I'm thinking that a lot of time and effort was spent to get the sound to the spot that Anthony was trying to get to for this instrument. The chambers in the body itself must have been a lot of trial and error to get it right.
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I spoke to Vinny about it once and he told me there is a lot of labor involved in building a Presentation, approximately twice as much as a regular Fodera if my memory serves me. Look at the top, it is not flat, it is hand carved. There is also chambering and who knows what else going on in there. The results speak for themselves.
Jim
Jim
- Jan 7, 2008
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I've always wondered that as well. It seems if you have the guys build you a 36" scale Imperial 6 with an AJ shape sans electronics, you can walk away with a fairly similar bass for about $13,000 less. Of course I know the tops on the presentations are supposed to be second to none, not to mention the chambering and special Duncan pup, but this has always thrown me as well. Twice as much labor? Sounds like kind of a stretch to me....not saying they don't put more love into the presentations, as they should for that kind of money, but I don't see how it could be THAT much more time consuming over any of the other insanely detailed and expensive works of art they're busy making now....
The woods of an AJ Presentation are also super premium. A Brazilian rosewood fretboard big enough for a 6-string ain't cheap and neither is the quilted mahogany.
The next version of the AJ Presentation is sure to cost quite a bit more than the current one. It'll be the bass that truly looks like there was a lot more work involved in getting it built than other Foderas.
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Yeah, if my understanding is correct, that bass was/is a prototype for the next AJ. It has patented construction techniques and is at least semi-hollow, with all the deluxe woodworking we're all accustomed to seeing.
If Anthony keeps up his unprecedented touring schedule, I hope to see him out and around with this bass in the next few years.
Devils advocate here. Shouldn't the relatively low cost of alder and maple somewhat offset that?
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I mean, not to be that guy who questions Foderas pricing, but IMO it seems the AJ Presentation is just the flagship of the Fodera shop. And since Fodera can charge whatever they want and clearly people will pay it, they probably said "***?! Let's go nuts!" haha at least that's how I want to imagine it going down....I just can't really see why a Presentation (non hybrid) would cost THAT much more than any other Imperial, even with a 5A top and titanium bridge. Especially since scale length and body shape don't cost anything extra. I'm sure Jason has answered this before, but I'm lazy and I love to make assumptions. 
Just remember, presentation grade tops on regular non carved topped imperials can go past 15k, so throw in the bridge and extra time and I can see the price tag pretty easily.
Anthony Jackson also play tests and sets up every Presentation personally. Obviously there aren't a million of them out there, but it makes a strong statement about the level of dedication and passion attached to this particular model. I'd wager that no other electric bass builder or artist does this. I'm not sure Anthony even receives renumeration for his attention to each signature instrument, but it does add to the idea that the AJP is the bar-none flagship of an already very refined and highly regarded line of instruments.
The AJP is what it is and people buy them at the price that is asked.
The AJP is what it is and people buy them at the price that is asked.
I have played a Presentation bass . Believe it or not the 36 scale is not as intimidating as I originally thought, and this is coming from a guy with short arms and fingers.
I would love to try a 36" fodera, they are just pretty hard to come by, even at the shop I'm sure.
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Warwick buying Fodera would be admitting their German basses aren't the top of the top. It would be a bad business move.
Just Thumpin'
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It is a simple question of time. It takes roughly two times as long to build a Presentation (and three times as long to build a Hybrid) as it does to make something like a Monarch Deluxe 4.
The wood selection process is more extensive and more difficult because the pieces involved are so large and rare, the hand carved top alone takes Vinny the better part of a week to do and then every aspect of carving, sanding, spraying, etc. takes a lot longer because of its size...
So it is really more a question of properly pricing the opportunity cost of building one. Our build schedule is booked out one year for Custom Instruments. So, if we need to use several build slots for a Presentation rather than building 2-3 other instruments in the same time, the instrument needs to be priced accordingly.
Finally, the majority of what you are paying for in a Fodera is actually labor cost. Yes, we use the very best materials, hardware, electronics, etc., but at the end of the day the majority of the cost of the instruments still come down to the cost of labor...
I hope that this makes sense.
Regards,
Jason
The wood selection process is more extensive and more difficult because the pieces involved are so large and rare, the hand carved top alone takes Vinny the better part of a week to do and then every aspect of carving, sanding, spraying, etc. takes a lot longer because of its size...
So it is really more a question of properly pricing the opportunity cost of building one. Our build schedule is booked out one year for Custom Instruments. So, if we need to use several build slots for a Presentation rather than building 2-3 other instruments in the same time, the instrument needs to be priced accordingly.
Finally, the majority of what you are paying for in a Fodera is actually labor cost. Yes, we use the very best materials, hardware, electronics, etc., but at the end of the day the majority of the cost of the instruments still come down to the cost of labor...
I hope that this makes sense.
Regards,
Jason
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