Official Zon Club Part 5

[Angus]

Grats!! Very curious what it is.

I just bumped the thread because it's an "anniversary."

 

[golower]

A custom 4-10 cab that I built for myself ,loaded with 8 ohm Beyma 10G40 transducers . It’s an 8 ohm cab . It has angled internal bracing across the middle ( short way across the cab ) to chop off any standing waves . No stuffing , a handle on the top back and two wheels on the back bottom , a speakon jack and was built with .75 inch 13 ply Baltic Birch . Modeled with Bass Box Pro . powered with a Mesa Boogie Big Block 750 . I was getting old ( hate it when that happens ) and not liking lifting square chunky cabs so I just wheel this out to my vehicle and tilt it onto the back seat and slide it in . Way less lifting . It was designed to fit across the backseat of a 2013 Chevy Impala . Gets my sound up off the ground . Iam very satisfied with the good clean solid tone . Handles lots of power with no linear distortion . I have four more of the Beyma transducers and eventually my next project is a couple 2-10 cabs . The cab is the second I’ve built ( my first cab was a single 18” transducer cab that I played many years ) and is just a proto type and for myself . I’ve been away for a time , glad to see you all still doing this thread . I didn’t feel this post was off topic , the cab is for my Zon , my only instrument .
Think I may switch back to four string ? Leaning hard on ordering a 4-2 with Ash body , Purple Heart tone plate and Wenge top . I played a five string at Planet Bass with that particular wood combination and liked it .

 

[Fuzzbass]

This has been driving me crazy for four hours now. I've barely been able to touch her.... don't want to get too intimate here at work. Still about an hour until I can actually plug her in, but she seemed to be in tune. You can't tell from the pics, but the case looks like (and probably is) a guitar case rather than a bass case -- but of course that makes sense for this instrument.

Case candy contains a brass tool for string-changing on the headless system. The Zon website has clear how-to sheet on that; looks simple enough.

Most of you Zon owners seem to have basses with beautiful wood tops. I admire those, but I'm a blue collar support player who doesn't want to "front", so I went with bass-ic black (sic). Matte black.

If I get home in time to set her up for half-step-down, I will surprise the guys at rehearsal tonight. Regardless, I can't wait to check her out!

OBTW: first impression is nothing but amazeballs. Build quality is superb.

 

[Angus]

That's awesome! Great pickup choice, too.

 

[andrew]

Congratulations @Fuzzbass, gorgeous bass! I’m looking forward to hearing your review once you get to plug it in.

 

[Fuzzbass]

That's awesome! Great pickup choice, too.

I am thrilled with the pickup choice!

Congratulations @Fuzzbass, gorgeous bass! I’m looking forward to hearing your review once you get to plug it in.

I have you to thank for reminding me about Zon. I'm not sure why they weren't on my radar... perhaps because my experience with Modulus Quantums was just so-so. But it's definitely not fair to think Zon and Modulus are alike just because both have graphite necks! I'll try to post a review tonight.

 

[Fuzzbass]

TL;DR: Played it tonight at rehearsal. I love the looks, tones, playability, balance, build quality. The bass easily met my high expectations. As noted, I'm thrilled!


Longer review (preliminary... it's still wedding night, after all):

Specs:

• Alder body, matte black
• 34" scale (recommended by Zon, and I happily agreed), 24 frets
• Wide spacing: 19mm bridge
• Hipshot headless system
• bartolini pickups, coil-switchable
• 2-band EQ, boost-only treble and bass
• Passive tone control, push/pull for active/passive
• Neck pickup volume, push/pull for single/dual coil
• Bridge pickup volume, push/pull for single/dual coil

Build time: ordered early June 6, 2017. 8 month ETA given. Arrived today... 9.5 months later? That's not a bad over for a custom build. It actually appeared that my bass would be ready a month early, but per Zon bartolini sent pickups with the wrong spacing. Waiting on the correct pickups caused the delay. Might as well add: before purchase, I was aware of some overly-long build times. I learned more via PM after purchase. All I will say is that I'm grateful to those still waiting who wished me good luck, and I wish them the best of luck in return.


