Fodera Bass Guitars
Fodera doesn't do quantity. Vinnie Fodera and Joey Lauricella have been building basses by hand in Brooklyn since 1983, and the workshop still turns out only a few hundred instruments a year. That's it. If you've ever wondered why a Fodera commands the price it does, that's your answer: a small team of luthiers, wenge and maple neck-through construction, obsessive attention to the parts nobody photographs, and a build queue currently running around two years.
We are now official authorized Fodera dealers in Europe, one of a very short list on the continent. That matters mostly to you. Buying a Fodera from Europe used to mean the hard way: US import, customs, VAT surprises, and whatever happened to be sitting on a shelf 6000 km away. Now you can spec one, order one and get it serviced without leaving the EU.
The three Fodera shapes
| Model |
Body |
What it is |
| Monarch |
Double cutaway, symmetrical |
The original Fodera shape, drawn in 1983 and never really improved on. Compact, balanced, modern. If you don't know where to start, start here. |
| Emperor |
Double cutaway, offset |
The Jazz-influenced silhouette, with the offset lower bout and the longer upper horn. The one most people picture when they picture a Fodera. Also the platform for the Emperor II. |
| Imperial |
Single cutaway |
Fodera's single-cut. Essentially a Monarch with the upper horn fused into the neck, which changes the balance, the access above the 17th fret and the way the low end blooms. |
| Yin Yang |
Monarch-based signature |
Victor Wooten's bass. The inlay you already know, and the tone he made famous. Available in Standard and Custom builds. |
| Signature & Masterbuilt |
Varies |
The Anthony Jackson Presentation contrabass, the Matt Garrison Imperial MG, and the Masterbuilt showpieces with top-tier timber and appointments. Order-only territory. |
Standard, Standard Special or Custom
Every Fodera is built in the same Brooklyn workshop by the same hands. What changes is how much of the instrument you get to decide.
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Standard - the most accessible way in. A fixed, well-chosen spec. Same construction, same workshop, fewer decisions to make.
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Standard Special - the Standard chassis with a curated menu of upgrades on top: string count, top wood, pickup and preamp configuration, finish.
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Custom - anything Fodera can build. Every top in the wood library, every option on the list, your neck profile, your string spacing. This is where we go deep with you.
Custom Shop access, from Europe, without the import roulette. This is the part most European players have never had. We walk you through the Fodera options list, place the order in your name, and the instrument lands here as a normal EU purchase. A build starts with a deposit that secures your slot in the Brooklyn queue and is deducted in full from the final invoice. That is how Fodera works, everywhere, including at the factory. Start a Custom Shop build here, or talk to us first if you want to think out loud.
Fodera basses, frequently asked
Why are Fodera basses so expensive?
Because of how few of them exist and how they get made. A small team in Brooklyn builds a few hundred instruments a year, by hand, with wenge and maple neck-through construction, hand-cut nuts, hand-shaped necks and wood stock that has been sitting in the shop for years before it becomes an instrument. There is no factory line and no import tier. You are paying for time and for timber, not for a logo.
What is the difference between a Monarch, an Emperor and an Imperial?
Body shape, mostly. The Monarch is the original symmetrical double cutaway. The Emperor is the offset, Jazz-influenced double cutaway with the longer upper horn. The Imperial is the single cutaway. Same construction philosophy and the same electronics options across all three, so pick the one that sits right on your body and looks right to your eye.
Standard, Standard Special or Custom: which one do I want?
If you want a Fodera and you trust their taste, Standard. If you want a Fodera your way but do not want to spend three weeks choosing woods, Standard Special. If you have a specific instrument in your head, Custom. All three are built in the same room by the same people.
Do Fodera basses come in 4, 5 and 6 string?
Yes, and beyond. Four, five and six string are standard across the range, fretless is available on most models, and the Custom Shop will go further if you ask. The Anthony Jackson Presentation is the reason a lot of people play six in the first place.
How long does a Fodera Custom Shop build take?
Currently around 24 months from deposit to delivery. That is not us being slow, that is a small workshop with a real queue. We give you Fodera's current estimate in writing before you commit to anything.
How do I buy a Fodera in Europe?
Through an authorized European dealer, which is what we are. You order in euros, you pay EU VAT once, and the instrument arrives without customs paperwork, import duty surprises or a three-week hold at a border. Warranty and setup work happen here too, not on another continent.
Who plays Fodera?
Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Matt Garrison, Richard Bona and Janek Gwizdala, among a long list. Fodera has been the instrument of choice at the technical end of electric bass for four decades.
Browse what is in stock below, or get in touch if you are chasing something specific. We respond fast.
