Okay...I am the TB guy alluded to earlier in the thread that "actually owns Fodera." To make that statement correct, I should add that I am one of several owners. Vinny and Joey started the Company in 1983 and I have been blessed to become their partner and work on crafting these basses. In all, there are actually nine of us that have some level of ownership in the Company...Joey, Vinny and I are the largest percentage owners, but everyone that has ownership is very actively involved in making Fodera what it is.
Now, to the discussion of price. If you check out the Fodera Club threads (use the search and read back through the first, second and third threads too), there has been a TON of discussion about our pricing. Believe me, if we could figure out how to keep our quality at the level we demand of ourselves and make them more affordable, we would. None of us are getting rich by making these instruments. We do it because we love it and, thank goodness, the market has been good to the brand and allowed us pricing that keeps the doors open.
All of that said...some facts to help frame the discussion...
1. When you talk about the costs of a Fodera, please keep in mind that unless you start adding options, the street prices for brand new, custom built instruments range from $5,625 for a 4-string Monarch Bolt-on to $8,500 for any one of our 6-string Elite instruments. Those would be configured with an excellent top (non-solid on the Elite) and either EMG or Fodera pups.
2. The prices that everyone talks about above those levels are because players choose to add options. Yes, you could argue that stepping up to Fodera / Duncan (or Aero) dual coils is a "necessary option" in order to achieve a desired tone, but even those only add $450 (4-string) or $550 (5 or 6 string) to the Street Price of the instruments.
3. Because our instruments are all unique and handmade, the Street Prices listed in number one above include many possible customizations that are significant extras for other builders...you can choose your neck profile, string spacing, body size, body thickness, etc., all at no additional charge. We routinely have customers come in with their favorite playing bass and say things like, "when you build my bass, I want the neck to be EXACTLY like this one, I want the body to be 1/8" thinner than your normal thickness and I want it to be slightly smaller all around" and we do it...no questions asked, no charge. That is just part of crafting our instruments.
4. Options like solid tops (on our Elite instruments), exotic wood tops, 5-piece necks (or 9 or even 11 piece necks), matching wooden pickup covers, complicated inlays, Brazilian Rosewood FB's, wooden back plates, etc. all make the instruments highly personal, but they do NOT add to their playability and/or tone. Despite this fact, 90% of our customers avail themselves of at least some of these options.
5. In an age mechanization and factory out-sourcing, our custom instruments remain 100% born and bred right here in Brooklyn, NY and the average Fodera still takes over 40 hours of hand time to create. Think about that...GM takes less than 15 hours to build a car and we will spend an average of 40 hours building your bass.
Foderas are not for everyone and that is okay. Foderas cost what they do because of the way they are made and the materials that we use to make them. But the "real" price for a new Fodera to make music is $5,625 - $8,500...not $12,000 or $15,000...unless you want them to be because you are building your dream bass and want it with options that are important to you. Many of our players see working with us to build their dream bass as both a reward for the thousands of hours they spent honing their art as well as the final piece of the puzzle in having an instrument that exactly meets their unique musical needs.
We remain very thankful that we get to work with many wonderful people and that we love what we do...
