I could resist for a few hours, but not beyond 24 hours. Deposit in. I'm now also waiting for an Emperor Standard.
Time to start selling some "lesser" basses.....
Time to start selling some "lesser" basses.....
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Fodera Club Part IX
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
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Just wondering since the new bolt on emperor has a one piece, quarter sawn neck...
What impact does the one piece have in terms of tone and stability?
The same question regarding quarter sawn vs. flat sawn, and since many people seem to be saying many different things about this specifically a further question; What is fodera's take on quarter vs. flat sawn wood in necks?
Thanks
What impact does the one piece have in terms of tone and stability?
The same question regarding quarter sawn vs. flat sawn, and since many people seem to be saying many different things about this specifically a further question; What is fodera's take on quarter vs. flat sawn wood in necks?
Thanks
Just back from Bass Player Live today... Played the Emperor Standard.
All I can say is... HOT!
Great job with this one. I have a feeling I found my new funk bass...
(runs to corner to count pennies...)
All I can say is... HOT!
Great job with this one. I have a feeling I found my new funk bass...
(runs to corner to count pennies...)
I'll get to check it out tomorrow but I've got some 5s already on order and some other things in the works so I have to be careful. If you're heading to the concert have fun as it should be a sick show. I'll be playing a yacht club gig. I always think of tribal tech when I do these. 
i saw it. didn't play it, heard others play it (i'm not a 5-string kinda guy). i thought it sounded very good and the workmanship looked fabulous (at least from a cursory look). saw reggie hamilton play it and he seemed very happy with it.
still, it's odd for me to see that headstock without the angle.
still, it's odd for me to see that headstock without the angle.
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
- 1,664
- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
Tonally there is no difference between a one piece and three piece neck...at least that we have been able to discern. Same thing for the tonal difference between flat and quarter sawn material...no difference in tone.
In terms of stability, quarter sawn material is more dimensionally stable and less prone to movement, warping, flexing, twisting, etc. We use flat sawn maple on the YYS and quarter sawn on the E5S because of the greater forces in play on a 5-string vs. 4-string neck. Quarter sawn material costs significantly more...
Hope this helps!
J
In terms of stability, quarter sawn material is more dimensionally stable and less prone to movement, warping, flexing, twisting, etc. We use flat sawn maple on the YYS and quarter sawn on the E5S because of the greater forces in play on a 5-string vs. 4-string neck. Quarter sawn material costs significantly more...
Hope this helps!
J
Just wondering since the new bolt on emperor has a one piece, quarter sawn neck...
What impact does the one piece have in terms of tone and stability?
The same question regarding quarter sawn vs. flat sawn, and since many people seem to be saying many different things about this specifically a further question; What is fodera's take on quarter vs. flat sawn wood in necks?
Thanks
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
- 1,664
- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
It is too bad that you are not at Bass Player Live as we have two 5-strings here...one with an Ash body and Maple FB (an Emperor II Custom) and the other with an Ash body and Pau Ferro FB (the E5S). Listening to these two side by side all day yesterday, I would have to say that the Pau Ferro has a more expansive tonal range...both deeper and brighter at the same time, while the Maple tends to be more focused in the upper mids and highs (but not as crystalline as the Pau Ferro's highs...the Maple's high come across as more rounded).
FWIW, Joey, Vinny and I all describe Pau Ferro's tone as a hypothetical blend of Indian Rosewood and Ebony...
Cheers,
J
FWIW, Joey, Vinny and I all describe Pau Ferro's tone as a hypothetical blend of Indian Rosewood and Ebony...
Cheers,
J
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
- 1,664
- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
You know it may not just be a preference thing. I'm sure they wouldnt have the equipment to do a quality solid color paint job (since that's not what they do), and they're certainly not going to break out a spray can.....
You could always get one painted aftermarket but.....
I wouldn't
I agree. Ok I admit that I'm a bigger than average guy and perhaps that's got something to do with it but I've always found that a bass can be just about any weight as long as the neck doesn't dive, and I've got a really really good strap. I use 4" moody straps personally. You could carry a canon with one of those.
Ok, after two al pastor sopes from King Taco I'm much happier. Spent a couple of hours at BPL. Sort of a mini-NAMM. We saw a ridiculous show by JoStLe (Jonas Hellborg, Steve Bailey and Lee Sklar). I was lucky enough to be at Victor's BNC earlier this year so I'd met Steve there. I've never heard 3 basses be so musical all at once. Amazing stuff.
Jason and Joey were gracious with their time at the Fodera booth while I waxed philosophic and we traded some war stories. I got to spend some time with the new Emperor 5 Std. The short story is that those of you who plunked down your deposit will likely be blown away.
I'm really picky about 5-string basses. Well, I'm picky about any bass, but 5s are a challenge for me as I happily played my Zon Lightwave fretless 5 for almost a decade before I decided that I wanted/needed to change things up. I've since gone through at least a dozen high-end 5'ers looking for one that thrilled me as much as my RA Deep 5 (only one I've kept). And to be honest, I generally prefer about 18mm string spacing on a 5 and a tad narrower neck. So like the YYS, the E5Std shouldn't really be a fit for me. And like last time, I was proven wrong. If anything, the past few months have reinforced a message that people on TB (and everywhere) should stamp on their forehead: measurements and specifications mean little to nothing with regards to how well an instrument will work in someone's hands.
