Official Zon Club Part 2

[kesslari]

Really, yours is a fretless TJ with a set neck and without the wide-body option (as 5 string TJ's are 6-string sized bodies)- mine started with the exact same baseline but fretted, then when Joe threw in the 36 frets it became a deep-cutaway, set neck 5/1.

It's sort of all semantics as they're all just Sonus basses.

Maybe its a new model - the Zon Basstard Bass.

 

[Vic]

Sonus 5 fretless. You can't see the original S1 lightwave pickup system. By far my favorite bass I've ever owned. Stupid photographer, more interested in me than the instrument,what the hell is wrong with him... ;-)

Well, I may have done more to include the bass if I was shooting it, but that's a really great shot regardless.

 

[Angus]

Maybe its a new model - the Zon Basstard Bass.

Haha, he's done a looooot of them over the years, and he doesn't much like doin' em.

 

[earsmack]

Anyone have any thoughts on my Zon/string question posted here?

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10202635&postcount=291

Thanks!

 

[Mike Dimin]

Anyone have any thoughts on my Zon/string question posted here?

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10202635&postcount=291

Thanks!

I am a TI artist. I use Jazz Rounds, which are VERY low tension, on my VB5. They work perfectly well.

 

[Angus]

I use the Jazz Rounds on my 5 string, too- and love them- but the jazz flats are a completely different animal and I don't think it is a comparable scenario.

 

[Mike Dimin]

The question was regarding whether low tension strings would work on a VB. JR's are lower tension than JF, therefore the question is answered. YES TI JF's will work on a Vinny

 

[earsmack]

Excellent! Thanks very much for the quick response. I appreciate it.

Joe

 

[Angus]

I mean, any string will fit and function.

 

[Andy Brown]

After receiving the VB5H, slapping new strings on her and lowering the action a bit, here is a very short comparison.

Aside from the obvious physical differences, what jumped out at me was:

* The VB4 is a little brighter on a flat setting vs. the VB5H
* The VB4 is more 'punchy'... notes are more focused
* The VB5H is warmer

I think Joe Zon explained the differences best... The VB4's pickups are more narrow and see less of the string during vibration which directly correlates to a more focused note. The wider humbuckers see more of the string and are warmer. (I'm paraphrasing, but it makes sense).

Overall, I'm ecstatic about being able to own both of them.

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[jruberto]

Well, I may have done more to include the bass if I was shooting it, but that's a really great shot regardless.

Totally. The photographer is a good friend of mine, and I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that photo for promo stuff, especially this time of year.

It's funny because I'm usually the dude on stage in a T-shirt cos I tend to sweat like a mofo when I play -- this was a local band night at the nice big theater on like a wednesday night around this time last year & it was freeeeezing in the venue.

Man, I have to play that bass more. I don't think I've brought it out since that show, maybe I'll bring it along tonight.

 

[earsmack]

Nice description AJ. Great pics too. Really pretty basses there.

 

[fretster]

Hi Jib! Did you see the Fretless Zon Sonus for sale here on Talkbass?

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=719958

Hi All,

I have 6 basses but what I am REALLY wanting now is a fretless Zon.

Can you please help me identify the model, pickups and electronics on the following bass? I have heard this bass close up [ did not get to play it ] and it really nails the tone I am looking for. I am wanting a 4 string fretless Zon that gets the tone this bass produces.

Sorry for the blurry pic. Only one online I could find.

Thanks !!!!!!

 

[nostatic]

Sonus 5 fretless. You can't see the original S1 lightwave pickup system. By far my favorite bass I've ever owned. Stupid photographer, more interested in me than the instrument,what the hell is wrong with him... ;-)

Sweet. Just yesterday I passed my Zon Lightwave on to my buddy who had been wanting it ever since I snapped it up at the local shop 11 years ago. Nothing else sounds like it, and it'll cover pretty much any style. I don't think very many of these were ever made...

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[Angus]

A ton were made for a few years. It's the fretted ones that are hard to find.

They're pretty awesome for what they do, though. I've always wanted to snap one up, but they never came up at the right time.

 

[nostatic]

Fretted Lightwaves never did it for me. The fretless otoh could be magic. Not sure about "tons" though. I rarely see them come up for sale.

 

[Angus]

They've made a lot more than you think. Most were made in the early 2000's- they were a big hit for a couple years until Lightwave decided to implode.

In general you don't see many Legacy's, 5/1's or 5/2's, or Special's coming up for sale and they've made a ton of them, too. I don't have a good reason why.

And yes, fretted Lightwave bases did nothing for me, either. Not the best combination. I've only seen maybe 3 or 4 fretted Lightwave basses, though undoubtedly they made more.

 

[jruberto]

Sweet. Just yesterday I passed my Zon Lightwave on to my buddy who had been wanting it ever since I snapped it up at the local shop 11 years ago. Nothing else sounds like it, and it'll cover pretty much any style. I don't think very many of these were ever made...

Wow, that looks a lot like mine! I've never seen another except Manring had one that was really similar at one point. Super cool, great instrument.

 

[Angus]

My favorite i've seen and always wanted was a fretless with a very flamed purpleheart top. I remember having it as the desktop of my computer for a year or two.

 

[nostatic]

my ex one was a flamed koa top - gorgeous

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