Fodera Club Part XX

[christoph h.]

You bought a used bass with issues. It happens all the time and there's a good chance that the issues are why the previous owner sold the bass. I wouldn't really say you were cheated, since you didn't buy it from the maker, which would make any problems something that would be taken care of under warranty.

Well, I can't express it any better, than I did before... I really feel like I didn't get the "Fodera" experience when buying a Fodera.
I don't want to open the can of worms, but there's certainly room for discussion between one person selling a bass with these issues and a bass with these issues escaping Fodera's QC. It's something that can just happen and I'm really willing to just call it "bad luck", without blaming anyone. (Even though I wouldn't sell one of my bass knowing it has issues and find it morally questionable IF that is indeed what the previous owner did.) But actually, the "backstory" doesn't really matter - even if I got the bass from Fodera directly, the experience of getting your "dream bass" and being disappointed is still the same... So maybe we can say that "fate cheated me"...

From what I know, which isn't much, the truss rod is made to be easily removed and flipped over to compensate for issues just like these.

This is one of the things that doesn't work. It also doesn't help with having to adjust it all the time...

I hope you can get it sorted out and I really feel for you having issues like these on such an expensive bass. [...] . Good luck!!!
Michael

Thanks!

 

[cfsporn]

Well, I can't express it any better, than I did before... I really feel like I didn't get the "Fodera" experience when buying a Fodera.
I don't want to open the can of worms, but there's certainly room for discussion between one person selling a bass with these issues and a bass with these issues escaping Fodera's QC. It's something that can just happen and I'm really willing to just call it "bad luck", without blaming anyone. (Even though I wouldn't sell one of my bass knowing it has issues and find it morally questionable IF that is indeed what the previous owner did.) But actually, the "backstory" doesn't really matter - even if I got the bass from Fodera directly, the experience of getting your "dream bass" and being disappointed is still the same... So maybe we can say that "fate cheated me"...



This is one of the things that doesn't work. It also doesn't help with having to adjust it all the time...



Thanks!

I think to get the "Fodera Experience" you kinda have to buy new or CPO from them, or at least buy new from an authorized dealer. I'm pretty sure that most warranties on basses are non transferable. This is part of the gamble of buying used.

Also, the bass is fifteen years old. Who knows how many botched repairs it suffered. I doubt the truss rod being glued in place was Fodera's fault. If their reaction to the truss rod on my old Fauxdera was any indication.


If it a bolt on, why not just send the neck? It should be a lot less expensive.

 

[Blue Blood]

I've had several experiences with Fodera necks not being as stable as others. The one's I've owned I had to adjust way more often than any other. If you look, a lot of big name Fodera owners leave their truss rod covers off. I did as well for quick access before gigs because I often had to adjust them before every show. I didn't make huge adjustments but each neck regularly moved. That said, I will definitely own another someday.

 

[phishaholik]

I've had several experiences with Fodera necks not being as stable as others. The one's I've owned I had to adjust way more often than any other. If you look, a lot of big name Fodera owners leave their truss rod covers off. I did as well for quick access before gigs because I often had to adjust them before every show. I didn't make huge adjustments but each neck regularly moved. That said, I will definitely own another someday.

I've heard this before as well. It also helps to take into account that many Fodera owners play with extremely low action and the slightest shift in the neck can make a bass unplayable set up this way.

I play with my bridge bottomed out, can't go any lower, and I can tell if my neck moves the tiniest bit within seconds of playing it.


I hope the OP can get it sorted out. That's definitely a heart breaker.


Michael

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

+1 my Fodera actually suffers from this. GREAT BASS. But the neck moves constantly! I recently brought my Imperial on a tour from Israel to Europe and back to the states, and the neck just went bonkers. One morning in Israel I took the bass out of the bag and the strings were just flush up against the frets. Did some work on it. By the time I got to the UK, there was crazy bow an the strings were like a quarter of an inch off the board....

