Official Zon Club

[Vic]

Yesterday I had the chance to play live with my Sonus 5/2 and was simply amazing. The bass sounded so full and articulated...

I don't have the 5/2, but every time I get out my plain old Sonus 5 it impresses me. These days, it's the only 17mm fiver I own, so I don't play it quite as much as other basses at this point, but man, what an incredible instrument.

I'm really falling back in love with single coils these days, and that's what the Sonus's have in them, which is part of that tone. Killer.

 

[TBalls]

Feels like I'm a little late to the party, but here they are:

'93-'94 Legacy Elite IV found used @ GC back in '98 (needed a good wipedown in this shot )

These two 5-strings were custom made for me by Joe

 

[derelicte]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!!!!

 

[kesslari]

Those legacies are beauties.

I am loving my Sonus Special. What a sweet sounding, great playing instrument.
We're finishing a CD, and I got the Zon halfway through and used it on slightly more than half of the tracks, and she just sounds great. Records really easily, too.

And I spoke to Joe the other day for the first time - really nice guy, really helpful.

 

[Daniel Elliott]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!!!!

I agree with derelict, that fretless has a really nice top on it. I assume it plays like a dream like all Zon fretless basses.

...wish I could play fretless myself

 

[Vic]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!!!!

+1

 

[Papersen]

BTW, I`m planning to order someday a custom VB-4 (FKA Vinny) with Burl Redwood top instead of plain Ash.

Has anybody seen or played one ?

 

[Freddels]

I can't believe I missed this thread for so long.

Here's my Sonus Custom 5

 

[ric stave]

*Subscribed*

No Vinny 5'ers?

Does anybody have any experience regarding the sound differences between the VB (single coils) and the VBH (w/humbuckers)?

I'm thinking later this year I may just be joining this club....

...

 

[fretlessrock]

This beauty deserves three times wow from my side, so:

WOW, WOW, WOW

Mind your fingerprints ;-) Ever thought about using DR pink strings .....?

Never thought about pink strings.... but thanks for the horrifying mental imagery. It mostly wears a extra light Zon nickel EADGC set, and I am going to try light Elixirs on it next just for a change of pace, and because i picked up a few Elixir C strings here on TB.

I've owned an armada of basses, fretted and fretless, and aside from a fretless VB5 I have zero GAS since getting this bass. Joe Zon: KILLS GAS DEAD

 

[Papersen]

Never thought about pink strings.... but thanks for the horrifying mental imagery. It mostly wears a extra light Zon nickel EADGC set, and I am going to try light Elixirs on it next just for a change of pace, and because i picked up a few Elixir C strings here on TB.

I`m currently Zon SS strings and used DR Hi Beams before. I like the attack and articulation they give. I tried Elixirs for a short time, but couldn`t nail that sound. It mellowed the tone much more and finally decided to string my Cirrus with them.

 

[maurilio]

Hey there,
I wanted to show off my Zon 519 customization. What better than the Zon club
(not looking for club's number, really).

I started with a "regular" 519. I got it NOS from BassandBeyond.com. Super great price for a NOS, BTW.
Ash with Spalted Maple top, chrome HW. Everything sounded great, but.....
I changed the original bridge for an Aluminum Hipshot B, larger strap bottons and re-rout for Bartolini XXM55C.
Installed a switch for parallel/single coil. The back side coil of the bridge pup is placed around the '70 jazz position.
On the preamp (Bartolini NTMB) I moded the mids and treble frqs.
The switch's high mid pos has a different cap that raise the frq around 1.2Khz (Instead of 800hz).
I did the same for the treble (changed to a higher boost frq).
The big deal was that the frets were not even and the bottom of the neck heel was not flat making the neck not sitting properly flat. Fixed!
Now I have a wonderful "'70 jazz-ish" and "Ken Smith-ish" (but fatter) sound in one single instrument.
My "only complain" about Zon's neck is the radius (12") I like a flatter one (14"/16" or more), but I got used to it.

Sorry for the big pics!

 

[Vic]

...the bottom of the neck heel was not flat making the neck not sitting properly flat. Fixed!

How was that done? Sent back to Zon and they milled it or something?

BTW, awesome mods!

Oh, also, what did you change the treble from and to?

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I've been wondering about Zons for a long time - but I've never really gotten a chance to sit down and put one through it's paces. So here's a few questions:

- What are the necks like? I generally prefer a fairly deep neck - are the Zon necks skinny? Are the neck profiles the same from model to model?

- What's the difference between the big pickups and the jazz pickups?

- I've seen some Zons with both pickups located near the bridge - what's up with that?

