Fodera Club Part II

[itswac]

My baby!! Drove down to Brooklyn in 2004 and got the last of the Standard Series basses, just sitting in their shop. When Vic came by my school I had him sign it twice!

Invalid Link Removed

 

[cnltb]

Don't know why.. that Fodera look wired to me..

I think it looks pretty alright!

 

[steubig]

Yeah I would argue that for a good portion of the Fodera buyers it's "because X player plays them"

i think you could level that claim against just about any builder. just take a look through the forums here: how do i get the sound like so and so? answers invariably point to the bass and the amp that so and so uses, "plus the fingers," etc. that's just going to be part of the whole deal, people have heroes and want to copy them.

it's kind of a deep subject for me about why i have fodera basses—one that can't really be explained very well in a short time. so a disjointed overview follows.

i got my first fodera bass in 1985 and haven't really had any others since then. for me, it's almost more of a relationship/marriage than anything.

i will say that that first bass changed my life musically. pretty much from the moment i unwrapped it and picked it up.

the instrument has allowed me to travel a path that i might not have travelled without it. it's allowed me to broaden my playing and musicality . . . and i had to get my **** together to really be able to play up to it.

without being too sappy, the instrument has let me be me (and find me).

that's (part of) what fodera does for me.

 

[itswac]

the instrument has allowed me to travel a path that i might not have travelled without it. it's allowed me to broaden my playing and musicality . . . and i had to get my **** together to really be able to play up to it.

I hear that. A Fodera demands respect from the player holding it and that is an incredible thing to have in your hands every day. It's like an intricately bound notebook. When you open it up, you feel that only your best words belong inside.

When I bought my Fodera, I thought "when other players see me hopping around with this thing, I want them to think I deserve it."

 

[steubig]

a few random thoughts/anecdotes:

1. how crazy is it that they're selling (or at least talking about) fodera basses on a website in the former soviet union. 20 years since the berlin wall fell. crazy.

2. when i first got my fodera, no one knew what the hell they were. and since i was playing it in rock clubs, etc., i was getting a lot of push-back about having a 6-string and something so, hmm, un-fender (or musicman).

3. i was playing an oldies show at a county fair in cali, the bass player in the country band before us had a mim fender of some sort. he asked me what i had. i told him it was an off brand, a fodera. he kind of looked at me with pity in his eyes: "oh well" . . . lol

 

[78Jazzlover]

There is still some kind of "secret sauce" in the Fodera basses that no other bass I've played has. I believe it comes from Vinny and Joey. All the little subtle choices they make in the process of building a bass seem to somehow add to up to more than the sum of their parts. Somehow, a Fodera made from the same stuff that, say, an Ibanez is made from would have something special that might not be quantifiable. And it's the kind of difference that you perceive when you compare Bach to Bon Jovi. Same 12 notes, whole different ball game. Not that one is BETTER...maybe it's a sophistication thing.

Since you are a higher profile player and active proponent of Fodera on TB I think this question has to be asked to you ;

What recent/new models of basses from other luthiers have you actually thoroughly checked out- got them home in your enviroment, recorded them in a good system and /or gigged them in a professional setting? Lived with/set up to your specs? Many people on TB purchase several brands and actively compare them in their best enviroments (albeit with varying standards and skill) and have experience with recent and often improved examples from other shops. I'm not talking about taking experiences from NAMM shows or when one may have tried out something years ago. I bring this up because I've often wondered if the snapshot that people bring to the table here contains 3.2 mega pixels of older content or the "up to date" 10 mega pixels of current content available. Not that it would change anything for any specific proponent of Fodera ( I really like Fodera BTW) but since people say things like " it has more sauce" or " its the only bass that lets me be me" etc. and these statements appear to be put forward with alot of weight....I'm just asking...how much weight are they really carrying?

 

[Angus]

http://www.youtube.com/user/VintageGuitarMoscow#p/u/2/_6TkSmHZBqc

If Russians said Fodera is the best ,than is the best(Id rather have an Elrick)

Nice- that one is similar to one I have on order, in that it has a wenge neck. That only the second one I've come across (a fretless Monarch with wenge neck and bubinga body was the other, and that was my inspiration to order it). Very cool.

