Pete Academy Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I know there are Fodera owners on the forum. The closest I have come to seeing one is when Janek Gwizdala came to our shop for a clinic, but I was too timid to ask for a go. My questions are: Have many of you tried one? Are they as great sounding as claimed? Are they so much better than other hand-built basses, like Roscoe, Ritter, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Wal, etc? Just curious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 The funny thing is, out of all the basses you've named in your post, i've only tried a Fodera so couldn't really say. Most expensive bass other than that i've played is £1500. I tried the Victor Wooten sig at bass day last year, was it worth the extra £6000 i'm not sure, but if it's in your means to buy one i can't say i wouldn't consider one. Anyways, i'll stay quiet as theres some much more knowledgeable guys on here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319566693' post='1415926'] I know there are Fodera owners on the forum. The closest I have come to seeing one is when Janek Gwizdala came to our shop for a clinic, but I was too timid to ask for a go. My questions are: Have many of you tried one? Are they as great sounding as claimed? Are they so much better than other hand-built basses, like Roscoe, Ritter, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Wal, etc? Just curious... [/quote] IMO once you get past the sub £200 Fender copy market, basses are not substitutes for each other. There is no "best" just ones that suit [i][b]YOU[/b][/i] better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319566693' post='1415926'] I know there are Fodera owners on the forum. The closest I have come to seeing one is when Janek Gwizdala came to our shop for a clinic, but I was too timid to ask for a go. My questions are: Have many of you tried one? Are they as great sounding as claimed? Are they so much better than other hand-built basses, like Roscoe, Ritter, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Wal, etc? Just curious... [/quote] The truth is they are probably all on a par with each other....They are all quality instruments. As far as their sound goes,all the notable players sound like themselves-Victor sounds different from Janek,who sounds different from Tom Kennedy. At that level of instrument it's all down to favouritism rather than 'better'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1319567042' post='1415942'] IMO once you get past the sub £200 Fender copy market, basses are not substitutes for each other. There is no "best" just ones that suit [i][b]YOU[/b][/i] better. [/quote] +1... i have no interest in owning a Fodera.. i personally would feel ostentatious owning and playing one.... there are basses that are made as well for a lot less im sure... They have one of the greatest names in the business, with a marketing exclusivity to match.. but for me its a bit too exclusive... from the highest budget to the lowest, different people enjoy different instruments... Edited October 25, 2011 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vibrating G String Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I've played many of them over the last 25 years. They have all been top notch high quality basses. IMO there is no Fodera sound, some are made to sound just like a J bass and most are played by people who have learned how to use knobs instead of money to get their sound. They have used so many different pickups and preamps over the years that many tones are available. None of which are exclusive to Fodera. It's kind of like asking if a $50 bottle of wine will get you more drunk than a $5 bottle. To me a Fodera is art, if you don't want to pay for that you can get the same tone and playability for a fraction of the price but you have to be cool on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1319567042' post='1415942'] IMO once you get past the sub £200 Fender copy market, basses are not substitutes for each other. There is no "best" just ones that suit [i][b]YOU[/b][/i] better.[/quote] +1. FWIW I've played a few and haven't been blown away. I've vastly preferred most of the Seis and Alembics I've played. IMO my custom-built Alembic Triple O was leagues above any Fodera I've tried, although YMMV. I also A-B'd my Sei Melt singelcut with a Fodera Yin Yang prior to buying and preferred the Sei, although the YY was the nicest Fodera I've played. At the last Bass Day Molan kindly let me play on a buckeye Fodera, but I preferred his Zon which was a fun bass. I also preferred some of the ACGs and the Everson I played. And I quite honestly vastly prefer my 2 old Rics, although to be honest I've never played any bass I like as much as my main '72. Horses for courses. I'd love to try a Matt Garrison though, I think they look spectacular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBH Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I've had to the opportunity to play several Foderas over the years, found them all to be slightly underwhelming in terms of tone and feel. They're fine if you like that sort of thing but I wouldn't class them as the holy grail of basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1319567042' post='1415942'] IMO once you get past the sub £200 Fender copy market, basses are not [typically] substitutes for each other. There is no "best" just ones that suit [i][b]YOU[/b][/i] better. [/quote] Very true. What suits your taste now may change as your tastes change in the future. For example, I used to love the sound of Ken Smith basses... but now I think they sound awful [i][u]in my hands[/u][/i]. I used to dig the sound of Wooten's Fodera, Tony Grey's Fodera, and Tom Kennedy's Fodera, but now I hear artefacts in each of their sounds that turns me off them [u][i]for my own purposes[/i][/u]. But I acquired a Wood&tronics that [u][i]suits me [/i][/u]down to the ground. The basses I've just mentioned are stellar instruments, it's just a question of whether it suits you or not. Supply and demand means that Fodera can charge more for their work, because of the perception that the public has they never run dry of punters. Now, whether that perception is justified or true for you Pete (or any one of us) is something that only you can decide on. DISCLAIMER: I think Foderas (and Smiths) are fantastic basses and my comments are not to bash any basses, but just to illustrate a point objectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319566693' post='1415926'] I know there are Fodera owners on the forum. The closest I have come to seeing one is when Janek Gwizdala came to our shop for a clinic, but I was too timid to ask for a go. My questions are: Have many of you tried one? Are they as great sounding as claimed? Are they so much better than other hand-built basses, like Roscoe, Ritter, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Wal, etc? Just curious... [/quote] As an aside.. How many of those are hand-built basses...