Still the greatest bass I've ever owned but also the most problematic bass I've owned as well between the neck and some really serious pickup/electronic issues....I guess you gotta give to get when it comes to such fantastic feel and tone! I'm still beyond satisfied with my Imperial....but very unfortunate to pay so much money and build your hopes up so to only be let down! I know the guys at Fodera can make it right!

 

[steubig]

as some of you know, i have 10 (yeah . . . ) fodera aj6 basses.

some of the necks are basically rock solid and some some are not—and some that used to move a lot are now rock solid.

not to soft-pedal anyone's experience here, but we are talking about an organic and once-living material here—and one that can be affected by moisture.

i know guys with $50,000+ double basses who have had worse problems with the neck fluctuating from flying. imho, only graphite it probably gonna be uber-stable (and i've heard some stories about basses with graphite necks without truss rods that have been wobly as well).

 

[cnltb]

I hesitated for a long time before posting this, as I didn't want to be a "killjoy".

But I have to say that my experience with the Fodera Bass I own hasn't been that amazing. It's an Emperor Bolt-On 5-String that I bought used on Talkbass a few years ago. I do agree with everyone else in that the bass looks, sounds and feels amazing.

However, it's neck isn't stable at all. With every little change in climate, the setup will change drastically - even with a medium action. It has to be adjusted constantly.
Not a single one of my others basses, regardless of price point (Stingray5, Squier VM, Nordstrand SC5, Lefay Remington, Suhr, etc.) has comparable issues.

What's made this even more annoying is the fact that it's very hard to adjust the truss rod, it doesn't move very well and also felt like it was going to "max out" very soon. After a certain amount of time I just got frustrated and thought: "This can't be it!". I contacted Fodera and one of their suggestions was to remove the truss rod if I felt it was going to max out in one direction.

Well... I tried to do that, but I just couldn't - I used the tool supplied by Fodera but the rod wouldn't move it all. I contacted them again and they said that they needed to see the bass in person.

Since I'm in Germany, I'm looking at about $300 dollar shipping cost ONE WAY. If Fodera decides that something needs to be done, I'll have to hope that they'll do it free of charge, because other wise I will have to not only pay for their work, but also pay duties on re-importing the instrument. For example: If they offer to build me a new neck for $1000, it will cost me approx. $1270, plus another $250-300 for shipping. And I'm not sure that a neck would only cost $1000... the ramp already cost $250!

Of course, there a several scenarios, like Fodera finding nothing wrong with the bass and sending it back at my cost, meaning I'll be out $600 and still have a bass I'm not satisfied with. Or of course, Fodera fixing everything for free and paying for everything, which is of course highly unlikely for a bass from 1998.

Anyway, my point is, that the whole situation is sort of a gamble involving quite the financial risk.

Because of that I have brought the bass to one of Europe's most recommended repair-guys who has worked as guitar tech for Steve Vai, for example. His conclusion was that the truss rod basically works, but is VERY hard to turn and is definitely NOT removable.
He thinks that during the construction of the neck, some excess glue must have gotten into the truss rod channel. Of course, this is just a theory, that could only be confirmed by sending the bass to Fodera... at which point I've come full circle.

So now I'm here with a bass that has issues that I definitely wouldn't expect on a bass from Fodera. In fact, as a already said above, it has issues that I haven't experienced in any other of the 8 basses I own. In my opinion, it has issues that would even prevent me from selling it in good conscience... I wouldn't want to sell a bass knowing it has neck & truss rod problems. I know there are people that don't have those moral barriers, but I do. Of course, if I point out the problems to any potential buyer, it won't sell at all or only at a really low price.

So as you can see, I'm in a really uncomfortable situation with the bass. There is also a psychological apsect to this - the bass sounds great, and I would love to keep it and have everything working. But very often when I pick it up I think of these unresolved matters. In a way the bass is "tarnished"... I feel like a have never gotten a "real" Fodera. Or maybe I have - I have found comments on neck stability on forums.
Still, I want to believe that those problems with my bass aren't representative of the actual work and products of Fodera. But in the end, that "belief" doesn't help at all, since the issues with my bass are very real.

