he had wasn't working properly and the mid frequency on the installed pre isn't really centred to take out the lower mids. He also has some smaller control knobs for the piezo and MIDI volume. Its great to be able to flick through MIDI patches using the MIDI program change switch without having to step on something though.

Bass duly collected today. It all works, much to Jon's relief. After a few tweaks to the gain settings and pick-up coil configuration it was good to go and it's exactly what I ordered. The instrument has Jon's typically robust midrange response and I spent part of this afternoon regailing him with the sound of swooshy synths and string sections - much to his amusement. After being on the Spector for so long, the wider neck (which was based on my Smith 6) is going to take a little getting used to but the pickups sound exactly the way I hoped they would, I'm going to try it through a few amps to see how growly it gets. The piezo pickups sound gorgeous, there's a brightness but also a chewiness to the midrange (think a nylon stringed guitar) which makes solo playing sound really nice. There were a few issues with strings making contact with the saddles properly, they weren't supplied with bass strings in mind it seems. So Jon had to spend some time reprofiling the slots so the string would make better contact. I suspect that this might prove to be a bit of an achilles heel but apart from that its great! With the pitch to midi convertor, there's a fair bit of setting up needed I suspect. There's also quite noticable lag on the B string as well. I'm hoping the Axon AX100 can be set up to recognise the transients better. It was getting dark when I got home, so here are a few taster shots pending better light tomorrow. (Apologies for the goddawful carpet)

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='415278' date='Feb 20 2009, 01:37 PM']Here's my GAS contribution: Ok, i'm wierd, I like art deco and I like fancy woods. Not sure if they sound any good but after all it's just GAS.[/quote] Oh blimey, you too? We need to talk some time...

Its a good commercial move, the biggest market retail sector is the beginners market.

welcome aboard hope you hang around for a bit

Someone was spam link baiting and I've deleted all their posts. It's often being done by real people for internet marketing companies and its going to happen more as the forum gets higher rankings on google unfortunately.

[quote name='YouMa' post='413783' date='Feb 19 2009, 12:12 AM']Im with you dude but i think the whole reason i play so well is because i have sort of bought into a dream,so many legends have started with workhorse fenders ,the old mojos a good fuel for good playing. Dont worry though if i get rich ill get a 62 jazz and a fodera,you can keep which ever wins the sound off im sure we will both go home happy.[/quote] I'll be keeping an eye on your posts in the gear porn forum then... I wouldn't compare a 62 jazz to a fodera though, they're dramatically different instruments. I have a 65 jazz with me at the moment and I really like it as a bass. Its lovely and warm and benign. But I don't know at the moment that its worth the asking price. The nostalgia isn't that relevant to me.

[quote name='YouMa' post='413760' date='Feb 18 2009, 11:37 PM']With old fenders and things i think its more of a spiritual thing. My uncle derek had a 62 strat that he never played it was imported from a guy who lived just outside nashville when i picked it up it sounds stupid but i just though about all the guys who played it and the gigs they played,when i wasnt even a twinkle in my teenage fathers eyes.[/quote] I think that's fair comment. If anyone buys a vintage Ferrari, the astronomical price tag is justified by the history. That kind of reflects on what kicked off the whole preCBS Fender thing in the first place, namely nostalgia and affluent baby boomers. However how much is that history worth? Bass players are considered by many luthiers to be more open minded than guitarists but where does the line between open mindedness and gullibility lie?

I think the thing to bear in mind is that if you want "the best" then someone out there is going to persuade you they're giving it to you and ask for a huge amount of money in return. Part of the mystique of Fodera comes from the exclusivity, there aren't enough instruments around for everyone to try and form a consensus. In such situations, the rumour tends to form the consensus and that can be augmented by over excited individuals who have managed to save enough to buy the instrument and want to justify their expenditure. The hype feeds itself in these situations. Its a very clever and cunning psychological marketing strategy based on a premise of exclusivity, aspiration and added value. Try before you buy otherwise don't believe the hype. They're definitely nice instruments but...how much are you prepared to pay for "x" improvement in quality? I would love for BGM to do a blind test of a reissue 62 Fender Jazz against a preCBS 62 Fender Jazz against a 20 year old Jazz bass (which is what preCBS Fenders were when the whole nostalgia thing originally kicked off in the 80's). Even if you noticed a difference, would you be prepared to pay £4000 more for the improvement? What are you buying for your money? Bragging rights? Have you looked at how much it costs in insurance alone to OWN a 62 Jazz? (All rhetorical questions, I might add)

I look at something like that with so many drivers as the work of the devil. I find it difficult to believe that the transient attack will be as crisp and clean as a single driver.

