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I went back to Fodera today to get my four string back. I had left it to get the finished worked on the finish of the bass, as well as having them take a look at the frets. I also took up another bass of Anthony's for them to check (and, it was just fine).
Over the years, I've managed to get a few signatures on the back of the headstock, and I wanted them to be protected (as I have already rubbed some of it off while changing strings). Some of the frets had started to get a bit of a buzz, particularly on the first three frets on the E-string.
This time around, I spent some time with Vinnie. Vinnie took a look at the frets and reworked all of them from top to bottom. He told me that I had worn grooves from my strings into the top three frets. Which is something that I knew might happen -- I used to use Rotosounds on this bass, and those strings have a history of chewing up frets.
Once he was done working on the frets, he spent some time setting up my bass. It was interesting watching Vinnie work, particularly in comparison to Joey. Joey works in a rather intuitive fashion -- working by feel, twiddling here, checking the setup by playing. Vinnie, on the other hand, works almost like a scientist -- measuring the string height off the fretboard in several positions, checking the tension of the strings, then playing to hear the sound. I don't think that either way is better, just different. Both in conjunction would probably work out rather well.
While Vinnie was working, he and I talked about guitar construction in general and Foderas in specific. I learned quite a bit from him (the difference between the Fodera models, the best way to string an guitar -- accoustic vs. electric, the resonant qualities of various wood species); actually, talking with him for a while was completely worth the nine hours or so of driving.
And, on that note, if anyone (hi Mom, Dad!) is wondering why I take the time and effort to drive my bass to NYC to get it worked on (instead of say, shipping it), take a look at the pic to the right. This is a brand new, handmade Fodera bass that was shipped using FedEx. And that's what it looked like when the owner opened up the case. All things being equal, I have no problem driving a few hours.
Joey and I talked about what Fodera's usual policy and procedure is for ordering a new bass. He was saying their turn around time is about 8 to 12 months these days (not the 2+ years I had been expecting). What I was really curious about was the payment process. I'd love a new bass, but I don't know if I could part with several thousand dollars for something I'd eventually get in a year or so. However, he was saying that they usually take a percentage (33% to 50%, depending on the customer and the project -- the more obscure or unusual, the less likely they would be able to unload the instrument in case of problems, so the more they would ask for upfront). But not having to have all of it up front makes picking up one of those things a bit easier.
And, if you'd like to help (hi Mom, Dad), feel free to hit the tip jar on the left hand side at the top of the page....
Posted by Casper at July 9, 2004 05:24 PM