 

[steubig]

but since people say things like " it has more sauce" or " its the only bass that lets me be me" etc. and these statements appear to be put forward with alot of weight....I'm just asking...how much weight are they really carrying?

i know you were asking mike. but you quoted me, so i'll opine.

for me, i've tried some stuff here and there over the last 20-odd years. some i liked, but not loved; some i wanted to like and didn't; some the outward aesthetic didn't appeal to me, so i didn't check it out. so far the fodera combination of visual aesthetic (overall), sound (and by this i mean sound *before* it hits the electronics) and feel is right *for me* . . .

really, i don't care about gear that much anymore . . . i've found what i like.

in my view, a lot of people on the tb gear circuit are in the "singles scene": they try out and move through a lot of different stuff. sometimes they expect more than something can give; sometimes they ignore what something does give. they seem to always be searching for "perfection" . . . which i don't think exists.

i guess i'm more the married guy, i've found something that works for me. it's may not work for everyone else.

by the way, i don't necessarily think what i said has a lot of "weight," just my own personal point of view.

 

[Garey]

Well, here's an update and some feedback about the new fodera management team. I had asked Jason about getting some things done on my Imperial, and because part of it was playability (frets) he got my bass in right away. He qouted me no more than 4 weeks in the shop.....with shipping meant no less than 5 weeks that it would be gone.

Here we are at 3 weeks and my bass is due to be delivered this morning. I've only seen pics, but the bass looks great....can't wait to play with the work done. Communication was fast and very clear/detailed. I got progress updates, and in the end they came in 50% faster than expected. Under-promise, Over-deliver....wow. Thanks again to the entire team at Fodera!

Aloha, Garey

 

[Belka]

http://www.youtube.com/user/VintageGuitarMoscow#p/u/2/_6TkSmHZBqc

If Russians said Fodera is the best ,than is the best(Id rather have an Elrick)

1. how crazy is it that they're selling (or at least talking about) fodera basses on a website in the former soviet union. 20 years since the berlin wall fell. crazy.

Russians and Ukrainians love Foderas. There's a surprisingly high amount of them around here; After the US and Japan, it might even have become their biggest market. Part of that I think is due to there being a link back here through Vadym Medved: One of 'their boys' is building them. Also, they just have a reputation as being the best, partly through their prices and partly through the artists who play them.

 

[steubig]

Russians and Ukrainians love Foderas. There's a surprisingly high amount of them around here; After the US and Japan, it might even have become their biggest market. Part of that I think is due to there being a link back here through Vadym Medved: One of 'their boys' is building them. Also, they just have a reputation as being the best, partly through their prices and partly through the artists who play them.

sorry, i wasn't being clear.

since i grew up during the height of the cold war, and had heard how subversive it sometimes was just to have electric guitars and so forth, and the sort of "elitist" means necessary to own a fodera . . . it just blows my mind. so it's more from the geopolitical/socioeconomic side of point of view that my mind was being blown, nothing more. (hope that makes sense.) the world changes . . .

 

[Lennard III.]

i will say that that first bass changed my life musically. pretty much from the moment i unwrapped it and picked it up.

the instrument has allowed me to travel a path that i might not have travelled without it. it's allowed me to broaden my playing and musicality . . . and i had to get my **** together to really be able to play up to it.

without being too sappy, the instrument has let me be me (and find me).

that's (part of) what fodera does for me.

all thumps up !

 

[thepontif]

Since you are a higher profile player and active proponent of Fodera on TB I think this question has to be asked to you ;

What recent/new models of basses from other luthiers have you actually thoroughly checked out- got them home in your enviroment, recorded them in a good system and /or gigged them in a professional setting? Lived with/set up to your specs? Many people on TB purchase several brands and actively compare them in their best enviroments (albeit with varying standards and skill) and have experience with recent and often improved examples from other shops. I'm not talking about taking experiences from NAMM shows or when one may have tried out something years ago. I bring this up because I've often wondered if the snapshot that people bring to the table here contains 3.2 mega pixels of older content or the "up to date" 10 mega pixels of current content available. Not that it would change anything for any specific proponent of Fodera ( I really like Fodera BTW) but since people say things like " it has more sauce" or " its the only bass that lets me be me" etc. and these statements appear to be put forward with alot of weight....I'm just asking...how much weight are they really carrying?

