Fodera Club Part XXV

[Just Thumpin']

I completely agree, but it is the antithesis of "sexy!"

J

actually, one might say this is a really, really good way to start when auditioning a bass.

 

[iwearpumas]

Every time I demo or audition a bass, I feel like I'M the one being judged.

 

[steubig]

I completely agree, but it is the antithesis of "sexy!"



J

if your definition of "sexy" is ego-stroking.

 

[nostatic]

if your definition of "sexy" is ego-stroking.

wait, there's a difference?!?!?

 

[steubig]

wait, there's a difference?!?!?

one is sex with someone else . . . and one is sex with someone you love.

(apologies to woody allen.)

 

[nostatic]

one is sex with someone else . . . and one is sex with someone you love.

(apologies to woody allen.)

What if one of them is related to you by marriage?

(more apologies to woody allen)

 

[Baird6869]

My top has been selected!

View attachment 394057

So super happy with this top. It's going to be amazing!!!

Huge thanks to Vinnie, Jason, Joey, Phil, Laura and everyone at Fodera for letting me come by and hang for a bit and for always being super cool when answering the million questions I ask!

This bass is going to be phenomenal!

That is going to look killer!

 

[SRFSterling5]

My top has been selected!

View attachment 394057

So super happy with this top. It's going to be amazing!!!

Huge thanks to Vinnie, Jason, Joey, Phil, Laura and everyone at Fodera for letting me come by and hang for a bit and for always being super cool when answering the million questions I ask!

This bass is going to be phenomenal!

That's a pretty cool top you got. What wood if I may ask?

 

[DJH]

That is going to look killer!

Thank you! I'm really excited about it! 😃

 

[asbs]

I can't speak for Hadrien, but he have been played KS for a long long time, and I suppose this bass is a part of him.
Also, having a signature bass was a very good point. Back in context, Hadrien was quiet young in music business.

I think he still have this Fodera, reporting to a talk a get with his father, about 3 years ago.

So he had to drop the Fodera for his sponsor? Such a great tone to walk away from though his Smith sounds great too but just different.

 

[DJH]

That's a pretty cool top you got. What wood if I may ask?

That is curly walnut. This particular piece has a nice "flame" to it. When we applied a little acetone to sort of get an idea of how the finished product would look it really was incredible!

 

[pickles]

Before I chime in on this topic, I'd be really interested in what others have to say. Vinny, Joey and I are constantly disagreeing about this very topic...LOL!

Jason

Just got done comparing the 45-130T stainless set to the 45-125 nickel set. My $0.02:

Stainless strings fall into roughly 3 categories for me. The stiff and crazy brights (d'addario, dean markley, DR lo riders), the pure shiny and focussed (DR hi beams), and the midrangey/edgy/woody (rotosound, labella). I'd say the foderas are in the 3rd camp but are pretty unique, tons of rich and detailed mids, not overly extended top but tons of "presence". The bring out a very woody tone and the B string is great, plays solid and true up to the 7th fret on my bass. These make my ES5 feel and sound like a cross between an upright bass and a grand piano, just a massive meaty organic tone, especially on the neck pickup.

The nickels are way way more relaxed and supportive, with big buttery lows and low mids, not much upper midrange, and some nice sheen on top. Significantly more flexible than the steels and also smoother surface texture makes them play ultra smooth. The 125B is awesome, might actually sound even better than the steel 130T, and it plays solid and true up to the 6th fret, which is all I need. These make the ES5 present closer to a classic electric bass sound, still with its own voice obviously.

Sort version the steels say "bAp" and the nickels say "bah". Great strings.

 

[Plunger]

I totally agree with your string comparison. My Monarch came with 45-125 Nickels. I loved the feel and the tone down low was great, but was not crazy about the higher ends. I tried DR lo riders, and could not stand how they sounded. It sounded like a different instrument. I've been using those on my Warwick for 10+ years and loved them. I took them off and tried the 45-125T SS I bought separately, and they were like the glass slipper.
Those of you that play light gauge... I was curious about trying the light gauge SS's. What reasons do you have for playing lighter strings..tone, feel?

