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Fodera Yin-Yang Standard Wait Support Group

#121
bman,

Congrats!

You are going to love your bass. I've been gigging mine (live and studio) for a couple of months now and I'm not kidding when I say I will probably not be using any other bass again. I'm not kidding, my quest has ended! I've been playing professionally for 30 years and I've actively enjoyed the everlasting search for the perfect bass. My wife usually just rolls her eyes when "another big box shows up". I, like you, also had never played a Fodera before buying this one. I, like you, also had high hopes. This bass meets and exceeds every one of my criteria. That's it, search over! As far as I'm concerned this IS my sound and I'm just sorry it took this long to find it.

The tone jumps out of this bass. My sound man loves it. My band loves it.

I added a d-tuner and I use standard gauge steel strings. It came new set up for Victor Wooten with super low action and super light nickel strings. I play in a 9 piece party band and tend to play a little too aggressively for that set up. The mids are woody and sweet. The highs are amazing and always in control. Right and left hand slapping is very even sounding making slap grooves effortless. The low end is clear and responsive. It's very easy to stay on top of a groove because the overall response to any playing style(finger, pick, slap) is so quick. I've had nothing but compliments about the sound of the bass and the sound of the band.

I hope you don't have to wait too long. Oh, and don't listen to your nephew........open immediately and enjoy.....:)
 
#123
Welcome to the Fodera Family!!! Congratulations.

Jason

bman said:
Just bought my way into this club. :D
I spoke with Donovan at the Fretspot.com a few minutes ago (actually, he was my tortured sounding board for about a week and a half until I finally pulled the trigger tonight) and put a deposit on #48.
I am ecstatic. I never thought I'd own a Fodera, and now I'm (hopefully) just months away.

My nephew is a guitar tech, and this was his response when I told him I made the move:

"When it gets shipped to your house, let it sit in the box, then we will unwrap it, get it setup right, and drink fancy alcohol whilst you test ride it. The sacred process must not be rushed!"

The kid gets me. :D

The wife? Well... She was a tougher sell. I've never played one, never held one, and I've only seen it in person in Victor's hands. I just always gazed longingly at pictures. And maybe it visited me in a fever dream once or twice.
She broke down, eventually. Though, not without a little give and take.

Donovan at Fretspot was awesome. I never felt any kind of sales pitch, he answered all my questions, was great to talk to and just basically helped me into what I hope will be my dream bass.

Can't wait to welcome #48 home.
Is it October - December yet?
Click to expand...
 
#126
bman said:
I'm going to be following this thread all day tomorrow (and Wednesday if I have to.)

PLEASE... Arrival, unboxing, review, pics, sounds... If you have the time, of course. I'm jonesing bad for more info.
I'm waiting patiently for #48, and I'd love to read some new content!

Above all, enjoy it!
Click to expand...

Will do.

I didn't get my tracking number today. Hopefully someone forgot to include my Email address for the tracking.
 
#135
ok, so finally have a few minutes. Brief history - played for going on 25 years (on bass, add another 15 if you include guitar). Right now play in 4 different ensembles (along with a crazy day job - sleep optional), mostly jazz but also a Steely Dan tribute band and my group veers into soul and funk regularly. I am a huge Rob Allen fan, and have a Deep 5 that is a "never sell" instrument. That kills for the jazz stuff and in a pinch can cover other genres but you're not going to be able to do other things (slap, chords) on it. From '00 to earlier this year I only played 5-strings but forced myself to add a 4-banger back into the mix. I also went to BNC this year so I got exposed deeply to Victor, Anthony, and Foderas. That isn't really my sound, but that being said, my sound has changed a lot over the last year. Doing 90 gigs in 9 months with 4 different bands can have that effect :D

At any rate, I have owned a lot of boutiques. And sold most of them. Right now I have a pair of Rob Allens and a Fender AmDlxP (PJ) which actually is a *great* bass. I ordered a pair of Skjolds (5 fretted and 5 fretless) originally timed to be done this month in time for my 50th b-day but those won't be finished until end of the year or early 2012. I've wanted a 4-string "stunt bass" for more chords/soloing in one of my ensembles. The YYS caught my eye for a bunch of reasons but I didn't want to plunk down $5K sight unseen. Been there (well, less money), done that.

A local shop got #18 in a week or two ago. I was going to try and go up over Labor Day weekend to check it out but they were closed. So I put it out of my mind. Last night I had rehearsal out in the valley, had seen the bass on their site, and figured I'd swing by before rehearsal. I had talked myself out of it (didn't want the painted finish, have other candidates for the "need", can live with my Fender, etc). I figured I'd play it and go, "meh, nice but not earth-shattering." Sadly for my budget, that wasn't the case.

First off - very skinny strings. I play 45-105, and my Rob Allens have La Bella nylon tapewounds which are a tad thicker even. I grab the bass and it is light. And comfy. I play the neck and say, "uh oh." The neck feel and finish is sublime. I plugged it in and instantly heard how Victor gets some of his tone (sorry, but I can't add the finger part of the equation). Like I said, that isn't really *my* sound, so I rolled onto the neck pup and got a nice fat P-bass sound but with an edge. I thought it might be a tad thin (strings?) so I rolled on a bit of bass. Yow! That kicks butt.

Messed around more and found it just damn easy to play. My recent experience with my Nordstrand gave me an appreciation for basses that are just flat out easy to play. They inspire you to try new things and court some risk in your playing. The YYS did this in spades. I played a bit more, explored some sounds, and then had to run to rehearsal.

Thought about it over night, and since I turn 50 in 2 weeks, have a father who is 86 and just diagnosed with bladder cancer, a son who just started high school, and just landed new project contracts at work that should keep my team employed for another 2 years or so...well, let's just say life is short. I don't collect, I play. As I said, have done 90 gigs so far in 2011. Very few vices left, so why not play what you want and make music.

Quick snap of #18 now in my office. I always reserve judgement until I get a bass into a gig situation as I've had basses that sound great alone but don't cut it in a band situation. But I have high hopes. Have shows Fri and Sat so it'll get a quick baptism.

yys2.jpg


yys1.jpg
 
#136
DonovanBankhead said:
skycoaster - now you've got ME excited for Bill's bass - and I don't even get to keep it!

And I think you are providing some good insight on the setup and strings - might be something for buyers to consider...
Click to expand...


the strings are very light guage. 95's i think. But it sounds too good to change anything right now. maybe 100's next but eventually it will get 105 fodera nickels like my other monarchs. Jason any issue with heavier strings on the one piece neck i should think about.

and the action is awesome..... great bass, great preamp. great? deal, probably not considering all my 5 foderas from the 80's cost between $1100 and 1850. Now that is A DEAL.....

continued compliments to the chefs... VJJ and Mike Pope too....
 
#139
congrats harpo (nostatic) welcome to the family. let us know how it goes at the gigs. That preamp will dial in whatever sound you need.

Played my second monarch (#34) over the weekend at an outdoor festival in CT. Crappy backline but with a VT pedal and DI only I had to tolerate the 400rb 210 combo. Out front the bass sounded tremendous. 25 plus years of wood aging/hazlab preamp/emj pj. Very similar to Victor's first fodera.

Back to the YYS this weekend. smaller venue, tube amp, no pa support. lots of p pup.... can't wait
 

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