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Warwick vs. Fodera

#41
Munjibunga said:
Which Fodera? Emperor? AJ? Imperial? Monarch? Viceroy? Emperor II? Which woods? Which pickups? Which neck joint?
Click to expand...

Good point.
Same is true for Warwick. Thumb, Corvette, Infinity, Dolphin, Streamer, Star, and a few others. Neck through, bolt on. Many choices of woods, and not to forget the pick ups. Even within one model there are significant differences, for example Streamer SSI and SSII. Or Corvette Standard vs $$.
 
#44
We have only had three versions of our Pope electronics in 15+ years. The first two versions came within a year or two of one another when we first started working with Mike and then the most recent revision was in January 2009. There have been no revisions since and we do not expect any for many years to come.

In terms of our prices, please search TB for "Fodera" and you'll find many threads where I discuss our pricing very candidly. The reality is that in the past 29 years, our first profitable year in business was 2011 -- so none of us are getting rich building these instruments.

Regards,

Jason

chef wong said:
I have respect for Fodera. I just don't understand the "update your Pope electronics every year" thing. They're overpriced, too. I think they hike up the cost in attempt to gain respect, in their case.

German made Warwicks are amazing instruments. I played a fretless a few years ago that was in a class all it's own. They sound unique, plus they're 100% flawlessly crafted. They might be under-priced.
Click to expand...
 
#45
Brazilian Rosewood was used on the three Monarchs.

And to expand a little further, the majority of the topwood on our entry level Monarch and Emperor Standards was cut for us in 2001 and most of the fingerboards were purchased by us in the early 1990's...

Regards,

J


Munjibunga said:
For instance, the fretboards on the Monarch 3-pak are made of Bolivian Rosewood over 100 years old.
Click to expand...
 
#46
Thanks a lot for your input Just Thumpin :p

Say, what about the Fodera YingYang Standard? It's about twice as cheap then Victor's signature bass. Except for a bolt on neck instead of a dovetail construction and painted YingYang finish, what else did you guys do to make it more affordable?
 
#47
curbowkid said:
This.

There's MAJOR differences with Warwick and Fodera
CNC mass production Vs hand carved batch production goodness

Need I say more?
Click to expand...

What you say is not accurate. Warwick offers basses that are mass produced, but it also offers limited production handmande basses. Singlecut Thumb basses are comparable to Foderas in terms of price and build style, and quality.

 
#48
Hi

I've owned a couple Warwicks and 4 Foderas. I've sold them all. That being said, Fodera build and tone is top notch. Neck profiles are killer. Warwick has a cool tone. Necks I've tried are very thick and average. I don't really see this as a fair comparison in brands

Rob
 
#49
Which should be the number one? In what aspect? For me I think of basses as tools and as the medium between what I want to say within my band and at home. I am not of the school of thought play one bass mainly and maybe have one or two others. I take different basses to practice all the time and I use different basses for different tones and how they sit in the mix when recording I play in an original band and we do slower vocal forward stuff and also heavy melodic stuff so for me the Warwicks are my first choice and offer excellent build quality for the money and I have many of them and I can get almost any tone or sound I want.

The German production plant is only producing 3500 or so basses a year from what I understand so they are nowhere near the super mass produced numbers of other production companies. I have never owned a Fodera but played a few. They are absolutely works of art and the level of attention and obsession to detail is staggering. To hold one and feel it and run your hands over all the seams and frets and the neck then you begin to understand why they are revered so much. That being said for me and what I do in music I feel the Warwicks offer a high level of QC and I can afford to have many of them and I like their distinct tone and feel. The Fodera basses I have heard and touched to my ears lend themselves better to different music than what I play but I still would love to own one day. They are completely different animals and intended that way I think. I would say though in terms of absolute build quality and perfect balance between workhorse and boutique the Fodera has a higher score in that aspect but the tone and flexibility within their basses left me liking the Warwicks more. I do prefer a more unique tone something that stands out and at this point in my life I could have afforded a Fodera but when the time came and I wanted a super high end bass and had the funds to do so I bought a high end custom Zon because it was so different than all my other basses but is still super versatile and unique in its tone and how it sits in the mix. I do believe Fodera is worth every penny they are as well as my German Warwicks, Warrior, Spectors and Zon but at the end of the day I won’t deny it I steered away from Fodera because it would tie up so much money for me for tool I consider to hit it’s intended nail on the head as good or better than any other bass available but the voicing lends itself better for bassers who play much different music than I. I do believe both builders produce the highest level of bass building within their own price point that I have played and familiar with. There are so many I haven’t tried because I’m a lefty and I just can’t play everything.
 
