1985 Monarch Elite 5

A sound that only a vintage Fodera can produce. A 1985 Monarch Elite!

Fodera was founded in 1983 by Vinny Fodera and Joey Lauricella in Brooklyn, New York.
Vinny Fodera is also known as Stewart Spector’s very first apprentice, and from the late ’70s to the early ’80s, he built basses alongside Ken Smith.
Fodera basses are favored by Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Felix Pastorius, and countless other legendary bassists.
Virtually all Fodera basses are customizable, and the brand continues to deliver the highest quality to meet each player’s specific needs.

Built in 1985, this instrument exudes a strong sense of handcrafted quality, giving it a distinct character that sets it apart from current models. The
body top is made of spalted beech, while the back features a combination of ash and bird’s-eye maple. The neck is a 5-piece maple, and the fingerboard is made of perforo.

The original pickup was a Bartolini 9S, but this instrument has been modified to a soapbar-style pickup, which required enlarging the pickup cutout.
Additionally, the preamp has been replaced with Fodera’s latest model, the Fodera x Trickfish Preamp v.4. The controls include Volume, Tone, Balance, 3-band EQ, an Active/Passive switch, and a Coil Tap switch.

In terms of sound, it has a fast attack and allows for easy expression of picking nuances, while still retaining a woody, organic feel. It features a full-bodied, resonant sound that’s a cut above the “delicate tones” often associated with
modern high-end guitars, and I believe it blends exceptionally well into an ensemble.

If “a sound that blends well in an ensemble” were the only criterion, there are plenty of other options.
However, this particular instrument possesses the precision and presence unique to high-end gear, such as excellent separation resulting from its fast response. Although the
pickups and preamp aren’t the original ones from that era, I could definitely feel the one-of-a-kind character that only a vintage Fodera can produce.

It’s a rare, vintage high-end bass that’s hard to come by these days, but what matters is its potential as an instrument.
“A bass you’ll want to keep playing forever.” That’s the answer.

[SPEC
] BODY: Spalted Beech (non-solid) Top / Ash with Birdseye Maple Toneblock
NECK: 5-Piece Hard Rock
Maple FINGERBOARD: Pau Ferro
P.U.: Bartolini quad-coil (copper bottom
) PREAMP: Fodera x Trickfish Preamp v.4
CONTROL: Vol/Tone/Bal/3-Band EQ/(Active/Passive) Switch/Coil Tap Switch
WEIGHT: 5.04 kg
SCALE: 34”
NUT WIDTH: 46.7 mm
w/Hard Case* Pickups
replaced(Recess expanded)
*Preamp replaced (part of the cavity recess expanded)
*18V
*Knobs/mini switches replaced
*Hard case has some damage

*Both the neck and electronics have been serviced by our in-house technician and are in good condition
. *Action is
set to approximately 1.6 mm at the 12th fret. *Parts have been disassembled and cleaned.

[Peace of Mind Service for Online Purchases] Take your time to try the product in the comfort of your own home for 6 days after
it arrives.
Even if it’s not quite what you expected, don’t worry—we’ll
refund the purchase price as long as you cover the
round-trip shipping costs. Please feel free to take advantage of this service.

*Thoroughly adjusted in-store and comes
with a 5-year adjustment warranty for your peace of mind.
*Please feel free to contact our staff for more details about the product. *We offer high buyback prices for items purchased from our store.

Contact: Oda