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Official Zon Club Part 5

#1,121
Bryan R. Tyler said:
I bought my TJ5 fretted used and it had a Pope Flexcore in it. I actually had the original Polyfusion pre put back in :D
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Yeah, on a fretless that doesn't surprise me. The Pope is really open sounding. I don't think I would like it in a fretless. I much more prefer the compressed mid rich tones of the Bart pre in a fretless.
I've never heard the Polyfusion. Does it sound similar to the Bart? Speaking of the Bart (in a Zon). Is the Bart that Zon installs made special for the Zon basses or is it a standard 3-band Bart pre?
 
#1,122
JOME77 said:
Yeah, on a fretless that doesn't surprise me. The Pope is really open sounding. I don't think I would like it in a fretless. I much more prefer the compressed mid rich tones of the Bart pre in a fretless.
I've never heard the Polyfusion. Does it sound similar to the Bart? Speaking of the Bart (in a Zon). Is the Bart that Zon installs made special for the Zon basses or is it a standard 3-band Bart pre?
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I've had all three on my TJ6 at one point or another, I finally decided on the Pope Flexcore for my TJ6, and the Poly for my Zon fretless. The Bart was the most "Bassy" sounding pre, the others had more articulation to my ears. The Pope sounds fantastic on my TJ6 having the 4 band EQ, I really love having more control of the mids with the low-mid, and high-mid knobs. The Poly sounds incredible with the fretless, but I also have the old shiny graphite fretboard that Joe doesn't make anymore, so that tames the glassiness of that bass. they are all really nice pre's, it just depends on where you want your tonality to be starting out of the gate IMO
 
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#1,123
I really like the 2 bands of mids on the Darkglass pre installed in my TJ5 fretless. It's a fairly transparent sounding pre (as compared to the Bart) so you don't get nearly the the extreme variations of EQ boost/cut but it provides all the tone variations that I want. I tend to run the EQ fairly flat and get most of the variation in tone by varying the neck and bridge p/u's volumes (it has separate volumes verses the blend control).
I do love the Bart 3 band pre and Bart quad coil combo on my Warmoth Gecko fretless though (poly coated ebony board).
 
#1,125
kesslari said:
Glad you like it. I wish it were easier to try different preamps (e.g., without buying each, uninstalling, installing, etc). If wishes were fishes...
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Man I'd love that. I can't solder because of my eyesight either, so trying out a new preamp means I have to pay someone to install it. The Darkglass pre really interests me.

Brubaker came up with any easily exchangeable preamp module system years back. Unfortunately it was either proprietary or it never caught on. I don't think they make them anymore.
 
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#1,126
@Bryan R. Tyler Know what would be cool (or maybe I'm feverish...) - a "preamp swap club". Several people, each with a pre-amp and some way to verify trustworthiness (feedback rating?). Someone becomes the group admin. All preamps go to him or her. Sign up for one, have it mailed to you, install it (or have it installed), try it. Then mail it back. It would be a chance to try several different pres without the cost of buying them all. Still some cost/effort involved. Obviously some details to be worked out, like how to lessen the cost to the members who provide preamps to the group. Maybe do it for a fee...Dunno.
But yeah, I'm wanting to try both the Darkglass and an ACG...
I hate this website ;)
 
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#1,127
I am swinging by the Zon shop Tuesday, it's local so easy to stop by :)
Talked with Martin and we decided to put in EMG 40dc's into my Sonus custom5(currently has polyfusion + bartolini soapbars)
Going with the EMG's because i need to get my Zon configured for my metal band.
Will probably end up selling my Alex webster Spector because of this.

Has anyone used EMG's with polyfusion pre's? What's your experience with em?
 
#1,130
engedi1 said:
Here is my baby, since no pics no bass. I would also like a number. :)View attachment 1052408
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Nice bass man, wonder where you found that one! :thumbsup:

I am supposed to be stopping by the Zon factory on Feb 20th, might be able to pick up my new bass, if its done by then! :woot:

If not, at least I'll be able to get a look at it, it's a Sonus Special 5! :smug:
 
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#1,132
bassjamn said:
getting some upgrades? How do you like the TiJ's?
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Love them. Had them for almost four years, a long time for me, and I'm planning on sticking with them for a while so I'm having matching headstocks added to them.
 
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#1,133
Bryan R. Tyler said:
I bought my TJ5 fretted used and it had a Pope Flexcore in it. I actually had the original Polyfusion pre put back in :D
Click to expand...
Couple questions:
1) does Joe still have the PF's around for retrofit?

2) I believe the pot shaft diameters are different, and the holes need to be enlarged to refit non-PF circuits. Did you have to do anything to deal with the enlarged holes in the top?