Sorry for the long post and sorry if it's negative. But everytime I come to this thread I see all these beautiful instruments and all these happy customers and I can't help feeling cheated somehow. I'm very happy for everyone that has had a great and inspiring experience with their Fodera bass. I'm very impressed by and attracted to the philosophy behind the instruments and the ethics of the people producing them. But even as I type these last two sentences the feeling of disappointment over my own instrument crawls up my spine again...

Germany has builders, some of whom are second to none.
Maybe have one of them remove the fingerboard see what the matter is and then have the board either put on again or a new one if need be.
I'd guess that this would not be as expensive as some of the options you mentioned.
I am also quite sure that some of them would do a fantastic job.

 

[Damian Coccio]

I've had several experiences with Fodera necks not being as stable as others. The one's I've owned I had to adjust way more often than any other. If you look, a lot of big name Fodera owners leave their truss rod covers off. I did as well for quick access before gigs because I often had to adjust them before every show. I didn't make huge adjustments but each neck regularly moved. That said, I will definitely own another someday.

I know ebony is pretty unstable. I leave my cover off on the new imperial. My old imperial neck (ebony on ash ) is more stable than my ebony on maple bass. Could just be because its new though.

 

[christoph h.]

I think to get the "Fodera Experience" you kinda have to buy new or CPO from them, or at least buy new from an authorized dealer. I'm pretty sure that most warranties on basses are non transferable. This is part of the gamble of buying used.

Whoops... I totally forgot one of the most important parts of the story!!! When I bought the bass used, I actually had it send to Fodera. I asked them to put a ramp on it, set it up and look for potential problems! The bass was indeed in the hands of the people at Fodera BEFORE it was finally shipped to me. It was actually shipped to me BY FODERA!

Also, I'm not sure if we are using the term "Fodera Experience" in the same way... I'm NOT speaking of customer service. I'm speaking of getting a bass that "performs" flawlessly. Something that helps me in putting my focus on the artistry of making music without having to care about the technicalities of my instrument more than absolutely necessary. A situation in which you can just "bond" with the instrument.

About shipping the neck: I inquired about that in our email correspondence and they stated that they would want to see the whole instrument...

 

[christoph h.]

By the way, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one experiencing these problems with neck stability. In my case, the combination with the "ineffective" truss rod makes it even more of an issue than simply taking an allen wrench. As an example: The tool that Fodera supplied to adjust the truss rod doesn't really work on my bass.

 

[joe vegas]

sorry to hear about your neck issue! that's a drag. the fodera rod assembly can be removed and reinserted, to compenated for bowing issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case with yours unfortunately.

this is fodera's PDF on rod adjustment:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=ucCJUL6TJIythbqeBG3YJQ&bvm=bv.47244034,d.dmg

my AJ 36" is just shy of 20 years old. it took perhaps a year from its birth to settle in, and has been very stable during decades of flights, tours and environment changes.

it's affected by eastcoast summer humidity but reacts completely within reason for such a very long wide neck with a single rod and reasonably thick strings. the action is notoriously razor low, and does require a brush-up from time to time, but i regard that as general fine-tuning to keep the action where i want it.

one thing i did on instinct approx 15 years ago is to slightly detune it after a gig, if i know it'll be sitting for a few days unplayed. that's helped keep the action where i want it.

i bought a yamaha trb6 for my year in vegas, and i wanted badly to love it, but the neck seemed to move almost daily. vegas is a very tough environment for low-action long-scale instruments!

 

[fivestringdan]

Sounds like this isn't the instrument for you. What you are describing has been normal adjustment on instruments of mine when the need arises. Or perhaps you should invest in hiring a guitar technician who can do this for you.

Also, I'm not sure if we are using the term "Fodera Experience" in the same way... I'm NOT speaking of customer service. I'm speaking of getting a bass that "performs" flawlessly. Something that helps me in putting my focus on the artistry of making music without having to care about the technicalities of my instrument more than absolutely necessary. A situation in which you can just "bond" with the instrument.

