Fodera Club Part II

[TimothyGroovy]

This is a serious misconception. I own many Foderas and they have VERY stable necks. Remember, that cats like Matt Garrison, Anthony Jackson,Victor Wooten, Richard Bona, etc., might be gigging in NYC where it is 50 degrees and dry and then a day later be gigging in Brazil where it is 90 degrees and humid and then the following day be off to Europe...no wooden neck will not move when subjected to those kinds of changes. So, these guys are constantly making small adjustments to the truss rod to keep their Foderas in perfect playing shape (less than a 1/2 turn usually). It's not the necks that are unstable, it's their gig schedule!

BTW, have you ever played Matt's bass? He has the lowest action of any bass I have ever touched -- it makes electric guitar action look high...no joke!

I would like to try his personal bass though...

also.. planning on placing order on a MG6...

 

[Just Thumpin']

I didn't take one, but I am sure if you call the shop and tell them you're interested they will get you one right away...

J

I think many folks can't really complete the purchase at the recent economy circumstance... Any pic of the instrument?

 

[cnltb]

This is a serious misconception. I own many Foderas and they have VERY stable necks. Remember, that cats like Matt Garrison, Anthony Jackson,Victor Wooten, Richard Bona, etc., might be gigging in NYC where it is 50 degrees and dry and then a day later be gigging in Brazil where it is 90 degrees and humid and then the following day be off to Europe...no wooden neck will not move when subjected to those kinds of changes. So, these guys are constantly making small adjustments to the truss rod to keep their Foderas in perfect playing shape (less than a 1/2 turn usually). It's not the necks that are unstable, it's their gig schedule!

BTW, have you ever played Matt's bass? He has the lowest action of any bass I have ever touched -- it makes electric guitar action look high...no joke!

It's easier on a short neck like the 33" singlecut than it is on a regular or extra long scale non single cut bass,to maintain super low action.
no? I also doubt that it'll sound any good unless you got some electronics to help one along.(obviously, taste comes into it too...)
As to the moving necks.
It's normal for wooden necks to move(as it's been said so many times already).
However, the only time I ever saw serious fingerboard shrinkage was on a fodera some years ago.
Never seen it on any other bass.
That is easily fixed though, and the bass sounded good.

 

[gre107]

The neck on my Emperor 5 is as solid as it get's.
I've only adjusted the neck once due to a change in string gauge. And only a slight one at that.

Other than that it's the most solid neck I've ever had.

People that travel a lot with their basses will tend to have to adjust their necks more due to humidity changes etc...

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

It's easier on a short neck like the 33" singlecut than it is on a regular or extra long scale non single cut bass,to maintain super low action.
no?

Actually no- a longer scale length will allow you to set a lower action as it will hold the strings more tightly, so they can be lowered more without creating buzz. A well-made non-singlecut bass will also have as stable a neck as a singlecut.

 

[Lennard III.]

I have to ask because I noticed it in narud's pic. Why is it that I often see pics of Fodera headstocks with the truss rod cover removed? My own experience with Fodera's tells me their necks are fairly unstable and tend to move alot. I've never experienced any warping with a Fodera or anything, but every Fodera I've owned the neck moved a lot so I was constantly adjusting them. I probably should have left my cover off for easy access for as often as I had to remove it, but I probably would have just lost it.

I have two 34" std. maple necks and have absolutely no problems with them.

 

[Pete skjold]

Ahhhh, Why did I click on this thread!!??

This is a great thread guys. I really enjoyed the comments made by AJ and all the insights everyone is sharing. My respect for what Fodera does and the inspiration they instill are unmeasureable. I feel lucky to be in a time when I can appreciate these instruments as they are being built. These basses will be legend in a 100 years, ( think they cost a lot now? ).

Anyway, I don't own a Fodera so I suppose I won't be in the club anytime soon, but I do truly respect the work this small company produces and really enjoy seeing others who understand the amount of work and dedication that goes into these basses. They are truly one of a kind.

Pete

 

[cnltb]

Actually no- a longer scale length will allow you to set a lower action as it will hold the strings more tightly, so they can be lowered more without creating buzz. A well-made non-singlecut bass will also have as stable a neck as a singlecut.

although I disagree with the statement about length /tension/action
( the string s gauge etc has something to do with it as well)
I agree that a well made neck on a non-single cut can be as stable as that of a single cut bass.
The one on the single cut bass however is partly supported by the upper body which joins higher up ,hindering the neck from moving.
However , it is stabilized on one side only which may -or may not- lead to the neck moving on one side more than than the other(I've seen it).
Not a big deal though as one can shave the fingerboard accordingly.

 

[narud]

although I disagree with the statement about length /tension/action
( the string s gauge etc has something to do with it as well)

the thing about the scale/tension/action that bryan mentioned is exactly what more than one big name luthier has said to me as well.

 

[cnltb]

the thing about the scale/tension/action that bryan mentioned is exactly what more than one big name luthier has said to me as well.

Nowhere did I say that it was wrong,did I?. All I did say is that the picture seems incomplete without taking the string into account.

 

[harrybosch]

Actually, I have played Matt's bass. And yes the action is incredibly low, too low for me. I've owned 5 or 6 Fodera's and I don't travel all over. All my basses had necks that moved way more than other brands. It wasn't drastic or anything and was an easy and quick fix, but just something I knew I may have to do before every gig. The Fodera 5 string basses that I've owned/played were the best playing basses I've ever played. Their necks were fairly thin which probably contributed to their relative instability. It wouldn't stop from buying another though. The only thing stopping me right now is lack of funds

This is a serious misconception. I own many Foderas and they have VERY stable necks. Remember, that cats like Matt Garrison, Anthony Jackson,Victor Wooten, Richard Bona, etc., might be gigging in NYC where it is 50 degrees and dry and then a day later be gigging in Brazil where it is 90 degrees and humid and then the following day be off to Europe...no wooden neck will not move when subjected to those kinds of changes. So, these guys are constantly making small adjustments to the truss rod to keep their Foderas in perfect playing shape (less than a 1/2 turn usually). It's not the necks that are unstable, it's their gig schedule!

