Your Search for a Custom Bass Ends Here
Join the ranks of elite bassists such as Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, and Oteil Burbridge. They don't play off-the-shelf instruments, so why should you? You deserve a premium instrument that was crafted by world-class luthiers. This Fodera Emperor is just such an instrument. If you don't want to garner jealous glances, you'd better leave this bass at home — it's stunning to look at. You'll also love the classic feel of its bolt-on maple neck. A set of Seymour Duncan dual-coil pickups amplifies this Emperor's balanced thump, while an active 3-band EQ provides ample sound shaping. Your search for a custom-built bass guitar ends here.
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Expect the best from top-quality tonewoods and design
From the very first Fodera that arrived at Sweetwater, we could tell that tone was the luthiers' first priority. You can expect this Emperor to deliver punchy and articulate tone with a tight low end, aggressive midrange, and articulate highs — perfect for slapping, tapping, and chordal playing. The combination of '70s pickup spacing and a bolt-on neck offers sweet '70s jazz bass tones. For a classy premium touch, the 5-piece neck features purpleheart stringers and matching buckeye burl wooden pickup covers.
Top-shelf Duncan pickups deliver warm passive tone
This Emperor contains a pair of dual-coil pickups designed via a collaboration with Fodera and Seymour Duncan. They're built with passive dual coils, which integrate with the natural qualities of the tonewoods to produce added punch on the low end, focused mids, and smooth highs. It's a beautifully warm and organic sound, and while the pickups are wired in parallel for noise-free performance, you'd swear the Emperor was loaded with single coils. And their matching wood covers look amazing!
Fodera/Pope 3-band preamp offers amazing flexibility
While the basic tone of this Emperor is broad and warm, with powerful lows and clear highs, it features a Fodera/Pope preamp system that lets you craft the ideal tone for any live set or studio session. This preamp ensures a strong and clear signal, but it also comes with an active 3-band EQ, which is astonishingly musical. Round out the highs and boost the bass, and you'll have an ideal R&B tone. Back off the lows and add a bit of a boost to the mids, and your ideal slap-and-pop tone awaits. What's more, you always have the option of bypassing the active electronics, allowing you to output the purest, natural tone possible from your pickups.
Fodera Emperor Features:
- A handcrafted custom-built 5-string bass
- Built by top luthiers using premium tonewoods
- Alder body yields a balanced sound with equal doses of lows, mids, and highs
- Buckeye burl top offers supremely eye-catching looks
- Bolt-on maple neck balances punch and sustain perfectly
- Smooth ebony fingerboard tops a comfortable standard Fodera neck carve
- Fodera/Seymour Duncan dual-coil passive pickups deliver warm, full-bodied tone
- Fodera/Mike Pope active preamp includes a highly musical 3-band EQ
- Attractive black hardware
