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Fodera Quality that doesn't $$$ Fodera Price!

#82
Just Thumpin' said:
I would offer one caveat to this and that is, make sure you either play it first or are buying it from someone that will stand behind it. Most of our instruments have some degree of personalization / custom specs to them. A few examples of basses that we have built recently...

-Someone that wanted an INCREDIBLY thick neck -- think baseball bat.

-Someone that wanted their bass to weigh a MINIMUM of 12 pounds.

If you buy someone else's custom suit...you'd want to try it on first, right? I know that if I bought the bass that we are just finishing with the very thick neck I would not like it, but it's owner spec'd it that way and presumably will love it. Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder...
Click to expand...

This is really an important point, and one worth repeating.
Really, this type of intimate customization is the main reason most small builders can stay in business.
However, it means that you really can't judge a small builder with a sample size of just one or two instruments.
By design, they will be quite different, one to the next, even if they look similar.

On the other hand, I've turned down orders that involved a set of features I didn't think would be a good representation of my work. This is a tough thing to do, but it's important to maintain an identity and an aesthetic while still accommodating the needs of the client.

Part of it is about mutual respect among builders (I wouldn't build a Fodera clone, for example), but it's also about all the work that each builder puts into defining their concept about what their instruments should be.
I try to discourage the "Mr. Potato Head" approach, in which people pick the top/back/fingerboard/pickups/preamp in a way that doesn't relate to some cohesive goal.

It's our job as builders to recommend combinations of things that go well together. Of course, that's just each builder's opinion - but that's what the client buys into when they place the order.

Back to the OP - IMO it's not a question of "quality", but more about the whole picture of the instrument. There's not really any way to simply compare "quality" - it doesn't really represent any individually measurable thing IMO. Anyone making a living doing this should be competent enough that they are not leaving clear or even noticeable flaws in their work.

Any high-end/handmade bass is made up of all of its parts, and is what it is because of the whole picture it represents - customizability, cost, players/endorsers, sound, feel, looks, wait time, market awareness, resale value, etc.

I guess what I'm saying is - find the instrument that really speaks to you on some level, whatever that may be, and find a way to own it. That's the quickest, clearest, and (over time) probably cheapest way to be satisfied.

(True story: If I had ponied up $3200 for that used Fodera AJ6 at Rudy's 15 years ago, it would have saved me a lot of money going through other basses trying to get that sound.)

Cheers!
Martin Keith
 
#84
Keith Guitars said:
This is really an important point, and one worth repeating.
Really, this type of intimate customization is the main reason most small builders can stay in business.
However, it means that you really can't judge a small builder with a sample size of just one or two instruments.
By design, they will be quite different, one to the next, even if they look similar.

On the other hand, I've turned down orders that involved a set of features I didn't think would be a good representation of my work. This is a tough thing to do, but it's important to maintain an identity and an aesthetic while still accommodating the needs of the client.

Part of it is about mutual respect among builders (I wouldn't build a Fodera clone, for example), but it's also about all the work that each builder puts into defining their concept about what their instruments should be.
I try to discourage the "Mr. Potato Head" approach, in which people pick the top/back/fingerboard/pickups/preamp in a way that doesn't relate to some cohesive goal.

It's our job as builders to recommend combinations of things that go well together. Of course, that's just each builder's opinion - but that's what the client buys into when they place the order.

Back to the OP - IMO it's not a question of "quality", but more about the whole picture of the instrument. There's not really any way to simply compare "quality" - it doesn't really represent any individually measurable thing IMO. Anyone making a living doing this should be competent enough that they are not leaving clear or even noticeable flaws in their work.

Any high-end/handmade bass is made up of all of its parts, and is what it is because of the whole picture it represents - customizability, cost, players/endorsers, sound, feel, looks, wait time, market awareness, resale value, etc.

I guess what I'm saying is - find the instrument that really speaks to you on some level, whatever that may be, and find a way to own it. That's the quickest, clearest, and (over time) probably cheapest way to be satisfied.

(True story: If I had ponied up $3200 for that used Fodera AJ6 at Rudy's 15 years ago, it would have saved me a lot of money going through other basses trying to get that sound.)

Cheers!
Martin Keith
Click to expand...

really appreciate these comments. worth rereading.

thanks.
 
#87
aqsw said:
My vote goes to Dingwall.The quality is impecable. A bit cheaper than Fedora. Best B out there also.
Click to expand...

A lot of great makers mentioned and another vote for Dingwall. Sheldon is building my dream bass right now. Word of caution.... fanned frets and a 37" B will cause you to want to sell all of your other basses and buy more Dingwalls.
 
#90
I can say from experience, Fbass. Same build quality, highest grade components and attention to detail, George's basses are on par with Fodera.
Retail on Fbass is between $4000-$6000 range, you can consistently find them used in the $2200-$3200 range,(try finding a used Fodera for less than $5000)
 

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