Fodera Club Part XVI

[Just Thumpin']

Truer words were never said! Of course several of the folks on our Team (including Vinny!) are guitarists and Joey and I work hard every day to understand them...LOL!!

J

Guitarists are different animals.

 

[Just Thumpin']

That actually is not very typical of what Brazilian looks like...

J

Check my Brazilian Rosewood board on my Celinder bass

 

[Just Thumpin']

Okay, I only "played" it for a minute or two as I am pathetic on fretless and both Anthony Jackson (also in the shop yesterday) and Felix were both looking on. So, nerves from playing a bass that has as much meaning to me as any physical object I can think of, coupled with terrible fretless chops AND Felix and Anthony looking on = playing disaster of the first order!

That said, it was simply amazing to be in the same room with this bass (let alone playing it briefly). It sounds flat out incredible and has something about it that is beyond words. There is no question that you are in the presence of something really, really special.

The neck is super, super thin and Vinny and I were talking about the fact that this might have happened as part of the restoration / refinishing process because I have an original 1964 Jazz Bass with a thin neck and this is an order of magnitude thinner than mine. It is neck heavy (of course), but man, oh man what a heavenly tone. Felix played his way through some Jaco licks (as did Vadym) and it was truly eerie (and incredibly wonderful) to hear that bass make those sounds.

Work pretty much came to a complete stop in the shop for the better part of an hour. That is the only downside to having a shop full of bass guitar fanatics. How can you possibly work when Felix Pastorius, Anthony Jackson and the Bass of Doom are in the house?!?

J

Just saw on the Fodera facebook page that Felix brought The Bass of Doom (Jaco's bass) into the Fodera shop. How was it Jason?

 

[Just Thumpin']

Yes, however, back then Fender was using very thin pieces of material. That brings up another "mystery" about the Bass of Doom. Jacos fretless was / is a 1962 Jazz Bass. In 1962 Fender was using slab fingerboards (Brazilian RW). The Bass of Doom (at least the bass that I played yesterday) had the radiused, veneer FB that came later (I think in 1964)...

J

Speaking of fingerboards for fretless basses and the bass of doom: I have always assumed the the bass of doom had a Brazilian Rosewood FB - is this correct?

Jim

 

[jsbarber]

Jason,

my memory tells me it was '62 when they switched from slab FB to the thinner veneer FB. Here is a quote that I found on a guitar forum:

from the book Fender , the sound heard round the world by Richard R. Smith

"from 1959 to 1965 all Fender guitars and basses had 3 distinct versions of the rosewood board . The first was flat on the bottom surface where it joined the neck. Collectors called this the "slab board" because of it's shape and thickness usually wide and flat. Fender used this until about mid 1962 . The 2nd was a experimental cap used for about a year and by mid 1963 Fender had determined that a thinner board worked better .He used a very thin curved piece rosewood cap on a curved maple neck."

So there's a good chance the Bass of Doom has its original FB.

Jim

 

[Lugzy]

We were promised the right of review for factual mistakes and were never given that opportunity. I had a long discussion with their editor about it and explained how much of a disservice this does to their readers. Sadly, Premier Guitar's policy seems to be that no one gets to review the articles before they go to print -- of course the writer that wrote the article (with whom I was very clear about wanting the right to review) did not know about this rule...

J

Hi Jason,

I had a feeling that since the Bassplayer outing that you'd probably ask for submissions before going to print and it sounds like you tried your best. Sadly there's not much you can do if an editor won't play ball.

My immediate thought was the obvious letter of complaint to the Ed in Chief, but then I remembered this incident....

I wonder if anyone remembers a review by Bassplayer magazine many years ago of a Benavente Bass (I think it was a 6string, bolt-on). The reviewer exclaimed the bass as truly innovative for its extended neck/single-cutaway body design, the very same design made famous by Fodera and subsequently copied by almost every Bass guitar luthier the world over.

