Tom Kennedy is one of the best players in the world, no question about it. He is equally fluent on electric and upright bass. Watching him play on electric bass uptempo bebop lines and solos is simply amazing. Tom has been using a Fodera 5 string bass since the early days. Actually he got his Monarch 5 back in 1984. Eventually Tom decided that a single cutaway would suit him better so Fodera used the Emperor II shape and modified it by slightly downsizing the body and positioning the pickups closer to each other to achive a very focused sound that was requested by Tom for his playing style.
This bass features an Alder body, quilted maple top and is combined with a 35″ scale, 24 fret Ebony fingerboard to generate a warm and articulate tone. The closely spaced Seymour Duncan dual coil pickups bring added clarity and punch providing an incredibly robust bridge pickup up sound with plenty of growl that helps Tom to define his unique sound.
The quilted maple top is simply stunning. Attention to detail is simply perfect, just like you would expect from Fodera
This bass has one of the best (if not the best) low B we've ever heard. Really impressive.
The Single-Dual switch produces two very distinct tones. Just by using that switch, the Balance control and the passive tone you get a lot of amazing tones. Kick in the active electronics and you'll get even more. We love the Mid switch frequency switch.
All Fodera basses are just as good but there are a lot of different models and specs so it really depends on what you are looking for. Some models such as the Victor Wooten Classic are very modern and percussive but this Tom Kennedy Signature Emperor II lies more in the deep and vintage sound category. This is a bass you can use just for any style of music. All the notes sound full and clear wieh excellent definition and foundation. You can even get a killer slap tone using both pickups in Single Coil mode and adding a touch of Bass EQ.
Of course this bass plays just as good as it looks and sounds. The long 35" scale ensures an excellent los B but this bass doesn't feel too big. Actually the neck shape and 19mm spacing make playing this bass really comfortable. Sort of 4 string feeling on a 5.
This bass was built in December 2015 but it has never been used. No dings or scracthes at all on the bass or the case. Even the original strings are still fresh.