Fodera Club Part XII

[cnltb]

To be clear, this instrument was designed to be played as an electric instrument. Although it is significantly louder acoustically than a solid body, our intention is for it to be played exclusively as an electric and my description of tone was based on it being plugged into a Walter Woods 1200 watt head going into an Epifani 2x10 cabinet...our shop rig.

One thing I also want to add...the conceptualization of this instrument has actually been in process for many, many years. Anthony is constantly asking us to push the envelope to help him realize the tone that he has in his head and each instrument that Fodera has built for him over the years has been one more step along that path. In this case we were collectively ready to try a radical new approach...something that had never been done before. Very fortunately, Wayne was willing to allow us to play guinea pig with his commissioned instrument...the amazing amount of trust and generosity in that gesture we (and Anthony) will always be thankful for and the Hybrid would probably not have been as fully realized a concept as it is were it not for Wayne's patience and kind heart...

The process was delayed by a good 18 months while we worked to patent the heel-less acoustic design that we wanted to employ and Wayne never flinched or balked he just told us to "do whatever you have to do."

Towards that end, Anthony has also been patiently waiting for #12...again, never insisting on deadlines or schedules, just wanting us to take the time necessary to work through fully realizing the next step along the path we are on together. We are acutely aware of just how lucky we are to be granted this latitude...

J

Ah ok, I misread the post then .
Thanks very much for al the info!
Also...as tone and getting as close as can be, to the tone in AJs head, one more question:
I can not remember who it was, but someone mentioned a Pre amp AJ used which he said , AJ considered, and i am paraphrasing, to be considerably better than the millennia media ones he has been using for a while now.
Do you happen to know what pre that may be?

Thanks again!

 

[wrp]

Ah ok, I misread the post then .
Thanks very much for al the info!
Also...as tone and getting as close as can be, to the tone in AJs head, one more question:
I can not remember who it was, but someone mentioned a Pre amp AJ used which he said , AJ considered, and i am paraphrasing, to be considerably better than the millennia media ones he has been using for a while now.
Do you happen to know what pre that may be?

Thanks again!

Anthony was kind enough to share info about his preamp when I met him at the shop this week. It is an Upstate Audio Sonic Lens. No tone controls. Just 2 gain controls per channel. Here's a link to the product info:

Link Removed

Of course, Anthony sounds like Anthony regardless of what he's playing though. AJ's commitment to ensuring that ALL of the signal he is producing on his instrument reaches his audience with NO degradation is incredible. He continues to advance the state of the art for our entire signal chain.

 

[Angus]

Do people actually like Anthony's tone live, though? I've seen him three (four?) times, and it's always pretty unpleasant. Really shrill and grungy.

I'm not saying it's the bass- I've played a presentation in Japan that was great.

 

[cnltb]

Anthony was kind enough to share info about his preamp when I met him at the shop this week. It is an Upstate Audio Sonic Lens. No tone controls. Just 2 gain controls per channel. Here's a link to the product info:

Link Removed

Of course, Anthony sounds like Anthony regardless of what he's playing though. AJ's commitment to ensuring that ALL of the signal he is producing on his instrument reaches his audience with NO degradation is incredible. He continues to advance the state of the art for our entire signal chain.

Wow..Thanks very much for the info!
I am extremely happy with my custom Buzzaudio Preamp , but still interested in hearing about and being introduced to new(to me) and good things!

But...how much of all this goodness is left when running through a volume pedal, an effects pedal, a tuner and a DI box before the signal gets to the Pre amp?( in case this is the signal chain)

 

[TapyTap]

The original plan was to ship the bass to me in San Francisco when it was done. I was given the option to meet AJ at the shop and rearranged a business trip to New York to coordinate with his schedule.

If given the option, I'd also rearrange my plans and meet with AJ.

By the way, that very large road case in the background of the pics on the Fodera site is the case for my bass...

Wow.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Do people actually like Anthony's tone live, though? I've seen him three (four?) times, and it's always pretty unpleasant. Really shrill and grungy.

I'm not saying it's the bass- I've played a presentation in Japan that was great.

