Fodera Club Part II

[black.rose1402]

that's a great idea FGY2, I know I hve pictures of my bass during the production process thanks to a GREAT GUY and really it's ajoy to see the your baby being made, really and it brings great memories when i decide to show to my friends and to myself.

moreover, it helps to make the wait more manageable

 

[cnltb]

I think an updated and improved website might be another idea.

 

[gusdn85]

Congraturaition!

I have a few question.

How many people are there in Fodera shop (include your team)?
What is their(New employees) role?

Although It is not for now and there are a few addition number, do you have plane to increase output #?
I want to know your expectation output # a year.

If there are that plane, I want to know how to increase #.

Thanks!

 

[Just Thumpin']

Working on it. 3-6 months away!

I think an updated and improved website might be another idea.

 

[Just Thumpin']

Thanks! There are now 9 of us, although not everyone works full time...us four newbies are focused on the business side of things so that Vinny, Joey, Vadym and Mike can do what they do best -- build basses.

We do hope that with better organization, removing the business work from Joey and Vinny and a little luck we will be able to increase production by several instruments per month within six months.

Much longer term, we need to bring on apprentices in the back of the shop so that when Vinny, Joey and Vadym don't want to build anymore, Fodera can still be a strong, vibrant company that continues to make world class instruments.

Frankly, our focus is much more on building a team of people that can produce incredibly high quality instruments and deliver exceptional customer service well into the future as opposed to becoming big. All of us love what we do, love the instruments we make and want to see Fodera live on long after all of us are gone.

It is a pretty strange misssion in this day and age, but to quote a dear friend, co-worker and one of the World's finest luthiers (Vadym Medved) -- "Jason, you are a strange capitalist." Nuff said...

Congraturaition!

I have a few question.

How many people are there in Fodera shop (include your team)?
What is their(New employees) role?

Although It is not for now and there are a few addition number, do you have plane to increase output #?
I want to know your expectation output # a year.

If there are that plane, I want to know how to increase #.

Thanks!

 

[thepontif]

Hey Jason, are you really only Thumpin', or is the implication that you've just FINISHED Thumpin'? And yes, I do pontificate.

 

[lamarjones]

Hey Jason, are you really only Thumpin', or is the implication that you've just FINISHED Thumpin'? And yes, I do pontificate.

But if he just finished thumpin then he ceases to be 'thumpin', which is not what he is doin?

 

[EliasR]

I took delivery of my fodera today. Absolutely great feel. A wonderful neck, certainly the best I've ever played. I had an initial moment of confusion when the jack turned out to be a little deeper than i thought but after that smooth sailing.

EDIT: Played around a little with the tone. I coaxed a great funky slap tone out of it, and also dialed in a nice walking tone. I can't get the vintage sound of my jazz but that's why I'm glad to have both on hand.

 

[cnltb]

I took delivery of my fodera today. Absolutely great feel. A wonderful neck, certainly the best I've ever played. I had an initial moment of confusion when the jack turned out to be a little deeper than i thought but after that smooth sailing.

EDIT: Played around a little with the tone. I coaxed a great funky slap tone out of it, and also dialed in a nice walking tone. I can't get the vintage sound of my jazz but that's why I'm glad to have both on hand.

Pictures?
Soundclips?
Pronto?

 

[FGY2]

I took delivery of my fodera today. Absolutely great feel.

Congratulations... Please post some pictures - thanx

 

[Tom7]

Pictures?
Soundclips?
Pronto?

+1

 

[rb1]

S.
j

That pic didn't show up. Maybe this will work:

PS: you have TOO MANY guitars and amps. I'm jealous!

 

[Jato]

THANKS!

I cant post pix from work due to the firewall.
That is my #1 of all time VW Sig.

Fabulous worksmanship, playability that's off the charts, and tone all day long.
Knocks the cat out whenever he sees it.

Thanks Fodera!



S.
j

ps
And, I DO have too many Guitars and Amps!

 

[rb1]

I cant post pix from work due to the firewall.

[off-topic?]
I suspect the real problem is that you tried to post a URL to photobucket with a parameter that photobucket has to read and then photobucket has to load the picture, and that isn't what the TB forum software expects inside an image tag. Since this could happen to anybody, here's an explanation of how I fixed it.

You posted:

http COLON SLASH SLASH s176 DOT photobucket DOT com SLASH albums SLASH w186 SLASH jato07 SLASH ?action=view&current=GuitarsFamilyKittyKatMeer054 DOT jpg

And I just changed it to:

http COLON SLASH SLASH s176 DOT photobucket DOT com SLASH albums SLASH w186 SLASH jato07 SLASH GuitarsFamilyKittyKatMeer054 DOT jpg

By removing "?action=view&current=" it becomes a direct link to the picture.

If anyone else encounters this problem posting pics from photobucket, you might want to try this simple edit and see if it works for you.
[end of off-topic?]

 

[thepontif]

That pic didn't show up. Maybe this will work:

PS: you have TOO MANY guitars and amps. I'm jealous!

It's just FIERCE!!! You can SEE it. Beautiful bass!!! But that cat is clearly a pussy.

 

[Tom7]

It's just FIERCE!!! You can SEE it. Beautiful bass!!! But that cat is clearly a pussy.

[Chuckle] I was wondering what kind of cat lies down in the SHADE instead of the sun? Perhaps (s)he has been there awhile and the sun moved?

Anyway, nice bass... and cool tech support, rb1. Well done.

