Fodera Unveils “Brooklyn” Bass in Masterbuilt Series

Fodera unveiled the third bass in their Masterbuilt line this past week with a special version of their Emperor II 5 Elite. The one-of-a-kind instrument is called “Brooklyn” and pays respect to the New York City borough that the company calls home.

“Brooklyn, NY has been a part of the heart and soul of Fodera Guitars since the founding of our company. Since 1983 Fodera instruments have been manufactured in Brooklyn and our founding partners, Vinny and Joey, are both born and raised “Brooklynites” in every sense of the word,” the company writes. “For our latest Masterbuilt, we wanted to pay homage to our beloved borough by featuring the incredible craftwork of none other than Vinny Fodera. While Vinny is of course known for his lutherie work, he is also a passionate draftsman. Solid blocks of Holly were chosen as the canvas for the Masterbuilt’s hand-drawn images which consist of various iconic Brooklyn scenes – all of which have sentimental value to Vinny.”

Fodera’s drawings are all over the instrument. They include the Brooklyn Bridge, Jackie Gleason as Ralph from the Honeymooners, the subway N-train, Sheepshead Bay, Park Slope Brownstone apartments, Coney Island’s Parachute Jump, an Old-Dutch map of Brooklyn, and the facade of the building that houses Fodera’s workshop. He also pays homage to the Brooklyn Dodgers with the word “Brooklyn” written in the classic Dodgers font on the fretboard and the serial information on the back of the headstock inscribed as a baseball pennant.

Besides its unique decorations, the Masterbuilt #3 is a first for the company in its wood combinations. It’s the first to use the combo of solid holly body wings with a holly tone block matched to a three-piece maple neck. “Tonally, Holly is a hypothetical blend of Alder and Korina. It retains the warm character of Alder with the rich mids and punch of Korina,” they write. Electronics include a pair of Fodera/Duncan Dual Coil pickups in the 70’s spacing, which they add gives a tight, focused low-end with a percussive attack.

The Fodera Masterbuilt “Brooklyn” has already been acquired from the company.

Fodera Emperor II 5 Elite – “Brooklyn” Bass Specs: