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Fodera really worth the cost?

#221
rashrader said:
...I don't think any bass is magical or will make you a better musician.
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And a Snap-On wrench will not make you a better mechanic.
But I like nice tools.
My Roscoes put a smile on my face every time I pick one up, and they feel so good and sound so good that I try to play them as well and often as I can. That is making me a better musician, IMHO...

As for Fodera, seems to me they sell every one they make.
I've heard it said that it takes as long to inlay the butterfly as it takes Fender to make a whole bass.
You may not feel an inlaid butterfly adds value, and you may feel hand-cut parquet flooring is not better than Pergo.
 
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#223
rashrader said:
They are beautiful instruments and, in the right hands, they can sound phenomenal. But, truth be told, I don't think any bass is magical or will make you a better musician. Also, I am amazed by the number of used ones that I see for sale.... I feel like folks probably set their expectations too high. With all of that being said, If I stumbled across the money, I would buy one.
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There are definitely basses that sound, play, and feel better than others. That is part of the magic which connects a musician to an instrument. It’s like the difference between a job and a career.
Some people are fine using any instrument to get the job done....but some know that certain instruments will stay with you for life!
 
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#224
bassballs27 said:
There are definitely basses that sound, play, and feel better than others. That is part of the magic which connects a musician to an instrument. It’s like the difference between a job and a career.
Some people are fine using any instrument to get the job done....but some know that certain instruments will stay with you for life!
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Yup. Like I said, I would buy one if I stumbled across the money. I have owned high-end basses (Pre Gibson Tobias, STR, MLP....). I understand.
 
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#225
mdogs said:
And here we go, I think this is actually at the root of the issue...too many people believe this!!

This is so typical of TB, I can’t afford it, it can’t be worth it.
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To be fair, there exists a market in almost every section of retail that caters to the extremely wealthy. Things are not considerably better but they are considerably more expensive. The entire appeal is literally to buy things others cannot afford to show your superiority. For example, I used to run an electronics warehouse. We could order you some $25,000 TVs and $10,000+ speakers. I can assure you with great certainty you could have had much better gear for less but the people buying those kind of items didn't care about the picture or audio quality.
 
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#226
You are asking people to judge a decision you made about the value of a product purchase when the whole question of "worth" is completely relative--even to yourself over time--and so basically meaningless. How can anyone else tell you if you "did it right"?

Does the benefit to the persons that sold it to you outweigh your eventual negative response to the purchase? Now there is a question other people can weigh in on, because now we can talk about the societal benefit (or loss) of purchasing an Alembic over something else. It might turn out to be the best course even if you hate the thing!
 
#228
DiabolusInMusic said:
To be fair, there exists a market in almost every section of retail that caters to the extremely wealthy. Things are not considerably better but they are considerably more expensive. The entire appeal is literally to buy things others cannot afford to show your superiority. For example, I used to run an electronics warehouse. We could order you some $25,000 TVs and $10,000+ speakers. I can assure you with great certainty you could have had much better gear for less but the people buying those kind of items didn't care about the picture or audio quality.
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It’s like asking the question of what would you do if you won the lottery?
Let say it was a huge winning...like 500 million. How many would buy a house they could never afford and how many Foderas would one buy also? No one needs much to live and not everyone needs an expensive bass...it’s all about WANT. Want is sometimes very unfulfilling. “More money than brains” is a good coined phrase for that situation.
 
#229
4001 said:
(pardon my ignorance) (and all basses have their own unique tonal qualities)
... but, does the Fodera have a tone that screams Fodera and you know when you are hearing one like someone can pick out a P-Bass or a Rickenbacker 4001 just because the sound is unmistakable?? (for the most part)

What is their "signature" tone??
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They are beautiful basses no doubt, and like when I hold my Wal, Im sure you can feel the quality. However, any of the Foderas Ive heard/seen dont seem to have a signature sound. Thats my opinion of course. They sound good but I couldnt tell it from lots of others in a blind test.
 
#231
My view is basses somewhere near the $2k mark and up will all have good tone. The difference in price becomes the wood and construction method. Thus, looks, stability, and playability are the key separators.

For me, a Fodera is worth it if I had that kind of dough. But I don't, so I spent the dough I had on a Kiesel which I liken it to be a Fodera with more CNC automation.

Definitely though, if I had a million dollars... I have a Fodera as the main, and a Sadowsky for backup, along with an Aguilar tonehammer and SL speakers. I think that's a pure NYC lineup, and I'm in California!
 