I've never seen AJ live, but the clips I've watched there is a incredibly rich amount of depth and harmonic content. I know what you mean by shrill though- he seems to like keep things really open sounding! None of the harshness that can be there in an electric bass tone is removed. More so than for my taste as a listener.

It's a little like looking a your face in the mirror with the lights up really bright.

Lots of solo chord work 1:30 into this:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[TapyTap]

Darn it, our true inspiration has been revealed!!!!!

LOL!

J

In all seriousness, please tell Mr. Fodera that a classical guitar player turned bassist is amazed and inspired by this new design. Aesthetically, this instrument just leaves me speechless...I so look forward to hearing it played.

 

[Angus]

I've never seen AJ live, but the clips I've watched there is a incredibly rich amount of depth and harmonic content. I know what you mean by shrill though- he seems to like keep things really open sounding! None of the harshness that can be there in an electric bass tone is removed. More so than for my taste as a listener.

See I think people are tiptoeing around it a bit because it's AJ and because he's known for putting so much energy into it. I remember after one of the shows, the talk after the performance in the crowd was a lot about "how bad the bassist sounded".

I think he sounds GREAT in the really low range of his bass, and impeccably clean (if a bit too clean for me) in the high range when solo'd (don't think the high range sounds good in the mix). But everything in between, at least to me, sounds grungy, harsh and kind of shrill. Too high fidelity?

The clip you posted actually sounds better than the times I've seen him, though still not to my taste at least, either. In that clip the high range sounds very much like a guitar, which is very nice.

(That all said I love his playing, and probably have more CDs with him playing than any other player.)

 

[narud]

See I think people are tiptoeing around it a bit because it's AJ and because he's known for putting so much energy into it. I remember after one of the shows, the talk after the performance in the crowd was a lot about "how bad the bassist sounded".

I think he sounds GREAT in the really low range of his bass, and impeccably clean (if a bit too clean for me) in the high range when solo'd (don't think the high range sounds good in the mix). But everything in between, at least to me, sounds grungy, harsh and kind of shrill. Too high fidelity?

The clip you posted actually sounds better than the times I've seen him, though still not to my taste at least, either. In that clip the high range sounds very much like a guitar, which is very nice.

(That all said I love his playing, and probably have more CDs with him playing than any other player.)

id rather hear him playing the career girl

 

[cnltb]

It's all a matter of taste, no?

 

[emjazz]

id rather hear him playing the career girl

I was thinking the same thing the other day Joe....I also loved his tone with an earlier singlecut AJ Fodera that had a single Bart pickup. What's important in the end though is that AJ is chasing after what he feels is his ideal sound. Whether it's Anthony or anyone else, that's what important for us all.

I have to say though, I VERY much look forward to hearing AJ with the next bass that Fodera will make for him.

 

[steubig]

this all gets into the glass houses thing.

we all have our likes/needs, etc.

for me, i just liked the chaka stuff with career girl cause i like that *music more*.

it's just a benefit the aj is such a mofo on it (he and steve ferrone are such a great team). i'm not really down with most of the fusion-y stuff that i've seen and heard aj do of late (even though i know it's good) <shrug> . . . not sure if he's gonna lose sleep over that ;-)

pretty sure he wouldn't care for my sound or musical choices.

still, he pioneered the bass that i use *exclusively*, so all props, respect and thanks to him---whether or not i like his sound.

 

[Angus]

Yeah, nobody is talking about his playing or his contribution to music and the development of the instrument! It would take some pretty serious chutzpah to question that.

 

[emjazz]

this all gets into the glass houses thing.

we all have our likes/needs, etc.

for me, i just liked the chaka stuff with career girl cause i like that *music more*.

it's just a benefit the aj is such a mofo on it (he and steve ferrone are such a great team). i'm not really down with most of the fusion-y stuff that i've seen and heard aj do of late (even though i know it's good) <shrug> . . . not sure if he's gonna lose sleep over that ;-)

pretty sure he wouldn't care for my sound or musical choices.

still, he pioneered the bass that i use *exclusively*, so all props, respect and thanks to him---whether or not i like his sound.

+1 all around.