Certainly a valid question. I have NOT spent extensive time comprehensively comparing other builders' basses to my Foderas. While many here on TB are still searching for their ultimate tone, I am not. I'm very, very fundamentally happy with my tone and the way my bass plays. Enough to have had the same bass as my only instrument for the last 9 years or so. My new one will be done fairly soon now and the changes I've made aren't earth shattering.

I've played a LOT of Foderas that I've just picked up and not spent a lot of time with. Same is true of other builders' basses. So the comparison is, in fact, apples to apples. The fact is, for me I regularly experience pleasure with almost every Fodera I pick up. And I sporadically experience that same pleasure with many other builders' basses. But there is not one other builder, whose basses consistently offer that experience. And that's what I'm talking about. With Fodera, every bass conveys the notion that it's builder really knew what he was doing, and no other builder's instruments that I've experienced do.

So I'm not just blowing wind. I think the playing field is pretty level here.

If you look at it like a marriage...you meet the right woman and you know it. If you meet a woman you like, but aren't immediately drawn to on some level, why would you feel the need to give here a fair "chance" if you already feel it's not right...unless she's your only option? If you're a grown up, you should know what you want and need. It's not about fairness. It's about a fundamental choice you're making to allow you to express yourself in easiest way possible.

On the other hand...if you do NOT know what you want or need, you should give everything/everyone a chance and see what resonates. But I think that's a much different discussion.

That's my take.

 

[rb1]

Vinny looks just like a proud father, holding his child. Very well deserved pride, IMHO!

 

[rb1]

My baby!! Drove down to Brooklyn in 2004 and got the last of the Standard Series basses...

That one looks so good that I had to snag it for my desktop!

 

[black.rose1402]

Certainly a valid question. I have NOT spent extensive time comprehensively comparing other builders' basses to my Foderas. While many here on TB are still searching for their ultimate tone, I am not. I'm very, very fundamentally happy with my tone and the way my bass plays. Enough to have had the same bass as my only instrument for the last 9 years or so. My new one will be done fairly soon now and the changes I've made aren't earth shattering.

I've played a LOT of Foderas that I've just picked up and not spent a lot of time with. Same is true of other builders' basses. So the comparison is, in fact, apples to apples. The fact is, for me I regularly experience pleasure with almost every Fodera I pick up. And I sporadically experience that same pleasure with many other builders' basses. But there is not one other builder, whose basses consistently offer that experience. And that's what I'm talking about. With Fodera, every bass conveys the notion that it's builder really knew what he was doing, and no other builder's instruments that I've experienced do.

So I'm not just blowing wind. I think the playing field is pretty level here.

If you look at it like a marriage...you meet the right woman and you know it. If you meet a woman you like, but aren't immediately drawn to on some level, why would you feel the need to give here a fair "chance" if you already feel it's not right...unless she's your only option? If you're a grown up, you should know what you want and need. It's not about fairness. It's about a fundamental choice you're making to allow you to express yourself in easiest way possible.

On the other hand...if you do NOT know what you want or need, you should give everything/everyone a chance and see what resonates. But I think that's a much different discussion.

That's my take.

This post is so helpful to help to stop GAS

often, we buy a bass, we don't know what all the possibilities it offers, and soon after, we want something to complete our arsenal

Mike you just made me think of my situation with basses, and yes I love my fenders, but when I think about it, my foderas are the only basses that I need, they offer me everything i want tonewise, they provide the best playability I've ever had on any instrument.

Thanks, my GAS is gone!

 

[Christian Houmann]

Certainly a valid question. I have NOT spent extensive time comprehensively comparing other builders' basses to my Foderas. While many here on TB are still searching for their ultimate tone, I am not. I'm very, very fundamentally happy with my tone and the way my bass plays. Enough to have had the same bass as my only instrument for the last 9 years or so. My new one will be done fairly soon now and the changes I've made aren't earth shattering.