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Depends where you draw the line on what constitutes hand-built and what constitutes non-hand-built. At one extreme, does it need to be 100% done by hand to be truly hand-built? E.g. pickups wound by hand by the luthier, the casings moulded by the luthier himself, the preamp designed and built by hand by the luthier, the bridge, the tuners, etc. In which case, I can't name a single truly hand-built bass. At the other extreme, if you're getting at companies like Sadowsky or Suhr just 'fitting' necks and bodies together, watch some of their factory tours to get an idea of the actual amount of work that goes into making their basses. It's far from a Warmoth/USACG DIY job then slap a sticker on it and its done. For example, Suhr have their necks and bodies cut VERRRRRY ROUGHLY to size, but the actual profiling and coarse then fine shaping and detailing is all done by hand/human operation of woodwork tools (machines or otherwise). There's still a lot of artistry going on behind the scenes despite the idea it's ALL CNC... sure, quite a bit of it IS CNC, but it guarantees the quality and consistency of each batch, married with the talent and skill of the luthiers there. Best of both worlds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I was a bit sceptical about a bass costing that much and I can't imagine ordering one anytime soon, but I played a 4 string Fodera at a jam session a while ago and it was certainly the best bass that I have ever played! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I've played 3 that the Gallery have had over the years. One was the most awesome think I'd ever put my hands on at the time (5 string Emperor Dlx). The other 2 (both 4 strings of some description - 1 may have been a Vic Wooten 'sig' but can't recall) could have been described as mediocre at best. The next person along would have a different opinion, and rightly so, so it's horses for courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My interpretation of hand made is a hand routed body and neck and sanded down by hand. This would probably be done but a one or two, maybe 3 man op producing 50 odd basses a year, for example. As for Sadowsky or some others, I wouldn't be too concerned about that part of it...as long as I could get a few mods that I wanted to suit. The build quality would have to be a given. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I've tried a couple and liked them, but not enough to pay the huge money they go for. Putting aside the exchange rate, if they were about £1800 to £2500 I might consider one but £5K plus is far too much. Especially as the high price is more about limited supply and high(ish) demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I bought a Fodera Monarch once and I loved playing it at home, fast neck, really low action...just great. Finally I took it along to a gig and it just drowned in the mix, I couldn't hear a thing, something in the midtones which were lacking.. I kept going back to the amplifier and turned the controls but it didn't really change a thing.. I had the impression after two gigs that it just didn't work in a mainstream band, I have to admit it was the standard Monarch version (costed me around 3000 euros second-hand), not the expensive model although I had a picture of Wooten playing my bass in the UK. I sold it after a while and I found more "usuable" sounds in cheaper basses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 So, is it more the player than the bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319657187' post='1417018'] So, is it more the player than the bass? [/quote] I think so. Janek still sounds great on a P-Bass or his new Ibanez. Tom Kennedy sounded great on his Yamaha,as does Tony Grey.Richard Bona sounds great on his Pensa or NY Bass Works. A lot of the high profile Fodera players are ridiculously good that it has helped to give the brand a huge prestige,but any of the guys would (and do) play and sound great on other instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]From looking in (I've only once been the same room as a Fodera) It seems to me that they are fantastic instruments but ownership is about joining a club. The club that has Anthony Jackson, Victor Wooten etc as members. It's a club that I'd love to join, but even I would feel silly playing Mustang Sally on a Fodera Imperial Elite![/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][font="Times New Roman"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 [quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1319650262' post='1416909']I bought a Fodera Monarch once and I loved playing it at home, fast neck, really low action...just great. Finally I took it along to a gig and it just drowned in the mix, I couldn't hear a thing, something in the midtones which were lacking.. I kept going back to the amplifier and turned the controls but it didn't really change a thing.. I had the impression after two gigs that it just didn't work in a mainstream band, I have to admit it was the standard Monarch version (costed me around 3000 euros second-hand), not the expensive model although I had a picture of Wooten playing my bass in the UK. I sold it after a while and I found more "usuable" sounds in cheaper basses...[/quote] This has been my experience with many of the boutiques I've owned. I guess a lot depends on the setting you're playing in; most of mine involve distorted guitars and they just seem to get lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I`ve always thought that their hats were quite nice. Oh, thats fedoras, I`ll get my coat...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1319706810' post='1417394'] I`ve always thought that their hats were quite nice. Oh, thats fedoras, I`ll get my coat...... [/quote] And take that ridiculous hat with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I've played quite a few different Foderas, Monarch / Emperor / Imperial & 4-5 different NYC's (although I think this thread is really targeted at the custom basses rather than the 'production' NYC line). I currently own an '86 Monarch 4 which is an '83 & vaguely similar to the original Wooten in that it has the slimmer body, no rear cutaway, original EMG pickups, HAZ pre-amp, wooden butterfly etc. It is, for me, simply the best bass I've ever played. Sounds great, pretty flexible tonal options from the HAZ/EMG PJ setup, lovely neck, nicely worn in and ultra comfortable. Every Fodera I've played has been really nice and the build quality is only matched by Alembic (in my exprience) but I consistantly find Alembics harder to get on with - just that old 'horses for courses' stuff again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawman Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 still never even seen a Fodera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I'm sooooo tempted to order a full custom build Fodera Monarch 4 - have a call booked with them next week to discuss body woods, top wood, fingerboard, pickups, pre-amp etc. Really looking forward to talking about what I want in terms of sound & feel and how they might be able to go about building this for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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