• 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 XX

Status
Not open for further replies.
#901
I have to give another moment of praise for my Emperor 5 bolt on. I gave the neck a little tweak(half turn of the truss rod to compensate for some back bowing...Damn NE weather) last week, and she hasn't played or sounded better in months. I Love This Bass!

Took it to a rehearsal thursday, running through an Aggie TH350 and a Bergantino HT1x12ER and the sound was amazing. Clear from low Bb(tuned down half a step with this group) all the way up to the higher registers. The bolt on construction really helps every note jump and punch through a mix which was perfect while playing with a pretty funky trio. The drummer kept commenting on how perfect my tone was and how he could feel and hear me all night, despite the small rig(he also dug the quilted top).

This bass has helped me become a better player, sound better, approach music differently than I ever had, and inspires me every time I pick it up. Thank you Jason and everyone else at Fodera!

Grady
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1511.jpg
    IMG_1511.jpg
    133.4 KB · Views: 213
#902
gkbass13 said:
I have to give another moment of praise for my Emperor 5 bolt on. I gave the neck a little tweak(half turn of the truss rod to compensate for some back bowing...Damn NE weather) last week, and she hasn't played or sounded better in months. I Love This Bass!

Took it to a rehearsal thursday, running through an Aggie TH350 and a Bergantino HT1x12ER and the sound was amazing. Clear from low Bb(tuned down half a step with this group) all the way up to the higher registers. The bolt on construction really helps every note jump and punch through a mix which was perfect while playing with a pretty funky trio. The drummer kept commenting on how perfect my tone was and how he could feel and hear me all night, despite the small rig(he also dug the quilted top).

This bass has helped me become a better player, sound better, approach music differently than I ever had, and inspires me every time I pick it up. Thank you Jason and everyone else at Fodera!

Grady
Click to expand...

Beautiful bass Grady. I have to agree that there is something about these basses that really makes the best of the player come out. For the few months that I have owned my Emperor Standard 5, there are things that I have trouble with on my other basses that are easy to play on the Fodera. Enjoy your Fodera, I know I'm digging mine. So much so that I'm doing a custom build.
 
#903
Belka said:
Most of those Bart soapbars made for Fodera are P style pickups in a soapbar housing but some of them were dual coils. I should know, I have two sets of them. As for the bass for sale in Spain, I don't know, but it looks like it has two Dip switches. Since the HazLab has no midrange control I would guess that one switch is the mute while the other would be a coil tap; hence those pickups are probably duals.

Still, I wouldn't do it. You can't get those Bartolinis and the HazLab new any longer. Leave some of these classic basses as they were intended to sound like. If all the Fodera sixes out there have Duncan duals and Pope preamps it's less 'biodiversity' out there, if you know what I mean.

OP - have you tried the bass? What is it about the electronics you don't like? Those Barts don't sound like regular off the shelf Barts - they're much brighter and quite hi fi - really sweet in the upper register. And people really rave about the HazLab preamp.
Click to expand...

Usually the two switches are MUTE and EQ bypass, even if the Hazlab does not provide a true passive option (so the battery is always needed).

I agree - i would not do it unless there are some specific reasons (pup broken or whatever).
 
#904
Belka said:
Most of those Bart soapbars made for Fodera are P style pickups in a soapbar housing but some of them were dual coils. I should know, I have two sets of them. As for the bass for sale in Spain, I don't know, but it looks like it has two Dip switches. Since the HazLab has no midrange control I would guess that one switch is the mute while the other would be a coil tap; hence those pickups are probably duals.

Still, I wouldn't do it. You can't get those Bartolinis and the HazLab new any longer. Leave some of these classic basses as they were intended to sound like. If all the Fodera sixes out there have Duncan duals and Pope preamps it's less 'biodiversity' out there, if you know what I mean.

OP - have you tried the bass? What is it about the electronics you don't like? Those Barts don't sound like regular off the shelf Barts - they're much brighter and quite hi fi - really sweet in the upper register. And people really rave about the HazLab preamp.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried this Fodera. May be it sounds great, I just don't dig the esthetics of the Barts.. I guess this bass weights a ton (so much walnut) :)

The description says the preamp is Fodera, but I think they are wrong. It's Hazlab for sure (unless the owner has changed).
 