 

[phishaholik]

Whoops... I totally forgot one of the most important parts of the story!!! When I bought the bass used, I actually had it send to Fodera. I asked them to put a ramp on it, set it up and look for potential problems! The bass was indeed in the hands of the people at Fodera BEFORE it was finally shipped to me. It was actually shipped to me BY FODERA!

Also, I'm not sure if we are using the term "Fodera Experience" in the same way... I'm NOT speaking of customer service. I'm speaking of getting a bass that "performs" flawlessly. Something that helps me in putting my focus on the artistry of making music without having to care about the technicalities of my instrument more than absolutely necessary. A situation in which you can just "bond" with the instrument.

About shipping the neck: I inquired about that in our email correspondence and they stated that they would want to see the whole instrument...

That definitely makes it a different story. It must be very frustrating for you, I really hope everything works out.



Michael

 

[cfsporn]

Whoops... I totally forgot one of the most important parts of the story!!! When I bought the bass used, I actually had it send to Fodera. I asked them to put a ramp on it, set it up and look for potential problems! The bass was indeed in the hands of the people at Fodera BEFORE it was finally shipped to me. It was actually shipped to me BY FODERA!

The plot thickens...

 

[christoph h.]

Sounds like this isn't the instrument for you. What you are describing has been normal adjustment on instruments of mine when the need arises. Or perhaps you should invest in hiring a guitar technician who can do this for you.

The behaviour of the neck and especially the functional problems with the truss rod are definitely not normal.
I own several other instruments and I am able to perform setups on them without problems. Their necks also do not show the same "erratic" behaviour as the Fodera's neck.

I'm aware that every instrument has its idiosyncracies, whether it's deadspots, neck-dive, weight, sustain, single-coil hum, whatever.
Some of that stuff (such as the deadspots) are things that I can accept and work around - they make up some of the character of the instrument, such as with a vintage Fender for example.

But I am a professional bassist that plays/practices every day and I need reliable and predictable equipment.

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

Whoops... I totally forgot one of the most important parts of the story!!! When I bought the bass used, I actually had it send to Fodera. I asked them to put a ramp on it, set it up and look for potential problems! The bass was indeed in the hands of the people at Fodera BEFORE it was finally shipped to me. It was actually shipped to me BY FODERA!

IMO, this is the deal breaker right here. How could Fodera have let it leave the factory like that? obviously if they set it up they would have adjusted the truss and realized something was wrong with it, right? sounds pretty weird to me....but if this is the case, how could Fodera NOT take it back and check it out for free? I understand their time is money, but that's just inexcusable for an instrument of this caliber and cost....hopefully Jason will chime in and try to rectify this!

 

[fivestringdan]

Do your other instruments have graphite reinforcement bars?

The behaviour of the neck and especially the functional problems with the truss rod are definitely not normal.
I own several other instruments and I am able to perform setups on them without problems. Their necks also do not show the same "erratic" behaviour as the Fodera's neck.

But I am a professional bassist that plays/practices every day and I need reliable and predictable equipment.

 

[christoph h.]

Most of them definitely do not.

To be honest, I'm not sure whether you are trying to be helpful or whether you are trying to question my competence and ability to assess the Fodera neck "performance". Please refer to my profile, my posts and other people's contributions in this thread. There seem to be at least two or three people who experienced similar problems with the stability of their basses necks. The bass has also already been to a qualified and highly-regarded repair guy.

Also, there's still the issue of a supposedly removable truss rod not being, well, removable.

 

[Belka]

I know ebony is pretty unstable. I leave my cover off on the new imperial. My old imperial neck (ebony on ash ) is more stable than my ebony on maple bass. Could just be because its new though.

Oh yes, they do move quite a bit with ebony, especially when they're new. Fodera necks are pretty thin - that's one of the reasons why they're so comfortable and they do shift quite a bit, though some are more stable than others. I think the fact that you can get ridiculous low action exacerbates this - on other basses you might not even notice the neck shift.

 

[Damian Coccio]

I'm kinda surprised no body said it yet, but why not contact Jason at fodera directly to see what they can do for you before this thread goes on any longer.

Sounds like you have a legitimate issue that they should be able to help you with.