MTD vs F-bass vs Fodera Thoughts

[Wistaria Z]

535, BN5 and entry level Fodera are now at very similar price, do you have any playing experience with them? What you like/dislike? Are they all holding their values well?
I'm planning a trip to many music stores in NA, just want to gather some thoughts on these well-known bontique brands!

 

[kittywithabanjo]

They are all great its personal preference and there are so many different available specs you can not really compare.

 

[Jugghaid]

I have only played 2 Fodera's that knocked my socks off and several that I thought were just okay and not worth the money.

Every MTD and Fbass I have played has been outstanding and I still own a BN5 and a 535-24.

Others will feel differently. My suggestion is play them all and see what fits. They are all top tier instruments.

 

[Bass1447]

I've tried Fodera. I've tried F-Bass. I've tried Alembic. I even tried a Ritter.

I own a 534-24-17. The one in my avatar.

While still a bit pricey I just couldn't resist. I still own all My Fenders and G&Ls, and I always will. I play most as much as the rest. But MTDs are in a class by themselves.

 

[red_rhino]

Smith/MTD/F-Bass comparison video. No Fodera, but there are some Fodera videos in his channel.

 

[Pep]

Of the ones you listed, my personal favorite is MTD. They are hard to beat.
You also may want to consider Dingwall. Several to choose from and very high quality.

 

[ClassicJazz]

Check out this video Low End Lobster did with my Fodera Emperor Standard and his MTD.

 

[RGerhart]

I've yet to play an F Bass (really want to, though), but I have played and own several Foderas. I've played a few 535 and 635 MTDs, as well. All of the MTDs have been great instruments, and have a unique neck profile. I'm definitely a fan of Fodera, primarily because they just fit my hands better for whatever reason, and they have a clear, unique timbre to them.

Really the only way to tell is to play as many as you can, since everyone's tastes and ergonomics are different.

 

[Natem315]

I have only played 2 Fodera's that knocked my socks off and several that I thought were just okay and not worth the money.

Every MTD and Fbass I have played has been outstanding and I still own a BN5 and a 535-24.

Others will feel differently. My suggestion is play them all and see what fits. They are all top tier instruments.

Between MTD and Fbass, which one has a faster neck(in your opinion)? I’ve been looking for a 6 string with a nice feeling neck and fretboard for soloing.

 

[alembicbones]

My only experience with these three basses is the Fodera Emperor Standard 5 string. I'm very happy with mine. Great playability and the electronics are very flexible. That said, I don't think you would go wrong with the MTD or F Bass.

Bones

 

[Jugghaid]

Between MTD and Fbass, which one has a faster neck(in your opinion)? I’ve been looking for a 6 string with a nice feeling neck and fretboard for soloing.

Well, both of mine are 5 strings and everyone is different, but I think my 535 has a little faster neck.

 

[Stranger Danger]

MTD for me

 

[scubaduba]

One prefers MTD. Another prefers FBass. Still another swears by Fodera. To each their own. What are you looking for in a bass? What do you value most? Reflecting on those questions will answer the question.

I have had multiple specimens of each and for me it will be MTD by a mile. Though not a 535. A 534 because I much prefer the 34” scale. I don’t find the ergonomics of FBass to my liking. I do t care for the taper of the neck either. I don’t find Fodera to be remarkable though they are very nice. At a price to value ratio they don’t do it for me. However, I do enjoy the ergonomics of both the Monarch and Emperor but not so much the single cuts.

Those are my preferences which may be vastly different than yours.

 

[monsterthompson]

At that price point you’re deep into personal preferences over actual performance enhancement. Any of them should be beyond adequate. I’ve never played and MTD. I’ve played a Fodera and it was fantastic, but it was a short test drive. I own an F Bass (or two) and that is my bass of choice.

The MTD is the way to go if you like that distinctive Bart sound, which seems prominent in most demos I’ve heard. The Fodera models have a few different pickup configurations, with a PJ being common. The F Bass BN5 pickups are single coil and in-house designs for a signature sound. They sound great individually and blended, particularly with the preamp. I find the bridge pickup needs some bass boost when solo. There is a dummy coil that will make each pickup humbuck but it lowers output and I find the EQ boost in the mids and lows can help bring back what the dummy coil cuts out. The preamp can be bypassed which is nice.

A BN5 in the wild is hard to find, and there’s a 2 year wait to order direct. Reverb has a few floating around at any given time, and the higher priced ones do hang around longer. I’d expect the MTD and Fodera to be similar.

 

[winston]

I've had a BN5 for 23 years, and have played several MTD 535s (fretted and fretless) as well as pre-Gibson Tobiases. I've gotten my hands on a couple of Foderas at various GTGs over the years.

They're all different flavors of great. Though my BN5 has a wonderful preamp, it sounds so good in passive single-coil mode that I use it that way maybe 80% of the time. Mine is from the nitro-finish era and apparently newer F-Basses feel a little less rustic. Also the F-Bass ergonomics work for me, even though mine is over 10# it balances very well, and I honestly thought it was around 9# for the first 15 years I had it, it's so comfortable! I've played a number of BN4s and BN6s, and kind of regret not getting a Studio 5 instead of the BN5 - but all had similar tone, even the painted (basswood?) Studio I tried.

MTDs have a wirey woodiness - where there's both depth and clarity that's vintage-leaning but decidedly modern, top-notch construction.

TBH there are more than a few pro Fodera players who - to me - have some of the wimpiest, detail-free bass tones ever, and to be sure the demos that Bendy guy has done over the years are kind of the opposite of "the tone is worth the $$" to my ears. And they have so many options, I would definitely have to try one before ever putting down the money for a Fodera. But their design and construction are absolutely stunning.

 

[bikeplate]

All great. Play them and judge for yourself

 

[N4860]

I've not played any of those but I've been dreaming of owning an F Bass for a number of years now. Just a couple nights ago I was watching some live videos and noticed that Ryan Stasik has now been rocking an F Bass and he sounds great with it live. Much better to my ears compared to his Lakland tone that I most commonly associated with him.

 

[Bob_Ross]

535, BN5 and entry level Fodera are now at very similar price

An F Bass BN5 and an MTD 535 are hardly "entry level" instruments, even for those boutique builders. What would be the truly equivalent Fodera model...and what would that bass cost?

 

[Jugghaid]

An F Bass BN5 and an MTD 535 are hardly "entry level" instruments, even for those boutique builders. What would be the truly equivalent Fodera model...and what would that bass cost?

To me, the entry level Fodera was always the Empire. And that is actually one of the two I really liked.

 

[rolfplamperton]

Fodera plays the best. Never played a bass that sets up better than a Fodera. F bass sounds the best but only marginally better than Fodera. I’ve tried to like MTD‘s and had many over the years and they’re always way too bright and I’ve even had a few that didn’t set up well.