A Very Special Fodera Monarch — Only at Sweetwater!
Designed from the ground up for optimized performance, the Fodera Monarch is the instrument of choice for the world’s top bass players, and this Monarch 5 Special delivers the tone, playability, and visuals that have made owning a Fodera an goal for working bassists, but at a fraction of the cost of a custom model. Crafted by the same expert luthiers behind Fodera’s custom models, the Monarch 5 Special features hand-selected solid tonewoods and premium electronics, delivering top-tier quality and performance straight from the company’s Brooklyn, NY shop. It’s worth noting that this particular model, as indicated by its “Special” designation, is a unique variant of the standard Monarch with a hand-selected walnut semi-hollow body, two Aguilar DCB-5M pickups, and a Fodera 4-band preamp. Smartly turned out with a gorgeously figured ivorywood top and a luxurious satin finish, this masterful boutique bass is only available at Sweetwater — and in exceedingly small numbers. So be sure to reserve your Fodera Monarch 5 Special while you can!
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World-class Aguilar DCB pickups
There are many reasons world-class bass players swear by Aguilar DCB bass pickups, which make them an obvious choice for custom Foderas. These ceramic-magnet dual-coil humbuckers have a unique tonality that integrates with the natural qualities of the tonewoods to produce a fine balance of responsive attack, prodigious sustain, and complex harmonics. DCB pickups serve up girthy low end and aggressive midrange growl that lets you punch through thick arrangements, even as they coax out rich harmonic overtones that enhance the expressive nuances in your playing while maintaining a solid fundamental. They sound great whether you use them in passive mode or with the onboard Fodera 4-band preamp.
Fodera 4-band preamp is a game-changer
The Monarch 5 Special is warm and punchy, with powerful lows, focused mids, and clear highs. It features a 4-band version of the Fodera/Pope standard preamp that lets you craft the ideal tone for any live set or studio session. This preamp ensures a strong and clear signal that drives long cable runs and complex effects chains without a hint of noise, but it also includes an active 4-band EQ that is astonishingly musical. Round out the highs and boost the bass, and you 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. For bassists accustomed to 3-band preamps, the tone-shaping power afforded by having separate control over low-mid and high-mid frequencies is a game-changer. And of course, you always have the option of bypassing the active electronics, allowing you to output the purest tone possible from your pickups.
Fodera: superior playability, sonics, and build quality
Established in 1983 by custom luthier Vinny Fodera and pro bassist Joey Lauricella, Fodera enjoys a reputation as the Ferrari of boutique basses. Fodera basses give you the superior playability, sonics, and build quality of the custom models played by bass legends such as Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, and Oteil Burbridge — in a more affordable axe. Handcrafted in the US with the same materials by the same top luthiers, Fodera “production” instruments offer no options, allowing them to be built in small runs instead of one-offs, thus holding down the cost. Step up to boutique quality with a Fodera bass from Sweetwater. You’ve arrived.
Fodera Monarch 5 Special Features:
- Boutique-class 5-string semi-hollowbody bass guitar with premium tonewoods, Aguilar pickups, and 4-band preamp
- Hand-selected walnut semi-hollow body with highly figured ivorywood top
- Bolt-on 3-piece maple neck
- Ebony fingerboard with 24 large nickel-silver frets
- 2 Aguilar DCB-5M humbucking pickups
- Fodera Standard 4-band preamp
- Fodera Standard bridge
- Brass nut; Fodera/Gotoh tuners
- Handcrafted in Fodera’s Brooklyn, NY-based shop
