Fodera Club Part XIX

[Vic]

The only thing I would add is that you can't take any one component (such as fingerboard wood) in a vacuum, and that the interplay of body woods, neck woods, and fingerboard woods must also be taken into consideration. As must other factors, such as wood density, construction techniques, thickness of the fingerboard, etc (not to mention hardware and electronics).

The "classic" body/fingerboard wood combinations of ash/maple and alder/rosewood are of course well known (thanks again, Leo!), but I feel that mahogany/ebony is another one of those body/fingerboard wood combinations that compliment each other nicely.

+1 as well!!

 

[Zentner]

Has Fodera ever used Bloodwood as a fretboard? I've heard it's tone compared to that of Ebony...

 

[steubig]

Has Fodera ever used Bloodwood as a fretboard? I've heard it's tone compared to that of Ebony...

i think i've heard between maple and rosewood?

 

[nostatic]

Does any of you have a walnut neck ?

I have a walnut neck on my Rob Allen. I like it a lot.

The Foderas are Monarch Elite 5s, fretted is braz rw top on chambered walnut body with ebony fb and 5-piece maple neck. Fretless is walnut top on chambered walnut body with ebony fb on 3-piece ash neck. Both strung E-C.

 

[asbs]

Thank you for the answer.

I use to have a Dingwall with a walnut neck.
It was very nice feeling, never cold and very soft.
Never had to adjust it.

I guess it brings a kind of "air" in the overal sound.
Maybe a way to open the compressed mid you have mentionned ?

Mahogany is interesting to me, but I stuck with chambered walnut for the two in the pipe as I liked the YYD so much we figured why mess with the formula. Ebony/walnut is magic to my ears, but I wonder if the chambering takes a bit of the compression out of the walnut and pushes it a bit more towards a mahogany/alder sound.

I guess we'll find out in a few months...

 

[Belka]

Here's my take...

Ebony - high ping, crisp, a tiny bit of compression in the grind (low treble) area, quickest attack, most "modern" sounding. sweet slapper.

Maple - not as crisp on the high end, but much more forward in the low treble/grind area - strongest of the three for fingerstyle mix cutting. A bit harsh for slap solo, but works well in a mix to really come forward... may need to add a bit of control to keep it from piercing tho.

Pau Ferro - between maple and ebony is the simplest/best way to put it. I really love this material as a highly stable, well balanced tonally, pretty, and inexpensive board wood.

Application wise, for me, simplest way to put it, I love ebony best for fretless and if I'm really going for a modern tone with a really crisp ultra high. I love maple best for a J bass. great for growl and mix slashing, slap easily tamed by dropping a tone control or active treble. pau ferro for almost anything if you don't particularly want something accentuated.

And just to round things out...

Rosewood - really big warm round and mellow, smooth but present high end, great for classic tones and awesome for old school P bass. Hate it on fretless, and it won't last long there anyway.

At least IMHO/IME.

In my experience everything you have written here is absolutely correct. I might only add that some rosewood boards, while lacking that low treble grind that maple has, can sometimes give more in the mid treble/ treble/treble department. Strange but true.

 

[Craken]

Sorry to derail the thread but can anybody tell me what kind of top wood and pickup cover woods are used on this bass?

This is the nicest Fodera I have ever seen. Does anybody know who it belongs to?

 

[curbowkid]

Sorry to derail the thread but can anybody tell me what kind of top wood and pickup cover woods are used on this bass?

This is the nicest Fodera I have ever seen. Does anybody know who it belongs to?

It looks like solid Olive top with purple heart covers but i cant be %100 about the pickup covers with that pic angle

 

[Craken]

I actually just found out what the top is, it is tulipwood. I have been wondering for about 3 months and I just this moment figured it out via google image search. I should've done that before!

Thanks for the pickup covers though.

 

[Lennard III.]

I actually just found out what the top is, it is tulipwood. I have been wondering for about 3 months and I just this moment figured it out via google image search. I should've done that before!

Thanks for the pickup covers though.

the fretboard is Tulipwood as well

 

[Craken]

the fretboard is Tulipwood as well

Great, thanks. Do you have any idea of its tonal characteristics?

 

[ursusaltered]

Just scored monarch #34

 

[steubig]

that's sweet. congrats!

 

[Leo Smith]

Just scored monarch #34

Sweet! Where did you get it?!?

 

[nostatic]

View attachment 332743

Just scored monarch #34

I like

 

[ursusaltered]

 

[ursusaltered]

From one of my friends in Indianapolis. He got it from Kebos. I traded an emperor deluxe for it.

 

[ursusaltered]

The first Fodera I had ever owned was an 84 monarch! The ones built in the eighties had some extra mojo because Vinny could take his time building them IMHO. I had sold it and regretted it. So I went on a quest to find another. Finally found one.
Here is the first one. #85

 

[bThumper38]

looks like it's from The Low End, with the brick wall in the background..............................................
...........................my bad, so that's the bass from Kebo's, I was Eyeballing that one but my timing was off a little bit=)

 

[ursusaltered]

It came at an expensive price though.
Had to trade this beauty to get it! We made an agreement that if for any reason I don't like it in the future I can get the emperor back. So no foul there!