BTW, have you ever played Matt's bass? He has the lowest action of any bass I have ever touched -- it makes electric guitar action look high...no joke!

 

[harrybosch]

I totally believe that it is easier to get lower action without buzz on an extended scale bass due to the extra tension on the strings.

I had an Imperial 5 once and could not get the action as low as I like or as low as I could get it on the Emperor's I've owned. My particular Imperial had a weird twist or bend on the G string side and was flat on the B string side up to where the horn connectd to the neck. The neck then had a slight bow on the B string side right at where the horn is joined that truss rod adjustment could not remove. That bass play and sounded terrible. I bought it used so who knows what happened to it before I got it.

 

[chris.gotfunk]

Question for you guys. I am wanting to reward myself with a Fodera and there are two I have my eye on. I would rather not wait to have one built so would you advise against getting a loan to grab one? Yes, I posted a thread a couple weeks ago about taking out a loan. But I wanted to consult the Fodera brothers about it. I have owned a couple in the past and feel they are worth the price, but I am curious what you guys all think about taking out a small loan to get one.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Question for you guys. I am wanting to reward myself with a Fodera and there are two I have my eye on. I would rather not wait to have one built so would you advise against getting a loan to grab one? Yes, I posted a thread a couple weeks ago about taking out a loan. But I wanted to consult the Fodera brothers about it. I have owned a couple in the past and feel they are worth the price, but I am curious what you guys all think about taking out a small loan to get one.

First thought :scowl:

Then

I am just guessing but if you have to keep asking the question you probably already know the answer.

It's really none of my business do what you want

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Nowhere did I say that it was wrong,did I?. All I did say is that the picture seems incomplete without taking the string into account.

String gauge is of course important, but if you remove that factor by using the same strings with the same gauges, then the longer scaled basses should be able to go lower. Not that that's all that matters- I've owned singlecuts from the same builder ranging from 33" to 36", and I still prefer 34".

 

[YCBass]

Wow, that's quite a looker - and what a fabulous choice for fingerboard wood...!

The fish inlay would have been a deal breaker for me (especially in that lovely wood), but the rest of the bass is SMOKING...! Congrats, hope it'll bring you some good times.

On the other hand I myself was just gonna say... I love the inlay!

 

[Basdyret]

On the other hand I myself was just gonna say... I love the inlay!

Well, that's the concept of taste, right there

I probably wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't a religious symbol, but I'd still prefer a smaller/simpler inlay, if any at all. My Fodera has dots, even double dots at the 12th/24th frets, where the almost identical Vic Wooten model has arrows.

 

[Tom7]

Ahhhh, Why did I click on this thread!!??

This is a great thread guys. I really enjoyed the comments made by AJ and all the insights everyone is sharing. My respect for what Fodera does and the inspiration they instill are unmeasureable. I feel lucky to be in a time when I can appreciate these instruments as they are being built. These basses will be legend in a 100 years, ( think they cost a lot now? ).

Anyway, I don't own a Fodera so I suppose I won't be in the club anytime soon, but I do truly respect the work this small company produces and really enjoy seeing others who understand the amount of work and dedication that goes into these basses. They are truly one of a kind.

Pete

Cool thing to say, Pete, especially coming from you and the great work you are doing. Cheers.

 

[KJung]

I have to ask because I noticed it in narud's pic. Why is it that I often see pics of Fodera headstocks with the truss rod cover removed? My own experience with Fodera's tells me their necks are fairly unstable and tend to move alot. I've never experienced any warping with a Fodera or anything, but every Fodera I've owned the neck moved a lot so I was constantly adjusting them. I probably should have left my cover off for easy access for as often as I had to remove it, but I probably would have just lost it.

+1 For some reason, I find the Fodera necks to move quite a bit. There are a lot of my Fodera playing buddies who leave the truss rod cover off for this reason (combined with the fact that it is a very poorly designed cover, requiring you to loosen and move a string to get to one of the screws).

You can verify this (at least on some instruments) by pulling back on the neck in sitting position. I could literally 'fret out the strings' by doing this since the neck moved so much (versus, for example, my current Sadowsky and Alleva Coppolo basses with super stiff and dense one piece rock maple necks that literally won't budge). I assume this 'elastic' feel to the neck results in the neck being less stable that many other basses I'm familiar with.

I don't know if it is a design issue or a wood type issue, but something IMO and painfully IME seems to result in a higher percentage of Fodera's having 'neck issues' (i.e., excessive movement) than many other basses. Interestingly, Ken Smith basses (very similar neck through design) seem to have similar issues (that very 'elastic' sort of thing when you pull on the neck... i.e., you can move than neck a full 1/2" or more by tugging on it).

IMO and again, painfully IME.

 

[needmoney]

You can verify this (at least on some instruments) by pulling back on the neck in sitting position. I could literally 'fret out the strings' by doing this since the neck moved so much (versus, for example, my current Sadowsky and Alleva Coppolo basses with super stiff and dense one piece rock maple necks that literally won't budge). I assume this 'elastic' feel to the neck results in the neck being less stable that many other basses I'm familiar with.

You can do this on any bass (fret out the strings by pulling the neck). Just depends on how strong you are