Fodera Introduces Masterbuilt Series with “Arts & Crafts” Bass
Fodera has always been known for their gorgeous boutique instruments, but now they’re stepping things up with the Masterbuilt Series. Limited to four instruments per year, Fodera calls the series the pinnacle of what their shop can produce.
“More specifically, these instruments are all theme instruments and draw inspiration from companies, artists, and craftsmen outside of the world of guitars,” Jordan Cortese explains. “Our premier instrument, called the ‘Arts and Crafts’ bass takes direct inspiration from the designs of Gustav Stickley and Harvey Ellis of Stickley Furniture. The Masterbuilt Series bridges the gap between the worlds of fine art and high-end instrument design, with our sole motivation behind this series being the creation of instruments that are special and out of the ordinary.”
The bass is built with a roasted ash body with an English Brown Oak top and neck. Its fingerboard is a piece of Old-Growth, CITES Certified Brazilian Rosewood that’s adorned with intricate inlays crafted in Stickley and Ellis’s “Arts and Crafts” style. Another nice touch is the truss rod cover, which is held in place by magnets and made to mimic a stained glass window.
Other features include 19mm string spacing, Fodera/Duncan Dual Coil Pickups, and a Fodera/Pope Custom 3-Band Preamp. As part of the series, the Fodera Masterbuilt #1 “Arts and Crafts” bass is one of a kind and never to be remade.
Fodera Masterbuilt #1 “Arts and Crafts” Bass Specs:
Construction: | Dove-Tail |
Scale: | 34″ |
Body Shape: | Monarch |
Body: | Roasted Ash |
Top: | Solid English Brown Oak |
Neck: | English Brown Oak |
Fingerboard: | Brazilian Rosewood |
Inlays: | Custom Arts and Crafts Inlays |
Frets: | 24 Large Frets |
String Spacing: | 19mm |
Pickups: | Fodera/Duncan Dual Coils |
Electronics: | Fodera/Pope Custom 3-band Preamp |
Hardware: | Black |
For more information:
Fodera
While the craftsmanship is amazing, I still think it makes the bass itself look tacky in my opinion. I’m sure it still plays and sounds like a Fodera, not a fan of the designs on the bass.
stained glass look? ugly. Too busy.
Just make your existing basses more affordable.
good idea, very poorly executed. jeez?
whew that’s ugly imo. sure it sounds great though. but i couldn’t get over how it looked.
What’s up with the X-Wing fighter under the bridge?
I don’t know why they would put those awful wings on a gorgeous instrument. Not good.
Looks like great craftsmanship, but it doesn’t seem to suit the style of the bass. Maybe it would be better on a Carl Thompson style bass.
That’s what we need…a more expensive Fodera… :)
It looks like a regular Monarch that Traben or some chinese inlay company decided to butcher. Seems like a gimmicky thing to overcharge the Fodera fanboy club regulars, I wish they would just get back to their roots of what made them elite basses and stay away from this sort of nonsense.
Not my cup of tea