Okay gang I am really interested in YOUR thoughts about this one. As many of you know, I have what might very well be my last personal Fodera build on order. I am 100% set on the following specs:
Monarch 4 Elite 34" / 24 frets
5-piece Maple Neck (one of the six 30th Anniversary necks we built with Birdseye Maple, Flame Maple and South American Rosewood stringers)
Brazilian RW FB
Chestnut Tone Block
Single Coil J/J PUPs
Crotch Walnut top
This coming week I need to make my final decision on the following things and it is driving me nuts as with every other instrument I have had built I had a specific tone / purpose in mind. And, as I am fortunate enough to have multiple Monarchs already, I definitely don't "need" another.
That said, it IS our 30th Anniversary this year and knowing this I placed my order in the Fall of 2011 (yes, I both pay AND wait in line for my builds!), because I wanted to have an instrument built in our 30th Anniversary year and actually have it stamped on our anniversary (March 14, 2013). Iin case you did not know this, every one of our instruments is date stamped under the bridge on the day that the woodworking / carving is completed.
So, here are the two remaining build specs that I am up in the air on...
1. Body wood;
2. Top (non-solid bookmatched vs. solid quartermatched)
In terms of body wood, I am waffling back and forth (depending on the day) between a stellar piece of old-growth Honduran Mahogany that was harvested in the 1920's and Ash.
The "collector" in me is screaming to use the Honduran as having that as a body wood with a Brazilian RW FB and a Chestnut Tone Block would be an insane tonewood trifecta. I do love this tonewood combination, but I already have two other Foderas with Mahogany bodies and Brazilian FB's...
As much as we have recently been building with (and loving!) combinations of Ash bodies with RW FB's, I actually do not personally own one. So, from a tone perspective, I would love to have a Fodera of my own with this combination. Yes, I will be able to pick through the wood pile and find a killer sounding and looking piece of Ash, but for a 30th Anniversary instrument, no piece of Ash that I can find will come close to the rarity of the piece of Honduran that is available.
As far as the top is concerned, about 18 months ago we received one of the most stunning pieces of feather crotch Walnut Vinny, Joey and I have ever seen. It has enough material for three tops. The only downside to the piece is that if I used it as a solid top, the feather crotch would be dominant towards the center of the instrument -- a place that is visually obscured by the PUP's, strings and bridge.
So, I have been leaning towards a non-solid top that would place the heavy crotch feather figure more towards the center of each body wing rather than under the strings (if I went with the solid top). Remember, the neck billet for this instrument is flat out stunning, so showing that on the face of the instrument would definitely NOT be a negative!
However, since we have enough material available, I am contemplating biting the bullet and paying for a second top and doing the very first quartermatched top -- imagine a bookmatched set on each side of the instrument. Vinny has always wanted to do one of these but has yet to do one. It would certainly be unique and probably look stunning, but I would loose the "old world" look of seeing the stunning neck billet (and it would cost a bunch more!).
So, I submit these quandaries to you humbly knowing how much I have enjoyed helping many of you make final selections for the specs of your Foderas and hoping you will help me do the same!
Kindest regards,
J