#50
Just Thumpin' said:
Brazilian Rosewood was used on the three Monarchs.

And to expand a little further, the majority of the topwood on our entry level Monarch and Emperor Standards was cut for us in 2001 and most of the fingerboards were purchased by us in the early 1990's...

Regards,

J
Click to expand...

I knew it started with a "B" and was in South America. Brain fart.
 
#51
Dr. Cheese said:
What you say is not accurate. Warwick offers basses that are mass produced, but it also offers limited production handmande basses. Singlecut Thumb basses are comparable to Foderas in terms of price and build style, and quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsqAeBeKvtk
Click to expand...

There's German factory yours online, not hand made, all parts are made in custom built CNC machines. While that isn't mass production, none of it is done by hand except for placing wood in machines and adding glue here and there. The only time hands on work is applied is sanding the body and neck, final installation and finish work. Fodera are 100%hands on builds. Not a single CNC machine there. Vinney and Joey do all the carving by hand. My previous comment still stands

CNC mass/semi mass production VS hand built batches
 
#54
The only reasons I prefer hand carve and cut over CNC is if the builder takes the time to make everything perfect by hand, you know it's a quality product. CNC machines are kinda like the printer of the building world. Put in stock, get product. Sometimes, as many of us will agree, the result isn't as nice and consistent. When I say that I mean some basses are better than others even though they are the same brand and model. In the same respect, some just flat suck.

My second reason is I'm 100%for people having jobs. If you watch the videos of the Warwick factory, it doesn't seen like slot of people with there :/ I will take skilled craftsman over CNC any day
 
#56
curbowkid said:
The only reasons I prefer hand carve and cut over CNC is if the builder takes the time to make everything perfect by hand, you know it's a quality product. CNC machines are kinda like the printer of the building world. Put in stock, get product. Sometimes, as many of us will agree, the result isn't as nice and consistent. When I say that I mean some basses are better than others even though they are the same brand and model. In the same respect, some just flat suck.

My second reason is I'm 100%for people having jobs. If you watch the videos of the Warwick factory, it doesn't seen like slot of people with there :/ I will take skilled craftsman over CNC any day
Click to expand...

Actually the whole idea behind CNC machining is reproducible, consistent work. But hey, lie to yourself if you must.

Hand carving is nice and a great touch. Warwick basses used to have more hand building to them as their prices did not change after the production style changed.....
 
#57
I know the idea behind it. But anyone here will say not all of the same instruments play the same or sound the same. A big portion of that is contributed to wood densities and species. The other variable is construction. I can't explain it. I understand the CNC is meant for consistency, but how much time is taken to align grain and stuff of that nature? Warwick I have to say is very good about it. But my CNC comments span most if not all production basses. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people say their fender just didn't feel right or it wasn't one of the good ones. I am not lying to myself at all. Im going based on experience.


Even so, there's even more factors between Fodera and Warwick. Fodera uses older wood because it's much more stable than newer. Warwick as far as I know just harvests from designated locations, but the result is still a new green cut. Yes they let it dry, but it's still much less seasoned than older cut wood.
 
#59
curbowkid said:
I know the idea behind it. But anyone here will say not all of the same instruments play the same or sound the same. A big portion of that is contributed to wood densities and species. The other variable is construction. I can't explain it. I understand the CNC is meant for consistency, but how much time is taken to align grain and stuff of that nature? Warwick I have to say is very good about it. But my CNC comments span most if not all production basses. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people say their fender just didn't feel right or it wasn't one of the good ones. I am not lying to myself at all. Im going based on experience.

Even so, there's even more factors between Fodera and Warwick. Fodera uses older wood because it's much more stable than newer. Warwick as far as I know just harvests from designated locations, but the result is still a new green cut. Yes they let it dry, but it's still much less seasoned than older cut wood.
Click to expand...

Check YouTube with Warwicks factory tour, they discuss how long they set the wood. Their wood isn't green by any stretch of the imagination.
 
#60
Hi


I was at Bass San Diego 12 years ago. John the owner had a hand built bass hanging on the wall. He was knocking it because how inconstant it was. Crooked pickup routes, etc. This was a truly custom handmade $4k instrument. I owned one myself a while back.

Rob
 

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