AJ's Single-cut Contrabasses were the first ever to employ such a design, therefore he had every right to feel incensed at the review. The following month AJ wrote to the editor to complain that the design was a direct rip-off and could not be credited to Benavente, but to Vincent Fodera the originator. Now, If I were the editor in Chief, who had received a letter of complaint from such a highly regarded artist as Anthony (who also happened to be a contributor at the time), I'd certainly take a smack on the wrist and publish an apology.

I bought the magazine for the next two consecutive months expecting to see a printed apology, but there was nothing "No Reply" whatsoever. Admittedly I skim the magazines when I'm in a bookstore and there might be the odd article of interest, but I decided to vote with my feet and have not bought "a single" copy of Bassplayer since. BTW, I bought the magazine religiously for many years when it was GuitarPlayer.

A little OTT maybe, but that's me..

Easy.

 

[jsbarber]

Was the letter that Anthony wrote to the editor published in the magazine?

Hi Jason,
The following month AJ wrote to the editor to complain that the design was a direct rip-off and could not be credited to Benavente, but to Vincent Fodera the originator. Now, If I were the editor in Chief, who had received a letter of complaint from such a highly regarded artist as Anthony (who also happened to be a contributor at the time), I'd certainly take a smack on the wrist and publish an apology.

 

[Brad Johnson]

indeed. ;-)

kinda wacky, no?

I dig it. I don't mind different.

 

[Lugzy]

Was the letter that Anthony wrote to the editor published in the magazine?

Yep, it was indeed.

 

[DirtPoorRobins]

The 30th anniversary Monarchs are exact replicas of Vic's first Monarch (Fodera #37) and have nothing to do with the spec of the Monarch Standards.

Yes, we will be bringing three guitars to the NAMM Show this year, but this being TalkBass, there's no major reason to go into that here...

Cheers,

J

So it's safe to say they were a little foggy on some of the details in that article then.

 

[gkbass13]

Was the letter that Anthony wrote to the editor published in the magazine?

I remember reading it, and probably have the issue somewhere. The review was of a buckeye burl Benavente Singlecut 5. According to Benavente, as seen on the Lowend webpage, AJ's remarks proved to be some of the best free advertising a young company could ever ask for. Funny how that tends to work.

 

[DirtPoorRobins]

The burl that made that top was purchased by Vinny and Joey back in the very early 1990's and they paid around $5,000 for it then. Turns out we were able to get tops for four instruments from it. All four will be built between 2012 and 2013. So forgetting beauty and scarcity, what's a fair price for something that you have been sitting on for 20 years that you paid $5,000 for and has become impossible to get?

It is really, really hard to value this kind of thing...

I know rare wood can cost quite a bit, I never imagined someone could charge that much 20 years ago for a piece that makes only 4 tops! I can't imagine how much that would cost today if you could even get your hands on it, just blows my mind, I can easily understand the price of your tops, and worth every penny!

 

[DirtPoorRobins]

Ok, I've held off long enough, my new fodera is due the first week in January! Presentation grade Madrone burl top over alder, it'll get dual coils. It's great to know the man himself is carving away wood on my soon to be done first custom fodera .


Alder Body/Madrone Burl
Maple neck/Ebony Fretboard
Dual Coils
26 frets bolt on
Gold hardward/knobs

 

[steubig]

I dig it. I don't mind different.

well, it doesn't look like that any more.

that bass was made in the day when it wasn't the easiest thing to get pickups for 6-string basses, so the original deal was two emg 81s (i think) in a reverse p configuration. didn't really get the harmonics off the bass like a j or even a p would, so i put something else in there.

so, now it looks even more different . . .

 

[smperry]

a little off topic but one of my bands just sent me one of the final takes of a video we made for the first single off our new album, Blue & White, called "Novocaine". I recorded this track with my Imperial 5 Elite so I used it in the video as well. If you're interested in seeing the bass in action or checking out the track here's the link!