Me too, I forgot to mention that we had to drop the XLR output in the end as there wasn't room for it and there wasn't really a lot of justification for it at the end of the day. But to have the bass fully powered off the MIDI cable will be something! I'm going to take one of the Celinder Jazz basses up with me on Saturday for Jon to compare to the jazz basses he's already made.

The aesthetics are a matter of personal taste, the Beez Elite is the sexiest single cut I've ever seen. If someone considers a fender or musicman their ideal bass then it stands to reason that they probably won't see much value in a Fodera. I personally think they sound a little dry although the necks are reputedly super stable as they're glued up and left to settle in for 2-3 years before being used in an actual bass. I've toyed with the idea of owning a Fodera in the past but there are a lot of other basses out there which are nearly as good and the difference isn't worth £2000 extra to me, personally.

[quote name='dood' post='412777' date='Feb 18 2009, 10:05 AM']For real? ;o) I haven't heard from him very much at all this year! Think I have had about 5 mails total! lol lol[/quote] Well I hadn't heard much from him either until the last few months. Had to call him usually because he doesn't like the way emailing sucks up so much time. So I'm guessing he doesn't do it unless absolutely necessary because I'm still waiting for him to email me a couple of shots of the finished bass which he says are on his camera.

[quote name='basswesty' post='412724' date='Feb 18 2009, 09:11 AM']Oh, how true is that. There is sooooo much tone from [b]how[/b][i][/i] you play a fender. Its not just about plugging a playing.[/quote] Are you seriously suggesting that Fenders are the only passive jazz/precision type designs that are capable of being dynamic?

Alesis Quadraverb, its a little dated but otherwise there's nothing wrong with them. You can often pick the originals up for less than the price of an effects pedal! I've even seen one sell on Ebay for £30.

Thats one of the nicest single cut designs I've seen since the Fodera Beez Elite. Who made it?

[quote name='chris_b' post='412239' date='Feb 17 2009, 05:20 PM']Fenders are cheap, plentiful, can be easily replaced and bounce when your roady drops them. If I was on a tour with dozens of people milling around back stage I wouldn't take my Wal![/quote] Fender Jazz and Precisions are generally accepted as an industry standard and have been for a loooong time.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='411757' date='Feb 17 2009, 10:11 AM']Have you owned a fender copy CK? If not, you've done well to avoid their designs for so long.[/quote] I had a Fender copy as my first bass for a year and then lasted for the next 16 years without ever owning another Fender inspired instrument. At least until I had a purple, custom graphite necked jazz made in 2002. I'm currently mulling over the purchase of my first Fender but will give myself until Sunday to make a decision. The Celinders are hard to beat as workhorses.

[quote name='matski' post='411894' date='Feb 17 2009, 12:38 PM']Just to add some more info: I own a Cutlass I which is dated as Sept 1983 on the heel of the neck - however it is a little different to yours... It is not 'string through body' and has a 4-bolt neck.[/quote] Most Cutlass basses were made with this neck fixing. Whats the serial number on yours? Is the neck capable of low action? [quote name='matski' post='411894' date='Feb 17 2009, 12:38 PM']The I is the 'StingRay' Cutlass, the II is the 'Sabre' Cutlass innit.[/quote] Yes, thats correct.

[quote name='JPJ' post='411851' date='Feb 17 2009, 12:07 PM']Just make sure your digi cam is fully charged that you have plenty of space in your photobucket account. I'm not saying that we are desparate for finished pictures of this baby, but it would be such a shame if you were attacked by a basschat lynch mob so soon after taking delivery of your new bass. Remember, we [u]KNOW[/u] where Peterborough is [/quote] LOL, I'd better make sure the camera battery pack is fully charged then...

I've never owned a Fender, in 23 years of playing. Other basses have done the job better.

OK Jon says the wiring has been completed and the bass will be ready for collection this weekend!!! He's left the finish matt for now because he didn't want to mark the gloss finish while he was working on the electrics. But it will be glossed up later in the week. He's also going to try and finish both guitar bodies for me this week so that (hopefully) I can take them back with me as well. It'll be like bloody christmas at my place on Sunday with various guitar parts and stuff to play around on. Growing up is overrated.

Status Stealth II 5 string headless is the only bass thing I've still got a genuine hankering for. All my other bass buttons have been pushed. Outside of bass: 1980's Fender Concert (although the reissues look nice too) My strat (still being finished by Mr Shuker) My headless guitar (body is still being made by Mr Shuker) Roland JV1080 synth with the vintage expansion card Roland V-bass Roland TDK drum kit However the reality is that in the current economic climate I'd be a fool to pay for these while the job front is still so uncertain. In any case, I'm pretty much done unless someone ends up making some lightweight wedge bass cabs before I go out and buy all the tools and wood myself.

Love your demos, very early 80's disco and RnB influence. You've definitely got a sound forming. Do you have any tracks that are a little faster or more driven?