I'm thrilled with the bass, but two details didn't meet spec:

1. When asked, I specified that the passive tone control should work in both active and passive modes. As it turns out, the passive tone only works in passive mode. This concerned me at first, given that the active EQ is boost-only. After playing the bass tonight at rehearsal, however, I'm actually grateful for this config. First reason: from what I've read, adding a passive tone to an active circuit changes output impedance so that it behaves more like a passive bass: "less buffered", maybe? On my Fender-style actives, that's a good thing. However this is a decidedly modern bass, and I'm glad it has a more active, hi-fi tone in active mode. Second reason is that when I checked passive mode, volume seems to be roughly identical to active when the active EQ is flat or close to flat. Light bulb moment: I discovered I can switch mode from active to passive-with-tone-rolled-back to alternate between bright and mellow tones, with no significant change in volume. This is very cool! I don't see myself cranking EQ on this bass.
2. The other oddity is that the bass EQ knob is toward the neck, the treble EQ knob closer to the bridge. I shouldn't say it didn't meet spec because I never specified, but it's backwards from every other active bass I've ever owned or played. It's not a big deal, I'll adjust.

Some obvious adjustments I knew I'd have to make for a headless bass:

1. I love hanging bass stands, but they require a headstock. I already owned a very basic A-frame stand that I keep at rehearsal, but I bought a nicer Hercules one to use at gigs.
2. I also love clip-on tuners, but they too require a headstock... usually. I couldn't find a place to clip-on to the neck, but as you can see above, I could clip onto the strap button even while the strap was attached. It worked out OK at rehearsal... not sure about at the gig, but I'll find out this Saturday night.

Non-obvious adjustment: my girlfriend said the neck was too short, that it should be longer with those shiny adjusters at the end, so overall it looked like a toy bass. Actually, that's an adjustment my g/f will have to make. I love it!



Ok, let's get down to business b/c it's past my bedtime:

Look and feel: awesome
Build quality: awesome
Ergonomics: awesome. Feels like all the weight is in the body -- zero chance of neck dive. Nice long upper horn... hangs perfectly
Playability: awesome again! Love the neck profile. Fretwork is beautiful. Nice large dots on the side of the neck
Tone: AWESOME! I have 8 other basses, the majority being Fender-style, and even when active they don't stray far from Fender or Music Man style tones. That's all great, but I LOVE that this one is outside of the box. The bart pickups and electronics are amazing. I can get Music Man style tones, but also late-period Entwistle tones. When I kicked in my Tech 21 Oxford pedal I kinda-sorta got into the Baba O'Reilly Live ballpark, which was impressive given that I was only using a Fender Rumble 1x12 combo

I mentioned Modulus earlier... a decade ago I owned two Quantums, one with barts and the other with EMGs. I liked them, but never loved them. Maybe I was just unlucky.... it was only a sample of two. Bottom line is that this Zon just blows them out of the water. It's modern and organic at the same time.


Almost forgot: I assumed I'd have to tweak action when I dropped tuning. Nope! Played beautifully in standard and 1/2-step down.


All this after only using my little Fender combos (1x10 at home, 1x12 at rehearsal). Can't wait to rock it thru my gig rig Saturday night!

 

[Jeff Scott]

...The other oddity is that the bass EQ knob is toward the neck, the treble EQ knob closer to the bridge. I shouldn't say it didn't meet spec because I never specified, but it's backwards from every other active bass I've ever owned or played. It's not a big deal, I'll adjust.

I think it is great configured that way, as virtually all stereo preamps and studio gear place the Bass control before the Treble control to follow along with the fact that a frequency response graph goes from bass (left) to Treble (right). Makes perfect sense to me. It's all the other MI onboard bass preamps that really have it backwards.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I think it is great configured that way, as virtually all stereo preamps and studio gear place the Bass control before the Treble control to follow along with the fact that a frequency response graph goes from bass (left) to Treble (right). Makes perfect sense to me. It's all the other MI onboard bass preamps that really have it backwards.

"Neck pickup deeper / bridge pickup brighter" also occurred to me as I was typing out my review. A bit more justification for the Zon layout, but your explanation is even more logical.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Day 2 updates (don't worry, it won't be EVERY day ):

my girlfriend said the neck was too short, that it should be longer with those shiny adjusters at the end, so overall it looked like a toy bass.

From this perspective, I have to admit my g/f has a point. I DON'T CARE!!

I assumed I'd have to tweak action when I dropped tuning. Nope! Played beautifully in standard and 1/2-step down.

Playing unplugged today, I do notice some fret buzz in 1/2-step down when I dig in. However it barely comes through the amp, and some bassists (Entwistle as I recall) like to have their basses set up this way: low action with just a hint of buzz up and down the fretboard. Also, as noted, the bass still does play beautifully, and I've never believed that fret buzz is always bad... to the contrary, it can be cool in moderation. I'm torn between leaving it this way or raising it a smidge so I can dig in a bit more. I should know for sure after my rock gig tomorrow night.

