Fodera Club Part II

[Just Thumpin']

His new bass looks almost exactly like his old one. The only changes to the build were:

1. Woods were selected for light weight (swamp ash body instead of northern ash);
2. 33" scale instead of 34";
3. Slightly smaller body.

The last two were at Richard's request -- "to make a more portable, easier gigging instrument."

Cool! Finally Fodera is handling their business issues.

So, Just Thumpin', do you have any pictures of Bona's new Imperial? Or maybe some specs? 3,5 years....this one better be good

 

[Just Thumpin']

A fair point, but keep in mind that this is the FIRST bass that Vinny Fodera ever built to his own specs and not as an order -- the first time in 26 years and 3,000 instruments. He also slotted in work on it in between all of the other orders which is why the woods were selected in March, but the bass was not finished until September...

Yes, I am now part of the Fodera Team, so perhaps I am biased, but it does not seem unreasonable for Vinny and Joey to take a little time out to celebrate / commemorate 26 years of building and their 3,000th instrument.

Please see my next post about build scheduling...Cheers!

So whilst people are waiting half a lifetime for a fodera they still put in the time for something no one has actually ordered?
No wonder...
Prioritizing really doesn't seem a strong suit of theirs

 

[thndrstk6]

His new bass looks almost exactly like his old one. The only changes to the build were:

1. Woods were selected for light weight (swamp ash body instead of northern ash);
2. 33" scale instead of 34";
3. Slightly smaller body.

The last two were at Richard's request -- "to make a more portable, easier gigging instrument."

Interesting. Should be cool.

Thanks a lot.

 

[auvergne81]

no one to answer to me ... (((

by the way, me too i'm in the club, i have a 4 st. emperor deluxe, with 2 simple pickups SM, and it sounds so amazing !!!!!!!!! my only regret is not to buy it with buckeye burl top

 

[Just Thumpin']

Foderas do get stolen from time to time, but unless they get reported to the shop, there is no way for us to know about it...when looking at a specific instrument you can email or call the shop to find out if there is any information that we have about it.

Hope that helps!

thank you for your quickly answer !! i ask it because i had a friend who want to buy one used, and he's affraid to buy one which have stolen ... it happens often ? you've informations about this ???
thanks for your answer !!!!!!!!

Fodera is great !

 

[auvergne81]

thank you for your answer, can i mail you for this bass my friend want to buy ???

 

[Christian Houmann]

no one to answer to me ... (((

by the way, me too i'm in the club, i have a 4 st. emperor deluxe, with 2 simple pickups SM, and it sounds so amazing !!!!!!!!! my only regret is not to buy it with buckeye burl top

Pics

 

[Christian Houmann]

His new bass looks almost exactly like his old one. The only changes to the build were:

1. Woods were selected for light weight (swamp ash body instead of northern ash);
2. 33" scale instead of 34";
3. Slightly smaller body.

The last two were at Richard's request -- "to make a more portable, easier gigging instrument."

Cool! Also with EMG?

 

[rb1]

... it does not seem unreasonable for Vinny and Joey to take a little time out to celebrate / commemorate 26 years of building and their 3,000th instrument.

No kidding! I can't understand why anyone would complain about them making one the way they want to make it, just for themselves.

They've been making about 115 of the best custom-made instruments you can buy anywhere in the world for other people for each of the past 26 years. So they celebrate by making one to please themselves, and you share pictures of every step along the way with everyone here, and people complain? If Vinny and Joey decided to celebrate by taking a vacation, would people complain about that, too?

 

[cnltb]

No kidding! I can't understand why anyone would complain about them making one the way they want to make it, just for themselves.

They've been making about 115 of the best custom-made instruments you can buy anywhere in the world for other people for each of the past 26 years. So they celebrate by making one to please themselves, and you share pictures of every step along the way with everyone here, and people complain? If Vinny and Joey decided to celebrate by taking a vacation, would people complain about that, too?

Just in case you are referring to my post;
I am not complaining.
In case you're not... well, that's cool too.

 

[rb1]

Just in case you are referring to my post;
I am not complaining.
In case you're not... well, that's cool too.

Nothing personal... I just wanted to remind people that Fodera makes great basses and the commemorative 3000th instrument is Vinny's and Joey's work of art, made the way they want it, and we should be happy they chose to share it with us.

 

[cnltb]

Nothing personal... I just wanted to remind people that Fodera makes great basses and the commemorative 3000th instrument is Vinny's and Joey's work of art, made the way they want it, and we should be happy they chose to share it with us.

 

[drbakker]

No kidding! I can't understand why anyone would complain about them making one the way they want to make it, just for themselves.

