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why are Foderas so expensive?
- Thread starter quadrogong
- Start date
those aren't necesarilly (sp.) handmade, but they're not made in a huge factory either. They're similar to the Fender Custom Shop team built instruments.
Dr Funk
"If you ain't appearing then you be disappearing"
Dr Funk
"If you ain't appearing then you be disappearing"
A great pro and alumnus of my university, and TB member was playing at the student center at lunch in a combo with his Fodera, a singlecut Emperor. He let me play it for a minute between sets, and the quality was self-evident! It was heavy, but very comfortable with a perfect action. It's owner is a world class player who could be killing doing fusion and straight ahead in New York if he chose to, so he is able to get the most out of the bass.
This Fodera struck me as a very serious pro's instrument. If you are good enough, and the Fodera tone speaks to you, I can see making the investment and being happy you spent every dime.
It was also be nice to have if you could simply afford to spend $7,000 too!
This Fodera struck me as a very serious pro's instrument. If you are good enough, and the Fodera tone speaks to you, I can see making the investment and being happy you spent every dime.
It was also be nice to have if you could simply afford to spend $7,000 too!
Dr Funk
"If you ain't appearing then you be disappearing"
Value or worth as you put it is clearly in the wallet of the beholder. These magnificent craftsmen deserve what they can get. As an owner of way too many fine basses I put value and see the art in what the builder created. Let's not forget that the law of diminishing returns comes into play heavily. That is to say you have to spend a disproportionate large amount of money to get an instrument a little bit finer. Problem is the cash amount is specific and the finer quality achieved is completely subjective. With me it has to play fabulous first. The value is determined by the current owner and the builder.
Have read the first 6 pages and the last 3 so apologies if this point has been made in the middle.
My sister is a oboe player, a beginner quality oboe costs around A$3k, as she teaches and plays in various orchestras and ensembles, hers cost about $A15k (semi-pro model).
Bear in mind that these are not bespoke instruments, these are the 'off the shelf' models (albeit of an unsual, non mass-produced instrument).
In comparative terms, the money you pay for something like a fodera as a completely specced, generally one-off instrument for the professional player ... is not outrageous IMO.
That said, visually they don't float my boat ... I have not played one though. Strangely as I get older, I am more attracted to a simpler, plainer instrument. When I was 15 I loved the look of Alembics, now I am keen for a natural '70s Jazz.
My sister is a oboe player, a beginner quality oboe costs around A$3k, as she teaches and plays in various orchestras and ensembles, hers cost about $A15k (semi-pro model).
Bear in mind that these are not bespoke instruments, these are the 'off the shelf' models (albeit of an unsual, non mass-produced instrument).
In comparative terms, the money you pay for something like a fodera as a completely specced, generally one-off instrument for the professional player ... is not outrageous IMO.
That said, visually they don't float my boat ... I have not played one though. Strangely as I get older, I am more attracted to a simpler, plainer instrument. When I was 15 I loved the look of Alembics, now I am keen for a natural '70s Jazz.
+1, unfortunately...
at least i have a chance of affording the jazz (well a squier vm anyway)
When I was shopping for a state-of-the-art handmade five-string back in '87, there were really only three viable choices (...well, four choices, if you include eccentric and brick-heavy Alembic 
); Tobias on the west coast, and Smith and Fodera on the east coast.
Set the Wayback machine for 1988, Sherman:
All three were competitively priced at the time, so cost wasn't a factor. I test drove various instruments from each builder before going with Mike T. (the fact that his Cahuenga Blvd. shop was 15 minutes away was a plus), and I have absolutely no regrets.
Smith was a fairly distant second, but try as I might, I couldn't get Vinny's basses to sing for me; they just didn't fit. Were they worth the asking price? Definitely. Are they worth something like three times that amount now? Not to me; way too heavy, aesthetically not my thing, and a tone that strikes me as a bit sterile and aloof, but YMMV.
Pope's example happens to be spot-on for me:
); Tobias on the west coast, and Smith and Fodera on the east coast.Set the Wayback machine for 1988, Sherman:
All three were competitively priced at the time, so cost wasn't a factor. I test drove various instruments from each builder before going with Mike T. (the fact that his Cahuenga Blvd. shop was 15 minutes away was a plus), and I have absolutely no regrets.
Smith was a fairly distant second, but try as I might, I couldn't get Vinny's basses to sing for me; they just didn't fit. Were they worth the asking price? Definitely. Are they worth something like three times that amount now? Not to me; way too heavy, aesthetically not my thing, and a tone that strikes me as a bit sterile and aloof, but YMMV.