#907
gridchin said:
I haven't tried this Fodera. May be it sounds great, I just don't dig the esthetics of the Barts.. I guess this bass weights a ton (so much walnut) :)

The description says the preamp is Fodera, but I think they are wrong. It's Hazlab for sure (unless the owner has changed).
Click to expand...

Maybe my post was a bit strong. If you buy it, it's your bass and you can do whatever you want to it. I still think it's a bit of a shame that people always end up concertising those old Fodera sixes to 'modern spec'. Like I said, it's kind of narrowing the gene pool, and we're talking about the original, first usable six string bass out there. I reckon if Anthony had stuck with his old basses, people would not be altering them.

I also think that if Victor Wooten had never got famous, or had altered his old Fodera by updating the electronics, then you'd probably have lots of guys ripping the EMGs out of those old classic Monarchs to put Duncan duals in. Still for what it's worth, Victor kept his EMGs while Anthony kept getting new basses.

If you do buy it, try leaving it unaltered for a few months. Maybe you won't want to change anything.

And Steubig, this is no dig at you - you've probably ripped out a load of old Bartolini / HazLab electronics but you replace it with something unique rather than the standard Duncan / Pope stuff.

Nothing wrong with the Duncans / Pope stuff either, just nice to have some originality / variety out there.
 
#908
jberretta2000 said:
It makes sense, I just would want to upgrade the sound when I could afford it, couldn't I have it drilled for the custom shop preamp later on?
Click to expand...

Probably easier to sell and buy a different one.

Also not a huge difference between the two preamps so it is more a case of flexibility difference rather than major tone changes.
 
#909
gkbass13 said:
I have to give another moment of praise for my Emperor 5 bolt on. I gave the neck a little tweak(half turn of the truss rod to compensate for some back bowing...Damn NE weather) last week, and she hasn't played or sounded better in months. I Love This Bass!

Took it to a rehearsal thursday, running through an Aggie TH350 and a Bergantino HT1x12ER and the sound was amazing. Clear from low Bb(tuned down half a step with this group) all the way up to the higher registers. The bolt on construction really helps every note jump and punch through a mix which was perfect while playing with a pretty funky trio. The drummer kept commenting on how perfect my tone was and how he could feel and hear me all night, despite the small rig(he also dug the quilted top).

This bass has helped me become a better player, sound better, approach music differently than I ever had, and inspires me every time I pick it up. Thank you Jason and everyone else at Fodera!

Grady
Click to expand...

I agree with the bolt on bass. I used to own an Imperial Elite and now a Monarch BO and compare between both, in my own opinion the BO has some serious punch. I am tracking the woods change the sound, but all my experiences with both NT's and BO's, the BO gives the sound a more punchy sound, solid in every note.
 
#910
jberretta2000 said:
It makes sense, I just would want to upgrade the sound when I could afford it, couldn't I have it drilled for the custom shop preamp later on?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't.

I have a Emperor Standard with a Monarch Custom on the way. The few customs I have played sounded great, but the Standard pre vs Custom pre sounds pretty close. As mentioned earlier, there is a bit of added functionality with the Custom (that I very well may not use) but there is not a huge tonal difference. Just IMO.

If you really need a Custom pre config, I would sell the M4S and buy a used Custom instead of altering the Standard.
 
#912
Belka said:
And Steubig, this is no dig at you - you've probably ripped out a load of old Bartolini / HazLab electronics but you replace it with something unique rather than the standard Duncan / Pope stuff.
Click to expand...

no worries. no offense taken.

the first people who took out the original barts for me were vinny and joey. they put in lane poors—at their suggestion. and there was routing done . . .

the main things i've dug out were the original pairs of emg humbuckers as a reverse p deal. in that case, i had three choices: 1) sell basses that i loved to play, but not the sound; 2) keep slogging along with pickups (and pickup configuration) that didn't work for me; 3) improve the basses by changing the pickups *and* the configuration, which required some routing.

i think i made the correct choice.

now, i still have all my original haz lab preamps and the original barts for all the other basses. i understand that people may want that sort of thing (i *like* the haz labs stuff).

and you can have direct replacements made for the old barts—but, part of the thing people don't like about them is that they don't get enough coverage on the outside strings due to the length of the pickups—which is part of why vinny and joey went to the lane poors and then aeros, duncans, etc.

so i get why people may want "original" stuff (i do but for a different reason) . . . but there is also usable . . . and my contention is that the electronics are the most expendable parts of the basses as there are almost always improvements being made on in this stuff on a yearly basis.
 
