Fodera Club Part XIX

[Baird6869]

What benefit is the extended B?

You don't have to cut as much off a new B string.

 

[Vic]

Interesting three headstock styles for the 5 string basses...

Shortest B...
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Longer B, the style I like best, and the style I'm getting...
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Longest B... can't get used to the looks on this one myself...
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[Baird6869]

Interesting three headstock styles for the 5 string basses...

Shortest B...
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I went with this for my Monarch 5 build.

Mainly to be different, but for quick on stage tuning, I just find a 3+2 easier. I correlate low strings to BEA and high as DG.

 

[SRFSterling5]

Interesting three headstock styles for the 5 string basses...

Shortest B...
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Longer B, the style I like best, and the style I'm getting...
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Longest B... can't get used to the looks on this one myself...
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Yeah option number 3 somehow doesn't look right. For me either of option 1 or 2 is fine. Still thinking of
my "Son of AJ" idea presentation shape in a 5 string version. Single sweet spot SD dual coil, still toying
with the full electronics vs none. Gotta have the flamed maple top and pau ferro FB to match my E5S.
Scale length at 35" because the 36" would hav emy left hand begging for mercy. One can dream. LOL

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

I LOVE the look of the extended B!!! So unique and elegant looking....

 

[roadkill2309]

Interesting three headstock styles for the 5 string basses...

Shortest B...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Longer B, the style I like best, and the style I'm getting...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Longest B... can't get used to the looks on this one myself...
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I'm with you. I love the look on that second one. The extended B looks *really* off to me.

 

[bThumper38]

Thanks for the kind words. I really want to reiterate that Joey, Vinny and I all believe that EVERY major aspect of a build makes an important difference in the final tone of an instrument. The choice of woods, the mass of the woods, the pickup spacing, the mass of the bridge, the mass of the tuners, the kind of pickups, the electronics, the thickness of the neck...literally every major decision that is made changes the overall sound of the instrument.

The reality is that the LAST piece of the puzzle is the preamp. Every other decision (many of which cannot be changed) comes before the preamp and if you don't like the sum total of what the instrument sounds like passively, you'll never really love it no matter what preamp / amp combination you go with.

Again, this is our thinking and the way that we approach building. There are many out there that do not believe in this philosophy. That said, I trust what my ears tell me more than anything I read...

I hope that this makes some kind of sense.

Regards,

J

I thinks that's right on the money, cause when I got my bass I probably played in just passive for a few days before even messing with the active, and even than I still really, really dig the tone in Passive, I don't think I've been a fan of passive for a long time, Thanks Fodera=) I'm converted.

 

[gridchin]

+1 on the extended B. It sounded better on my 34" EII than a "normal" B on a 35" TK Signature.

Interesting three headstock styles for the 5 string basses...

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[gridchin]

I'm wondering how gorgeous will be an extended B on a 35"

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[Joelc73]

I like the idea and feel (perceived or otherwise) of the extended B, but I hate the look. It seems to ruin the flawless flow of the rest of the design. Purely IMO of course, as it seems that some dig that look.

 

[Vic]

I like the idea and feel (perceived or otherwise) of the extended B, but I hate the look. It seems to ruin the flawless flow of the rest of the design. Purely IMO of course, as it seems that some dig that look.

I don't wanna' seem harsh, but I agree. Looks REALLY wonky to me, and honestly, I can't imagine the B having any issues whatsoever on the other two designs. The ES5 I played had a superb B string, and it was the median B (2+3... the one I'm getting), and a 34" scale. Needed absolutely no improvement whatsoever... at least IMHO.

 

[Angus]

Looks super wonky to me, too (not that there is a more elegant way to do that, however). But given that the best Fodera B's I've experienced were all older Foderas with regular headstocks and mostly 34" scale, and that the extended B's I've tried were nothing special...I can't do it.

The engineer in me REALLY can't do it, though. I did a couple experiments relating to this (and separately, bridge mass) ~5-6 years back, and found if anything changed, it had to do with the contact patch of the string over the nut changing, and there was some minor differences in the decay constants as a result. The differences were not statistically significant.

But as with most things, if someone digs it, who cares. Variety of life and all that.

 

[Baird6869]

Looks super wonky to me, too (not that there is a more elegant way to do that, however)......

But as with most things, if someone digs it, who cares. Variety of life and all that.

+1.

But the world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same thing. Every bassist playing a black/maple Precision comes to mind.

 

[Vic]

+1.

But the world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same thing. Every bassist playing a black/maple Precision comes to mind.

Well... even if that were the case, there are definitely worse things. Phil rocked the hell out of that format.

 

[Baird6869]

Well... even if that were the case, there are definitely worse things. Phil rocked the hell out of that format.

Custom pickguard.... Doesn't count.

 

[oldfretless]

Just sayin', the newborn page always has something I have to stop and look at. But today it's really got it going on

 

[iwearpumas]

Just sayin', the newborn page always has something I have to stop and look at. But today it's really got it going on

I second that.

 

[Vic]

Custom pickguard.... Doesn't count.

I hate you.

 

[Cookye]

Just sayin', the newborn page always has something I have to stop and look at. But today it's really got it going on

+1...True.

 

[Baird6869]

I hate you.

Oh yeah.... I buy a hard copy of your magazine every month, read it and then return it.

I kid, I kid.