The E5Std has the same preamp as the YYS so I knew what to expect there. Only difference is the coil tap switch. First thing that struck me was the neck profile. It is svelte and incredibly comfortable. Now that is a subjective measure but this was on par or better than my Nordy (now sold), which previously held the prize of most comfy fretted 5 neck. The fretboard is fairly flat and/but (depending on your taste) very fast.
The B-string is perfect. Nothing bad I can say about it. It is balanced with the other strings, I didn't have to baby it (which I've had to do with some basses, especially 34" scale), I didn't have to dig into it to get it to speak. It was just like another E string, just lower in pitch. Clarity was great up the neck, which is a key factor for me on a 5-string. I don't play 5s mainly to get the low notes (those are a bonus). I play it to get extra notes in any given position. That is helpful when reading charts or at the end of a long night when I don't want to have to stretch to the nut.
Balance seated was perfect. I didn't have it on a strap so I can't comment on that. The sound...well, it sounds like a Fodera with dual coils. That said, I instantly fell in love with the bridge pup. It has the snarl of a single coil when you dig in but has enough beef to stand on its own without extra eq. You can get a nice fat neck pup tone, especially when you roll the tone off, but to me this thing would kill for chords/comping, then diving low to smack a few groove notes off the walls.
Downside? Only one I could really find is that I'm not a gold hardware kinda guy. Just not my aesthetic. And no, I didn't put down my deposit because I've got a pair of 5-string Skjolds that are in progress along with a Deep 4 and some other things in the hopper so I'm at my limits on that. But I could easily see trying to grab one if one of the Skjolds doesn't work out. Then again, maybe I should hedge my bets and get in line for one now
Apologies if the above sounds fanboi. At age 50 I'm far from a gushing teenager (I leave that for my son), but every once in awhile you have instruments that come across your transom that really speak to you. My RA and my YYS are in that camp. The E5Std is definitely a special instrument.
Jason and Joey were gracious with their time at the Fodera booth while I waxed philosophic and we traded some war stories. I got to spend some time with the new Emperor 5 Std. The short story is that those of you who plunked down your deposit will likely be blown away.
I'm really picky about 5-string basses. Well, I'm picky about any bass, but 5s are a challenge for me as I happily played my Zon Lightwave fretless 5 for almost a decade before I decided that I wanted/needed to change things up. I've since gone through at least a dozen high-end 5'ers looking for one that thrilled me as much as my RA Deep 5 (only one I've kept). And to be honest, I generally prefer about 18mm string spacing on a 5 and a tad narrower neck. So like the YYS, the E5Std shouldn't really be a fit for me. And like last time, I was proven wrong. If anything, the past few months have reinforced a message that people on TB (and everywhere) should stamp on their forehead: measurements and specifications mean little to nothing with regards to how well an instrument will work in someone's hands.
The E5Std has the same preamp as the YYS so I knew what to expect there. Only difference is the coil tap switch. First thing that struck me was the neck profile. It is svelte and incredibly comfortable. Now that is a subjective measure but this was on par or better than my Nordy (now sold), which previously held the prize of most comfy fretted 5 neck. The fretboard is fairly flat and/but (depending on your taste) very fast.
The B-string is perfect. Nothing bad I can say about it. It is balanced with the other strings, I didn't have to baby it (which I've had to do with some basses, especially 34" scale), I didn't have to dig into it to get it to speak. It was just like another E string, just lower in pitch. Clarity was great up the neck, which is a key factor for me on a 5-string. I don't play 5s mainly to get the low notes (those are a bonus). I play it to get extra notes in any given position. That is helpful when reading charts or at the end of a long night when I don't want to have to stretch to the nut.
Balance seated was perfect. I didn't have it on a strap so I can't comment on that. The sound...well, it sounds like a Fodera with dual coils. That said, I instantly fell in love with the bridge pup. It has the snarl of a single coil when you dig in but has enough beef to stand on its own without extra eq. You can get a nice fat neck pup tone, especially when you roll the tone off, but to me this thing would kill for chords/comping, then diving low to smack a few groove notes off the walls.
Downside? Only one I could really find is that I'm not a gold hardware kinda guy. Just not my aesthetic. And no, I didn't put down my deposit because I've got a pair of 5-string Skjolds that are in progress along with a Deep 4 and some other things in the hopper so I'm at my limits on that. But I could easily see trying to grab one if one of the Skjolds doesn't work out. Then again, maybe I should hedge my bets and get in line for one now
Apologies if the above sounds fanboi. At age 50 I'm far from a gushing teenager (I leave that for my son), but every once in awhile you have instruments that come across your transom that really speak to you. My RA and my YYS are in that camp. The E5Std is definitely a special instrument.
Andy Brown
Commercial User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 5,675
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- Founder/Owner: Wing Instruments
Thanks for the review! Having spent a good amount of quality time time with my YYS, I knew the ES5 would be killer so i did manage to plunk down the deposit. I'll most likely restring it E to C, and will live with the gold hardware, at least for a little while.
Did you take any pics or video at BPL?
Did you take any pics or video at BPL?
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