#913
Just Thumpin' said:
You could change the PUP's on the M4S (the PUP's on the YYS are the same as for the Customs), but the preamp configuration on the Monarch / Yin Yang Standard that is drilled into the bass will not match the Custom Shop Preamp.

Hope that makes sense!

Jason
Click to expand...

What is the reason that the drilled holes for the 2-bd. pre in my older YinYang Deluxe will not match the newer custom pre ? The space between bass and treble knob as well as vol and Balance knob on my older YinYang Deluxe seems to be about the same as on the custom pre. Only thing would be to drill a hole for the mid pot. Are the mid pots too big and require too much room besides the output jack ?

Any comment would be helpful as I am planning to replace the older 2-bd pre.
 
#916
Vic's first Fodera -- #37 -- still has the original preamp and pickups in it...

J


Belka said:
I also think that if Victor Wooten had never got famous, or had altered his old Fodera by updating the electronics, then you'd probably have lots of guys ripping the EMGs out of those old classic Monarchs to put Duncan duals in. Still for what it's worth, Victor kept his EMGs while Anthony kept getting new basses.
Click to expand...
 
#917
If you posted a picture or two we could be of more help...

Cheers,

Jason

mrbassman_de said:
What is the reason that the drilled holes for the 2-bd. pre in my older YinYang Deluxe will not match the newer custom pre ? The space between bass and treble knob as well as vol and Balance knob on my older YinYang Deluxe seems to be about the same as on the custom pre. Only thing would be to drill a hole for the mid pot. Are the mid pots too big and require too much room besides the output jack ?

Any comment would be helpful as I am planning to replace the older 2-bd pre.
Click to expand...
 
#918
Just Thumpin' said:
If you posted a picture or two we could be of more help...

Cheers,

Jason
Click to expand...

Sure !

The YYD5 just has a John East U-Retro installed. The other pic shows the original Haz 2-Bd. preamp.

I just realized that the Standard preamp has a slightly different knob positioning. Will the newer custom pre probably fit the knob layout of my YYD5 ? I have an older (pre-2009) Pope pre which will not fit as it is an Emperor layout. But the MG layout by any chance ?
 
#919
steubig said:
no worries. no offense taken.

the first people who took out the original barts for me were vinny and joey. they put in lane poors—at their suggestion. and there was routing done . . .

the main things i've dug out were the original pairs of emg humbuckers as a reverse p deal. in that case, i had three choices: 1) sell basses that i loved to play, but not the sound; 2) keep slogging along with pickups (and pickup configuration) that didn't work for me; 3) improve the basses by changing the pickups *and* the configuration, which required some routing.

i think i made the correct choice.

now, i still have all my original haz lab preamps and the original barts for all the other basses. i understand that people may want that sort of thing (i *like* the haz labs stuff).

and you can have direct replacements made for the old barts—but, part of the thing people don't like about them is that they don't get enough coverage on the outside strings due to the length of the pickups—which is part of why vinny and joey went to the lane poors and then aeros, duncans, etc.

so i get why people may want "original" stuff (i do but for a different reason) . . . but there is also usable . . . and my contention is that the electronics are the most expendable parts of the basses as there are almost always improvements being made on in this stuff on a yearly basis.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying. The Barts are a little short compared to modern six string pickups but they will cover the outside strings, even if you max out the string spacing to 21mm. I think people don't like the look of them but they are 100% usable. I heard that when Fodera ordered the Barts from Bill Bartolini, they wanted them to fit both 5 and 6 string basses, so cosmetically it is a bit of a compromise, they look too big on fivers and too small on sixes. But they do work well...😃
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back