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Maybe $10k for a Fodera ain't so bad?
- Thread starter lowfreqgeek
- Start date
bass players can't stand the thought of anyone else who doesn't want to do what they do, so i'm not surprised this thread turned out to be a douche extravaganza.
It seems that this thread is being cluttered by so many blanket statements that I have to chime in here.
The truth of the matter is that there are so many different players at so many different skill levels playing so many differently priced instruments. Yes, I've seen guys who are worse than me play Foderas yet, at the same time I've seen guys who blow me out of the water play cheaper Ibanezes or import Laklands. If you play enough gigs, you'll see all of the above.
It all comes down to this: if you have the cash and want the bass, get it and I won't think a thing of it. I just ask one favor of you, can I play it?
The truth of the matter is that there are so many different players at so many different skill levels playing so many differently priced instruments. Yes, I've seen guys who are worse than me play Foderas yet, at the same time I've seen guys who blow me out of the water play cheaper Ibanezes or import Laklands. If you play enough gigs, you'll see all of the above.
It all comes down to this: if you have the cash and want the bass, get it and I won't think a thing of it. I just ask one favor of you, can I play it?
Sure, if you buy it for playing music. But if you intend to own an artifact with emotional, sentimental or cultural value then your logic comes short. What is the "right" price for the Mona Lisa? Or for an old sports car that you and your dad spent ten years restoring? etc.etc.
Your presentation is also deliberately devoid of ontology. A house is also just a large box and a sculpture is a funny looking rock. No values apply.
Other than those exceptions, +1! 10k is bizarre for an electric bass intended for professional use. Whatever your personal preferences and quality demands you can get it all WAY cheaper if you tak your time.
We're not talking about double basses here, son! This is an electric bass guitar we're talking about! 've you any idea, man?; 10,000 dollars is a lot of damn money! Even you said so; it's a down payment on a house or a car, that's what that is!
10,000 damn dollars. I don't even...
Then the bass ceases to be simply a piece of wood with metal strung over it and some electronics, too. It becomes something else.
I guess there are exceptions.
Lol, why do you always say things like this? Lots of us see others play something we've never seen before.
I don't think any of us have a hate-on for the dude who put down something akin to a down-payment on a car for a bass guitar.
Funny story: Back in the late 90s before I went to fretless I borrowed a Fodera. It belonged to a guitar player in my band - he bought it used from a guy who had to pay for university. He got it for $2500. I think it was called a Monarch. It looked like Vic Wootens piccolo bass.
I could not stop staring at it. In fact, when I played it on a few gigs the light kept hitting it and I just couldn't concentrate on the gig because whatever Vinnie did to the wood made the grain practically jump out at you when light struck it. Fascinating. However it didn't play all that well - the neck was twisted slightly and some of the frets on the G-string side had lifted ever so slightly. It had to be heat-pressed and re-fretted to fix.
...and then there's the time I was marked as a heretic by a fellow bass player when he handed me his MTD 5 string to try (as a kind of bragging right) and I told him I didn't like the feel over the pickups and the way the neck felt.
I'm just sayin'...
;-)
Can't we all be friends?
Um, may I quote you?
If you want to backpedal and say "a piece of wood with metal strung tightly over it" is only a bass guitar go for it...this should be good.
And for the record I was in touch with Tom Ribbecke last spring about building an archtop acoustic bass guitar. He quoted me a price of $8K and a six month wait for one built mostly by his apprentices. $18K+ and up to a two year wait for one built by him. For what I'd be getting it seemed like a fair price. So I'm "ridiculous"? Hick.
If you ever have played a fodera you know that the 10K price tag is worth it. Probably the nicest sounding, easiest to play basses I have ever tried. If i had the money I would for sure get one.
You have to think outside your own wallet. As hard as it is for most of us to grasp, $10,000 isn't that much money to SOME people. (I'm not one of those people).
If you or I see no problem spending a grand on an instrument, that's the same thing for someone who makes ten times our income buying something like this. You just can't fathom it if you're working at Home Depo for $15 an hour.
