Official Zon Club Part 5

[bobunit]

Wow. I find it hard to believe that no one has tried flats on their Zon. I'll wait longer. Not being impatient, just curious before I start down the buying strings test on another bass. That gets expensive with flats. Thanks in advance.

Wish I could help, but I use XL Nickels on my fretless Zons. I do like Chromes on my Fenders though.

 

[Maple]

I have the standard Sonus with jazz-styl pickups and currently use TI jazz flats on it. I like the flat sound but also thought it sounded great (and aggressive) with nickel xl rounds. If I had a traditional jazz or p-bass, I'd probably set that one up with flats and switch the Sonus back to rounds.

I'm hoping some of you Zon Vets can help me.

I recently purchased a Sonus Custom with the soapbars and Bartolini 3 way preamp and I was wondering if any of you have tried D'adarrio Chromes and/or any flats? If so, what were the outcomes?

Thanks

 

[JOME77]

Wow. I find it hard to believe that no one has tried flats on their Zon.

I'll wait longer. Not being impatient, just curious before I start down the buying strings test on another bass. That gets expensive with flats.

Thanks in advance.

I installed a set of the Ernie Ball Colbalt Flats on my Zon fretless and they sounded really nice. Those strings IMO are a bit more between the Nickle RW and a typical set of flats. I prefer them over the TI Jazz Flats (which I also like). I was very surprised at how much Mwah and growl they had on the Zon fretless. I opt'd to ultimately put them on my Warmoth Gecko fretless with a poly coated ebony board and installed the DR Pure Blues on the Zon. Mainly because the EB Flats would be easier on my poly coated Ebony board and the the Zon Phenowood finger board can handle the Nickle RW's without long term issues.

The Ernie Ball Colbalt Flat 5 string set is also only $34.99 and won't break the bank. That's like 1/3 the cost of the TI Jazz Flats.

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

I have the standard Sonus with jazz-styl pickups and currently use TI jazz flats on it. I like the flat sound but also thought it sounded great (and aggressive) with nickel xl rounds. If I had a traditional jazz or p-bass, I'd probably set that one up with flats and switch the Sonus back to rounds.

I was wondering what I'd possibly lose buy going flat on this baby. Interestingly enough, I was thinking I could lose a little "aggression". Lol.

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

Hey everybody, I just wanted to send pics of what I'm looking to flatten up. I call her.... Zappa

 

[murdocmarty]

One word… Waiting!

And here is mine. Real beauty of a bass!

 

[bobunit]

And here is mine. Real beauty of a bass!

Very nice. Is the body wood Ash?

 

[MCS4]

I was wondering what I'd possibly lose buy going flat on this baby. Interestingly enough, I was thinking I could lose a little "aggression". Lol.

You're still going to get the usual loss of attack/treble/bite switching from rounds to flats, although that's not to say it isn't worth a shot. I actually prefer the overall tone of my VB-4 with flats, but I still more often keep it strung with rounds right now because I need that roundwound attack for my main rock/metal project.

 

[bucephylus]

This is my fretless bass. I had it out on the gig last weekend, and did a Phantom medley, some Addams Family material and the Munsters with it. Great bass. Pope preamp really makes it sing.

 

[winegamd]

I used Pressurewounds on mine for about a year. While not quite they same as a true flat, once dead, they are similar. You can expect the same type of changes in the tone switching to flats you would with any other active bass. The response, however, is going to be much more even and clear. You may also get a bit more contact "clank" from fretting due to the better construction attributes of graphite over a conventional wood neck. Depending on the pre you have installed, you may retain more top end, too. These basses really are chameleons, and even though most people use them as high performance super cars, they can be made to operate like a jacked up 4x4 if needed.

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

After reading the responses, I think it might be best to stick with rounds on this one. Guess I'm asking to much of a favorite . I just love chromes and Labella flats. I'll just get another jazz and put 'em on there. Thanks for all your help.

 

[andrew]

After reading the responses, I think it might be best to stick with rounds on this one. Guess I'm asking to much of a favorite . I just love chromes and Labella flats. I'll just get another jazz and put 'em on there. Thanks for all your help.

I wouldn’t be afraid to try flats on your Zon. They have a clarity and high end presence that flats could compliment nicely.

 

[winegamd]

After reading the responses, I think it might be best to stick with rounds on this one. Guess I'm asking to much of a favorite . I just love chromes and Labella flats. I'll just get another jazz and put 'em on there. Thanks for all your help.

By all means, I did not mean to defer you away from flats. On the contrary they might be perfect for taming the Hifi'ness of a Zon. I have played a couple Sonus with the John East pre, and they would have sounded really good with flats. If it has Bartolini J's I would say go for it for sure.

 

[Angus]

My Zons all have East preamps and they sound fantastic with flats.

 

[J.Wolf]

I'd love to hear ZON's with the East preamps.. I've been using them for years, and I seriously love ZON's but have a love hate thing with Bartolini electronics. A Sonus Custom with a Uni Pre could be just fantastic.

 

[kesslari]

My Zons all have East preamps and they sound fantastic with flats.

All my Zons wear English Leather... or they wear nothing at all.

 

[JOME77]

I'd love to hear ZON's with the East preamps.. I've been using them for years, and I seriously love ZON's but have a love hate thing with Bartolini electronics. A Sonus Custom with a Uni Pre could be just fantastic.

I hear what you're saying Jake and I've been of the same opinion concerning the Bart pre's in the past. But for some reason I've gone full circle and love the tone of the Bart pre's now. I will say that a Bart pre can sound totally different in different bass brands (Roscoe, Zon, MTD, Warrior). IMO it's got a lot to do with construction methods, woods used and type pickups (as well as custom made Bart pre or pickups). IMO the Bart combo's sounds totally different in the before mentioned bass brands.
Don't get me wrong I love the Uni-pre and Pope too. I'm just really digging the sound of the Bart/Bart combo's in my Roscoe and Zon. I also just pulled the DarkGlass Tone module out of my Zon fretless and installed a new Bart 5.2AP NTMB-GFL. Sounds really good too!

 

[J.Wolf]

I hear that. It’s definitely true, and a lot of it depends on the OEM specs the different manufacturers have with Bartolini.

I don’t find the sound to vary too much with identical Bartolini pick ups and electronics, as I feel the tone is more baked in than with other brands, but there is a ton of different stuff out there with the name Bartolini on it that sounds very different from one another.

I Will say, for Zon fretless, the Bartolini pick ups and electronics are very hard to beat. For Fretted it’s not my favorite, that man is that fretless sound buttery and rich.

 

[J.Wolf]

sorry for that autocorrect disaster. Fixed.

 

[kesslari]

Don't get me wrong I love the Uni-pre and Pope too. I'm just really digging the sound of the Bart/Bart combo's in my Roscoe and Zon. I also just pulled the DarkGlass Tone module out of my Zon fretless and installed a new Bart 5.2AP NTMB-GFL. Sounds really good too!

I know you were digging the Darkglass... what are the diffs you're hearing?