Fodera Club Part XI

[Just Thumpin']

It's not that it's not a good grade of material, it's just a relatively sedate looking piece. Straight grained "red, white and blue" type chestnut. Very similar to this with more going on:

http://www.fodera.com/Main/NewBornDetails.aspx?FeaturedItemID=259

Cheers,

J

It seems that There is still a last chestnut top in fodera shop but the grading is not that good. It would be perfect if it is in 34" scale.

 

[Just Thumpin']

Actually we just reviewed every bass on order this past week and updated our "forecast" for build times accordingly. We are presently running at roughly 15-16 months from the time of a new order until delivery. Quite a bit better than the 30+ months back in 2009...

And, because I know the question will be asked, it is not because demand has slowed. As a matter of fact, 2011 was far and away our busiest year ever both for instruments delivered and new orders. We are, however, more appropriately staffed, organized, financed and focused.

Cheers,

J

The building time of 2+ years for a custom fodera is great as u can start planning your next fodera when u received the ordered one.

 

[nickbass79]

...and out of the blue, BANG a piece of wood so insanely gorgeous, so perfect in every respect AND representing one of my favorite top materials -- and one that I do not have a good example of in the stable.

J

So what type of wood is it?

 

[Munjibunga]

Jim --

This is a great question and one that tends to get asked repeatedly over time in this thread. The unfortunate reality is that even with us regularly building instruments using all three types of neck constructions, we have never had three basses with exactly the same body shape, scale length and woods that vary only in terms of neck construction to listen to side by side.

This is an "issue" that we talked about as a partnership in mid-2010 and as a result decided to add three "stock" builds to our Production Schedule that will solve this problem once and for all. Later this year (yes we wait in line too!) we will be building these three Monarch 5's all with EXACTLY the same woods and build specs EXCEPT for the neck construction. Once these instruments are finished we will be working with one of our artists to professionally record identical passages on each instrument. These recordings will be made available as downloads on our website.

With tone, there simply is no substitute for listening with your own ears. As I have said many times, my "fat and bloated" is another person's "round and warm." My "tight and articulate" could be your "overly analytical and sterile." This is the unfortunate, but very real space in which all of these discussions about individual sensory experiences happen.

Now, all of this said, the general thesis (subject to revision after we have all listened to the three test basses that we will be building) is that bolt-ons are the most "punchy," neck-throughs offer the most "sustain" and dovetails exist somewhere in the middle.

I hope that this at least starts to answer your question and that you stay tuned for our experiment.

J

Hey Jason - I just checked in over at Dan Atkinson's "SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS" thread. Perhaps Fodera should build three identical basses with the same neck joint, electronics, etc., the only difference being the body wood - maybe walnut, alder, and mahogany or ash. If you did that, then Fodera would rule the world, if you don't already.

 

[b-for-beatles]

It's not that it's not a good grade of material, it's just a relatively sedate looking piece. Straight grained "red, white and blue" type chestnut. Very similar to this with more going on:

http://www.fodera.com/Main/NewBornDetails.aspx?FeaturedItemID=259

Cheers,

J

Sorry for my poor english expression. I mean it is not the best chestnut top that I saw in other fodera basses.

 

[steubig]

Hopefully this was a long time ago...

J

after i realized that i was not going to get the (semi)hollow body 6-string i wanted, i bought a used aj 6-string from the shop knowing full well that i was going to sell it.

this was in 1993 or so.

way before your time.

 

[fivestringdan]

Actually we just reviewed every bass on order this past week and updated our "forecast" for build times accordingly. We are presently running at roughly 15-16 months from the time of a new order until delivery. Quite a bit better than the 30+ months back in 2009...

And, because I know the question will be asked, it is not because demand has slowed. As a matter of fact, 2011 was far and away our busiest year ever both for instruments delivered and new orders. We are, however, more appropriately staffed, organized, financed and focused.

Cheers,

J

Bravo Jason! Keep up the hard work.

 

[chanson]

A quick question...I noticed some of the basses in the newborn gallery say they are chambered. Is this feature available for any model? Obviously I'm sure it is an extra cost, but can it be done with say, a MG Imperial? Emperor II?

 

[jnammy]

I've never played a chambered Fodera, but I have owned and played chambered Sadowsky NYCs and they all seemed to have too much mids and lack of bass compared to their non-chambered Metro counterparts, which sounded much more balanced and had more fundamentals to me. Maybe that's why Kjung ordered an NYC with a solid body? The chambered NYCs sounded super resonant when unplugged, but when plugged in, I would have to turn the mids way down and turn the bass up considerably. The light weight was great, but it also created a bit of neck dive; albeit slight, but it was there. I wonder if this would be true for chambered Foderas as well, especially if it was one with a 5 piece neck and non-light tuners.

 

[Just Thumpin']

Feather crotch Walnut...

J

So what type of wood is it?

 

[Just Thumpin']

You are kidding...right? I OWN 12 such animals. Well at least 6 of them that have identical builds, electronics and PUP Spacing. They all sound exactly alike.

NOT!!!!!!

That was part of the point of my two most recent instruments. One was had an Ash body, Olive top and Birdseye Maple FB and the other had an Alder Body, Brazilian RW top and Brazilian RW FB. They were built at exactly the same time, in exactly the same way by exactly the same people and they sound COMPLETELY different.

Jason

Hey Jason - I just checked in over at Dan Atkinson's "SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS" thread. Perhaps Fodera should build three identical basses with the same neck joint, electronics, etc., the only difference being the body wood - maybe walnut, alder, and mahogany or ash. If you did that, then Fodera would rule the world, if you don't already.

