Picked Up a New (non-alembic) Bass

[darkstar01]

I was in Atlanta this past weekend and stopped by the Atlanta Bass Gallery (which I highly suggest to anyone in the area, although he didn't have any alembics at the time), and picked up this beauty.
 
It's a Fodera Monarch 5 with the Mike Pope preamp (which sounds freakin' amazing), Holly Top, Swamp Ash body, Ebony accent laminate, 5 piece maple/walnut neck, Bird's Eye board with ebony binding, and black mother of pearl block inlays.  
I played through an SWR at the gallery, and was so impressed ended up going out and buying a Sm500 yesterday, and it's way beyond my old SVT.  
Anyway, thought you guys could appreciated a nice bass, albeit some of Alembic's sternest competition.
All I'm going to say as far as comparison to alembic, is if you haven't played a Fodera, you should REALLY consider it. Really.
 
Austin

[lysosome]

Nice! I'm a sucker for big block inlayed necks.
 
What scale is that bass? Looks small.

[darkstar01]

It's 33''... it was made to be strung with a high c.

[bigredbass]

Congrats on your new axe.  If I just had to have an EMG bass, Fodera would be on the short list.  They've certainly proved to be deadly for Victor Wooten and Anthony Jackson.  
 
The Monarchs feature Fodera's heel-less neck joint:  The feel of a neck thru in a set neck, a nice feature (I just HATE that hump, much less that block on a bolt-on).
 
I've always wondered if that long 'hump' where the upper cutaway used to be that they use on the AJs and others really adds anything to the sound or not.  Like a lot of things, I wonder is THAT what I'm hearing or was it just this particular bass, this piece of wood, etc.
 
J o e y