Official Zon Club Part 5

[Jerry J]

I'm only going to guess but the top looks like it could be Bubinga and if that's case it would be a Sonus Special, do you happen to remember what the top wood was when you purchased the instrument?

gwangi, I honestly can't recall what the top wood was when I bought the bass. Bubinga, that sounds right. My other Zon had a Monkeypod top wood.

 

[kesslari]

It looks like a regular Sonus, bubinga or not. The main mark of the "special" is the neck pickup is way back toward the bridge pickup.
The specials *also* tend to have bubinga tops, but any Zon can be had with a bubinga top. It's a great top wood and Joe likes to use it, to good effect.
This is a Sonus Special:

 

[Benko]

I am preparing to sell my Sonus 5 fretless and need a bit of help, please.

First of all, the serial number is stamped and located on the body next to the neck. Does the s/n indicate the build date?
It is a Sonus but I'm not certain which model. It has two Bartolini "J" type pickups. I seem to recall that the Sonus 5/2 had soapbar pick ups.

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

View attachment 7388276

I think it's just a Sonus 5 Fretless (34 inch right?) It could be a 519 fretless which is 19mm spacing / 35 inch

(except if your 19mm spacing comes as an option on a regular Sonus 5, therefore you'd call it a 519-34, there is no real naming for those)

Looks nice, I can't play fretless to save my life and sold mine but it was probablly as good as a fretless can go

 

[Jerry J]

I think it's just a Sonus 5 Fretless (34 inch right?) It could be a 519 fretless which is 19mm spacing / 35 inch

(except if your 19mm spacing comes as an option on a regular Sonus 5, therefore you'd call it a 519-34, there is no real naming for those)

Looks nice, I can't play fretless to save my life and sold mine but it was probablly as good as a fretless can go

Yes, it is a 34" scale. And I am thinking that it's not Bubinga as the grain is more linear whereas Bubinga typically is more swirled. I'm thinking that it is more like Mahogany?

 

[Benko]

Yes, it is a 34" scale. And I am thinking that it's not Bubinga as the grain is more linear whereas Bubinga typically is more swirled. I'm thinking that it is more like Mahogany?

it's a Sonus 5 Fretless then

Do you have more pictures? Also open the electronics cavity cover, most of time Zon would engrave the specs in there (no always though) maybe the wood is listed too

 

[Jerry J]

it's a Sonus 5 Fretless then

Do you have more pictures? Also open the electronics cavity cover, most of time Zon would engrave the specs in there (no always though) maybe the wood is listed too

I don't recall seeing anything inscribed on the actual cover.

 

[Jerry J]

Gosh, now I'm trying to figure out what the body wood is. I've always thought it was swamp ash, but now I'm not even sure able that. The pore size doesn't appear to be typical of Ash. And it is definitely not maple.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Gosh, now I'm trying to figure out what the body wood is. I've always thought it was swamp ash, but now I'm not even sure able that. The pore size doesn't appear to be typical of Ash. And it is definitely not maple.


View attachment 7389076

This is the Southern Swamp Ash of my former fretless Sonus 5/1.

 

[kesslari]

You could ask Zon. Send a pic via email.

 

[Jerry J]

This is the Southern Swamp Ash of my former fretless Sonus 5/1.

View attachment 7389091

Ok, that looks the same as mine. Thank you for posting!

 

[Vic]

Gosh, now I'm trying to figure out what the body wood is. I've always thought it was swamp ash, but now I'm not even sure able that. The pore size doesn't appear to be typical of Ash. And it is definitely not maple.


View attachment 7389076

That body wood is absolutely ash, no doubt.

The top wood could also be Koa. Not all Koa is flamed/figured.

 

[Jerry J]

That body wood is absolutely ash, no doubt.

The top wood could also be Koa. Not all Koa is flamed/figured.

Oh Vic! You are so smart!!! Thank you, my friend.

Here is a Koa box, that I found in a search. This was on the Etsy site.

 

[Benko]

I don't recall seeing anything inscribed on the actual cover.

View attachment 7389068

Yes he does not always write on it (maybe half of my ZONs has some specs written)

The pre is a Polyfusion, this is rare for a Sonus 5 (it's usually on the Custom & Legacy), some people value highly the polyfusion (I like the one I have with it but I also equally had one change to a DG Tone Capsule which was as good)

 

[ChrisOnjian]

I'm only going to guess but the top looks like it could be Bubinga and if that's case it would be a Sonus Special, do you happen to remember what the top wood was when you purchased the instrument?

I have a sonus special (see my profile pic). The pickup spacing is much different than this bass.

 

[Jerry J]

"The pre is a Polyfusion, this is rare for a Sonus 5 (it's usually on the Custom & Legacy), some people value highly the polyfusion (I like the one I have with it but I also equally had one change to a DG Tone Capsule which was as good)"

Benko, thank you for the info on the pre. I was kinda wondering why the electronics looked different in my bass compared to the photos on the prior page.

 

[TFunkadelic]

Goofy Zon stuff

 

[equinn11]

Thinking about selling my 1993 Sonus V. According to Marty at Zon, she was born on September 21, 1993, and I bought it at the House of Guitars in Rochester NY a month later. She has been with me ever since. '93 was the first year they made the Sonus V. This one came before they started installing truss rods, and the bridge is the original Wilkenson. Custom Bart candybars and electronics with stacked Neck and Bridge volumes and stacked treble and bass. Should I keep or sell?

 

[sullen-moon]

Thinking about selling my 1993 Sonus V. According to Marty at Zon, she was born on September 21, 1993, and I bought it at the House of Guitars in Rochester NY a month later. She has been with me ever since. '93 was the first year they made the Sonus V. This one came before they started installing truss rods, and the bridge is the original Wilkenson. Custom Bart candybars and electronics with stacked Neck and Bridge volumes and stacked treble and bass. Should I keep or sell?

B E A U T


i’d definitely keep it unless the funds were urgently needed for something else

 

[Jerry J]

I'm not a good one to ask, but I would say keep it. On the other hand, as sullen-moon says, "unless the funds were urgently needed for something else".

Question, you are saying that your Zon was built in September of '93? In looking at the serial number, then the first 3 numbers indicate the build year and month?

 

[equinn11]

I'm not a good one to ask, but I would say keep it. On the other hand, as sullen-moon says, "unless the funds were urgently needed for something else".

Question, you are saying that your Zon was built in September of '93? In looking at the serial number, then the first 3 numbers indicate the build year and month?

The year definitely, but I am not sure about whether the 3rd digit is the month. I know I bought it October of 93, and this is what I received from ZON when I asked about it last year.