 

[Just Thumpin']

We can / will / have chambered any body type that we make. I believe that the tone is highly related to overall mass. Having deep bass on something that weighs very little just isn't going to happen. With the instruments that we have chambered I have not personally experienced a loss of deep bass...

Regards,

J

I've never played a chambered Fodera, but I have owned and played chambered Sadowsky NYCs and they all seemed to have too much mids and lack of bass compared to their non-chambered Metro counterparts, which sounded much more balanced and had more fundamentals to me. Maybe that's why Kjung ordered an NYC with a solid body? The chambered NYCs sounded super resonant when unplugged, but when plugged in, I would have to turn the mids way down and turn the bass up considerably. The light weight was great, but it also created a bit of neck dive; albeit slight, but it was there. I wonder if this would be true for chambered Foderas as well, especially if it was one with a 5 piece neck and non-light tuners.

 

[nostatic]

So yes, one of the Monarchs I now own must go and I will get on the back of the line and wait...



J

hmm, which one?

 

[nostatic]

We can / will / have chambered any body type that we make. I believe that the tone is highly related to overall mass. Having deep bass on something that weighs very little just isn't going to happen. With the instruments that we have chambered I have not personally experienced a loss of deep bass...

Regards,

J

Last night I gigged both the YYD (chambered walnut, ebony/pau amarillo top, 8.8 lbs)) and new Monarch (solid alder, koa top, 8.3 lbs). Now to be fair they also have different fingerboards (ebony on the YYD and Braz rosewood on the Monarch) so the chambering is only part of the equation. I can say that to my ear the YYD has less bottom end but more mids with a bit of "air" to the notes. The Monarch has more lows, more polite in the mids, but still has some sizzle. The Monarch is more towards the "vintage" end of the tone spectrum (but still has that top end and character of a Fodera), while the YYD can more easily "go for the throat." I have an easier time dialing back the YYD towards more sedate than making the Monarch more angry sounding. But that is based on one gig so I still don't know the instrument yet, and that was with a lot of FOH support.

 

[Just Thumpin']

I have a Monarch Elite from 1996 with a Walnut body, Alder Tone Block, Ebony FB (w/Abalone Blocks) and a non-solid Crotch Walnut top. It has Fodera / Duncan Single Coils and the latest premp. Essentially I am thinking of recreating this build in my preferred Dovetail format with a solid top and Dual Coils...at least that is the GAS of the moment!

LOL!

hmm, which one?

 

[Rich Treat]

Hi Jason,

I had remembered you mentioning this plan before, and then recently noticed two newborns that had the same specs (woods and electronics) but one was neck thru and the other was a dovetail. It looks like the tops were even from the same tree! I was hoping that these were part of that plan and thought that their bolt on "triplet" might show up soon, but I guess it was just a coincidence.

At any rate, I found it interesting to read the comparison that you posted here... http://www.fodera.com/Main/NewBornDetails.aspx?FeaturedItemID=346

Jim --

This is a great question and one that tends to get asked repeatedly over time in this thread. The unfortunate reality is that even with us regularly building instruments using all three types of neck constructions, we have never had three basses with exactly the same body shape, scale length and woods that vary only in terms of neck construction to listen to side by side.

This is an "issue" that we talked about as a partnership in mid-2010 and as a result decided to add three "stock" builds to our Production Schedule that will solve this problem once and for all. Later this year (yes we wait in line too!) we will be building these three Monarch 5's all with EXACTLY the same woods and build specs EXCEPT for the neck construction. Once these instruments are finished we will be working with one of our artists to professionally record identical passages on each instrument. These recordings will be made available as downloads on our website.

With tone, there simply is no substitute for listening with your own ears. As I have said many times, my "fat and bloated" is another person's "round and warm." My "tight and articulate" could be your "overly analytical and sterile." This is the unfortunate, but very real space in which all of these discussions about individual sensory experiences happen.

Now, all of this said, the general thesis (subject to revision after we have all listened to the three test basses that we will be building) is that bolt-ons are the most "punchy," neck-throughs offer the most "sustain" and dovetails exist somewhere in the middle.

I hope that this at least starts to answer your question and that you stay tuned for our experiment.

J

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[jnammy]

nostatic, i think walnut was a great choice for a chambered bass for the added fundamentals. most sadowsky nyc's are heavily chambered and ash-bodied, which doesn't help the situation.

 

[jnammy]

going back to my earlier question, jason, do you happen to know if my chilean laurel burl top Monarch 5 (your old bass) has a stained finish with wax paste or is it just the wax paste only? or is this proprietary information?

 

[curt basner]

I guess I used the term because it belonged to, or originated from California, therefore assuming it could be called Californian...Wrong!

Thanks, myself and my German or is that Germanic brother stand corrected. I was once told by a friend of my father, an American attorney, "You speak well, but you really need to improve your American"..LoL

Hey Lugzy!

Like I wrote, my friend, NOT WRONG, just interesting! However, you WOULD sound more 'American' saying it MY way LOL

 

[curt basner]

Here's two of the three tops I got a peek at for my Imperial MG 5 from Glenn at ABT. He said they're appearing a little redder/oranger in the pics and that both should have more nice dark chocolate color in real life, which I was requesting.

I like the uniformity of the flames on the first, though the second on is really interesting as well. Really interesting- it's making me question my decision to go with plastic pickup covers since there' so much nice figuring in the middle.

Any comments from the thread?

Robin,

#2 DEFINITELY!!!!!