#232
nilorius said:
explain - signature sound.
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Something easily identifiable? Like my Wal. Or my Ric. They can cover alot of ground, but have that something that makes them unique. Again, this is my opinion. If I found a Fodera I loved and I could afford, I would get it. But, not at the current prices...doesnt give me a tone to price ratio that works for me. I watched the video on the Fodera site and they mention how working in NY is very expensive multiple times, so that is a big part of why they are so expensive. Really not trying to rag on them, they are great.
 
#233
bassballs27 said:
It’s like asking the question of what would you do if you won the lottery?
Let say it was a huge winning...like 500 million. How many would buy a house they could never afford and how many Foderas would one buy also? No one needs much to live and not everyone needs an expensive bass...it’s all about WANT. Want is sometimes very unfulfilling. “More money than brains” is a good coined phrase for that situation.
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“No one needs” is an oft repeated phrase. Everyone has the freedom to think and say that. Someone else doesn’t know to nor can they decide for anyone but themselves. I hear this about almost every topic. “No one needs” to exercise that much or have that large a model train layout. People vote and float bills from that perspective that affect other people.

A man drives by you in a 17 passenger van. I’ve heard people say, “No one needs a vehicle like that. He has a huge carbon footprint!” All we know is what we see. What we don’t see is he coaches three poor kids travel sports teams. Through his involvement these kids excel in their studies and several develop alternative energy distribution and cures for cancer. Or would you rather he drive a Leaf because you think so?

If I may say to each his own. If you feel anxious with that admission then go deep and look inside your own house.
 
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#234
Are Fodera bass’s worth their price?

Probably.

Do thay sound and play as good as they should for the price?

Probably.

But... That being said.

I can’t get past the looks of them. To me they are not a pretty bass.

Why you may ask?

I don’t know. I grew up on Fenders and Rics. And I don’t even do rics anymore.

Are they out of my price range?

Amazing as it is I could swing a couple of them. But if it doesn’t have a beauty physically I don’t even touch them.

Strangely enough I love Alembics. But I love Fenders more.

This is only my opinion. And does not reflect the opinions of either “Talkbass” or any of the administrators or members of Talkbass.
 
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#235
MD Stingray said:
However, apparently a reason why they are expensive (and acknowledged by Fodera) is that they are located in New York.

If I travel to New York, do I pay more dollars for let’s say a slice of pizza, a Hugo Boss suit or a Ford Mustang - compared to..I don’t know..San Diego or New Orleans?

And how much of a difference if the company and all the employers were located in San Louis Obispa.. for arguments sake ;-)

Just curious.
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A Hugo Boss suit or a Ford Mustang perhaps not so much (except for the tax rate you pay on them). A slice for sure you pay more. But the big ticket items such as real estate, whether you buy or rent, are significantly more expensive than in say New Orleans (probably by a factor of several times). Taxes are significantly higher as well. If you think these don't contribute to cost of living, then you must be wealthy enough that it doesn't matter haha.

As to what the difference would be if they were made in Nebraska for example... I don't know. Probably nothing now. It would just fall to the bottom line because there's already an established market.
 
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#236
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#237
john_g said:
They are beautiful basses no doubt, and like when I hold my Wal, Im sure you can feel the quality. However, any of the Foderas Ive heard/seen dont seem to have a signature sound. Thats my opinion of course. They sound good but I couldnt tell it from lots of others in a blind test.
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Agreed, my Monarch Standard doesn’t have a signature sound. It’s more like a chameleon, quite versatile.
 
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#239
dhagopian said:
A Hugo Boss suit or a Ford Mustang perhaps not so much (except for the tax rate you pay on them). A slice for sure you pay more. But the big ticket items such as real estate, whether you buy or rent, are significantly more expensive than in say New Orleans (probably by a factor of several times). Taxes are significantly higher as well. If you think these don't contribute to cost of living, then you must be wealthy enough that it doesn't matter haha.

As to what the difference would be if they were made in Nebraska for example... I don't know. Probably nothing now. It would just fall to the bottom line because there's already an established market.
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Yeah, probably wouldn't affect the price at this point, but there wouldn't be many customers dropping by if they were in Nebraska. Companies like Fodera benefit greatly from being in NYC.
 
#240
mdogs said:
And here we go, I think this is actually at the root of the issue...too many people believe this!!

This is so typical of TB, I can’t afford it, it can’t be worth it.
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An opinion usually espoused by people that have never played one.

"I've never seen one in person and I've never played one, but I know they are overpriced." :rollno:
 
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