 

[ryanowens]

Jason, have there been any of the Kennedy Standards sent to dealers yet? Or was the only one made at NAMM? Just curious when these might head out to a few dealers.

 

[Damian Coccio]

Just got done comparing the 45-130T stainless set to the 45-125 nickel set. My $0.02:



Stainless strings fall into roughly 3 categories for me. The stiff and crazy brights (d'addario, dean markley, DR lo riders), the pure shiny and focussed (DR hi beams), and the midrangey/edgy/woody (rotosound, labella). I'd say the foderas are in the 3rd camp but are pretty unique, tons of rich and detailed mids, not overly extended top but tons of "presence". The bring out a very woody tone and the B string is great, plays solid and true up to the 7th fret on my bass. These make my ES5 feel and sound like a cross between an upright bass and a grand piano, just a massive meaty organic tone, especially on the neck pickup.



The nickels are way way more relaxed and supportive, with big buttery lows and low mids, not much upper midrange, and some nice sheen on top. Significantly more flexible than the steels and also smoother surface texture makes them play ultra smooth. The 125B is awesome, might actually sound even better than the steel 130T, and it plays solid and true up to the 6th fret, which is all I need. These make the ES5 present closer to a classic electric bass sound, still with its own voice obviously.



Sort version the steels say "bAp" and the nickels say "bah". Great strings.

This comparison really rings true for me- no pun intended

 

[SRFSterling5]

That is curly walnut. This particular piece has a nice "flame" to it. When we applied a little acetone to sort of get an idea of how the finished product would look it really was incredible!

Man, that's a fine choice. Gonna look incredible when it's done.

 

[DJH]

Man, that's a fine choice. Gonna look incredible when it's done.

Thanks!! Really excited about it!

 

[mrbassman_de]

One year ago I bought from his father the Emperor II 6-string, which was Hadriens since 10+ years and which he played for some chords on his first album. So he was in touch with Foderas long before he received the Holly Imp 2 but most of the time he prefers Smiths...

I can't speak for Hadrien, but he have been played KS for a long long time, and I suppose this bass is a part of him.
Also, having a signature bass was a very good point. Back in context, Hadrien was quiet young in music business.

I think he still have this Fodera, reporting to a talk a get with his father, about 3 years ago.

 

[Lugzy]

Slightly off topic but I was checking out some fretless sounds on youtube over the weekend, mostly Alain Caron & Hadrien and really enjoyed their tones. Yes! they weren't playing Fodera' but apart from Marcus (Stuebig & Nostatic) can anyone point me in the direction of some more examples of a Fodera fretless?

Btw, Mr Williamsen, I loved that Nordic flow, very cool stuff. Sir..

One year ago I bought from his father the Emperor II 6-string, which was Hadriens since 10+ years and which he played for some chords on his first album. So he was in touch with Foderas long before he received the Holly Imp 2 but most of the time he prefers Smiths...

I can't speak for Hadrien, but he have been played KS for a long long time, and I suppose this bass is a part of him.
Also, having a signature bass was a very good point. Back in context, Hadrien was quiet young in music business.

I think he still have this Fodera, reporting to a talk a get with his father, about 3 years ago.

 

[Molan]

Every time I demo or audition a bass, I feel like I'M the one being judged.

I work part-time in a bass shop (which just happens to be a Fodera dealer).

We try really hard to let people have their own 'space' to try out new instruments. We've got a small demo room so we always try to put people in there with a cup of coffee and just close the door and let them noodle away.

I hate the whole 'public demo' setup in some shops where you can just feel the sales people looking down their noses at you and mentally criticising your playing.

Luckily I'm a really average player so most of our customers have way more chops than me anyway - in fact the killer for me is when a full time pro player asks me to play something for him so he can stand back and listen to an instrument.

First time this happens was with an Anthony Jackson 5 and I nearly died, I barely get by on 4 strings and hadn't played a 5 for years

I try to keep my hand in these days though - which was lucky recently when I had to demo an Anthony Jackson Presentation 6 for a customer. . .