My Sonus Special came to me with the PF; but, the PF was almost not there. Much lower output than my passive Fenders. So, I decided to replace it; and based on some rec's from some TB members in this club, went with the U-Retro 3 band. Install required enlarging the holes in the bubinga top. I'm not completely wowed by the 3 band U-Retro. I'm kind of wondering if going back to a properly functioning PF might be a better idea.
 
#1,134
I don't know if they stock Polyfusions for retrofit, although I imagine they would. Mine originally had a PF and one of the owners switched it out for a Flexcore; luckily the TBer I bought it from (sonicyogi) kept the PF, so I was able to have the original put back in.

@Angus has probably been through more preamps in Zons than anyone else; he might know about the shaft sizes.
 
#1,135
Bryan R. Tyler said:
I don't know if they stock Polyfusions for retrofit, although I imagine they would. Mine originally had a PF and one of the owners switched it out for a Flexcore; luckily the TBer I bought it from (sonicyogi) kept the PF, so I was able to have the original put back in.

@Angus has probably been through more preamps in Zons than anyone else; he might know about the shaft sizes.
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Thanks Bryan. I was curious whether your bass required any additional work due to the through holes having been enlarged?
 
#1,136
bucephylus said:
Thanks Bryan. I was curious whether your bass required any additional work due to the through holes having been enlarged?
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I don't think they were enlarged. I'd tell you for sure by popping off the knobs and checking, but I won't have them back for 2-3 weeks.
 
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#1,137
I've had all manner of preamps in my basses- I've probably tried most of them on the market barring anything that has come out in the last ~4 years, like the Darkglass. :D Only tried a couple in my recent Zons, though my old old Sonus 4 has two preamps in it with a switch to switch between the two!

The only preamp that requires enlarging a whole are the East preamps (which includes the ACG). I forget now if it is for the vol/blend or the bass/bass freq but one of the stacked knobs is a larger diameter and does require boring the hole out slightly. It can still be hidden with the pot washer if you swap to another preamp afterard though.

kesslari said:
@Bryan R. Tyler Know what would be cool (or maybe I'm feverish...) - a "preamp swap club". Several people, each with a pre-amp and some way to verify trustworthiness (feedback rating?). Someone becomes the group admin. All preamps go to him or her. Sign up for one, have it mailed to you, install it (or have it installed), try it. Then mail it back. It would be a chance to try several different pres without the cost of buying them all. Still some cost/effort involved. Obviously some details to be worked out, like how to lessen the cost to the members who provide preamps to the group. Maybe do it for a fee...Dunno.
But yeah, I'm wanting to try both the Darkglass and an ACG...
I hate this website ;)
Click to expand...

I had an ACG in my 5 string for a little while. I was continually frustrated by the lack of mid-control, and it led to having to make a lot of changes on my amp, which was not ideal. I ended up swapping back to the regular East preamp. I think the ACG would be better with two pickups (mine is a single pickup) now that the individual pickup filtering option was available. When I bought it, that feature was still kept to proprietary on ACG basses, but now you can get the dual-filtering preamp.

I may still have the preamp around (again, single filter setup, so it filters after the blend) if anyone wants to try it. I'll have to look- no guarantees.


(Edit: Bad grammar.)
 
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#1,138
Angus said:
I had an ACG in my 5 string for a little while. I was continually frustrated by the lack of mid-control, and it led to having to make a lot of changes on my amp, which was not ideal. I ended up swapping back to the regular East preamp. I think the ACG would be better with two pickups (mine is a single pickup) now that the individual pickup filtering option was available. When I bought it, that feature was still kept to proprietary on ACG basses, but now you can get the dual-filtering preamp.

I may still have the preamp around (again, single filter setup, so it filters after the blend) if anyone wants to try it. I'll have to look- no guarantees.
Click to expand...

I have the same ACG in a single-pickup bass (Ibanez GWB-1) and I have the same issue that you did. So I'm curious to try the one with individual filters.
And then I think ... "My Zon sounds great. Why (other than the fact that I read TalkBass) would I want to %$^&! with it?"
 
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#1,139
IMG_0099.JPG
Finally got myself a Zon again! I had one several years ago that was beautiful and it was one of my favorite basses I've ever had. I once took it to a jam session and the guitar player looked at me and after Picking his jaw up off the floor said to me in all seriousness, "That is the best sounding bass I've ever heard" I only sold it to buy and flip another bass that turned out not to be what the seller claimed it to be. That's what I get for chasing the dollar. Anyways, The only way I'll sell this one is to get another Zon. My dream Zon is a set neck TJ5 E to C
 
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