- I don't like active electronics - do the Zon pickups sound ok by themselves? I'd rather not have any electronics in my Zon, if someday I do end up ordering one.

- How would you characterize the tone between the Sonus and the Legacy?

 

[maurilio]

How was that done? Sent back to Zon and they milled it or something?

BTW, awesome mods!

Oh, also, what did you change the treble from and to?

Hey Vic,
thanks!

I did it. It's my job, beside being a working musician, I work for a very well renowned bass company ;

Bartolinis pre have a too low treble frq point, in general (although on the paper they say 6khz, it sounds lower to me). I spoke to Bill (Bartolini) and he gave me some options. The obvious one is to wire a cap in series to the treble ctrl. I don't know the frq points and I don't care too much as long it sounds good. To be honest I rarely boost the treble, most of the time, if I need a crispier slap sound, I cut the high mids...

M

 

[maurilio]

I've been wondering about Zons for a long time - but I've never really gotten a chance to sit down and put one through it's paces. So here's a few questions:

- What are the necks like? I generally prefer a fairly deep neck - are the Zon necks skinny? Are the neck profiles the same from model to model?

- What's the difference between the big pickups and the jazz pickups?

- I've seen some Zons with both pickups located near the bridge - what's up with that?

- I don't like active electronics - do the Zon pickups sound ok by themselves? I'd rather not have any electronics in my Zon, if someday I do end up ordering one.

- How would you characterize the tone between the Sonus and the Legacy?

Zon necks used to be thinner. IME, since the addition of the truss rod, their necks got thicker. Kinda flat D.

M

 

[Vic]

- What are the necks like? I generally prefer a fairly deep neck - are the Zon necks skinny?

By today's standards, I'd say probably yes on the 5's except for this one, since most of their 5's are still the "old school" 17mm spacing. However, this one's the more currently typical 19mm spaced.

- I've seen some Zons with both pickups located near the bridge - what's up with that?

Those are Sonus "Specials" and typically have ash bodies and bubinga tops. IMHO about the best fretless on the planet. Very mid forward.

 

[Vic]

Hey Vic,
thanks!

I did it. It's my job, beside being a working musician, I work for a very well renowned bass company

Yeah Mo, I'm hip to where you work.

Thing is, I figured flattening the bottom of a neck might require a jig which only the original maker would have. Obviously I'm wrong tho.

So, on the treble, I read your post, but it'd still be cool to get some idea of the relative change. So just for the sake of conversation, let's say you're right, and it's not the 6K spec'd and more like maybe 4K. Would you characterize it as like 4K-8K or more subtle than that?

Also, you made the EQ changes and the pickup changes at the same time, right, so you never played the old pickups with the new "EQ", correct?

I'm particularly interested because I had a Sonus I also made the same pickup change to (actually paid Zon to do it tho ), but didn't do anything with the EQ or add that cool splitter option.

 

[maurilio]

Yeah Mo, I'm hip to where you work.

Thing is, I figured flattening the bottom of a neck might require a jig which only the original maker would have. Obviously I'm wrong tho.

So, on the treble, I read your post, but it'd still be cool to get some idea of the relative change. So just for the sake of conversation, let's say you're right, and it's not the 6K spec'd and more like maybe 4K. Would you characterize it as like 4K-8K or more subtle than that?

Also, you made the EQ changes and the pickup changes at the same time, right, so you never played the old pickups with the new "EQ", correct?

I'm particularly interested because I had a Sonus I also made the same pickup change to (actually paid Zon to do it tho ), but didn't do anything with the EQ or add that cool splitter option.

for the heel, some good ol' sand block and some experience....

the change on the treble is subtle, just a little higher. I think Bart pre use a wide Q on the first part of the sweep and then narrows toward the end (if that makes sense).
I'm thinking on trying a Nordstrand preamp, later on

I never make changes all together at the same time when i'm experimenting.

-first the mid switch and the treble
-second was the bridge (better overall even sound and better Low B).
-third was the "J" pups (I went from the OEM "J" CB Bart to the "original deep" one - more to my liking).
-fourth the soapbars with the split

All this IME, IMO, just for the sake of "perfecting" my tools (I did a similar job to my lovely Roscoe Century V).

M

 

[Vic]

for the...

Great! Thanks Mo. That hits all my questions and even the one I forgot to ask... the bridge...

For my tastes, I'm really happy with the J's that are in my Sonus (I ASSUME they're the same as the ones originally in the 519, but I don't know for sure. Mine's the regular Sonus 5) I'm also pretty happy with the preamp the way it is... at least with those pickups anyway, but I might consider a bridge change. While I'm really pretty happy with the B, something that might bolt on could be worth an eval for potential improvement. I'd have to get the 17mm version tho.