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Official Zon Club Part 5

#2,601
That's a real beauty!! You will enjoy it for sure.

I bought my Legacy direct from Joe in 1986 when he was still in Buffalo. Saw the ad in a Guitar Player magazine (no bass mags yet) and wanted to try one. He didn't have distribution set up in NYC yet (it was supposed to be Manny's) so he actually shipped one down to his buddy that ran Earth Straps in Staten Island. I went over and spent the afternoon with it and knew I wanted one.

The only thing was: the original Legacy had the neck pickup right up against the end of the neck. I asked if he could move it down similar to a Ken Smith for mine. He did, loved the result, and the rest is history! It looks a touch closer to the bridge than yours.
Proprietary Barts and circuit board, VVTT.

Here I am with my new Legacy. It was my main player for 10 years.

willie zon_kindlephoto-10391748.jpg
 
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#2,602
bassclef112 said:
That's a real beauty!! You will enjoy it for sure.

I bought my Legacy direct from Joe in 1986 when he was still in Buffalo. Saw the ad in a Guitar Player magazine (no bass mags yet) and wanted to try one. He didn't have distribution set up in NYC yet (it was supposed to be Manny's) so he actually shipped one down to his buddy that ran Earth Straps in Staten Island. I went over and spent the afternoon with it and knew I wanted one.

The only thing was: the original Legacy had the neck pickup right up against the end of the neck. I asked if he could move it down similar to a Ken Smith for mine. He did, loved the result, and the rest is history! It looks a touch closer to the bridge than yours.
Proprietary Barts and circuit board, VVTT.

Here I am with my new Legacy. It was my main player for 10 years.

View attachment 4200706
Click to expand...

Man, you hit the Wayback Machine for me. Manny's, Earth Straps...

What do you know about Earth Straps, they still around? I had two, that cool clear plastic one that everyone had at the time (which tore) and a nice leather one that someone gave me. Still have that.

Oh nice, you have a detuner on there! Nice Zon! You still have it?
 
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#2,604
ModuMan said:
Man, you hit the Wayback Machine for me. Manny's, Earth Straps...

What do you know about Earth Straps, they still around? I had two, that cool clear plastic one that everyone had at the time (which tore) and a nice leather one that someone gave me. Still have that.

Oh nice, you have a detuner on there! Nice Zon! You still have it?
Click to expand...

Earth Straps closed up years ago. Yes, they had a slew of those plastic straps in all kinds of colors, metallics, sparkles...they did leather as well.

The detuner came with the bass. Yes I still have it, but it needs to be refurbished. I played the bejesus out of it and actually bent the neck! After I read the necks were "stronger than steel" I liked to hit some harmonics, and whammy the headstock. After 10 years of that it finally got a forward bow that needs to be planed out. No truss rod back then. Plus it needs a refret.

I inquired to Zon about fixing it but never followed through. I'll have to see about that again at some point.
 
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#2,606
Hey all, I bought a Zon a couple years ago from Manson Guitars in Exeter, UK. I've always wondered about the history of it and wanted to see if any of you guys could help. There was never any mention of it being second hand, I *think' its a Zon Sonus custom, though it has the single coil bartolini jazz pickups as opposed to the soapbar looking ones the customs come with nowadays. It was also absolutely perfect and clearly had never been played, what I'm assuming is the serial number on the back below the neck is simply 70502. Anyone have any ideas?
 

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#2,612
Devers95 said:
Hey all, I bought a Zon a couple years ago from Manson Guitars in Exeter, UK. I've always wondered about the history of it and wanted to see if any of you guys could help. There was never any mention of it being second hand, I *think' its a Zon Sonus custom, though it has the single coil bartolini jazz pickups as opposed to the soapbar looking ones the customs come with nowadays. It was also absolutely perfect and clearly had never been played, what I'm assuming is the serial number on the back below the neck is simply 70502. Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
You can look under the electronic plate (unscrew the cover) Details are written there on my Sonus.
 
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#2,613
Devers95 said:
Yep! Here it is
Click to expand...
That appears to be a straight Sonus (and nothing wrong with that!).
The "Sonus Custom" typically has soapbar pickups.
The "Sonus Special" has single coils but the neck pickup is further back toward the bridge, and the top is typically bubiinga.
And the elusive "Sonus Custom Special" has the soapbar pickups but in the "special" position.
That's a gorgeous top on yours.

Play great music on that beauty!
 
#2,614
kesslari said:
That appears to be a straight Sonus (and nothing wrong with that!).
The "Sonus Custom" typically has soapbar pickups.
The "Sonus Special" has single coils but the neck pickup is further back toward the bridge, and the top is typically bubiinga.
And the elusive "Sonus Custom Special" has the soapbar pickups but in the "special" position.
That's a gorgeous top on yours.

Play great music on that beauty!
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot! I have wondered but the Zon website was never very clear. Just want to try and figure out its age now but the serial number doesnt seem to give any clues.
 
#2,619
J.Wolf said:
I’m gonna guess 519, judging by the proportions? Lovely top on that Sonus!
Click to expand...
Cheers mate! Its a beauty. Its not a 519 as the spacing is tighter. I think its a Sonus 5. Just wanting to identify when it was build as I bought it brand new from the only UK Zon dealer in Exeter two years ago. Just interested to see how long it was waiting to be bought as Sonus 5's are apparently different to mine somehow. I recall the shop saying something along the lines of it being one of the last Sonus' made before Zon changed to purely making things to order.
 
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