Fodera Introduces Emperor II Hybrid and Tony Grey Signature Monarch Basses
Fodera has announced two new basses with the Emperor II Hybrid and the Tony Grey Signature Monarch. Both instruments are handmade in their custom shop and are expansions on their flagship models.
The Emperor II Hybrid takes their classic Emperor singlecut and introduces the Hybrid chambered body design. Fodera says the bass shares the complex internal structure and other design nuances similar to their Presentation II, though it has a reduced body size for playability. “Tonally, it is frankly impossible to adequately describe exactly how a Hybrid sounds,” the company writes. “It is expansive with rich sustain, depth, nuance, and is incredibly even throughout its entire range. Deep, thundering lows give way to clear, rich mids, and bright, articulate highs with a piano-like quality.”
The bass’s body is built with a 3 1/8th-inch thick alder hollow-body with a laminated alder back while offering choice of Flame Koa, Flame Maple, Curly Walnut or Holly for the top. Its neck is created with three pieces of red oak. Fodera fits the Emperor II Hybrid with a Duncan/Fodera dual coil pickup and a Pop/Fodera Custom Shop 3-band preamp.
Besides Grey’s own solo projects, the jazz and fusion bassist has worked with artists including Bliss, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Mike Stern, Wayne Krantz and Hiromi. His new signature bass is a six-string Monarch that’s tooled to be compact with a 33-inch scale and 17.5mm bridge spacing. “The body, made of Walnut, is capped with a solid Birdseye Maple top, three-piece Hard Rock Maple neck, a Flame Maple Tone Block and a Macassar Ebony fingerboard to generate the warm yet clean, bright tone that helps Tony to define his signature sound,” Fodera explains. “A pair of Fodera/Seymour Duncan Dual Coil Pickups and a ramp complete the model that proudly bears his name.”
The Fodera Emperor II Hybrid will be available for order with a retail price of $17,500 and the Tony Grey Signature will carry a retail price of $11,000.
Fodera Emperor II Hybrid Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | 3 1/8th-inch thick hollow-body premium Alder hollow body with laminated Alder back |
| Top: | Choice of Flame Koa, Flame Maple, Curly Walnut or Holly flat (non-carved) top |
| Neck: | 3-piece Red Oak |
| Pickup: | One (1) Duncan / Fodera Dual Coil pickup (with option for two pickups) |
| Electronics: | Pope / Fodera Custom Shop 3-band Preamp |
| Bridge: | Fodera Custom Shop Bridge (Brass) |
| Bridge Spacing: | Choice of 19.0mm bridge 5-string or 17.5mm bridge 6-string |
| Other: | Straplocks |
Fodera Tony Grey Signature Monarch Bass Specs:
| Strings: | 6 |
| Scale: | 33″ |
| Body: | Walnut with Flame Maple Tone Block |
| Top: | Birdseye Maple |
| Ramp: | Birdseye Maple |
| Neck: | 3-piece Hard Rock Maple Neck |
| Fingerboard: | Macassar Ebony |
| Frets: | 24 Large |
| Inlays: | Mother of Pearl |
| Bridge Spacing: | 17.5mm |
| Pickups: | Fodera/Duncan Dual Coil |
| Electronics: | Pope / Fodera Custom Shop 3-band Preamp, Monarch Control Layout |
For more information:
Fodera
17k? Seriously…who buys these things?
People who want to and can afford them. ;P
generally, rich amateur players.
The fodera pricing. I could similar features and quality for half the dough here in Denmark. And thats with taxes being at least twice of what fodera are paying in the US.