 

[winegamd]

You are also opened up to a lot more case/gig bag options because you can probably fit in a regular guitar gig bag. Also easier to fly with. The headless tuners have a higher ratio, so fine tuning adjustments are easier.

 

[JGR]

This has been driving me crazy for four hours now. I've barely been able to touch her.... don't want to get too intimate here at work. Still about an hour until I can actually plug her in, but she seemed to be in tune. You can't tell from the pics, but the case looks like (and probably is) a guitar case rather than a bass case -- but of course that makes sense for this instrument.

Case candy contains a brass tool for string-changing on the headless system. The Zon website has clear how-to sheet on that; looks simple enough.

Most of you Zon owners seem to have basses with beautiful wood tops. I admire those, but I'm a blue collar support player who doesn't want to "front", so I went with bass-ic black (sic). Matte black.

If I get home in time to set her up for half-step-down, I will surprise the guys at rehearsal tonight. Regardless, I can't wait to check her out!

OBTW: first impression is nothing but amazeballs. Build quality is superb.


View attachment 2966537 View attachment 2966538 View attachment 2966539

Got a chance to hear and play this fine instrument today. Never played a Zon before. Never played a headless. Never played a bass with Bart pickups/pre. In short, it all works incredibly well, and all the pieces add up to a pretty amazing instrument! The matte black aesthetic looks killer. The tone is very balanced and somewhat modern, but warm at the same time. The attack and punch from the neck construction are unique and very cool. Sounded great though everything we played it through. Ken has a ton of cool basses, and this is one of my favorites.

 

[Fuzzbass]

You are also opened up to a lot more case/gig bag options because you can probably fit in a regular guitar gig bag. Also easier to fly with. The headless tuners have a higher ratio, so fine tuning adjustments are easier.

Great points. Love the high ratio tuners. I love that the bass is such a small, relatively light carry.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Got a chance to hear and play this fine instrument today. Never played a Zon before. Never played a headless. Never played a bass with Bart pickups/pre. In short, it all works incredibly well, and all the pieces add up to a pretty amazing instrument! The matte black aesthetic looks killer. The tone is very balanced and somewhat modern, but warm at the same time. The attack and punch from the neck construction are unique and very cool. Sounded great though everything we played it through. Ken has a ton of cool basses, and this is one of my favorites.

This is high praise, because Jonathan has a wallful of really cool basses himself. Here he is in his skunkworks test chamber playing my bass.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Crappy photo because the venue (sports bar) keeps the stage dark between sets so I had to use flash. Anyway, here are some post-debut-gig thoughts.

• Bass is super comfortable to play. Most of the weight is in the body, and the body (alder) isn't all that heavy
• Because the neck is so light, and there is no headstock (almost zero inertia when swinging the neck around), it feels like playing air bass
• The venue has a mirror behind the bar, which is opposite of the band. So, I could kinda see myself -- and it looked like I was playing air bass (black bass over black t-shirt and dark jeans)
• The passive tone is amazing: even rolled all the way back, the overall tone got mellow, but not muddy/mushy
• Got a great array of tones, running it clean or dirty (OD pedals)
• Love how it stays in tune -- no keys to bump during transport
• Still totally happy with the bass!

OK, time for bed.

 

[dhagopian]

Love the bass. What are the pickups? They look bigger than normal.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Love the bass. What are the pickups? They look bigger than normal.

The bass has bartolini pickups and preamp: boost-only bass and treble, passive tone control. I normally prefer master volume/blend, but for this bass I went volume/volume because each volume is a push-pull that switches its pickup between single and dual coil mode. The bass is so quiet when a single pickup is in single coil mode that it makes me wonder whether there's a dummy coil in the middle -- decades ago I had a bartolini triple-coil Music Man replacement pickup with that exact feature. I'll have to ask Zon about mine.

 

[J.Wolf]

Looks like a headless Sonus 5/2. SUPER nice looking man, love that vibe. Reminds me ever so slightly of the Fodera headless MG Imperial, but probably because they're both stain black headless 5's.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Looks like a headless Sonus 5/2. SUPER nice looking man, love that vibe. Reminds me ever so slightly of the Fodera headless MG Imperial, but probably because they're both stain black headless 5's.

I actually got the matte black idea from the Zon Billy Gould sig. I seriously considered a five-string version of that bass, but decided to go with a headless Sonus 519 with soaps. I do not know whether the pickups on mine are the same as the Sonus 5/2 but with wider spacing... but they might be?

 

[gwangi]

View attachment 2969170

This is high praise, because Jonathan has a wallful of really cool basses himself. Here he is in his skunkworks test chamber playing my bass.

Simply STUNNING!!!!