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Fodera now available from Sweetwater
- Thread starter gully_jones
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- fodera sweetwater
No worries. I assume they are going to do like they have been with Rickenbacker (they've actually had them in store since June). Fodera will send them a handful of standards and custom builds every once in a while commissioned by Sweetwater and they will then sell them to whoever.
...On a related note, for those interested, I believe the price on the Rickenbackers are only what RIC allows them to advertise. I know a few guys who have bought a 4003s from Sweetwater for a little bit cheaper when talking to a sales rep.
Show me where they are offering customs on the Sweetwater site, and we'll be on the same page. I don't do Facebook orders.
Who remembers when they used to sell Alembic at Guitar Center?
How does ordering a custom address the original question asking if Fodera is now mass manufacturing?
Rhetorical - it doesn't. Good on you, though. Blue star in your future.
Edit: As of 09/01/16, I cannot order a custom Fodera on Sweetwater.com. Maybe Jason can, but I'm not going to use Facebook to ask him.
Way back then in them 90's, 23ish year old me walked into a GC with $1400 in hard saved barista, gig, and temp job cash, ready to buy one of their Alembics. I was staring at them, deciding what to try first, and a sales guy breezed past me and said "...someday dreams can come true, kid". I walked out, to another store, and bought a Music Man. He could have made $70-80 bucks for handing me a bass.
Did you call Sweetwater and inquire about a custom Fodera order? Also, I don't think Jason would be making anything up about Fodera's marketing practices and I pretty sure he doesn't need to order any custom basses from any website.
Nothing is more insulting than a salesperson assuming what you can afford.
They aren't mass manufacturing, all of the standards are still hand made in nyc. They just cut custom costs by making one fairly consistent bass with the standard line. No crazy tops or pickup configurations, etc... The nyc line they used to have was more similar to mass manufactured back in the day but they don't produce those anymore. Note, they are still almost 6 grand to start. A sadowsky metro or Mtd Kingston would be more and more along the mass manufactured instrument line. And those can still get up to 2 - 4 grand. Sadowsky has the bodies made overseas by an actual luthier in Japan without the chambering to cut 1 to 2 grand off of the price then finishes the assembly stateside and Kingston series instruments are pretty much just mass produced.
Agree 110%. My two Dingwalls are about 9.5 lbs. because I chose swamp ash over alder for the bodies, and the necks are wenge. I wont't compromise tone for weight savings.
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
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- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
Fear not, we are building all of our instruments in exactly the same time-tested fashion right here in our Brooklyn Shop and have zero plans for a significant increase in production.
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
- 1,664
- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
+1. We absolutely can make light weight instruments, however, over the years we have determined a range in which we believe our instruments sound and play their best. IME, unless someone has back issues, comfort / balance generally trumps weight (unless the weight gets extreme).
Just Thumpin'
Commercial User
- Mar 7, 2008
- 4,534
- 1,664
- Disclosures
- Manager and Partner, Fodera Guitars (10/14/09 - 12/16/19)
Sweetwater is working with us on both Standards and Customs. They will function like any other Dealer of ours when they place orders. They are being given exactly the same discount levels and the same opportunity that every Dealer has to place orders for future Custom production slots. EVERY Fodera order from every customer (direct or dealer) gets the next available slot in line for either Standard or Custom production (we maintain two parallel build schedules with a number of "slots" available each month to build each type of instrument). Currently our wait times are 3-4 months for Standards and 9-10 months for Customs.
We have been speaking with Sweetwater for the better part of two years to ensure that our companies are a good cultural fit for one another and that people ordering Foderas through them will have an outstanding experience. The Sweetwater business model is completely unique in the United States and a very impressive one at that. Yesterday myself, Laura and Phil had a chance to spend the entire day training the Sweetwater sales team about Fodera and I can tell you that they asked some of the very best questions we have ever been asked about our instruments and their level of interest, passion and professionalism are all at an exceptionally high level.