I worked at Guitar Center in Los Angeles many many years ago and a pretty famous actor who shall remain nameless came into our store to buy a guitar, his FIRST guitar. He was really torn between a Les Paul and a PRS but he walked out the door with a 59' Re-Issue Les Paul that cost $10,000 and he didn't even know how to play a C chord. The money meant very little to him, he could afford it, he wanted a nice guitar and the thought of a Suier or MIM Fender probably never even crossed his mind. You know what happenned a few weeks later? He came back and bought the PRS McCarty Custom 10 top because he decided he wanted both! On his way out the door I heard him tell the salesman he'd be back in a couple weeks to talk about an amp because he didn't have one of those yet!!!!!!
Money is all relative, these days it seems I'm scratching and clawing just to pay rent, keep my car on the road and food on my table. But ten years ago things were different and I didn't think twice about dropping $2,300 for a Mike Lull bass. Yesterday I had to kick myself becuse I saw a Fender at GC that I really wanted but couldn't even dream of affording the $1000 price tag!
You can't judge others until you've walked in there shoes
If you or I see no problem spending a grand on an instrument, that's the same thing for someone who makes ten times our income buying something like this. You just can't fathom it if you're working at Home Depo for $15 an hour.
I worked at Guitar Center in Los Angeles many many years ago and a pretty famous actor who shall remain nameless came into our store to buy a guitar, his FIRST guitar. He was really torn between a Les Paul and a PRS but he walked out the door with a 59' Re-Issue Les Paul that cost $10,000 and he didn't even know how to play a C chord. The money meant very little to him, he could afford it, he wanted a nice guitar and the thought of a Suier or MIM Fender probably never even crossed his mind. You know what happenned a few weeks later? He came back and bought the PRS McCarty Custom 10 top because he decided he wanted both! On his way out the door I heard him tell the salesman he'd be back in a couple weeks to talk about an amp because he didn't have one of those yet!!!!!!
Money is all relative, these days it seems I'm scratching and clawing just to pay rent, keep my car on the road and food on my table. But ten years ago things were different and I didn't think twice about dropping $2,300 for a Mike Lull bass. Yesterday I had to kick myself becuse I saw a Fender at GC that I really wanted but couldn't even dream of affording the $1000 price tag!
You can't judge others until you've walked in there shoes
Will Lee is the bassist for Late Night with David Letterman. Don't you think that they could get away with a less acclaimed bassist? I mean, in addition to 10 seconds here and there in front of the camera, the gig requires entertaining a studio audience of the general public. Many bassists could cover this gig, and would likely do it for a lot less money than it takes to keep Will doing it. So, you could argue that it is a huge waste of money to pay Will to do it. But Paul Shaffer wants Will, and he can afford him. So, why not?
It is the same with everything.
Jim
It is the same with everything.
Jim
Yeah, but this isn't quite the same thing. Will has been around a very long time in the New York session scene... People call him because he's a reliable player, a good reader, and has a very very very good attitude. I'm pretty sure Will and Paul were friends and cohorts before Letterman. Will got the job through hard work.
You have to imagine how many wannabe musos are in New York trying to break into that shrinking scene and just can't - no matter what kind of bass they use.
Will was also one of Roger Sadowsky's test-beds for years - back when Will had Roger do all sorts of mods to his Fender Jazz basses.
Basses don't "work" hard... Bass players do... ;-)
The example you give is a bit extreme, but I bet some friend of his is sitting on the sidelines watching him fiddle with those guitars and hoping he'll get tired of it and either give it away or sell it at a huge loss to a best buddy...
Funny thing is, most Fodera owners I know are second-handers... Not all Foderas keep their value...
There's a BP mag interview with Will from several years ago where he talks about loosing a gig to Lee Sklar because he didn't have his sound together. Given that it's getting harder and harder to break into fewer and fewer gigs I'd think having a great sounding bass becomes even more and more important.
Guys I know doing high level touring and session work who use Sadowskys and Fodoras use them because they work. Given that who are you to say a no name bar player isn't using one for the same reason? Does he have to be Will Lee to justify spending big dough on something that works? I don't think so.
