• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Go Lyte or Get Into the Zone??

would you buy a Fender P Lyte or a Fender Zone?

  • Fender P Lyte

    Votes: 19 54.3%

  • Fender Zone

    Votes: 16 45.7%
  • Total voters
    35
Gus Borden

Gus Borden

Oct 21, 2007
2,727
26
Bergen County, New Jersey
#1
Okay so I have done a good deal of research on both the Fender Zone and the Fender Lyte. I know that the Zone is largely a continuation of where the Lyte left off. The only difference aside from different woods or a variety of electronics and finishes is that I can see is that the Zone is a string-through. Or so it appears from pictures I have seen. I have read enough to know that the Lytes weigh I'm at an average of 7.5 lbs. Does the Zone weigh in about the same?

So the question? Which would you go for given the choice and why?
 
#3
I have no experience with the Zone, so my opinion probably isn't worth much, but I did play a Lyte for a few years in the late 80s/early 90s. I liked the weight (~7 lbs) and playability, but thought that the electronics lacked some guts. With some upgrades in pickups and possibly preamp, the Lyte can be a fantastic bass, IMHO.
 
#4
Right now, today, I would go with the Zone 5-string that's currently in the Classifieds. Looks good. Price is right. He's got it priced so low, even if you upgraded the pickups and preamp, it would still be a good deal.

On a different day, it would depend on what was actually currently available on the used market.
 
#5
gus1894 said:
Okay so I have done a good deal of research on both the Fender Zone and the Fender Lyte. I know that the Zone is largely a continuation of where the Lyte left off. The only difference aside from different woods or a variety of electronics and finishes is that I can see is that the Zone is a string-through. Or so it appears from pictures I have seen. I have read enough to know that the Lytes weigh I'm at an average of 7.5 lbs. Does the Zone weigh in about the same?

So the question? Which would you go for given the choice and why?
Click to expand...

I think I'm one of the few Zone owners here(hince the crickets), I'm sure the Lyte people will be along...

Other than what you have mentioned already, the Zone's neck is thicker. front-to-back, than the Lyte. My Zone weighs 8-8.5 lbs. The pre-amp started crapping out on it, so I have replaced all the electronics with EMG pups and pre-amp.

It also has a different bridge. The Lyte uses a sort-a high mass looking bridge and the Zone uses a bent-metal threaded bridge...the same one that was on their USA basses at the time.

The Zone is string-thru, and mine is alder, but they were also made of mahogany.

There is a USA made Zone, and a MIM Zone. Mine is MIM, and the quality of build is great. I believe all the Lytes were MIJ, but I'm not positive on that.

I have heard of some Lyte's having neck issues, which is why they beefed it up some for the zone. Obviously, with so many Lyte lovers out there, plenty of the necks were/are fine.

Both are pretty darn good basses, so it's just a matter of which one speaks to you.
 
#6
Hmm. I like the smaller body size of the Lyte and the lighter weight, and I have two 5-ers that get pretty much all the time when I look to a fiver. Now I am looking for a 4-string with a P/J set up and a lightweight profile. The Lyte is very high on the list. I've read some on the Zone that puts it in similar waters, hence the thread....
 
#9
gus1894 said:
Hmm. I like the smaller body size of the Lyte and the lighter weight, and I have two 5-ers that get pretty much all the time when I look to a fiver. Now I am looking for a 4-string with a P/J set up and a lightweight profile. The Lyte is very high on the list. I've read some on the Zone that puts it in similar waters, hence the thread....
Click to expand...

They both have the same body size and shape, just composed of different wood.
Weight of course would vary slightly from instrument to instrument, but you could assume on average that the Lyte would be slightly, well, lighter. Probably due mainly to Basswood construction and that thinner(front-to-back)neck. But there could be some individuals of both types that were the same weight.
EagleMoon recently sold a pretty sweet Lyte, too bad you missed it. I think hers was 6.5 lbs, and appeared to be mint condition, though modded passive with Dimarzios(IIRC).
 
#10
gus1894 said:
That's a good question - there are enough Lytes available between here and sleezebay, that I have a lot of choices. Differences? I assume the Deluxe is active and the other is passive? Does anyone know what the differences are between a Lyte Deluxe and one of the standard models?
Click to expand...

I have a Lyte Deluxe. It is active, has a dual jazz humbucker in the bridge instead of a single coil jazz pu, and has a smaller body shape with a natural mahogany finish.

I find it quite confortable to play, great neck, incredibly light, and it sits really well in a mix, both live and recorded. It was the first bass I ever bought back around 2000, and I didn't really realize what it was when I picked it out. It just looked different than all the other basses in the store. Turns out I made a good choice! Lots of people complain about the preamp being "weak" or whatever, but I've never had a problem with it.