Novocaine - by Soulfarm

Sounds great Mitch.

Happy Holidays,
Marshall

 

[matt thompson]

got to noodle on a pj burl 4 string last night - never played a fodera before I must say that the playability is out of bounds!

it was a new friend of mine John Ferrara from Consider the Source - an amazing band please check them out

need to start saving them pennies!

 

[Christian Houmann]

Ok, I've held off long enough, here's some pics Jason sent me yesterday of my new fodera due the first week in January! Presentation grade Madrone burl top over alder, it'll get dual coils. It's great to see the man himself carving away wood on my soon to be done first custom fodera .

Nice man. 26 frets?

 

[Just Thumpin']

Thanks!! I have no question that it is the original FB, just a bit confused by the timing of when the neck was built as it related to being a 1962...

Regards,

J

Jason,

my memory tells me it was '62 when they switched from slab FB to the thinner veneer FB. Here is a quote that I found on a guitar forum:

from the book Fender , the sound heard round the world by Richard R. Smith

"from 1959 to 1965 all Fender guitars and basses had 3 distinct versions of the rosewood board . The first was flat on the bottom surface where it joined the neck. Collectors called this the "slab board" because of it's shape and thickness usually wide and flat. Fender used this until about mid 1962 . The 2nd was a experimental cap used for about a year and by mid 1963 Fender had determined that a thinner board worked better .He used a very thin curved piece rosewood cap on a curved maple neck."

So there's a good chance the Bass of Doom has its original FB.

Jim

 

[Just Thumpin']

For better or worse, everyone mistakes and as long as there was not malicious intent, I generally believe in moving forward...

Regards,

J

Hi Jason,

I had a feeling that since the Bassplayer outing that you'd probably ask for submissions before going to print and it sounds like you tried your best. Sadly there's not much you can do if an editor won't play ball.

My immediate thought was the obvious letter of complaint to the Ed in Chief, but then I remembered this incident....

I wonder if anyone remembers a review by Bassplayer magazine many years ago of a Benavente Bass (I think it was a 6string, bolt-on). The reviewer exclaimed the bass as truly innovative for its extended neck/single-cutaway body design, the very same design made famous by Fodera and subsequently copied by almost every Bass guitar luthier the world over.

AJ's Single-cut Contrabasses were the first ever to employ such a design, therefore he had every right to feel incensed at the review. The following month AJ wrote to the editor to complain that the design was a direct rip-off and could not be credited to Benavente, but to Vincent Fodera the originator. Now, If I were the editor in Chief, who had received a letter of complaint from such a highly regarded artist as Anthony (who also happened to be a contributor at the time), I'd certainly take a smack on the wrist and publish an apology.

I bought the magazine for the next two consecutive months expecting to see a printed apology, but there was nothing "No Reply" whatsoever. Admittedly I skim the magazines when I'm in a bookstore and there might be the odd article of interest, but I decided to vote with my feet and have not bought "a single" copy of Bassplayer since. BTW, I bought the magazine religiously for many years when it was GuitarPlayer.

A little OTT maybe, but that's me..

Easy.

 

[Just Thumpin']

Therein lies the risk...the burl should have easily made 10-12 tops, but once you open it up you often find cracks and imperfections that you cannot see on the surface.

Another great example -- We have just one Pink Ivory log left in the shop suitable for FB's. We just cut it in half last week. It has been sitting in the shop for over 20 years. Size-wise it could yield 20-30 FB's. Sadly, given the amount of checking inside we will be lucky to get 3 or 4 FB's. We might actually only get 2!

You when you price the really rare, exotic stuff, all of that has to get factored in...

J

I know rare wood can cost quite a bit, I never imagined someone could charge that much 20 years ago for a piece that makes only 4 tops! I can't imagine how much that would cost today if you could even get your hands on it, just blows my mind, I can easily understand the price of your tops, and worth every penny!