I've played a LOT of Foderas that I've just picked up and not spent a lot of time with. Same is true of other builders' basses. So the comparison is, in fact, apples to apples. The fact is, for me I regularly experience pleasure with almost every Fodera I pick up. And I sporadically experience that same pleasure with many other builders' basses. But there is not one other builder, whose basses consistently offer that experience. And that's what I'm talking about. With Fodera, every bass conveys the notion that it's builder really knew what he was doing, and no other builder's instruments that I've experienced do.

So I'm not just blowing wind. I think the playing field is pretty level here.

If you look at it like a marriage...you meet the right woman and you know it. If you meet a woman you like, but aren't immediately drawn to on some level, why would you feel the need to give here a fair "chance" if you already feel it's not right...unless she's your only option? If you're a grown up, you should know what you want and need. It's not about fairness. It's about a fundamental choice you're making to allow you to express yourself in easiest way possible.

On the other hand...if you do NOT know what you want or need, you should give everything/everyone a chance and see what resonates. But I think that's a much different discussion.

That's my take.

Pope. What is your tone goal for your new Fodera? As I know you going with Mahogany body and Ebony fingerboard! Not sure if you are getting a Elite or Bolt-on model. But the specs seems much more different than your Koa/Birdseye maple bass

 

[Georges Abitbol]

If you look at it like a marriage...you meet the right woman and you know it. If you meet a woman you like, but aren't immediately drawn to on some level, why would you feel the need to give here a fair "chance" if you already feel it's not right...unless she's your only option? If you're a grown up, you should know what you want and need. It's not about fairness. It's about a fundamental choice you're making to allow you to express yourself in easiest way possible.

Amen!

Now I want to upgrade my TB account just to allow me to insert this in my signature.

 

[lamarjones]

If you look at it like a marriage...you meet the right woman and you know it. If you meet a woman you like, but aren't immediately drawn to on some level, why would you feel the need to give here a fair "chance" if you already feel it's not right...unless she's your only option? If you're a grown up, you should know what you want and need. It's not about fairness. It's about a fundamental choice you're making to allow you to express yourself in easiest way possible.

Choosing love over lust, very wise!

 

[thepontif]

Pope. What is your tone goal for your new Fodera? As I know you going with Mahogany body and Ebony fingerboard! Not sure if you are getting a Elite or Bolt-on model. But the specs seems much more different than your Koa/Birdseye maple bass

I want to sound louder.


Seriously, though, I'm not looking to change the overall character of the bass except to try to get away from the pronounced midrange characteristic Koa can have. The ebony will be a lot different than Maple, obviously, and is a choice I made because of feel more than anything else. I just love playing ebony and always have. The Maple has been a love/hate relationship for me over the years. I've learned to work with it, but there's a certain "coldness" that it can have in a solo context that I'm often frustrated with.

The PU's will be the same, essentially, as will the position of them. As it stands now it'll have the standard preamp in it, although I do have really cool active noise cancelling circuit that has been prototyped. I have the PU's from Duncan that work with it. But I don't think that's gonna happen before the bass is done.

We do have plans to included a moving bridge PU. Not an automatic type thing or anything too convoluted. Probably something that's positioned with a screw that you'd turn with something like the truss rod wrench. So you could put it at
70's, 60's, closer to the bridge, farther. Likely about an inch of travel and it will probably work with any PU. This is in the idea stages right now, but so far there's been nothing to suggest it won't work reliably.

We'll also still include the removeable fingerboard thing because that is just too useful not to have. Not that I slap a LOT, but when it's what's called for, having a 20 fret neck is invaluable IMO. This bass will have a mute function to kill the output temporarily when the fingerboard piece is removed. Either up on the upper horn or thereabouts...or on the back of the headstock. Probably a non mechanical switch that's only on when you're touching it.

It'll still be a bolt-on and of course the body shape will be markedly different than any of the current ones.

And it'll be loud.