I got a quote of 12-18 months for a Sonus 8 with almost no custom features.
Let you know in a year how it's coming.
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Let you know in a year how it's coming.
@Nine-and-three-Quarters Here’s a Zon 519 with 34” scale for sale. Love that top
Zon Sonus 519 Sunburst | Reverb
Zon Sonus 519 Sunburst | Reverb
Yes!! This has been a long time in the making for you! I wish you the best of luck in this.I got a quote of 12-18 months for a Sonus 8 with almost no custom features.
Let you know in a year how it's coming.
I’m assuming by your post that you’ve made it official by placing a deposit?
This came, I know it's not 34" scale but really nice anyways:
For Sale/Trade - Zon Sonus 519 satin w/Truss
Oh man. I am dreaming about ordering a TJ5 with 16.5mm spacing, stainless frets, gloss finish, 9 lbs max, midrange freq selector switch, 3 pickups with two in the "special" pickup position, tone plate, and no ramp after the 26th fret.
One to rule them all.
One to rule them all.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,222
- 45,001
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
@31HZ That's a nice spec. As someone with a 16.5 mm TJ, radiused "custom" pickups in the "special" position... but fretless, fingerboard extending to the pickups so no ramp needed... and satin finish - I like it. I love the 3 pickup idea. It seems like "P-bass placement" would be just past a hypothetical 26th fret...
You mean like this!!Oh man. I am dreaming about ordering a TJ5 with 16.5mm spacing, stainless frets, gloss finish, 9 lbs max, midrange freq selector switch, 3 pickups with two in the "special" pickup position, tone plate, and no ramp after the 26th fret.
One to rule them all.
Attachments
Yes originally I had the piezo installed then had it removed when I put in a Pope Flexcore preamp. I found I just didn’t use them as much as I thought I would…but, I loved that bridge (especially the way it holds the string) but if it was fretless it would be another story. And yes, this bass just KILLS, I have yet to play any bass that out performs it (for me anyway)O M G
Piezo saddles?
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My newest idea for a custom build:
Zon BG4
- high gloss candy pink metallic finish
- matching headstock
- Hipshot Ultralite tuners
Alternatively exactly the same, but a fiver with 19 mm spacing.
Zon BG4
- high gloss candy pink metallic finish
- matching headstock
- Hipshot Ultralite tuners
Alternatively exactly the same, but a fiver with 19 mm spacing.
My newest idea for a custom build:
Zon BG4
- high gloss candy pink metallic finish
- matching headstock
- Hipshot Ultralite tuners
Alternatively exactly the same, but a fiver with 19 mm spacing.
I like the way you think.
My headless Sonus 519 custom was almost a headless BG5 with 19mm spacing. One reason I opted for the former was that Zon said the five string BG pickups were still in development. That was 5 years ago, so perhaps they are ready?
I asked them about lead times, and they said this type of build is not advanced, and should have no trouble meeting the 13 months deadline. Now money, that’s another issue.I like the way you think.
My headless Sonus 519 custom was almost a headless BG5 with 19mm spacing. One reason I opted for the former was that Zon said the five string BG pickups were still in development. That was 5 years ago, so perhaps they are ready?
IIRC, your bass is 34”, yes?
I am considering headless as well, hehe.
I asked them about lead times, and they said this type of build is not advanced, and should have no trouble meeting the 13 months deadline. Now money, that’s another issue.
IIRC, your bass is 34”, yes?
I am considering headless as well, hehe.
Yes, Zon recommended 34" so I went with that and I'm glad I did.
Headless isn't for everyone, but I love it for a few reasons:
- The roller tuners are stable; bass is perfectly in tune almost every time I pull it from the case
- It fits into a guitar case: much easier schlep than a normal bass*
- Less danger of whacking a bandmate on a cramped, crowded stage (but I still can, if they deserve it)
Caveats to headless:
- Had to buy new stands because my hanging stands were useless
- Carrying by the neck: the volute isn't all that substantial, so I worry about it slipping thru my grip. I've been extra careful and don't see this as a huge danger, but it's worth mentioning
Changing strings: I call this neutral. The only reason it's more time consuming on my headless is because I've had decades of practice on "normal" basses. The biggest concern is cutting the string too short... not a huge deal, and I'd rather trim the strings than be stuck with double-ballend sets.
Yeah I briefly owned a Strandberg 5-string. Their brand of tuners/“headstock” were amazing. Simply pull string through nut, lock with hex nut and you are done. Tune up, then clip.
Which model does Zon use; ball end by the bridge or v.v.?
Which model does Zon use; ball end by the bridge or v.v.?
Yeah I briefly owned a Strandberg 5-string. Their brand of tuners/“headstock” were amazing. Simply pull string through nut, lock with hex nut and you are done. Tune up, then clip.
Which model does Zon use; ball end by the bridge or v.v.?
The more recent ones I've seen use the Hipshot bridge/hedpiece combo. The bridges are nice, but for me, the hipshot headpiece is much less user-friendly than almost all alternatives.
It's really fussy with the length of the string, and an pain to adjust if you accidentally mount the string 'twisted' (and want to release the twist). It's also the only headless headpiece that I've had that regularly chews through hi-g/hi-c strings. None of the other ones I've had (including ABM's from the 90s/80s) have the same problem. Perhaps I just had a particularly aggressive set of retaining screws on mine, so YMMV. But having owned quite a few headless basses - i'd go with any other pull-though type headpiece before the Hipshot type.
I was getting depressed hanging around the “is everything ok” thread so I decided to come in here where it’s nice
here’s my 2001 Sonus 5 fretless i was talking about a while ago, by far the greatest instrument of any kind i’ve ever played
The depth and clarity of sound on this thing are just outta this world, and the playability is perfect
harmonics just erupt outta this thing anywhere on the neck
here’s my 2001 Sonus 5 fretless i was talking about a while ago, by far the greatest instrument of any kind i’ve ever played
The depth and clarity of sound on this thing are just outta this world, and the playability is perfect
harmonics just erupt outta this thing anywhere on the neck
Even after my experience with them, I can't put my Sonus down. Already taken it to a jam, been working on my setlist with it, going from 2 steps down back to standard, soft blues to metal.... this thing does it all without needing anything.
Super impressed with it and looking forward to taking it to rehearsal this Saturday.
If they had a legally binding contract saying you either get your new bass by X or you got a refund, I'd take the gamble on a new 5 string as well.
I just now realized based on specs that my fretless (which i got secondhand from a non-bass-centric store) is a 519, no wonder it sounds so much different from my fretted Custom!
No question, if I ever get another one, it’ll be a 519 also - besides the extra string spacing being comfortable, i think the extra scale length plus the different preamp/pickup combo really helps clarify the sound
No question, if I ever get another one, it’ll be a 519 also - besides the extra string spacing being comfortable, i think the extra scale length plus the different preamp/pickup combo really helps clarify the sound
What, no Sonus 519?I picked up my 6th Zon a few days ago (thank you, @HeavyJazz ) and I continue to be amazed at the quality of these instruments. For those keeping track at home, I'm holding steady at:
Legacy Elite Special 6
Legacy Elite Special 5 Fretless
TJ6
TJ5 Fretless (set-neck) w/ramp
Sonus Special 6
5/2
I'm a lucky dude
