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Fodera Club Part II

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#681
Mark Latimour said:
This situation is pretty black or white, either he has permission from Fodera to make clones of their body shapes and sell them under his name, or he doesn't. Legally there isn't, as far as I know, the recognition of trademarks based on body shape en masse (Rickenbacker being an exception), but if you put the legals to one side, he's either doing this with Fodera's permission or he isn't. If he isn't, and he used to work there, then this is even more shameless because he's really taking advantage in that case. Perhaps Jason (from Fodera) can clarify whether they have given their blessing to his cloning.
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As far as I know he definitely has their blessing in building those body shapes. I think it's based on an understanding that he would never try to pass off any of his own basses as a Fodera, which he could quite easily have done in the past. As for whether Jason (Just Thumpin') would know about any arrangement, it's probably way before his time, but I'd imagine at least he knows something about the guy. Jason - by the way - convince Stas to go over there full time - there's part of your manpower problems solved right there.
 
#682
what is a Fodera bass?
it's fodera made by the Fodera team (Vinny, joey, vadim, whoever works at the brooklyn shop.
this bass is not made by them, then it's not a fodera.
the seller tries to sell it as a Fodera, it's a shame, and I hope that nobody will fall into this.
 
#683
Whether a luthier used to work at Fodera or not is completely immaterial -- no one has been given permission to make Fodera replicas. Period.

I would also add that the shape of a Fodera is only one small aspect of why they are what they are. As I said in a thread long before I was a part owner of the Company -- what makes a Fodera is not one or two big secrets, but rather hundreds of little things that all add up to what the instruments are...

Jason
 
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#684
Belka said:
As far as I know he definitely has their blessing in building those body shapes. I think it's based on an understanding that he would never try to pass off any of his own basses as a Fodera, which he could quite easily have done in the past.
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Just Thumpin' said:
Whether a luthier used to work at Fodera or not is completely immaterial -- no one has been given permission to make Fodera replicas. Period.
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Well, there's the answer, these are "unauthorised" knockoffs. I guess whether you think its okay or not depends on your own view of the moral / legal divide on this point. Its interesting to contrast the Fodera / Ukraine guy example with say the "Sadowsky / Fender" issue (which was resolved in the courts). However, I can't help but feel slightly more uncomfortable with people knocking off Foderas or MTDs or Ritters than with building a Jazz or P bass copy. I don't know why though. There really isn't a significant legal distinction and I don't believe that Fender is in some way "evil" or deserves to have their designs copied any more than FOdera does.
 
#690
black.rose1402 said:
do you think it's possible to get the action on my imperial as low as I get on my monarch?

I know they are different construction wise, but I really want to have both instruments the same playability.
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I'd say yes, but I think it would be worth it to try maybe a local/regional luthier with impeccable credits than sending it back to Fodera. That said, if Just Thumpin or someone has a reason why that is not a good idea, then I'd defer to that answer.
 
#691
lamarjones said:
I'd say yes, but I think it would be worth it to try maybe a local/regional luthier with impeccable credits than sending it back to Fodera. That said, if Just Thumpin or someone has a reason why that is not a good idea, then I'd defer to that answer.
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That's what I did, but the action is still a little bit high for me.

but I tried today to do it myself, and I can't believe this, the action is even lower than my monarch!!!!
I would never have thought that this was possible.

I like to get a little bit of fret noise when I play, so that's good for me, and if I want to erase the fret noise, I just have to use the tone control.

this imperial always impresses me!!!
 
#693
Absolutely, positively. Obviously you worked through it however, in some rare cases, if you have bottomed out the bridge saddles with a flat neck and the action is still not low enough for you, we can modify the bridge to allow it to go lower. This is generally only necessary for players who want EXTREMELY low action.

However, doing this involves modifying the underside of the bridge -- something we really prefer to do at the shop. Alternatively, a new bridge could be purchased that we could modify it at the shop and then send it to you, but it is FAR better if we do it with your bass in hand so that we can then set everything up perfectly afterwards...

black.rose1402 said:
do you think it's possible to get the action on my imperial as low as I get on my monarch?

I know they are different construction wise, but I really want to have both instruments the same playability.
Click to expand...
 
#694
About the serbian thing, i think i might had this : in most of eastern Europe the term "fodera" has become a "shape name" for singlecuts (like "jazz bass" has for those 2 pickups asymetrical things).
You would just have to do the money translation to see wether this seller is a jerk or just someone describing his copy...
Anyone reads serbian? :D
 
#695
sfbabali said:
About the serbian thing, i think i might had this : in most of eastern Europe the term "fodera" has become a "shape name" for singlecuts (like "jazz bass" has for those 2 pickups asymetrical things).
You would just have to do the money translation to see wether this seller is a jerk or just someone describing his copy...
Anyone reads serbian? :D
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Your thinking is not correct... (sorry if this words hurts you) - here in Serbia everybody knows what is "Fodera" and we do not mix it with some "shape name". I am reading, speaking Serbian, but I think that to respond for that advertisement is not worth for a time I will lost...
 
#696
Hey Folks !! Here is my future bass in progress... :hyper: I hope that I will receive it before Christmas :bassist:

photo1.jpg


photo.jpg
 
#700
Just Thumpin' said:
Absolutely, positively. Obviously you worked through it however, in some rare cases, if you have bottomed out the bridge saddles with a flat neck and the action is still not low enough for you, we can modify the bridge to allow it to go lower. This is generally only necessary for players who want EXTREMELY low action.

However, doing this involves modifying the underside of the bridge -- something we really prefer to do at the shop. Alternatively, a new bridge could be purchased that we could modify it at the shop and then send it to you, but it is FAR better if we do it with your bass in hand so that we can then set everything up perfectly afterwards...
Click to expand...

i will add another solution—and it's not just for extremely low action, cause i don't play that way.

i like to have a little more angle where the string hits the bridge saddles, so i have the bridges on my fodera 6-strings inset (routed out) about 1/8 inch. jason knows this well cause we're doing it on my new bass.
 
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