In my case, the no-name bar player I referred to is actually a good friend of mine. He is also a lousy player. He also has a lot of money and admits the bass has not helped him one bit to improve.
He also admits he bought it because he saw another guy play one (he didn't even know it was Anthony Jackson). It was a huge upgrade for him from the El Degas he had prior...
He has also said "If you ever want it, I'll sell it to you for a fraction of what I paid"...
;-) It's not like I'm talking about some random dude I saw in a random bar somewhere...But he's since decided to keep the bass... I don't think he plays it much anymore but he treats it like a piece of luxurious furniture. There was a big article a while back about a kid fresh out of music school in Toronto who had an incredible looking Dingwall. In the story, he was helping the band pack up and someone stole the bass from him. That scared the crap out of my friend.
- Dec 12, 2007
- 2,268
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- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Zon Guitars, Tsunami Cables, DR Strings, GK
I'm happy for Fodera building a strong reputation and for having a rather large following of incredibly gifted players on their roster.
As an artist, bassist, and carpenter, I can see the value in a Fodera or any well crafted instrument that is basically functional art.
If you have the coin, you should be able to play whatever instrument you care to buy.
Personally, I had a Monarch for a few years and although it was beyond nice, it didn't speak to me like it does for some others. It was a good investment and I came out fine when I turned it over. In general I find it a waste of my time and creative energy to wonder if someone "deserves" to play an instrument based on skill or cost. I'd have fun playing bass whether it was on a Squire Pbass or one of my Modulus basses.
I'm very pleased to see creative and talented luthiers making works of art for musicians everywhere to enjoy.
As an artist, bassist, and carpenter, I can see the value in a Fodera or any well crafted instrument that is basically functional art.
If you have the coin, you should be able to play whatever instrument you care to buy.
Personally, I had a Monarch for a few years and although it was beyond nice, it didn't speak to me like it does for some others. It was a good investment and I came out fine when I turned it over. In general I find it a waste of my time and creative energy to wonder if someone "deserves" to play an instrument based on skill or cost. I'd have fun playing bass whether it was on a Squire Pbass or one of my Modulus basses.
I'm very pleased to see creative and talented luthiers making works of art for musicians everywhere to enjoy.
The reason there are Foderas, Alembics, Ken Smiths etc, etc...is the same reason there are Ferrari's and Lambos...
Creators spend an excrutiating amount of time crafting and creating and using expensive materials AND have a history of greatness associated to their instruments by great players...
So when a host NY bass session aces and jazzers sing the praises of said boutique basses it is simple economics to be able to command a certain price for that high quality instrument...
I'm not sure I would purchase an instrument over 10k even if I had the funds...but I don't begrudge someone who does ( unless of course their kids are shoeless and hungry ). I'm a firm believer in using gig money to pay off instruments and not household funds...so for me even if I have to sell an instrument my costs have already been recouped on the band stand...
....that being said in the area I live I'd be on the bandstand another 5 or 6 years before a Fodera could materialize in my hands ( HAY-OOOOO!!! )
(sigh) missing my Clements...
Creators spend an excrutiating amount of time crafting and creating and using expensive materials AND have a history of greatness associated to their instruments by great players...
So when a host NY bass session aces and jazzers sing the praises of said boutique basses it is simple economics to be able to command a certain price for that high quality instrument...
I'm not sure I would purchase an instrument over 10k even if I had the funds...but I don't begrudge someone who does ( unless of course their kids are shoeless and hungry ). I'm a firm believer in using gig money to pay off instruments and not household funds...so for me even if I have to sell an instrument my costs have already been recouped on the band stand...
....that being said in the area I live I'd be on the bandstand another 5 or 6 years before a Fodera could materialize in my hands ( HAY-OOOOO!!! )
(sigh) missing my Clements...
you read this thread, didn't you, frankie? or the countless other threads with bassists telling other bassists what they should like? i recently saw a thread where a guy said he wanted to try a set of new strings and didn't like flatwounds, and the flatwound fans pounced on him trying to get him to change his mind and kept on suggesting flats for him to try. it was sad.
happens every day on here.
