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Official Zon Club Part 2

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#621
Zon peeps...

I don't wanna bother the brothers at the Zon shop about a trivial question from a new owner, so I'm hoping maybe one of you cats can hook me up with some solid info.

The Zon guide recommends the usage of WD-40 for cleaning the phenowood fingerboards.

Is there an added benefit to this, or is it just because it works well? I use StewMac Preservation Polish.... but I'm more than happy to use WD-40 if it helps preserve the phenowood or treats it somehow or benefits it in some way, etc.

Thanks!
 
#622
Mike Dimin said:
IMEO, the last good Tobias bass was 2044.
Click to expand...
Well, the reason I responded is because some, including Mike Tobias himself, would disagree with you.

I was with him one day at NAMM when he picked up a Gibson Tobias in the Bart booth and said it was a great bass (which myself and other much higher qualified folks agreed with). Without getting too far OT here, yeah, earlier on, pretty much all the Gibson Tobias basses sucked... especially compared to 2044 and prior... HOWEVER... I do think they've managed to truly put out some "nicer Gibson Tobias" basses since then, and I'm not the only one that feels that way.

FWIW anyway.
 
#623
Vic said:
Well, the reason I responded is because some, including Mike Tobias himself, would disagree with you.

I was with him one day at NAMM when he picked up a Gibson Tobias in the Bart booth and said it was a great bass (which myself and other much higher qualified folks agreed with). Without getting too far OT here, yeah, earlier on, pretty much all the Gibson Tobias basses sucked... especially compared to 2044 and prior... HOWEVER... I do think they've managed to truly put out some "nicer Gibson Tobias" basses since then, and I'm not the only one that feels that way.

FWIW anyway.
Click to expand...

I am ABSOLUTELY SURE that that is what he told you. But remember the music business is very small and people usually say what they "need" to.
 
#624
Mike Dimin said:
I am ABSOLUTELY SURE that that is what he told you. But remember the music business is very small and people usually say what they "need" to.
Click to expand...
He didn't "need" to in this case. Honestly. And the others had no vested interest at all... ever. I know Mike pretty well at this point too.
 
#625
Addison said:
Zon peeps...

I don't wanna bother the brothers at the Zon shop about a trivial question from a new owner, so I'm hoping maybe one of you cats can hook me up with some solid info.

The Zon guide recommends the usage of WD-40 for cleaning the phenowood fingerboards.

Is there an added benefit to this, or is it just because it works well? I use StewMac Preservation Polish.... but I'm more than happy to use WD-40 if it helps preserve the phenowood or treats it somehow or benefits it in some way, etc.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The WD 40 keeps the fretboard moist. It penetrates the grain of the phenowood and stops it from drying out. Polish will not do the same thing. Use it VERY sparingly, however
 
#628
Mike Dimin said:
yes, I understand - do you?
Click to expand...

Yeah...I just have no idea what MTD's spacing has to do with this conversation. :confused:

I got the joke about the Gibson Tobias of course- my bass is a total POS that I made into a giant killer. But I've played some great ones, too. The ones they have been making for a while are pretty good....if they were about 33% of their current price.

They did put out a lot of junk, and it's all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced, but I don't think everything post-2044 is terrible. Some of it is pretty good. And I revere Mike's own work, past and present, so I don't have low standards.
 
#629
Addison said:
The Zon guide recommends the usage of WD-40 for cleaning the phenowood fingerboards.
Click to expand...

This was already answered my Mike, but the one thing I would add is to spray it onto a thick cloth and wipe it on lightly. Let it sit, then wipe off the excess before putting strings on. Don't spray directly, and make sure to get it off the frets.
 
#631
Angus said:
Yeah...I just have no idea what MTD's spacing has to do with this conversation. :confused:

I got the joke about the Gibson Tobias of course- my bass is a total POS that I made into a giant killer. But I've played some great ones, too. The ones they have been making for a while are pretty good....if they were about 33% of their current price.

They did put out a lot of junk, and it's all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced, but I don't think everything post-2044 is terrible. Some of it is pretty good. And I revere Mike's own work, past and present, so I don't have low standards.
Click to expand...

The measure of a great bass company is not only in the instrument but in the consistency of all the instruments. I know dealers, forced to buy them as part of their yearly Gibson buy in, who could not even sell them at their cost
 
#633
Mike Dimin said:
The measure of a great bass company is not only in the instrument but in the consistency of all the instruments. I know dealers, forced to buy them as part of their yearly Gibson buy in, who could not even sell them at their cost
Click to expand...

I would never argue with you that Gibson has not been successful in it's handling of the Tobias brand, but I would argue they don't sell because of the ridiculous price point, not because of the quality. What I would not do is say that all of the basses are bad as that would by definition make them consistent! They made a bunch of junk and plenty of very solid instruments, but they are definitely a try-before-you-buy brand, which is troubling.

But it isn't the same as saying they are all junk.
 
#635
fretless4string said:
I am using a TJ5 with a TecAmp S210 and a MarkBass F1. So my rig is not too different from yours.

I am finding that, compared with other basses I have played, I can blend in much more of the neck pickup. I wondered what your experience was.
Click to expand...

I hardly use the neck pickup. Sometimes just a little bit.

My ear for the fretless sound I like always has me turning the balance to all bridge pickup. This said...adding just a bit of neck pickup provides a bit more fullness...a bit more bass and depending on the piece/songe/part, it is sometimes desired, needed, etc.

I probably would use the neck pickup more on a fretted. I find that I do on my Wals. On my Wal fretlesses...it's all bridge...but on my fretted ones, I'll add a couple of notches of neck.
 
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