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Hey gotta tell my fellow TB'ers about the incredible quality that Joe Zon is putting out! My VB 4 arrived with the lowest action I have ever seen from the factory with absolutely zero fret buzz and the electronics sound awesome and are super quiet even in single coil mode! Worth every penny! Don't hesitate if your thinking about ordering a Zon, you will be glad you did!
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Hey gotta tell my fellow TB'ers about the incredible quality that Joe Zon is putting out! My VB 4 arrived with the lowest action I have ever seen from the factory with absolutely zero fret buzz and the electronics sound awesome and are super quiet even in single coil mode! Worth every penny! Don't hesitate if your thinking about ordering a Zon, you will be glad you did!
I have the same experience with mine. Super low action... I actually had to raise it up because I like for there to be a bit of resistance. No buzz. Super clean and musical preamp (none of those horrible scratchy highs or woofy lows). It's also impossible to tell from pictures how beautiful the finish is, how technically perfect the craftsmanship on the neck and body are, how that neck and fingerboard are like butter.
How long did it take to get yours?
Yep, I had to raise mine too because of the way I play, but there was no fret buzz at all even as low as it was. Probably the best fret work I've ever seen!
From the time I placed the order until I got the bass was 7 or 8 months, but when I ordered the bass he already had this one in the pipeline being built.
I have another one, a VB5, on order now that is exactly the same as a Sonus Special, but in a VB model.
Can't wait!
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Joe
Joe's fretwork is just amazing!, it's like getting your bass plecked, but its 10x better!!
Joe's fretwork is just amazing!, it's like getting your bass plecked, but its 10x better!!
Congrats Dave! Beautiful bass. I'm sure loving my Sonus 5. Pretty amazing frets on that bass, considering it's 20 years old.
Just in case someone was looking for a Zon Hyperbass, there is one in UK for £3999.
I haven't bought from this store, but I know a couple guys who did and had basses shipped to the US.
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I haven't bought from this store, but I know a couple guys who did and had basses shipped to the US.
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Absolutely. I have seen a fretless headless Sonus 5. I was pulling the trigger but the weight (cocobolo top) turned me off.
Hello Zon folks,
I'm the owner of a Legacy Elite 5. After lots of thoughts and afterthoughts I decided to replace the PU, but due to size limitations I can only install therse
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Has anyone ever changed his PU here ? Custom built ?
Which other options do I have ?
Don't want to route the bass to accomodate other pickups.
Thanks everyone !
I'm the owner of a Legacy Elite 5. After lots of thoughts and afterthoughts I decided to replace the PU, but due to size limitations I can only install therse
Invalid Link Removed
Has anyone ever changed his PU here ? Custom built ?
Which other options do I have ?
Don't want to route the bass to accomodate other pickups.
Thanks everyone !
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,078
- 9,800
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
I would bet that Nordstrand could make you a pick up in that size. Not for sure, but worth reaching out. His pick ups are incredible sounding.
Those pickups are relatively inexpensive and would likely change the sound quite a bit- if you like the bass, it's worth a shot, and you can resell them quickly if they don't do it for you.
That said, it's worth exploring what you don't like about the sound to see if changing to different Bartolinis would be the best idea vs getting other pickups made, like the Nordstrands as Jake suggested. I definitely prefer Nordstrands to Bartolinis, but it really depends on what you are looking for tonally/what you are missing from your current setup.
If you love everything about how the bass plays and just want to tweak the tone to be right for you, this is worth exploring I think. If other factors about the bass aren't right for you, it may not be worth it.
That said, it's worth exploring what you don't like about the sound to see if changing to different Bartolinis would be the best idea vs getting other pickups made, like the Nordstrands as Jake suggested. I definitely prefer Nordstrands to Bartolinis, but it really depends on what you are looking for tonally/what you are missing from your current setup.
If you love everything about how the bass plays and just want to tweak the tone to be right for you, this is worth exploring I think. If other factors about the bass aren't right for you, it may not be worth it.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,607
- 18,656
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Can I join can I can I? I can haz two Sonii.
Hey guys,
Looking for some help. I'm about to order 2 custom Zons but my first concern is the time it will take to make them. I was told 9 months but according to some of these post you were told the same thing and it was a lot longer. I read one that was almost 2 years WOW! Is it the same now? Secondly, I need to know if any of you have had any experience with both the Zon Sonus and a Zon Legacy Elite 519 or 619. Not sure which to purchase. I've played a Sonus 519 before and loved the shape of the neck. Nice flat..thin...and fast. Are the Legacy necks shaped the same way? I'm assuming that the necks are made from the same molds so should be uniform but the set necks would have to be a different mold. Does Zon offer different shaped necks with thinner or thicker profiles? Anyone prefer the Sonus bolt-on over the set neck? I appreciate any help.
Looking for some help. I'm about to order 2 custom Zons but my first concern is the time it will take to make them. I was told 9 months but according to some of these post you were told the same thing and it was a lot longer. I read one that was almost 2 years WOW! Is it the same now? Secondly, I need to know if any of you have had any experience with both the Zon Sonus and a Zon Legacy Elite 519 or 619. Not sure which to purchase. I've played a Sonus 519 before and loved the shape of the neck. Nice flat..thin...and fast. Are the Legacy necks shaped the same way? I'm assuming that the necks are made from the same molds so should be uniform but the set necks would have to be a different mold. Does Zon offer different shaped necks with thinner or thicker profiles? Anyone prefer the Sonus bolt-on over the set neck? I appreciate any help.
A questions about neck relief in an early Sonus 5 string.
I just picked up locally a Zon Sonus Special 5 string in beautiful condition, 1994, Everything is original and great on it except to me the relief seems on the high side, a fair bit higher than what would set a Fender Jazz bass, .014 in. Since there's no truss rod and the relief can't be adjusted, I"m wondering what Sonus owners would consider acceptable relief. I understand that ideally the should be some slight relief in the graphite neck, but this is more than that, though still playable in my opinion. I"ve looked into the option with Joe of having the neck refurbished to install a truss rod, something I understand others with early Zons have done. SOunds like the ideal option but labor intensive and not cheap.
Any opinions on acceptable relief. SOmeone posted the opinion that .015 was fine but this a bit more than that, around .017. I know of no other options for improving the relief. I don't think a shimming would do anything to change the relief. Any thoughts?
I just picked up locally a Zon Sonus Special 5 string in beautiful condition, 1994, Everything is original and great on it except to me the relief seems on the high side, a fair bit higher than what would set a Fender Jazz bass, .014 in. Since there's no truss rod and the relief can't be adjusted, I"m wondering what Sonus owners would consider acceptable relief. I understand that ideally the should be some slight relief in the graphite neck, but this is more than that, though still playable in my opinion. I"ve looked into the option with Joe of having the neck refurbished to install a truss rod, something I understand others with early Zons have done. SOunds like the ideal option but labor intensive and not cheap.
Any opinions on acceptable relief. SOmeone posted the opinion that .015 was fine but this a bit more than that, around .017. I know of no other options for improving the relief. I don't think a shimming would do anything to change the relief. Any thoughts?
