This is the third video demo from the Ultimate Basses channel on Youtube and is the first 5 string bass – a Fodera Emperor Deluxe 5 string bass at that!
One of the first things you’ll notice when you look at this bass is that the pickups have wood covers that match the body of the bass perfectly, instead of the typical black metal soap bars found on most basses. I first saw this on F bass instruments and I love the way they look.
- The specs on the Fodera Emperor Deluxe 5 string:
- Walnut body
- 5 piece ash neck with ebony stringers – this combo provides a “nice warm tone”
- Chilean burl top
- Fodera dual coil pickups
- Birdseye maple fingerboard
- 22 frets (with extra room for those who like to slap)
- Black hardware (compliments the beautiful wood of the bass.
Jason Raso then demonstrates the bass, first in the flat, then the rear pickup position and then the forward position. Jason immediate moves up to the higher strings when he switches to the bridge pickups and plays more melodically – he really seems to get into the sound of the bass in this setting if you watch his body movements!
This time Jason treats us to a slap performance. I find it interesting that Jason slaps over the fingerboard after mentioning the added space below the neck for spacing – maybe we should ask him about that?
Again, this video suffers in the sound department. The mic seems to be auto-adjusting to the loudest sound in the room; once the bass is played through the amp I find it almost impossible to distinguish what Jason is saying afterwards because the mic is adjusted to the louder volume of the bass.
Hopefully they resolve this issue in newer videos! That’s my take on this Fodera Emperor Deluxe 5 String Bass Video Demo – what do you think of the video?