Squier Bronco vs. Fodera Monarch

During my week at Thomann’s Gearhead University #TGU19 in Germany I had the very unique opportunity to compare these two instruments in a detailed experiment. Which contender will come out on top?
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[@AdamNeely]

1. Fodera 2. Fodera 3. Fodera BASS. Also, it's legitimately amazing that so many people here are commenting before watching the twist in the video.

[@deadbeatstudios]

For the win!

[@saltyhiggins4525]

But for 150$ us you can’t beat the value of the squire. But me personally I would have preferred a Mexican. Also thank you for all of your help I my musical journey Adam Neely.

[@ts4gv]

The last half of this comment spoiled the experiment for me my fault of course

[@bazZzment]

Looks like I have to get a Bronco then...

[@dbackscott]

The sounds from both were so similar (at least on my headphones) that I can't pick a winner for any of the three songs. The Fodera seemed a bit brighter and the Squier was a bit darker, but both were quality.

[@dbackscott]

Okay, this is after watching through the whole video. I had a gut feeling that you were playing that exact trick on us.

[@dbackscott]

There's no doubt the Fodera is the prettier bass 😀

[@f1948s]

Same way I could see it. Pick either and the sounds were somewhat the same. Good little test. Good musician also.

[@miguelleon3647]

Great experience you provided! There's a lot of weird prejudices to remove. Being honest, I was totally into the Fodera sound, so my choice will be absolutely unexpensive! :))

[@gegesmusic]

Now I'm fully convinced that the player determined most of the music quality, not the instrument.

[@daviddale5734]

Both sound great!! Amazing how you can buy such an inexpensive bass and still sound great!! The sweetness of tone is directly proportional to amount of time spent in shed.

[@dblclick]

to be honest, I was not paying attention to the what you were playing. With that said, I could not tell between the two. Both performances were clean and would be proud to play that well on either one.

[@psychicbass]

That is awesome, i picked 2 squier and 1 fodera...great idea..i fell for it

[@evaskoklamut9479]

1. Squier 2. Fodera 3. Fodera I felt like the Fodera had a bit more presence than the Squier, which is why I preferred it in the 2/3 examples, but it was still pretty close.

[@sanjograi4199]

Great comparison! Loved it.

[@mattrudybass]

I was wondering why the Squier sounded better.

[@bucknbronx13]

a really good experiment. my ears are not developed enough to differentiate between them. both sounded fantastic which i attribute mostly to the player's technique and feel.....and to whatever is going on with the amp or recording equipment. i'm gonna look at a used Bronco tomorrow that's been given some upgrades. thanks for the demo

[@NateNavarro]

Hands down the Fodera! 1. Fodera 2. Fodera 3. Fodera

[@deadbeatstudios]

You are the winner, sir!

[@phillyhank8726]

Beautiful experiment, I love this. You have my word that i did not look at others posts. I honestly listened and posted and i am really surprised that my post is kinda similar to others, as far as them sounded kinda the same.

[@jenswilken3888]

You had the best bass sound by far on tune nr. 3 with that Sandberg JB on that basstheworld video. Really great sound there!

[@charlylemallier]

Squier was the best for me all the time! Thank you, great experience

[@mccypr]

I have a new Bronco Bass. I changed the bridge to a Badass Lee Quan and put La Bella low tension Flats on it. I also put chicken head knobs on it. It plays great! Thanks! 🎻✌️🙂😎

[@thomasblank7530]

hi jayme ... i am more interested in how do you get your slap bass sound ... eq-setting, compression etc.?

[@jayseacreative]

Lol - I thought I was actually going to watch a Mortal Kombat fight with basses. Interesting social experiment though. I'm interested to see if bassists are buying Fodera's for their personal and professional use.

[@xh4r744]

Great video

[@IvanBassist]

Commenting after watching the whole vid: I would've picked the Bronco just by hearing the samples for all samples. Nice "trick" Jayme :D

[@johndevos9746]

What a brilliant experiment. Both basses sound really good in the mix. And no way the fodera sounds so mutch better than the Bronco that it can justify its ridiculous price tag

[@mikemallon4620]

At the start of the sound clips I stuck my phone in my pocket and just listened. I had to go back as I couldn't hear a difference between the basses at all. Then went back and watched. After watching the Squire(audio) seemed to have slightly more defined mids on 1 and 2, but they both still were hard to tell apart on sample 3.

