paulie

The G and L 2000 is a lovely bass but you need to try before you buy as I have owned two in my time, one sounded great and the other crap in comparison and this was not due to woods or build quality (which are always reliably consistent) but it was due to the pickups. Different winds on each I guess

No I dont And thats just my point. Ive seen them and played them in shops but never played one live or owned one. And that is why I am suggesting that there possibly is something special about them that makes them worth the money, something that only an owner who has gigged one regularly can tell you! That after you try one you will never go back. OOPs Rich, I just realised your comment was aimed at another Basschatter. You can ignore the above Cheers Paulie

Ill leave with this final comment : I have decided that Fodera's and Alembics are overpriced becaue I have a rough idea of what instruments of their specs (workmanship, electronics, exotic woods etc) should cost. But one thing I am missing is the fact that I have never owned one of these instruments. Maybe there is something special about them that makes them worth the money. Just like you the way you cant see why every body fusses over pre cbs Jazz Bass until you eventually get to play one and the penny drops. Ill leave it to Alembic and Fodera owners to decide. DO you think they sell for a fair price? Do you feel that the high price tag was worth it because possibly now own the best bass you will ever have and your search for great tone is over? IF the answer is yes, then I guess 6k is a small price to pay. CHeers

[quote name='bubinga5' date='Feb 22 2010, 09:51 AM' post='753525'] they are great basses im sure...but you would be amazed how people get seduced by a high price tag.....£5- 6000.. oh its got to be the best there is surely!! this goes for lots of consumer items Yes this is what Im driving at! Its a case of The Emperor's New CLothes with Fodera and Alembic. And as bad as Fodera's prices are some of the Alembics go for silly money. If you take a model on thier website with a standard finish and you go to upgrade the top to flame maple, that upgrade option alone can add 1k to the price!!!!!! IF you take a Chris Larkin bass with a standard top and opt to upgrade to the same quality of flame maple, he will charge an additional 200 quid!!!!, now I know he may have less overheads etc than Alembic but he uses the best woods and spends ages making each bass. If we keep accepting that its ok to pay 5k plus for a standard instrument then the suppliers will feel its ok to keep charging that for them. This is the very think that brought my conuntry into recession because knowbody put their foot down and said NO, THATS TOO EXPENSIVE, PULL YOUR HEAD IN MR SUPPLIER, ILL PAY 3,500 TO YOU AND YOUL STILL HAVE THE MOST EXPENISVE INSTRUMENTS ON THE BLOCK BUT IM NOT GIVING YOU 6K FOR SOMETHING THATS REALLY ONLY WORTH HALF THAT!

There have been lots of interesting responses here but just to clarify a couple of things : Firstly, this is not a slur on Fodera or the people who own them. They are beautiful basses and truth be told I would love a 4 string Wooten Monarch. But thats why I started this post, the rediculous cost of getting one. If you took the Monarch and went for one with a buckeye top and their std electronics configuration you would be up on 6k or more possibly If you got the same bass made by Sei in London and went for the exact same woods and materials you would be paying below 3k, included in this would be other top luthiers like Chris Larkin etc etc and the list goes on. My question is to Vinny Fodera himself (plus the guys at Alembic) " Why does your bass cost twice as much as these others when you all use the same materials, build process, quality and final result is of the same quality overall " How do you justify your price???? The answer I may get is that its more expensive to run a business in New York due to higher rents, running costs etc. The endorsemtents that they have such as Victor Wooten add more cost, they spend more on advertising and that costs. But I guess the real answer is as many of you have pointed out : they charge what they charge because they can, the demand is there (as can be seen from the lead times) And thats just the way it is in every market, luxury goods, electronics, cars etc. So I guess if I want one, Ill just have to get in line and start saving hard. Gorgeous basses though!

Dont get me wrong, they look like gorgeous basses but why on earth are Fodera's as expensive as they are? Are they just the "in thing" at the moment or am I missing something. Your thoughts please