Pope's example happens to be spot-on for me:
I ended up with a Drozd a few years ago that has a MSRP right up there with Fodera, and I feel that I got a lot more bang for the buck in spite of the abysmal USD/ESP exchange rate, but if I had preferred the big butterfly brand to the Drozd, I would have been all over it, and bang for the buck be damned.
No matter how much they cost, whenever I listen to Matthew Garrison or Tony Grey, I want one all over again. Even Tom Kennedy's tone gives me GAS.
I find that it takes some balls to own a Fodera. Almost every endorser is some jazz-fusion demi-god, and to me owning one means you better be pretty darned good! I've never seen one played by someone who sucked.
Whereas in the Fender camp, you have guys like Marcus Miller but it also goes to less technical punk players or whatnot. Not to bash punk players.
There seems to be a certain "elitist" thing about a Fodera since it really isn't a "common" person's bass, which is fine.
They're very pretty, but I'd take a Nordy or Sadowsky which seems to sit in the mix better for me.
Whereas in the Fender camp, you have guys like Marcus Miller but it also goes to less technical punk players or whatnot. Not to bash punk players.
There seems to be a certain "elitist" thing about a Fodera since it really isn't a "common" person's bass, which is fine.
They're very pretty, but I'd take a Nordy or Sadowsky which seems to sit in the mix better for me.
Sorry if I'm saying something that has already been said... I haven't such an experience on Fodera basses like many people posting here have, I have just tried 2 5-string Emperors here in Italy (one fretless with Barts and one ash / maple / Buckeye top bolt-on fretted with Aeros and Pope preamp), and then tried and compared with some Fclefs and other basses. I can say that they are fantastic basses, perhaps they have something more than the others but - IMO and IME - I wasn't so impressed to pay all that money... 3x or 4x the price of a top bass of other brands. I listened to Fodera basses also played live in some concerts or in bass-expo situations like Bassday, etc. and I always ended up with the same opinion. I think that Fodera has done a great marketing and endorsing policy, finding and endorsing all the best guys all around... Anthony Jackson, Victor Wooten, Matt Garrison, Richard Bona, etc. and all the others in recent years (Di Piazza, Gwizdala, Feraud, etc.) not to forget Marcus Miller was playing their basses in the early nineties (a fretless Emperor..?). All this, together with the fact that they DO make exceptional basses, ended up with such a huge demand of their basses and ended up with that over-the-top prices. All this of course IMO and IME.
It could, despite what people seem to think. It can inspire you to do things you normally don't do.
A cheap bass you really like can do a similar thing.
It could, despite what people seem to think. It can inspire you to do things you normally don't do.
A cheap bass you really like can do a similar thing.
Agreed!!! The "right bass" can make you a better player.
Hello,
I am a big fans of Fodera. 1) The quality is top notch. I had the chance to play high end basses in Japan trip September this year such as MTD, F-bass Ken smith, Fodera, Sadowsky........ But the feeling and sound is better for fodera and the materials they used are the best, although the others are very good as well. 2) It is so beatiful. They used the most beautiful top wood and customzied for your taste....truly Farrari bass... 3) It is your signature series. Every Fodera bass is slighty difference because custom order made for your own taste ...... 4) Demand and supply...... They made less than 3000 basses for 25 years....you can easier find sadowsky, ken smith or MTD basses in bass shop, but rarely find some brand new Fodera in bass shop just because thay are rare...........
I totally love Fodera bass and hope to have my own before 30 yeares old......Still have 5 years to go.......
Thanks,
Man-Ho
I am a big fans of Fodera. 1) The quality is top notch. I had the chance to play high end basses in Japan trip September this year such as MTD, F-bass Ken smith, Fodera, Sadowsky........ But the feeling and sound is better for fodera and the materials they used are the best, although the others are very good as well. 2) It is so beatiful. They used the most beautiful top wood and customzied for your taste....truly Farrari bass... 3) It is your signature series. Every Fodera bass is slighty difference because custom order made for your own taste ...... 4) Demand and supply...... They made less than 3000 basses for 25 years....you can easier find sadowsky, ken smith or MTD basses in bass shop, but rarely find some brand new Fodera in bass shop just because thay are rare...........
I totally love Fodera bass and hope to have my own before 30 yeares old......Still have 5 years to go.......
Thanks,
Man-Ho