[@samhain409]

1. Bronco 2. Fodera 3. Bronco I find it interesting that to my ears the Bronco has a better presence in what would be a live mix in the first and last songs. The fodera sat better in the edm track where a lot of the mix is so blended due to the nature of the music. I watched a video recently on why the P-Bass has been a workhorse for so many years and is actually preferred by many recording engineers versus the extremely high end boutique basses.

[@LukePuzzar234]

Either way both these basses sounded great in the right hands, but damn that was funny when the bronco seemed to be outdoing the fedora.

[@patticake5311]

notes i left after listening to the samples: 1. fodera, but surprisingly not by much 2. tie 3. tie so apparently it turns out i preferred the bronco on the first one. that surprised me because my bronco doesn't seem to have that quality of tone. i guess what i was really hearing is partly the amp - i usually play the bronco through a rumble - what amp were you playing through?

[@DeadlyFredXXX]

I went to GC the other day just to kind of sit around and play a few guitars and basses I'd been curious about lately. Mainly I've been wanting a Jazz bass or maybe a Music Man or some sort so I tried those in addition to a few others. I've got a Squire Jaguar Shorty that I really like the feel of and an old Yamaha RBX that I'm not so much a fan of. Sadly neither the MM Sub bass or the Squire Vibe Jazz bass really felt all that great to play. Then I picked up one of those silly little Bronco basses out of curiosity. Loved it. Now I'ma bigger dude with plenty of wingspan on my fingers to work with but something about those short scale basses like my Jag and the Bronco is just a real treat. The experience helped quiet my urge to run out and buy a Jazz bass... but I'm probably going to end up with a Bronco in my collection sooner than later.

[@chriswolf476]

There must be some added signal path because the Bronco sounded fuller. The Fodera was very thin sounding at times. Just curious as to how the Foderas EQ was set and what additional sound processing the Bronco had.

[@henneburymarc]

?

[@grahamalexanderbassuk3895]

I actually waited to the end but my choices were 1.Squire which turned out to be the fodera 2. Fodera which turned out to be the Squire 3. I genuinely couldn't decide which one I liked more Very surprised by how the squire actually stacked up against the fodera Great Video

[@brianengquist2110]

This is a total mind f! 1. Fodera 2. Fodera 3. Squire I would only just give the Fodera a slight edge in the first two examples because it has slightly more upper harmonic content though the Bronco has more low end, more thud, which also sounds pretty nice actually. In the end it just comes down to personal preference I guess but I am totally blown away by how the Bronco performed.

[@warwicker22]

I was wondering why the Bronco sounded so good. 😜 Both were great, what did you use to record them?

[@popsfitch7938]

Not one to answer a bunch of questions I’m looking to buy a squire bass today. Simple, take my more expensive basses to a gig and fear for their safety or taking a good sounding bass out for a fun time. A real eye opener for this embarrassed old man. Even if I have to do some minor fret work or a electronics change out to make it feel and sound correct it will be worth it. This name-brand man is schooled. Thank you very much for your greatly appreciated work,

[@erind9999]

Hah, nice! Glad I watched the whole video. No discernable difference to me.

[@cubiculez]

I feel this was an interesting video. Sorry I'm not conforming to your survey as I feel this more a demonstration of how even the lowest quality instruments can sound fabulous in the hands of a great player. Frankly, to an audience of people that aren't players and only appreciate good music, they won't have ears trained closely enough to hear the difference between the Fender and Fodera. Now that being said, I'm sure it's very helpful to run both instruments through some of the latest technology. What might be a better comparison for tone would be to run both instruments through a Fender Frontman 15, something middle of the road and something high end. BUT....you need to keep in mind that a tribute to a great player would be to have even the lowest quality instrument sound great in that person's hands.

[@neil___lien]

Yeah both basses sounded so good... Impossible for me to pick a winner. It would be useful to know what U were playing through...

[@craigtv300]

Wow.. Im about to buy a Bronco tmrw and then came across your comparison... I watched the whole video. While I was watching I thought that they both sounded very close (Im a total beginner..like 1 week in..lol). While watching I thought that the Fodera was ever so slightly better but not $7650 better...lol. I feel really good about my choice and cant wait to pick up my Fodera...er.. I mean my Bronco tmrw :) Thanks dude! Great Vid!