 

[wrp]

this all gets into the glass houses thing.

we all have our likes/needs, etc.

for me, i just liked the chaka stuff with career girl cause i like that *music more*.

it's just a benefit the aj is such a mofo on it (he and steve ferrone are such a great team). i'm not really down with most of the fusion-y stuff that i've seen and heard aj do of late (even though i know it's good) <shrug> . . . not sure if he's gonna lose sleep over that ;-)

pretty sure he wouldn't care for my sound or musical choices.

still, he pioneered the bass that i use *exclusively*, so all props, respect and thanks to him---whether or not i like his sound.

+1 on "we all have our likes/needs, etc."

My takeaway was to pursue the sound your trying to achieve as far as you can take it. Each of us have our own unique way of expressing ourselves and should use our tools and talent to further our expression.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Actually, Vin likes to keep our nut width fairly constant no matter what the bridge spacing is UNLESS asked to change it by a customer. He feels (and I personally agree) that things start to feel too narrow if we go much below 1 27/32" on a fiver...

J

Thanks for the info Jason. I heard you're gonna take mine touch past that as I requested to 1 13/16". I know it is going to perfect for me by being a little tighter but not much.

 

[steubig]

Yeah, nobody is talking about his playing or his contribution to music and the development of the instrument! It would take some pretty serious chutzpah to question that.

yeah, i know.

i just think sound is just a really personal thing.

i mean, really, 90% of bass sounds do nothing for me.

if we had a private conversation, it would be more in depth, but this is the internet, ya know?

 

[Tom7]

See I think people are tiptoeing around it a bit because it's AJ and because he's known for putting so much energy into it. I remember after one of the shows, the talk after the performance in the crowd was a lot about "how bad the bassist sounded".

I think he sounds GREAT in the really low range of his bass, and impeccably clean (if a bit too clean for me) in the high range when solo'd (don't think the high range sounds good in the mix). But everything in between, at least to me, sounds grungy, harsh and kind of shrill. Too high fidelity?

The clip you posted actually sounds better than the times I've seen him, though still not to my taste at least, either. In that clip the high range sounds very much like a guitar, which is very nice.

(That all said I love his playing, and probably have more CDs with him playing than any other player.)

I'm glad that you guys are talking about this. "Tip toeing" is the right phrase though, because this is AJ, and we only say sunny things in the Fodera forum.

Plus, Anthony Jackson is the reason I mostly play 6 string basses. I'd been watching him play on my "Lee Ritneour & Friends live from the Cocoanut Grove" DVD, then at a gig I found myself reaching for my B string. The problem was not only did the bass I was playing not have a B string, but at that point in time I'd never owned a bass with a B string. I quickly got me one (a 6-string bass). Then a fretless 6-stringer. Then 5 more 6-string basses.

But as big of an influence as Anthony's playing has been on me, I've never been drawn to his bass. I think it is rock solid and pristine in the lower register, but too strident for me when played high.

The youtube clip that was shared illustrates it for me. Right here you hear strident, scratchy high notes, then Anthony runs down to an A played on the E string and holds it, and when it is low, it sounds oh so good. The contrast is quite remarkable.

Granted, this is personal preference, but because I'd never heard anyone say it, I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

 

[nostatic]

My only real point of reference (I avoid much of the "f" word - the mere mention of the word sends guitarists and drummers into often bad places ) is seeing AJ live last month with Hiromi. It was awe-inspiring.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

I

But as big of an influence as Anthony's playing has been on me, I've never been drawn to his bass. I think it is rock solid and pristine in the lower register, but too strident for me when played high.

The youtube clip that was shared illustrates it for me. Right here you hear strident, scratchy high notes, then Anthony runs down to an A played on the E string and holds it, and when it is low, it sounds oh so good. The contrast is quite remarkable.

Granted, this is personal preference, but because I'd never heard anyone say it, I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

I'm glad you said it and not me, but that's how I always felt as well and wondered if I was alone. I find that issue with 6's in general though, which is why I quit playing them. Aj's sounds killer low and is not my thing high.

Btw, I'm sure you'll be getting your letter of dismissal from club Fodera any day.