• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fodera Club Part XVII

Status
Not open for further replies.
#722
The last few comments on the Low B have been extremely helpful. Hopefully I can get my Smith sold and order my first Fodera. I've been reading this thread for a while and have learned a lot about these incredible instruments.
 
#725
Well there must be something to the M5S if the first batches have been sold and I haven't located a used one. I was kind of hoping that Fodera would bring all production in house. FWIW, although the previous entry models were well made, they didn't have the look. From a logistics standpoint it makes more sense to have all production in one place. Plus with putting the most common features in a Standard model and batch production, the efficiencies created boil down to a more affordable price point. Plus they look so damn cool and no skimping on quality hardware.
 
#730
thehess said:
Is the hum consistent, or does it go away when you touch the bridge or strings with your hands?

I have a FlexCore in another bass, and initially had hum problems on install. Since it was a side jack bass, Mike Pope (thepontif) recommended that I run a ground wire from the neutral of the output jack, and solder it to the top of one of the pots. Silenced it right up. If you search "flexcore hum" in the pickups forum, I bet you'll find multiple responses from Mike on the same subject. Might not be your issue, but it is likely something you want to consider. Reach out to him - he's very responsive.
Click to expand...



Thanks man! This is the exact kind of advice that I need. The majority of the buzz goes away when I put my fingers on the strings. There is a hiss that remains, but I've read in other posts that the hiss might just be the nature of the beast when it comes to the Flexcore. I've bugged Mike multiple times, over other user related problems I've had. I may just send him a picture of my control cavity and ask if he sees anything blatantly wrong.

I tried grounding a wire to the shielding and then touching it to all of the pots and it didn't make a difference.

By the neutral, do you mean the ground tab on the jack?


Just Thumpin' said:
There are a number of steps that must be taken when switching from EMG's to the kind of set-up that you have. They include shielding the PUP cavities, grounding the bridge and PUP cavities and making adjustments to the preamp to account for the impedance differences between the two kinds of PUP's (Active vs. Passive).

You are welcome to call the shop and we can talk you through it anytime. There will be a nominal bench charge, but it will probably save time and ensure that you get it right.

Regards,

Jason
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info Jason. I already had a ground wire from the bridge installed by a local luthier. I haven't had a chance to shield the pickup cavities yet. There's foam that's been stuck to the wood underneath the pickups for about 15 years now and I have a feeling that it's going to be a chore to get it out so I can shield the pickup cavities. Also, I've already changed the jumpers on the preamp to account for the passive pickups.

I'm going to shield and ground the pickup cavities and hope that gets rid of the buzz.



Thanks again guys!


Michael
 
#731
phishaholik said:
By the neutral, do you mean the ground tab on the jack?
Click to expand...

I mean the tab on the output jack that is soldered to the "sleeve" contact - the contact that creates continuity with the sleeve of the cable.

Here is Mike's note from his email to me when I reported a very similar problem - this bass has Nordstrand Dual Coils, the FlexCore pre, and a side-mounted jack:

"That's probably your problem [the side mounted jack - thehess]. The jack is the main ground point for the preamp, and it needs to somehow be connected to the bodies of all the other pots in order to ground the shafts so they don't crackle. With a TOP mounted jack, the jack is usually mounted in the same shielded area as the rest of the preamp. With a side mounted jack, unless you do something to correct it, the jack is not providing a ground for all the rest of the controls because the inside top surface of the bass is generally shielded, but the inside of the hole the jack goes in is usually now. You most likely need to run a ground wire from the BLACK wire on the jack (the body of the jack), to a ground point on the surface where all the controls are mounted. Best thing would be to scratch up a little area on the back of one of the single pots so it will take solder, and solder a wire there. Then solder the other end to the body of the output jack. I'll bet that solves it."
 
#735
Blue Blood said:
You may regret getting a fodera if you don't like it;)
Click to expand...

I suppose you could regret getting anything you don't like. Over the years there have been some basses that I've been disappointed with. Given the sticker price of even the Standard I had my doubts whether or not I was buying an overpriced jbass clone. However, I'm not only pleasantly surprised by the bass, but loving it more all the time. I hope other Fodera owners have a great experience too.
It's not about the brand. I could care less about that. In fact most places I play people don't even know the brand. It's just about being a fantastic bass.
 
#736
Mulebagger said:
It's not about the brand. I could care less about that. In fact most places I play people don't even know the brand. It's just about being a fantastic bass.
Click to expand...

Very well put.

Owning a Fodera may impress a bunch of TBers and the odd bassist out there that actually knows what a Fodera is, but not many other people (including most musicians).

I would never tell my bandmates or anyone besides my wife what I paid for my Fodera as an example.... but most people do think my Fodera looks really cool and my band thinks it sounds better than any other bass they have heard. I don't think many Fodera owners buy to impress people with their basses, they buy them as they want to own/play what they consider to be the best. I do anyways.
 
#737
You guys act like I've never owned several Fodera's before:) They are fantastic basses, absolute top-of-the-line. There are none better...if you get the specs that you like and the wood gods are kind enough to make the wood sound like what you expect. Sometimes it doesn't happen that way. I will say, though, that if you get a Fodera with the woods you like and it sounds like what you expected, you will never find a better bass.
 
#738
A huge amount has to do with proper set up. Honestly, I cannot remember a bass leaving the shop while I have been here that had a "below average" B-string. Are we talking about instruments built in the past 3-4 years or ones from long ago? I would ask any of you that has played a Fodera with an unimpressive B-string to urge the owner to get in touch with us and send the instrument back to us for evaluation. The vast majority of the time when older instruments come back for set-ups and come in with a mediocre sounding B it has to do with one of several factors including strings, neck relief, pickup height, bridge spacing, bridge saddle contour or nut height -- all of which can be fixed during a regular set-up.

Regards,

J

Blue Blood said:
There really is no way to plan for a good B string. It really depends on the individual instrument as to whether the B is good. You can play 20 FOdera's with the same specs and some of the B's will be good, some will be bad. I've played several Fodera's with average to below average B's, a couple were 35" and some were 34". Just get the scale length that feels best and then make the B work. I've made plenty of bad B strings sound much better with set-up and technique.
Click to expand...
 
#740
So true!!! There is this misperception here on TB that you show up at a gig and everyone looks at your gear and says "hmm, a Fodera, this guy is playing a really expensive bass." I just did a gig last night that is far more typical (IMHO)...after we were done with our second set and we were breaking down our gear, a middle aged woman came up and said "how do you make your bass sound so clear?"

I chatted with her for awhile. She was not a musician but loved seeing live music and noticed that she was able to "hear each note much more clearly than I am used to" (her words, not mine). It was pretty cool that she came up and asked. I do get this kind of feedback and/or compliments on the way the bass looks, etc. However, it's been fewer than a handful of times in fives years that someone from the audience corners me after a gig and asks about my Fodera by name.

The idea is the tone and the way they make you feel when playing them. That's it.

Mulebagger said:
In fact most places I play people don't even know the brand. It's just about being a fantastic bass.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back