[@bwmbass1]

OMG the fender sound cleaner and open sounding

[@PatagonicGroove]

1. Squier 2. Fodera 3. Squier but I think my choice was made by choosing wich pickup configuration suits the most for each style (for me that squier sounds pretty close to a P-Bass)

[@resuta12]

i was actually quite confused cause I keep hearing the single coil bark from the fodera. lol. the twist explained it all. thanks for this! it really tested my ears :)

[@Yetimusmaximus]

Well damn. Here I was being thoroughly impressed that the bronco bass was crapping all over the fodera.

[@TMBANKS]

i loved the video i thought both basses sounded great, but i wish you would have talked more about what strings each bass has.

[@iliasliakos6692]

got the bronco and put guitar strings on, it has became so much fun to just pick up and bang a few chords and riffs- more fun than the PS5

[@duhkha75]

Hey, which guitar strings you put on the bronco bass? Sounds interesting interesting 🤔 Cheers!

[@thegeorgeflores]

I can tell a difference and I am happy about my thoughts due to the switch on audio... (Adds a Squier Bronco to cart).

[@dirkjanklijn9949]

To my ear the Squier was the more bassy bass but both sounded great, I don't think I would ever put down the cash for a fodera or other expencive bass.

[@mikekachman1090]

So does this provide more evidence that Amp/speakers/technique > bass with regards to better tone & quality of sound? Would both basses sound as good through a $200 combo amp? Would the difference in workmanship & materials between the 2 basses be exposed more using a $200 combo amp?

[@Cali559]

Wow, fooled me! I thought the "Fedora" sounded more defined and the "Squire" more muffled. I chalked it up to the difference in pickups and the EQ options of the "Expensive" Bass. Hahaha Impressed with the Squire, but maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. I'm a guitar player, sometimes Bass and bought an Ibanez Talman TMB100, which IMO sounds awesome! For $179.00 on sale... no way would I spend big $$$ on a Bass. Not even on a Fender Strat, which is my main guitar. I bought a MIM FSR HSS as a "used demo" which was like brand new for $249.00. I upgraded everything myself and have about $600.00-$700.00 into it total, and it rivals any $1500.00 + Stratocaster. Great video! LOL ya got me!

[@JT-hx6nt]

1. Fodera 2. Squire 3. Squire very close, after hearing what you did, its interesting, because I was curious on how the little pickup would work!! My mainstay (in a country band mind you) is a Walnut Rickenbacker, and I'm seriously thinking on dropping some Bartolini pickups; I know, sacrilegious for some....

[@DolganoFF]

I was confused why did you test slap on Fodera using only what sounded like neck pickup only. Both sounded very close though!

[@mingoli52]

Hi, it sounds to me that on the Squier the high notes lacks and the D and G strings are not so bright like on the Fodera. In the end it means the opposite: the Squier is brighter. Greetings.

[@nomad7719]

well I bought Bronco after watching this and I love it.

[@left-to-do]

1. squier 2: fodera 3. 50/50 Squier/fodera

[@BassGuitarInstrumental]

What strings were on the Bronco?

[@wilhemheider]

hahaha you got me! I literally search the price of the Fodera and I was thinking "Squier actually sound best, and cost so much less" hahaha :'C

[@DampRabbitVideo]

I preferred the Fodera but I wouldn't call it better as that's subjective and my taste changes from day to day. As I was watching it I was aware that I wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a blind test. And where you were cutting back and forth between the two if I didn't see the bass change I wouldn't have caught it was a different bass. I'll assume the trick here was to make the Fodera sound like the Squier as it has EQ and pickup choices. So the Fodera could mimic the Squier but not necessarily the other way around. So Fodera wins the "more" contest. Haha, just realizing this is 4 years old :) A great lesson few are willing to learn from.

[@nicolasallen8072]

What amp were you using?

[@holdencaustic]

You have demonstrated that it ain't the rifle...it's the hunter. You continue to rock, and I'm on my way to buy a bronco, and then draw a butterfly on the yardstick with a sharpie.

[@holdencaustic]

Headstock, not yardstick

[@willeek3760]

one has an equalised sound with crisp treble, but those who dont like to slap can choose the other, but the problem is that single coil guitar pickup can pick up a lot of noice, so change the pickup to a hot rail strat humbucker if the rail radius is ok. i think ill do that ( but the problem is no short scale bass is sold in india, if bought online 41% customs duty on g.s.t added price, that is a whole lot of money)

[@miladbaygan10]

Cool Idea! I liked Fodera (Squier) in all examples only for better articulation. I wonder if you recorded examples with no eq-ing or trying to make Fodera sounds like Squier! if both Basses recorded flat so I prefer Squier tone but I don't think Squier is playable like a Fodera.

