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Tone: Modulus vs. Zon

LeonD

LeonD

Supporting Member
Mar 26, 2001
2,836
914
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
#1
I'm considering a bass for chordal and solo playing. I'd like something with a clear, distinct and articulate voice. I've never had a bass with a graphite neck but I'm thinking it may be what I'm looking for.

While Modulus and Zon both have graphite necks, something tells me they may be different sound wise.

I've done a search but couldn't come up with any comparisons. So, what's the difference?

Thanks,
LeonD
 
#2
Zons don't have truss rod adjustment, Modulus does. I've never owned a graphite necked Modulus but my Zons sound great. Excellent clarity, sustain, and evenness of notes all over the fingerboard. The necks are a little thin front to back but very comfortable. I've stayed away from Modulus because they use EMGs and usually have flat tops on the body. Zon uses custom Bartolini and Duncan pickups that sound great.
 
#3
LeonD said:
I'm considering a bass for chordal and solo playing. I'd like something with a clear, distinct and articulate voice. I've never had a bass with a graphite neck but I'm thinking it may be what I'm looking for.

While Modulus and Zon both have graphite necks, something tells me they may be different sound wise.

I've done a search but couldn't come up with any comparisons. So, what's the difference?

Thanks,
LeonD
Click to expand...

You are correct in that they both sound different. VERY different actually.

I've owned a Modulus Quantum 4, and I now own a Zon Legacy Elite V and to be honest, the Modulus could not even begin to compare to the quality, feel, and tone of my Zon.

The Quantum, IMO, was a very tame work-horse bass that had a lack of character in the sound department. It felt "okay" and it looked nice, but for the price, one would imagine that it would have its own idiosyncratic sound. What I found was that even with my pickups really close to the strings, and my amp cranked, not only did its output leave something to be desired, but also its real lack of character. It was very mellow.

Now with the Zon it was a completely different experience. I prefer the aesthetic of the Legacy Elite over the Quantum, and the tone on the Zon is really impressive. I guess I would define it somwhere between a Fender Jazz on steroids, and it's own unique voice because of the proprietary electronics Joe uses from Bartolini and Polyfusion. Unlike the Quantum, the Legacy Elite can go from mellow, to growling with the right technique. It also has excellent note clarity and sustain across the board from the G to the B strings (on my bass). I really could not ask for anything more from the bass. One word of advice however is to try out Zon instruments prior to making a purchase, especially Zons with more than 4 strings, as the string spacing is rather tight and if you're not too hip on that it might not be your thing after all.
 
#4
+1 on the Zon's, though i am a bit biased owning 3 of them...
They do sound very clear, articulate. Chords sound great etc..
Each one has a different voicing due to pickups/preamp, so really depends on what model you get.

I have heard quantums get rave reviews as well, but never had a chance to try one.
 
#6
+1 on the Zons. I've got 2. Marcus said it all very well. The single coil models will give you that jazz bass vibe but a bit more modern. The dual coils open up the sound a bit. Again there are lots of different sounds you can get even from different Zons. My only complaint is that the preamp can be a bit noisy, especially if you boost highs - you get niagra falls with it. Combine that with the fact that the barts need a bit of high end boost...
 
#8
Wow! A lot of Zon love. I'll have to give one a try. A lot of the ones I see for sale have the thinner J type pickups. I am definately not a J bass person so I guess I'd want to try one with the wider pickups. Correct?

Regarding the Modulus, I recently tried one that sounded pretty good. It had an alder body, maple top and Lane Poor pickups. The only issue was along the side of the neck, where the fingerboard and neck met (where the side dots are), it looked like the finish was flaking off. I was told this wasn't an issue; it was due to the fact the neck and fingerboard were two different materials. The bass is about five or six years old. Can anyone confirm that this truly isn't a big deal?

And thanks for all the replies,
LeonD
 
#9
Hey Leon, what's up. Yep, I've seen a few issues with Modulus' necks coatings flaking or chipping off. It seems to be a poor quality or just a bad adhesion with the graphite. I've never seen a Zon with this problem & Joe(in my books)is tops with customer service along with his partner/help Mark, very cool & easy dealings...


~S~
 
#10
LeonD said:
Wow! A lot of Zon love. I'll have to give one a try. A lot of the ones I see for sale have the thinner J type pickups. I am definately not a J bass person so I guess I'd want to try one with the wider pickups. Correct?

Regarding the Modulus, I recently tried one that sounded pretty good. It had an alder body, maple top and Lane Poor pickups. The only issue was along the side of the neck, where the fingerboard and neck met (where the side dots are), it looked like the finish was flaking off. I was told this wasn't an issue; it was due to the fact the neck and fingerboard were two different materials. The bass is about five or six years old. Can anyone confirm that this truly isn't a big deal?

And thanks for all the replies,
LeonD
Click to expand...

It really depends on the sound you are after. I'd personally recommend the dual coils (wider pickups). I think they're more open sounding. The single coil (narrow) ones are a little more midrangy to me. If you like that, then that might be what you want. There are also tons of wood combination possibilities. Ash is going to give a midrange punchy sound. Mahogany is fairly neutral. Tops also affect the tone. With Zon there's also a choice between bolt-on necks (Sonus) and set-necks (Legacy).
 
