FOR MOST OF ITS 34-YEAR RUN, FODERA has been known for its handmade basses—the choice of monster players such as Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Lincoln Goines, Mike Pope, and others—while 6-string guitars popped up only on an occasional custom-order basis. Now this Brooklyn-based maker is storming the boutique guitar market in grand style, with two new standard models available in several variations and trim levels.
On review here are the set-neck Imperial Deluxe with 24.75" scale, hardtail, and humbuckers; and a bolt-neck Emperor Classic with 25.5" scale, vibrato, and single-coils. Both guitars were tested through custom AC15, tweed Deluxe, and JTM45-style amps, with a selection of overdrive pedals for added dirt.
IMPERIAL DELUXE
This model’s basic format, as defined above, might scream “Les Paul” on paper, and it’s clearly Fodera’s alternative to anything you’d likely apply that single-cut classic to, but the Imperial Deluxe comes across as something very different both on the stand and in the hand. The Fodera aesthetic is revealed in the elegantly rounded lines, subtle use of wood-trimmed hardware and abalone inlay, and the overall shape and balance of the guitar. The body is a single semi-hollow piece of walnut topped with flame maple, while the neck is Fodera’s three-piece mahogany construction with an Indian rosewood fretboard. In a nifty piece of design, the mahogany neck seems to reach a dead-end right at the walnut body with no visible seam or overlap, creating what is essentially a heel-less dovetailed neck joint flowing into a scooped body section that further aids upper-fret access. The other end is bolstered by a volute behind the nut, and the top-matching flame-maple headstock overlay wears a colorful Fodera butterfly logo inlay of abalone and mother-of-pearl.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How I Wrote..."Year of the Cat"
AI Stewart reflects on his beguiling hit, some 10 years in the making.
UAFX
Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor
LINE 6
POD Express
MAN OF STEEL
He brought the Dobro to centerstage with his dazzling talent. As he drops his first album in seven years, Jerry Douglas reflects on his gear, career and induction in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
HIGH TIME
The new MC5 album took more than 50 years to arrive. The band members have all passed on, but the celebration is just beginning.
58 YEARS OF GUITAR PLAYER
As Guitar Player moves full-time to its online home, we look back at some of its greatest stories in print.
DRAGON TALES
In a Guitar Player exclusive, Jimmy Page sheds light on the amplifiers behind his Led Zeppelin tone and how they live again in his line of Sundragon signature amps.
CLOSER TO HOME
Rehearsal space, studio, vessel and abode Diego Garcia's boat is the home base for his new album, as well as his musical life as the seafaring Spanish guitarist Twanguero.
Funk Noir
With The Black Album, Prince made his greatest-and most infamousmusical statement.
Medium Cool
Striking the middle ground between its Thinline brethren, Gibson's ES-345TD remains a versatile, if underrated, gem.