[@Surfer8652]

Damn, I'm fooled. I actually thought the Bronco (actually the Fodera) sounded better in every example because it has a P position pickup and a short scale, and I just figured a bass like that would have a punchier old school sound regardless of price. But it turns out that's not the case, and the more expensive bass just sounds better.

[@simaojoseph]

P position? It’s a low end six pole single coil.

[@sk8terboi10003]

Hi Jayme my first impressions are that the Squier seemed a little btigher and to punch through a little more but the Fodera seemed to have a better groove and flow a little better. Honestly though both sound pretty good imo

[@freeman8759]

Cool concept. My 9yr old son has a bronco bass. I put labella flats on it and it sounds great, BUT it needs adjusting every single time you pick it up. The frets are a little jagged in places. But it's great to learn on and ready for a 9yr old to accidentally knock it over. High end instruments are about feel as well. You can ride to work in a Prius or a Panamera, both will get you there, but we all know which keys you're going to grab.

[@mattrudybass]

I want to know which one felt better to play.

[@rmccain99]

The short scale is making a come back. tweak it a little bit and Bam! Easy transport and easy play.

[@jorgesanturiofever]

Go to 4:20 to hear sound examples. Pd: Between Fodera and Squier Bronco I will choose Musicman Bongo.

[@cesarveralatorre5198]

Man, you convinced me to get a Squier Bronco.

[@toddhamby]

1 Squier 2 Fodera 3 Fodera Which did you prefer for ease of playability? For what it’s worth I’ve been gigging regularly recently with a Monarch and Squier Jazz. They both sound great to me. Also, no matter what you play Jayme it’s going to sound stellar :)

[@jeshdcruz]

I think with a nice pre amp and Eq the squire can be up there..

[@mattbridges8908]

footprints! also, kinda disappointed the bronco I ordered isn't going to sound as amazing as yours did in this video...

[@kennyblackbird5674]

I'm willing to bet that Leo Fender designed the Bronco bass but the CBS owners kept it on the back burner. The Squier Bronco bass vaguely sounds like a combination of the Fender Tele, Jazz and Precision Basses.

[@gavgav581]

1. Squier 2. Fodera 3. Squier And was that second example Footprints by Wayne Shorter?

[@patxmcq]

It is

[@ChadHargis]

Wow!

[@offbeatbassgear]

Interesting, I didn't think that the Squier could really sound better than the Fodera and I did not look at the comments.

[@rsixel]

I was about to buy a Bronco !!! LOL

[@deldavis2723]

I don’t think it’s worth the money just being made all by hand, but for some unknown reason still a want a fodera. Blame Vic. . Both sounded great here. Not really a fair match up . An fender jazz elite and a fodera. That be something Enjoyed the twist in the end.

[@phillyhank8726]

To me i think they sounded great in all examples but the only thing i thought was that it seemed as if the Fod bass volume was at 10 and the Sqr bass was at 8. No one better than the other, just slight difference in volume. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@akusbass]

Both sounds incredible! So there is no discussion here. The cheapest one is my choice. Thanks for this video!

[@iop223]

the only one where i could really tell the difference was the first slap clip, where i thought the squire sounded significantly better.

[@BassMeisterable]

1. Fodera 2. Fodera 3. Bronco Edit: Wow - that's a mind-f#ck. I'm geniunley shocked. Normally when I watch comparison videos these days I try to minimize the video while listening to it in the background but for this I watched it since it was Jayme lol. Great vid!

[@michaelbalazki2809]

1. Squier. 2. Squier. 3. Squier. I can't believe it sounded better.

[@Marekki2202]

1:21 "Don't go anywhere" *pauses video* sorry, have to go to the kitchen, my noodles are boiling

[@Marekki2202]

I just noticed, Jaymes facial expression at 1:21 actually matches my inappropiate reaction to his request not to pause the video. I'm sorry, okay? I will proceed watching now ;-)

[@DanutBlaga128]

While I think the Bronco punched above its weight in terms of tone, I prefered the Fodera for all examples. My reasoning is that the tone coming out of it is more articulate than that of the Bronco, while stil retaining that fat low end, the articulation being something which I personally prefer.

