Fodera Reveals Masterbuilt Southwest Bass

Shortly after announcing the Woodblock, Fodera has unveiled their third Masterbuilt bass for 2017. The Southwest was designed by the company’s Emily Krohn and is inspired by the “textiles, textures, and colors of the American Southwest.”

“To accomplish this look and theme, we chose various woods including Spruce, Bloodwood, Ebony, and Mahogany – capturing the warm tonalities of the region,” they write. “The top features a hand-cut and inlayed diamond pattern common in Southwestern textiles with matching pickup covers to complete the pattern. For the fingerboard, Emily designed an inlay using mother-of-pearl and turquoise stone, a common material used in Southwestern jewelry, that extends from the nut to the end of the fingerboard. To complete the instrument’s theme, the bridge and tuners were engraved by El Dorado Guitar Accessories featuring a pattern reminiscent of engraving found on vintage western guns and belts.”

Its body is built with figured Mahogany wings with an alder tone block. The five-piece maple and wenge neck is topped with an ebony fingerboard. For electronics, it is fitted with a pair of Fodera/Seymour Duncan dual coil pickups matched to a Fodera/Pope 3-band preamp in the Matt Garrison control layout. Fodera describes the Southwest’s tone as “rich and articulate with a powerful, punchy low end, growling mids, and clear, bell-like highs.”

Fodera Masterbuilt Southwest Bass Specs: