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Official Zon Club Part 2

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#342
Every single one I've seen lately has, but I wouldn't bet my house on it. They've gone through iterations on the set necks to create a simple-to-construct access method, so there are a few designs floating around. The amount of work involved in creating the access door in the body might mean the set necks models lagged a bit in getting the adjustment rod, but I'm not sure about that.

I haven't seen one lately without the adjustment rod, but again, better to call and ask. I think at this point it's probably that they'll forego it if you ask but will put it in as standard just for insurance purposes.
 
#343
Angus said:
Every single one I've seen lately has, but I wouldn't bet my house on it. They've gone through iterations on the set necks to create a simple-to-construct access method, so there are a few designs floating around. The amount of work involved in creating the access door in the body might mean the set necks models lagged a bit in getting the adjustment rod, but I'm not sure about that.

I haven't seen one lately without the adjustment rod, but again, better to call and ask. I think at this point it's probably that they'll forego it if you ask but will put it in as standard just for insurance purposes.
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Right. I can imagine set necks would be an issue as even the bolt-ons you have to take the neck off the body.
 
#344
AJ Brown said:
I think they do all have them. The trussrod isn't an option when using their pricing tool on the website, and Joe never asks.
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Angus said:
Every single one I've seen lately has, but I wouldn't bet my house on it. They've gone through iterations on the set necks to create a simple-to-construct access method, so there are a few designs floating around. The amount of work involved in creating the access door in the body might mean the set necks models lagged a bit in getting the adjustment rod, but I'm not sure about that.

I haven't seen one lately without the adjustment rod, but again, better to call and ask. I think at this point it's probably that they'll forego it if you ask but will put it in as standard just for insurance purposes.
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Thanks guys.

Interesting.

I may bug Joe about this at NAMM.

The reason is, I'm pretty sure the rod, and design changes to accommodate it, result in around a pound or so of extra weight compared to the non-rod design, so as long as his standard relief was ok with someone, it'd generally be a better way to go to counteract both overall weight as well as potential neck dive.

Just a thought.

FYI, my Sonus 5 is one of the older ones (circa' '03 i think) that doesn't have the rod, and it's relief is perfect for me, and has never changed (which is of course the way it's supposed to be, but I know there were a few issues at one point). I was just playing it this weekend and its 7.5 pound weight is just insanely easy on the shoulders from both overall weight and balance perspectives.

I haven't played it a ton in recent years because it's now my only 17mm spaced bass, which is just enough of a diff with my 18's and (now mostly) 19's it's an "adjustment". But every time I do dig it out, I'm reminded why I've kept it and have flipped all the others. Wow. It absolutely plays itself and the tone is just smokin'. And I guess it also helps that I got it from Adrian Garcia back in the day (RIP, bro.)
 
#345
Yeah, some don't need it- I have a '92 that is perfectly fine. But I've owned two others that needed adjustment to get the relief I wanted (because I have very particular neck settings), so in those cases adjustment rods would have been REALLY important to me.

The two newer models I have both have adjustment rods, no neck dive, and not particularly heavy necks. They're lighter than my Modulus neck was, that's for sure. I'm not sure that the adjustment rod adds a full pound, but it might. I've seen the installation, and it isn't very complex but they did have to set things up inside slightly differently.

Honestly, I've never needed to tweak my '92, but I've needed to tweak my 5 (set neck) and 6 (bolt-on) on a couple occasions and would've needed to tweak the two fretless basses I had if they had adjustment rods. Like anything else, over time some settle into relief that isn't great, and some stay perfectly fine. Given that my 8.5lb 5 string doesn't have any neck dive, I wouldn't hesitate to keep getting the rod in, because the added weight isn't so much to bother me and I'd rather have the option that not.

As it turns out, the "rather have the option than not" is what is driving the desire to put adjustment rods in moreso than that Joe sees a need. But I think that's a good policy to cover your bases with picky or needy customers (like me, honestly).
 
#346
Angus said:
I'm not sure that the adjustment rod adds a full pound, but it might.
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Unless he's changed some things more recently, which IS always possible, it was about that when I had a non-rod neck replaced with a rod one back on a blue Sonus 5 I used to have. And yeah, it's not just the rod... it's also the neck redesign to accommodate the rod and its desired effects.

If I can remember, I'll ask tho. No biggie, but I am interested.
 
#347
The inside stuff to accommodate it doesn't really add substantial weight- the effective change is all the rod. But it's a bunch of work. If it was around a pound then, then it's still around a pound. I don't think that has really changed, no.

I'm going there today, but I have a deadline so I can't hang around and ask right now. NAMM is a good time- lots of time to kill there.
 
#348
I've fiddled around with with my lefty buckeye Sonus 519 a LOT since I got it, and was finally able to gig with it last weekend. I also took a few minutes this morning and recorded a little ditty so you guys can get a quick and dirty representation of what she sounds like.

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It's not really my playing style, but... you get the idea.

There was a HINT of front end compression added to limit peaks, but that's it... and it was about half of what I've had to use for other basses. All controls on the bass were set completely FLAT... the midrange switch was set to the bottom position... I'm not sure what that means though. :p

Here's the short and sweet...

Firstly, I'm not sure why these basses were ever called "plastic-y sounding" but those people are certainly misinfomed. I've heard several Modulus basses that were very sterile, but this bass sounds VERY earthy to me.

The bottom line is that it is by all accounts the perfect representation of what a hi-end jazz bass should be, IMO. It has all the throat of my Mike Lull M5V, but it is more compressed in the lows and mids, and has a much more open and airy top... much less brittle than most jazz basses I've heard.

It's not "vintage"... but it's not supposed to be. It's a very hi-fi representation of a Jazz bass, and it is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

The Mike Lull M5V has the updated vintage sound down... it's like 60% modern, 40% vintage. The Zon is more like 90% modern, 10% vintage.

Anyway, the courtship is still in full effect, and I'm certainly still in the honeymoon stages, but... so far, this one is a keeper through and through. I'm still getting used to it, honestly... but I can only think that the more I get used to it, the more I'll fall in love.

So, yeah... me likey!!!

:hyper:

Here she is again, in case you missed it...
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#352
Addison said:
I'm not sure why these basses were ever called "plastic-y sounding" but those people are certainly misinfomed. I've heard several Modulus basses that were very sterile, but this bass sounds VERY earthy to me.
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We, who have actually owned and/or spent any real time with a Zon have been battling that myth for ages. Amazing what people will state as fact despite a general lack of any real first hand experience. :hmm:

BTW, great tone and playing, and grats on the bass... it's awesome. :)
 
#359
AJ Brown said:
I, for one, never understood the bias towards a non-lined fretless board. I'm all for anything that will help me sound better. I know Angus was kidding, but I've heard arguments about this. :)
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True AJ, angus's joking aside loads of people still have an issue with it. It's amusing really. My hyperbass is unlined and i play that fine, thats with a three octave neck too. This one will be my primary gigging bass, so i wanted life to be as simple as possible. My view on lines, if they were good enough for Jaco, us mere mortals can live with them too.
 
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