Exactly! With p2 routes, you can put almost anything in there. I’ll give the Nordstrands a fair shot. I just know how I already feel about Bartolini preamps and single coil hum.
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Yes! I recently grabbed a Zon out of the classifieds here mostly for the fact that it had P2 routs. Aguilar pickups and the Bart preamp. I really enjoy them a lot more than the Bartolini candybars. But I'm very much looking forward to finally receiving the Zon I've got on order, which will have Nordstrands with a Nordstrand preamp.
I was hoping you all could identify the exact model Sonus bass that I have? I don't even know what the top wood is as I bought it used. The pots are noisy and I'm also wondering what the best way to clean them? I can't get to them from the back of the control panel because of the circuit board. Thank you for any help!
Hard to say, I think the best way is that you send it to me and give me a couple of year to inspect it
Looks like a standard Sonus now if you have a scale you can measure the Scale (34 or 35 inch) and the string spacing (it looks wide).
The electronics looks like the standard Barto set
Did you buy it recently?
Goncalo alves, perhaps?
It is a recent purchase. It is 34" scale and the spacing is a bit narrow for my liking. I'm guessing it is a 1996 according to the first two digits of the serial number.
Probably the "standard" 17mm then, you can measure with a scale at the bridge
Hard to say, I think the best way is that you send it to me and give me a couple of year to inspect it
Looks like a standard Sonus now if you have a scale you can measure the Scale (34 or 35 inch) and the string spacing (it looks wide).
The electronics looks like the standard Barto set
Did you buy it recently?
Were the specs not writtend down on the inside of the electronics cover?
If there's a circuit board, the electroniucs aren't Bartolini, but rather Polyfusion; either an ZP1 or ZP2 or similar. With 4 knobs, it will either have no mid control, or it may have a mid control on a trim-pot in the cavity.
In either case, the preamp pairs really well with the bart pickups, and if memory serves me right, the blend is buffered (i.e. does not affect the loading of either pickup). The pickups are probably quad-coils, wired permanently as 'all in series'.
Spacing looks like 17mm. Given the config above, my guess would be an early 'sonus custom', before the Polyfusion preamps were updated to have a mid-adjustment knob in the front (more recent 'Customs' have 5 knobs).
Nice bass, congrats on the catch
To me, that looks like a Sonus Special with a cocobolo top.
Pretty sure it's a Sonus Custom with a Ziricote top.
My personal opinion I think it's either a Sonus Special w/ Bubinga Top or I'm really pushing it's a regular Sonus w/ goncalo alves top.
I too was thinking Goncalo Alves. Beautiful!
- Dec 21, 2007
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I'm going with "not bubinga" and "probably goncalo alves". Pickups look like it's a Sonus Custom.
Yeah, a Special would have the pickups much closer together, I would think.
The 2021 34” 519 24 fret finally arrived today complete with a birth certificate and case candy and it’s a beauty. I confirmed my thoughts about the sound of the pickups and preamp. They just aren’t my sound. They gotta go. Anyone interested in them should send me a pm. Gotta put this thing on a diet too with lighter tuners and maybe bridge.
The gig bag reminds me of a Body Glove bag. A step up from the last Zon gig bag I had, but it ain’t no Mono or Incase.
The gig bag reminds me of a Body Glove bag. A step up from the last Zon gig bag I had, but it ain’t no Mono or Incase.
What bridge would retrofit the one on a 519 Sonus? Has anyone swapped out their Sonus 5 heavy Brass bridge for an Aluminum one? Results?
Is it a Gotoh 510? I know it says "Zon" on it but I suspect he has someone make them for him, and he tends to like Gotoh.
Similar but saddle is different. It has similarities with the A style Hipshot but just a tiny bit larger profile.
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I would just get an aluminum Hipshot A or B style with aluminum saddles. that will lighten it up.
