I read somewhere that gibson isnt using ebony anymore. Im not sure of its accuracy and i dont play gibsons so i cant vouch. Just something i heard
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- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,952
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I use it only on fretboards obviously.I believe it is Mike Tobias that swears by the stuff.
Same here, and yes, it was Mike Tobias who turned me on to boiled linseed oil in the first place.
It's true, as far as I know. Instead of ebony, they are using something called 'Richlite', which is a disgusting sounding paper/resin material. I do play Gibson guitars, and ebony has been a staple fretboard for Les Paul Customs forever. I will not be getting any guitars with a richlite fretboard...so no more new LP Customs for me
i read about this in the l.a. times a number of years ago.
if you and another company but the mill, i guess you can do this. maybe the "giants" don't have the vision. apparently gibson is fien with doing "richlite" or whatever it is.
in any event, i believe jason corroborated this information a while back. he can correct me if i'm wrong.
It's true, as far as I know. Instead of ebony, they are using something called 'Richlite', which is a disgusting sounding paper/resin material. I do play Gibson guitars, and ebony has been a staple fretboard for Les Paul Customs forever. I will not be getting any guitars with a richlite fretboard...so no more new LP Customs for me
Are you sure about that? Most of the new high end Gibsons I've seen have been using katalox instead of ebony, which sounds pretty much the exact same.
Just Thumpin'
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- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
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- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
Nowhere near $3k for a Holly top...feel free to call or email the shop, but that number is WAY high! And, Holly can come as either a solid top or non-solid top.
Cheers,
J
Cheers,
J
Hi Jason,
Does the holly top affect the sound, or its just esthetics?
And can you please describe the sound of this Emperor II?
http://www.fodera.com/Main/NewBornDetails.aspx?FeaturedItemID=589
Does the holly top affect the sound, or its just esthetics?
And can you please describe the sound of this Emperor II?
http://www.fodera.com/Main/NewBornDetails.aspx?FeaturedItemID=589
Same here, and yes, it was Mike Tobias who turned me on to boiled linseed oil in the first place.
I posted earlier that you turned me on to this stuff. Thanks!
Great stuff! Much better for my basses than that waxy Howard's Wax & Feed. And only $10.00 a quart at Home Depot.
First off, my most sincere apologies to Jason on assuming something I had no right to assume, regarding prices for a Fodera option.
Secondly, to Gridchin, I think it's safe to say that the top of the bass, while it does have SOME impact on the overall sound, is small compared to the body, tone block and neck woods. I will, of course, defer to the master, Jason, on this topic as well.
Regarding the question about the sound of your Emperor II, I would assume that the woods play more of a part in the sound than the body shape...again, though, I'm shooting my mouth with no facts to back it up. My soon to be completed Imperial MG shape bass has the same woods as your Holly EII, Walnut body with an Alder toneblock, and the neck on my Imperial is maple, too (though it's a 5 piece with stringers; the stringers don't affect tone, they are aesthetic only). My bass was designed to be toward the very warm end of the spectrum (and to that end, has 60s spacing pickups, AND I'm having it strung with TI flat strings, too). However, the big difference between my bass and yours is that yours has an Ebony fretboard, while mine is going to have Brazilian Rosewood. From what Jason has told me, the Ebony will impart a brightness that will be there regardless of the rest of the woods in the bass, meaning, probably, that your EII will be warm but with distinct tone in the upper registers. I will AGAIN, defer to master Jason on this for the definitive answer, though
All I can tell you is that if you go to the Gibson website, and to the Custom Shop spot on the site, and look at the Les Paul Custom specs, you'll see Richlite as the fretboard material.
I recall Jason saying that Holly is a dense wood that brightens up the overall tone of the bass.
Sincerest apolopgies to all regarding my assumption that Holly was so expensive. I should've clocked in with the chief before making that assumption. In honesty I thought that because it was pretty rare, and a fabulous looking wood that it would be in the same bracket as a 5AAA top. I'm extremley pleased I was wrong. Now watch out for the rush on Holly..
First off, my most sincere apologies to Jason on assuming something I had no right to assume, regarding prices for a Fodera option.
...Now watch out for the rush on Holly..
Ummmm, yeah
And I was hoping for some really nice Holly for MY next Fodera... 
Sincerest apolopgies to all regarding my assumption that Holly was so expensive. I should've clocked in with the chief before making that assumption. In honesty I thought that because it was pretty rare, and a fabulous looking wood that it would be in the same bracket as a 5AAA top. I'm extremley pleased I was wrong. Now watch out for the rush on Holly..
I'm sure it isn't a $10 upgrade either.
I love it. If I buy a 3rd Fodera or ever decide to upgrade from my E5S (doubtful), I could almost guarantee that my next bass would be a holly topped Emperor.
Hello Fodera fans. I'm thinking about getting a Monarch Standard, & I have a few questions for those in the know.
What kind of neck profile do they have?
Can you get a Fodera (even a custom model) in a transparent or solid color, or is natural the only finish offered?
Other than hardware colors, are there any other options available for the Monarch Standard?
Is the tone & playability on par with their top-of-the-line models?
Thanks.
What kind of neck profile do they have?
Can you get a Fodera (even a custom model) in a transparent or solid color, or is natural the only finish offered?
Other than hardware colors, are there any other options available for the Monarch Standard?
Is the tone & playability on par with their top-of-the-line models?
Thanks.
The first Fodera I played was an AJ6 (belonging to our own Brad Johnson). I remember asking him with amazement "are all Fodera necks this thin?". Yup. It is thin but it is very comfortable. I believe the only other upgrades on the Standard you could get besides hardware color would be a ramp and drop D tuner. And as others here will testify, the standards are every bit as high quality as the customs.
It's true, as far as I know. Instead of ebony, they are using something called 'Richlite', which is a disgusting sounding paper/resin material. I do play Gibson guitars, and ebony has been a staple fretboard for Les Paul Customs forever. I will not be getting any guitars with a richlite fretboard...so no more new LP Customs for me
^ My guitar's an ebony-board Gibson as well (Chet Tennessean), but I don't have anything against what they call "richlite," which is the same as Micarta. It's a phenolic-paper composite -- not all that different than the fingerboards used by Zon and Roscoe. Martin has used Micarta on many of their acoustics for a long time.
Hard to describe the neck profile, and there is some variation as they are hand carved though it is minor. The word "fast" comes to mind. I don't think they are currently doing any colors at the moment, and Standards are no-option instrument. Tone and playability is top of the line.
They do tend to lead to buying something like this though:
from last night: https://soundcloud.com/nostatic-live/footprints-rcjq-1
Hard to describe the neck profile, and there is some variation as they are hand carved though it is minor. The word "fast" comes to mind. I don't think they are currently doing any colors at the moment, and Standards are no-option instrument. Tone and playability is top of the line.
They do tend to lead to buying something like this though:
from last night: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Very cool, & thanks for your assessment.
Yes, as a long-time lurker of this forum, I've seen some amazing Foderas here, and yours is an especially beautiful bass.
No need to worry that I'll end up going too nuts - I'm just a working stiff, & both of my USA Spectors took me years of saving up for.
If the Monarch Standard offers all of the creamy tone & buttery playability of the Customs, I should be quite happy with one.
Amazing basses. Remember the "Standards" are almost $5000 basses made in Brooklyn by the same people that make Customs. They are Customs with no options available basically. These are not Epiphone/Squier to Gibson/Fender.
The term "only a Fodera Standard" should be outlawed!:scowl:
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