[@Doodlebug1996]

Is it sad that I could tell the audio was switched just from knowing the tonal characteristics of both these basses??a actually preferred the tone of the bronco

[@EJK36]

1. Squier...ummm, punchier and deeper; way more percussive? 2. Fodera...sat better in the mix/more mellow. 3. Draw...maybe the Fodera for similar reasons as #2. ...which is great considering what this was lol. I'm a guitarist and just grabbed a Bronco for a project bass to mod out; can't wait to get my hands on that bugger lol. I started with a short scale Squier Jaguar bass that I love to death; cheap stuff can be insanely cool, especially with some fun ideas and a little work.

[@albertjennings3059]

Actually, I have a Bronco Bass which I modified into a Jazz Bass! It sounds just as good as my OLP (Musicman type) bass!

[@daggy174]

I can't believe it, but the $150 Bronco sounded marginally better than the Fodera in all examples! A little bit more tonality and growl. I owned one several years ago, basically to use as a travel/bedroom instrument. Maybe the new ones have a single-spaced dual rail installed, because mine had 6 pole-pieces(!). Either way, they're great, especially when you upgrade the pickuo and tuners.

[@fg87fgd]

1. Fodera 2. Squire 3. Squire Maybe a decent P (w/Aguilar PUs) would be more fun for 2 and 3.

[@user-yb1dg8oj6x]

Damn it! I just felt kinda attracted for the bronco, next thing I know I need an a 8k instrument ;(

[@rmccain99]

My first bass was a short scale made in Japan, wish I still had it. I traded it for an American P-Bass and now I don't have either.

[@richardmerriam7044]

I love the Bronco, but it SUCKS until it has been thoroughly rebuilt. I've played two and I've ordered one in shell pink which won't be opened. All electronics have been replaced, and I haven't made choices on the tuners, bridge or nut. I get your point, but it's just silly. Go with what you're most comfortable with, and play the hell out of it! Great video!!

[@edew3493]

1.Squier 2.Squier 3.Squier - I'm a P Bass guy. - This just very impressive.

[@Zz0ne]

well, im very proud to say that i listen with my ears and this video had me very confused.

[@timffoster]

I was listening on reasonably decent speakers, not headphones. The Fodera sounded smoother/silkier on the 2nd sample. But other than that, I couldn't tell any meaningful difference. But then, I'm not nearly the musician I wish I were: I spend more time doing carpentry than playing bass, so the interesting wood pattern of the Fodera was eye-candy. (I have a Squier I'm going to be stripping and refinishing. It'll be a faux Wyn when I'm done with it. I bet it'll sound really slick.)

[@rickrolli7091]

Although I would pick the bronco for all 3. I felt it had a little more punch in the mix. Although this would be an unfair fight because the Fodera could just adjust the EQ and pop out thru the mix. I paused the video during the intermission and didn't read any of the comments. I don't think the tones are quite right and.... I don't think the basses shown are the ones I'm hearing. I don't think either bass is in this video. I may be looking like a fool. I'm just going with what my gut.

[@PhoenixFlight94]

You should have forced it to be a blind taste test. Fodera has an awful slap tone in this instance, but sits well in the mix otherwise typically. People buy Foderas mostly for the looks/craftsmanship/feel rather than the tone.

[@yuliadiwianto7306]

I am totally confused.

[@bassyboii]

I’m an avid fodera fanboy and I’ll be the first to say that fodera isn’t particularly known for a plug and play signature tone, but offer a wide range and versatile palette. They are built for feel and playability, masterfully crafted and my few have all been exceptionally transparent and responsive to the player. In tone, there is no real better.. I have owned ken smith, Warwick, Spector, modulus.. all known for their signature tones and when i picked up my first fodera the playability and feel made me sell everything else. The fodera sounded too round to be a fodera with those pups when watching the video. The Duncan dual coils are phatter and easier to identify, a tad darker as well.

[@BassClubKing]

I like the Bronco Bass from Squier/Fender - in my youtube Chanel you could find a modificated Bronco Bass with sound very nice. 😀

[@thegeorgeflores]

I use a Bronco with a eq & compressor and see no need to upgrade my bass anytime soon. They are light, easy to travel with, and not the price of a used Honda, LOL.

[@JoeFishtat2]

I thought the Fodera sounded better and now that that was actually the bronco I am picking up a bronco as it sounded stellar compared to the Fodera

[@47Jonesy]

i aint guessin but example 3 was KICKIN lol

[@indigoking6618]

When you say Fodera do you really mean Squire?

[@ataconazi]

i bought a squier to mod after watching this video btw, thanks