Electronics

PICKUPS

Fodera / Duncan Dual Coil

Designed in collaboration with Seymour Duncan, our passive Dual Coil pickups were designed to provide a punchy and focused tone with a natural and smooth upper midrange. Compared to an active soapbar style pickup, the tone is warmer and more organic. Wired in parallel, these pickups offer a noise-free single coil sound with added body and weight yet come with the added flexibility of full single-coil operation providing the snap, warmth, and mid-range punch of classic single-coil Jazz Bass pickups.

JJ Pickups

Available in both single coil and hum-cancelling versions, these pickups are a a period correct reproduction of the originals. Warmth and mid-range punch combine to keep the pickups vintage integrity intact while also providing a clear and smooth top end. Note: Single Coil options are of opposite polarity and wind making them hum-cancelling when both pickups are on.

P Pickup

This P pickup is designed around the original 50's design delivering a warm and woody tone, with a slightly softer treble response. You will hear all of the familiar body and depth of a P-Bass, but a clear and smooth top end to dial in classic tones. This pickup is available to combine with our J pickup for a passive PJ set.

PJ Pickup Set

The EMG PJ set, most notably used by Victor Wooten, is active and modern sounding. The P-pickup delivers a punchy tight low end, while the hum-cancelling J-pickup provides a focused mid-range with articulate high end response. Paired with our preamp, they can accommodate contemporary and traditional playing styles.

JJ Pickup Set

The EMG JJ set has classic jazz bass characteristics with a more modern and articulate sound compared to passive sets. They feature ceramic bar magnets which offer a tight mid-range punch and articulate high end. These pickups are hum-cancelling and are active.

EMG 40 PJ & JJ Sets

For 5 and 6 string instruments we offer proprietary versions of EMG's 40 series featuring PJ or JJ pickup configurations in a soapbar-style casing. The PJ set is a true PJ configuration and not the more commonly used reverse-style P. Tonally, they are identical to the standard PJ and JJ sets. These pickups are hum-cancelling and are active.

AG 4P-60

This P pickup is noted for its balanced and round overall tone. It captures the vintage tone of 60s era p-pickups, but features an even string-to-string response that gives just the right balance of lows, mids, and highs.

DCB Pickups

DCB pickups feature dual ceramic bar magnets that provide a dynamic and responsive attack, punchy midrange, and articulate high end. These soapbar style pickups are available for 4, 5, and 6 string instruments and are fully passive. These pickups cannot be coil split.

Super Double Pickups

Super Double pickups feature Alnico V magnets that provide a dynamic and articulate tone with a more aggressive attack than the DCBs. These soapbar style pickups are available for 4, 5, and 6 string instruments and are fully passive. These pickups cannot be coil split.

PREAMPS

Fodera proprietary preamps are designed to react to both the individual playing style and musical setting any player may ever find themselves in. Combining 30+ years of real-world feedback and engineering by Fodera artist Mike Pope, our preamp showcases the true tone of the instrument rather than coloring it. Utilizing up to 4-band of EQ with carefully selected frequency points, Fodera preamps offer players enhanced flexibility and with 18v of power, provide ample headroom from clubs to stadiums.

The Fodera Custom Shop Internal Preamp is made from the finest components available. It was conceived jointly by Joey Lauricella and many of the great players who are part of the Fodera Family, and it was designed by bassist Mike Pope. Our current preamp is made up of two discrete modes, one passive and one active and are optimized to work with each other seamlessly.

Flexible EQ

Via a series of jumper switches, players have the option to tailor our 3-band EQ to their taste. Each of the three bands of EQ are user selectable for your specific tonal needs.

Bass - 12db cut and boost at 46Hz or 90Hz

Treble - 15db cut and boost at 6kHz or 10kHz

Midrange - Switchable between low and high mids via the Mid Selector switch. Low Mids: 12db cut and boost at 330Hz or 473Hz. High Mids: 15db cut and boost at 1kHz or 1.8kHz.

18v Battery System

Our Custom preamp is powered by 18v which provides more than ample headroom for even the most nuanced playing situation. When in passive mode, the preamp will draw little current in order to guarantee a longer battery life when your preamp is entirely active.

True Passive Tone Control

In both passive and active modes our preamp utilizes a vintage style tone control offering players an easy and familiar style of high-end roll off. Additionally, putting the bass in active mode simply inserts the preamp in between the passive circuit and the output jack. This means that in the event of battery failure, the bass will remain operational in passive mode.

The Standard Preamp was designed for us by Mike Pope to be a flexible and simplified alternative to the Fodera Custom Shop Preamp. Offering full three-band EQ functionality and a neutral sonic signature, the Fodera Standard Preamp is built from premium materials and offers unmatched value. This preamp can be used in either active or passive mode.

3-Band EQ

Our Standard Preamp comes with 3-bands of EQ which have been carefully selected to offer a neutral sonic palette. It is a highly musical sounding preamp that is designed to enhance rather than color the natural tone of your bass.

Low Noise Floor, Premium Components, 18v System

Our Standard Preamp is built using ultra premium components based around an 18v system. The combination of these elements create not only a reliable preamp but also one with a very low noise floor and clean and powerful output.

Preamp Control Layouts (Bass)

(3 band preamp)

(4 Band Preamp)

Preamp Control Layouts (Guitar)

Popular Preamp Settings

Adjusting Your Preamp:

One of the unique features of your Fodera’s Active Preamp (beginning with the 2009 version) is the ability to customize its tone shaping abilities according to your personal taste. The preamp is found in the back cavity of your instrument. You must remove the backplate. Do this by removing the four screws that hold it in place. Please click on either of the following buttons to download the proper instructions for the model year of your preamp. Unfortunately, during early 2010, there was some overlap between the versions of the preamp, so you might need to look at both sets of instructions to find the one with the same hardware as your preamp.