 

[gusdn85]

Thanks! There are now 9 of us, although not everyone works full time...us four newbies are focused on the business side of things so that Vinny, Joey, Vadym and Mike can do what they do best -- build basses.

We do hope that with better organization, removing the business work from Joey and Vinny and a little luck we will be able to increase production by several instruments per month within six months.

Much longer term, we need to bring on apprentices in the back of the shop so that when Vinny, Joey and Vadym don't want to build anymore, Fodera can still be a strong, vibrant company that continues to make world class instruments.

Frankly, our focus is much more on building a team of people that can produce incredibly high quality instruments and deliver exceptional customer service well into the future as opposed to becoming big. All of us love what we do, love the instruments we make and want to see Fodera live on long after all of us are gone.

It is a pretty strange misssion in this day and age, but to quote a dear friend, co-worker and one of the World's finest luthiers (Vadym Medved) -- "Jason, you are a strange capitalist." Nuff said...

Just thumpin'

we make and want to see Fodera live on long after all of us are gone.

It is really wonderful mission. I wish (also belive) it'll come true!

Recently, I was looking thru some web pages related to Fodera, and I found out several pictures of making process.
(http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461818&highlight=fodera&page=31)
I was very struck with this pictures.
If I ordered Fodera bass now, can I experience same process?
I'd like to know whether My dream bass will be made by same process (Super hand craft only by Vadym Vinney and Joey with out any other additional lutheirs and apprentices for the future )
Of course I completely agree your opinion that is Fodera live on long after all of us are gone.
However I want my bass to be a contemporary fodera bass with real Vinney Fodera as like having done until now because I am not children but a contemporary of Vinney.

I hope both my dream and your dream will come true.
It is your reason why you join Fodera and your purpose. Isn't it?

 

[Just Thumpin']

This seems to be a common theme among new buyers of Foderas in light of the recent changes going on at the shop. We have answered it many times one on one, but figured a public answer might be helpful too...

1. Vinny, Vadym and Joey are all in their mid-50's. They all plan on being at Fodera and building for many years to come. Barring some kind of tragedy, I can say with certainty that they will be making any newly ordered basses for at LEAST the next 10 years.

2. We are planning on taking on a couple of new people in the back of the shop over the next year or two. The first starts tomorrow. He is in his mid-twenties, has known Vinny for many years (a friend of the family), is an experienced woodworker in his own right and will be working alongside Vinny and Vadym in an apprentice / support role. At some point, we are hopeful that one of these new folks will become a full-fledged luthier and be capable of building at the same level that Vadym and Vinny currently do. However, that time is likely well into the future.

3. Internally, we like to use the Ferrari analogy. There was significant concern that after Enzo Ferrari was no longer involved with the Company, that the cars would deteriorate in quality. History has proven this not to be the case...

4. Our collective job is to infuse Fodera (the Company) with so much of Vinny and Joey -- their aesthetic sense, their passion, their vision, and their unyielding desire to create playable art -- that as those of us that are younger (I am 42) are forced at some point in the future to face life at Fodera without them, that their vision remains intact and the instruments equally thrilling.

5. The unfortunate reality is that none of us will live forever. For whatever reason, the people that I work with and I have been "chosen" to carry the torch and help ensure that this wonderful Company is still around for many, many years to come. Yes, there will be a time when new Foderas are not made by Vinny, Joey and Vadym and that time will be a bit scary for all of us. But I truly believe that the alternative is far, far worse...

I hope that this all makes some kind of sense. Please know that Vinny and Joey have been approached many, many, many times over the years with offers of partnerships -- some of which even involved the creation of far more personal wealth than our transaction did. The reason our deal got done and none of these others did is that we brought to the table a very unique blend of money, managerial talent, aesthetic sense AND (probably most importantly) incredible passion for what Fodera is and an almost missionary zeal to protect it and make it live on...

 

[steubig]

Please know that Vinny and Joey have been approached many, many, many times over the years with offers of partnerships -- some of which even involved the creation of far more personal wealth than our transaction did. The reason our deal got done and none of these others did is that we brought to the table a very unique blend of money, managerial talent, aesthetic sense AND (probably most importantly) incredible passion for what Fodera is and an almost missionary zeal to protect it and make it live on...

i'd like to chime in here.

i've known joey and vinny for almost 25 years now—from the time i bought my first (and second) 6-string bass from them in 1985. i've had many conversations with them about exactly this situation. their passion for sticking with their artistic guns and not cashing in on the quick buck is part of what makes them and their instruments so special. however, i've also been someone who has gotten ticked-off at them for many of the waiting-time reasons that many others have.

because of all of this, i'm really, really hopeful about the new situation. i've had some conversations with just thumping and feel that he's really going to make things better over there. there will be some growing pains, i'm sure, but i think things are gonna go in the right direction.

 

[emjazz]

i'd like to chime in here.

i've known joey and vinny for almost 25 years now—from the time i bought my first (and second) 6-string bass from them in 1985. i've had many conversations with them about exactly this situation. their passion for sticking with their artistic guns and not cashing in on the quick buck is part of what makes them and their instruments so special. however, i've also been someone who has gotten ticked-off at them for many of the waiting-time reasons that many others have.

because of all of this, i'm really, really hopeful about the new situation. i've had some conversations with just thumping and feel that he's really going to make things better over there. there will be some growing pains, i'm sure, but i think things are gonna go in the right direction.

...and for those who don't know who Steuart Liebig is...please check him out here:http://www.stigsite.com...a wonderfully creative, thoughtful player.