#11
I owned a Quantum 5 for 12 years. Believe me, it saw a lot of action and the neck never cracked, chipped or flaked. The finish on Quantums is always excellent as well, mine still looked practically new. I played the heck out of that bass but always took excellent care of it. I have to wonder if some of the issues with chipping etc result from careless owners. That bass had barts, and I always got a great tone, but I switched to a Modulus with EMGs, and contrary to the popular opinion, I preferred the EMG sound. If anyone heard that bass in a band setting, I doubt they would ever say it lacked tonal character.
Now I have never owned a Zon, and I have had mixed experiences with different models in limited playing time. I've handled a few that sounded light in the loafers to me, and then I played one that I thought was possibly the best sounding and playing bass I have ever laid hands on. I think they are both great instruments and fantastic deals are to be found on both in the used market.
 
#12
I've owned quite a few of both, and have had a few together at the same time to compare.

My personal favorite is Zon. The tone is clearer, the neck is better, and the weight is lighter.

The Modulus is cool, but I'm not a fan of the Bart equipped electronics. To me, they sound better with the EMG's. I wasn't a fan of the gloss neck at the time, but now they are offering the satin neck, which is an improvement, IMO. Lastly, the weight of these basses is almost prohibitive on it's own...each one I had was over 10 lbs!

All in all, the Zon is better in every catagory for my needs.
 
#13
Marcus Alan said:
Now with the Zon it was a completely different experience. I prefer the aesthetic of the Legacy Elite over the Quantum, and the tone on the Zon is really impressive. I guess I would define it somwhere between a Fender Jazz on steroids, and it's own unique voice because of the proprietary electronics Joe uses from Bartolini and Polyfusion. Unlike the Quantum, the Legacy Elite can go from mellow, to growling with the right technique. It also has excellent note clarity and sustain across the board from the G to the B strings (on my bass). I really could not ask for anything more from the bass. One word of advice however is to try out Zon instruments prior to making a purchase, especially Zons with more than 4 strings, as the string spacing is rather tight and if you're not too hip on that it might not be your thing after all.
Click to expand...
+1

I also have succumbed to the Zon appeal multiple times. :) While two are pretty much straight up Sonus 5's, one is a Custom 5 and the other is a (totally magical) Sonus Special 5 fretless. :)

I should point out that some Zons do have truss rods, though for the Sonus, it's an option only available if you are ordering brand new. I should also point out that, on a Zon, they really aren't necessary unless you want to alter the nature of your action from time to time, or if you're just so particular, you want to tweak it just that tiny bit beyond the factory standard (which is nothing short of excellent anyway). Once it's where it is, it'll never move. I've gone from the hottest most humid horrible day into a frigid A/C club, and not even had to retune, and seasonal adjustment is no longer a concern.

I should add that, I do like the Modulus Quantums, but IMHO, the Zons are "a cut above".
 
#19
I own 3 Zons - a Sonus 5, a Sonus Custom 5 fretless, and a Sonus Special 8.

I also own 3(ish) Modulus - a Quantum 6, a VJ 4 and a Peavey BQuad 4 (with the Mod neck).

I'm a little less divided on them than the overall Zon concensus. I like both, but if I were looking for a solid solo voice, I'd go Zon. I used my Mod VJ for YEARS as my main gigging bass (recently replaced with a FABULOUS 78 Fender J) and it never let me down.

I actually think that the Zons sound less sterile and more "woody" than the Modulus. I'm not sure why. But I do know that Joe is INCREDIBLY dedicated to pickup selection and wood selection - whereas Modulus . . . maybe a little less so.

I think you're absolutely on the right track though - in terms of thinking about going the graphite route for a clear, chordal solo voice. And you know, it'll ebb and flo - you'll be mezmerized by the clarity and sustain for a few years and then you'll pick up an old Fender that will just SPEAK to you and you'll give the graphite a break . . . and on and on!

Good luck.

Ian
 
#20
artiseasy said:
I actually think that the Zons sound less sterile and more "woody" than the Modulus. I'm not sure why. But I do know that Joe is INCREDIBLY dedicated to pickup selection and wood selection - whereas Modulus . . . maybe a little less so.
Click to expand...
The wood selection is part of it, but I really think the key to the whole formula is Joe's proprietary blend of composite materials in the neck and the construction method. He also uses actual wood fiber in the fingerboard, but I think the biggest thing is the neck design and formula.

Also, I'm pretty sure most/all other synthetic neck'd basses (Status, Parker, Modulus, Moses, etc.) use a carbon fiber type construction (you can see the fiber's mesh or flakes/patches in the resin suspension.) I believe this is a layered process. Zon uses an injection mold process of a composite blend of synthetic materials... more like (or identical to) casting. So really, it's a totally different thing other than the fact that they're all synthetic. At least I think that's the way it is...

What I do know for sure is Joe worked long and hard on his proprietary formula, and IMHO, it payed off.
 

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