Hi RB1, you're right, but.... some people have been waiting pretty long for instruments. In my case, my yin yang 4 string was due Dec 2007, and now the most recent due date is June 2010. That's 2 1/2 years late.
Jason and I have talked, and he is a great guy and is doing a great job handling the situation (i have an imperial on order that's very late too), but I'm sure there are folks with instruments even later than mine - so I'm not surprised people are sensitive about what is going on in the shop. Please don't read this as complaining, I'm truly anxious to get my instruments and I wish Jason the best of luck getting a handle on production schedules.

 

[rb1]

... Please don't read this as complaining

It's OK with me if you want to complain that it's taking a loooong time to get the bass you want. It is a long time to wait for something.

But it doesn't seem fair, as some people may have done, to complain that Vinny wanted to finally make one for himself, and it doesn't seem reasonable to expect him to wait until he finishes everyone else's before doing something for himself. Vinny and Joey (et. al.) are not machines, and Fodera is not a factory with raw materials shoved in at one end and completed basses rolling off the assembly line at the other end.

Art takes time, and it's worth the wait.

OTOH, it is very good news that the business has received more capital, and it will be managed more efficiently in the future, and more people will be hired and trained. Hopefully these changes will reduce the wait time for everyone.

Just Thumpin' said he wants to keep hearing complaints so he can learn about and fix problems. But everyone should remember that Vinny and Joey and everyone at Fodera are people. The fact that they are human beings, and they spend some of their time doing things for themselves, rather than for us, is not a problem.

 

[KJung]

It's OK with me if you want to complain that it's taking a loooong time to get the bass you want. It is a long time to wait for something.

But it doesn't seem fair, as some people may have done, to complain that Vinny wanted to finally make one for himself, and it doesn't seem reasonable to expect him to wait until he finishes everyone else's before doing something for himself. Vinny and Joey (et. al.) are not machines, and Fodera is not a factory with raw materials shoved in at one end and completed basses rolling off the assembly line at the other end.

Art takes time, and it's worth the wait.

OTOH, it is very good news that the business has received more capital, and it will be managed more efficiently in the future, and more people will be hired and trained. Hopefully these changes will reduce the wait time for everyone.

Just Thumpin' said he wants to keep hearing complaints so he can learn about and fix problems. But everyone should remember that Vinny and Joey and everyone at Fodera are people. The fact that they are human beings, and they spend some of their time doing things for themselves, rather than for us, is not a problem.

Sorry, you are WAY off base here. Having customers that are WAY behind the promised date, and then taking weeks and weeks to build a 'vanity bass'... you've got to be kidding.

This is an example of the ridiculous decisions made by that shop that hopefully 'Just Thumpin' will eliminate.

Read what you just posted, and then consider how the dozens and dozens of guys who were promised a bass YEARS ago, and have THOUSANDS of dollars paid to either Fodera directly or retailers feel when they see a bass that 'Vinnie wanted to build for himself' show up

My god. To me, it is literally disgusting. In my business, if I had ONE unhappy customer, the LAST thing I would be doing is 'celebrating'. Something is REALLY not right at that shop. I'm hoping Just Thumpin' has the balls to fix it, since the product is, for the most part, very good.

 

[peterpalmieri]

^Well said

 

[Tom7]

Huh.

When I read rb1's post, I was agreeing with him, but now that I've read Ken's last post, I am totally swayed the opposite direction. I was wrong; Ken is right.

If Vinny can make himself a bass without it having a detrimental impact on his paying customers, THEN he should go for it.

Otherwise, he should take a number and get in line.

When his number comes up, THEN he should make a bass for himself.

THAT is the right way to get a bass made for yourself if you aren't going to hire resources enough to improve waiting times.

 

[rb1]

Having customers that are WAY behind the promised date, and then taking weeks and weeks to build a 'vanity bass'... you've got to be kidding.

ONE bass for himself in 26 years? You are being WAY too harsh! Cut the guy some slack.

Fodera has been building about 115 basses per year for 26 years. That's more than 2 per week! He didn't spend "weeks and weeks to build a 'vanity bass'". He fit it in around other projects, over several months time.

consider how the dozens and dozens of guys who were promised a bass YEARS ago... feel when they see a bass that 'Vinnie wanted to build for himself' show up.

I DID consider that. I specifically said it was entirely reasonable to complain that it was taking too long to deliver products. But to complain that in 26 years he took time out to build ONE bass for himself, to celebrate having built 3000, that is just ridiculous.

Don't any of you guys ever do ANYTHING for yourselves? Let's be honest about it!

 

[KJung]

I realize I get a little intense on some of these issues, but as a fellow small business owner, customer service is a topic I take very seriously.

I again am excited that Just Thumpin' and his investors are now involved, and my guess (and hope) is that these types of issues are a thing of the past.

Again, fine basses, although, as I always post, no more fine than MTD's, FBasses, or a variety of other high end, hand made instruments. Let's hope this will be a great 'reset' for them, and that within a year or so that house is totally in order and running smoothly!

 

[The_Owl]

This thread has too much talk and not enough pics