That's mine on the far right:
DSCN0415.gif
 
#11
THand said:
They both have the same body size and shape, just composed of different wood.
Weight of course would vary slightly from instrument to instrument, but you could assume on average that the Lyte would be slightly, well, lighter. Probably due mainly to Basswood construction and that thinner(front-to-back)neck. But there could be some individuals of both types that were the same weight.
EagleMoon recently sold a pretty sweet Lyte, too bad you missed it. I think hers was 6.5 lbs, and appeared to be mint condition, though modded passive with Dimarzios(IIRC).
Click to expand...

Don't I know it! EagleMoon's was sweet, plus the Dimarzios!
 
#12
NKBassman said:
I have a Lyte Deluxe. It is active, has a dual jazz humbucker in the bridge instead of a single coil jazz pu, and has a smaller body shape with a natural mahogany finish.

I find it quite confortable to play, great neck, incredibly light, and it sits really well in a mix, both live and recorded. It was the first bass I ever bought back around 2000, and I didn't really realize what it was when I picked it out. It just looked different than all the other basses in the store. Turns out I made a good choice! Lots of people complain about the preamp being "weak" or whatever, but I've never had a problem with it.

That's mine on the far right:
DSCN0415.gif
Click to expand...

Nice Lyte! Nice pack of basses! Tx
 
#13
I own a zone. WHICH I AM SELLING. (shamless plug) In all seriousness I do think its awesome im just a five string guy so it doesnt do it for me. Mine is active. and it has alot of growl in the low end. I havent played the lytes before but, I don't think there is much of a difference besides where they are made. Mine is mim and there are some american ones. the lytes are japanese. I think there are also a few small electronics differences and the wood may be different. There are quite a few lytes and a couple zones in the classifieds. Pretty sure whatever you are looking for it's in the classifieds and they are all around the same price range (about 300-500 bucks). Even if mines not for you i think you still could be best served by one of the other guys with zones and lytes. I also thought I saw an American zone on ebay about a week ago for a much higher price. So hope you make a great choice.
 
#14
Lytes are string through. All are passive Pups with active tone circuit.
Standard has PJ set up.
Deluxe has Humbucker bridge pup and adds a mid tone control.
Standard is poly finish over basswood, Deluxe is oil finish on mahogany.
OEM pups are not too bad, electronics are mediocre at best. I have two deluxes, one fretless, one fretted. One has stock pups with Audere electronics, other is EMG P-J with EMG BQS preamp/tone circuit. I have never played a bass that I liked better. They have a very fast neck and are are easy on your back.
 
#15
All the Lytes are active (I have owned two, plus a MIM Zone and an American Deluxe Zone). I've not had a Lyte Deluxe, but love the styling and would have chosen that over a standard Lyte if the shop had one in '90 when I bought my first Lyte.

Lyte standards are not string-thru; but all Zones are. I do not know whether Lyte Deluxes are, the image above seems to indicate they are not, and used the same very nice, solid bridge as the stanard Lyte.

The MIA Zone is clearly the class of the bunch, but any of the MIJ and MIM models described are really solid, useful axes, IMO. The diferences between a Lyte Deluxe and a MIM Zone are probably negligible, if you're not smitten by the finish/appearance of one over the other.
 
#17
I played a glossy black 1992 MIJ P-Lyte for a number of years. My first active bass, and a great one it was! Light-weight, well-balanced, slim, fast neck, LOW action, good hardware... I eventually replaced the pickups w/SD Quarter Pounders, then replaced those and the preamp with a Bartolini setup. It was a great MIJ bass, but still didn't have quite the "kick-in-the-teeth" punch that my ash-body Warmoth Jazz had, so I eventually sold it.

My impression of the Zone basses hasn't been as good. Nothing wrong with them, but they didn't feel as good to me as the Lyte. Not as sleek or light, etc... But I didn't spend any time with them outside of the music store, so I don't know how well they could be set up.
 
#18
I see my old bass mentioned above. :) I've had both the Zone and the Lytes (several of each) and I definitely like the Lyte better. Neck is slimmer. Electronics kind of suck on both models so I would definitely switch those out pretty quickly. Weight runs close for both basses though my Zone's weighed a hair more than the Lytes.
 
#19
I voted Lyte cause I've never played the Zone :)
Lyte has been my main bass for many years, and since I've defreted it I only play it at home and occasionaly on gigs. One of the reasons why I bought it was the weight because I used to play long hours and had shoulder problems. This helped quite a lot. As for the comparison between the two basses, there's a huge plus for the Zone because it has a separate battery compartment whilst the battery on the Lyte is situated together with the electronics and you have to remove 4 screws everytime you change the battery, which is not very handy if you have to do it in the middle of the gig.
Here's a photo of mine with the traces of my miserable attempt at routing the battery compartment. With improper tools of course :rollno:

Lyte.png
 
#20
Absolutely loved my MIJ Lyte. Black finish with gold fleck embedded in it. The band I was in was learning some songs that needed a 5 string so I picked up a Yamaha TRB5II but kept my Lyte. Fell on some tough times and had to sell it as I was using the 5 string on stage all the time. I know where it is and hope to get it back.

Never really experienced issues with the electronics on it but then the type of gigs I play generally aren't at large volumes.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back