It’s been a while since I’ve been on Zon’s website but I wanted to get some strings and it looks like their online store is shut down?? Is Joe still producing them?? Any other way to get them??
Thanks
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Zon basses - is everything OK ?
- Thread starter Rumblefisher
- Start date
Deposit section and rest of the website is still up, Id give them a call and see. It might just be that they don't have a full time web admin and something got porked. If I were them I'd be torn up to miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday though
I'm shocked is there absolutely nothing going on, is there anybody even getting instruments?
This whole situation just blows me away, very sad if you ask me.
This whole situation just blows me away, very sad if you ask me.
It’s pretty heartbreaking, as a Zon instruments fan for three decades (and owner of two Zon basses) — it would be an absolute shame for the story of Zon to end like this.
Feels bad man
I'll probably always have a soft spot for Zon basses and I love mine...but it's a bit shady that they continue posting places like Instagram while neglecting people who are out thousands in cash. Not a good look.
They should just walk away before the name is dragged through the mud.
***CORRECTION their most recent post on Instagram is from October 12 2022
They should just walk away before the name is dragged through the mud.
***CORRECTION their most recent post on Instagram is from October 12 2022
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awful really
kinda makes one wish that they’d sell the business to someone who is willing and able to steward it before the name is completely ruined
An opinion based solely on intuition: The company is worth nothing at best. It's liability paralyzed to near death at least. Joe Zon is the company. Once he stops working and servicing, the company is over. It's possible his designs are unprotected, too, and there is nothing of tangible value to sell.
The "fat lady" has likely been singing the Zon theme song for years now. And, the good faith earned by Zon appears to be near depletion.
The flip side appears to be that some other builders like Pedulla and Status have closed their doors without hurting their customers or reputations.
However, it appears that no one is standing in line to continue their legacies either, even as they maintain hard-earned good reputations through closure and after.
The "fat lady" has likely been singing the Zon theme song for years now. And, the good faith earned by Zon appears to be near depletion.
The flip side appears to be that some other builders like Pedulla and Status have closed their doors without hurting their customers or reputations.
However, it appears that no one is standing in line to continue their legacies either, even as they maintain hard-earned good reputations through closure and after.
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I'm simultaneously surprised and not surprised. On the one hand, company behavior definitely implied that it was on a death spiral of taking orders it couldn't realistically deliver to increase cash flow to pay expenses/debt. OTOH, Zon has been in business for decades, so I'm sure we all hoped that things weren't as bad as they seemed. Doesn't look good right now, but nothing's official yet so I suppose we can keep fingers crossed that Joe can figure out how to pull a phoenix.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,222
- 45,003
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Before we light up the torches and grab the pitchforks, I'm aware of 2 orders now that are overdue, the other (super-overdue) orders having been delivered.
"Light up torches, and grab pitchforks"? Those activities are that of an angry, violent mob prior to their assault on another (often innocent) party. Comments above are nothing of that spirit, implied or literal.
However, could they instead apply to a fabled builder that ignores and mistreats customers, with little apparent care and concern for those ramifications to the continuance and life of their own business?
However, could they instead apply to a fabled builder that ignores and mistreats customers, with little apparent care and concern for those ramifications to the continuance and life of their own business?
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It's unfortunate... I played a Zon 20 years ago but couldn't afford it. Finally decided to splurge on my dream bass and ordered one in August of 2020. Still waiting. Every email just feels like a hollow excuse, so I stopped asking.
Not sure how I'm going to feel when/if it's finally completed, which is sad.
Not sure how I'm going to feel when/if it's finally completed, which is sad.
I wonder if Joe reads this thread. I saw earlier where he responded?
For what it’s worth he should reach out to his customers. I am at the two year mark.
I feel as if though I will have mixed emotions if I ever see my bass. I have been promised delivery so many times.
At this point as silly as it sounds I would talk a partial refund on my deposit and go to another maker. The frustration of waiting is too much.
Good luck to everyone!
For what it’s worth he should reach out to his customers. I am at the two year mark.
I feel as if though I will have mixed emotions if I ever see my bass. I have been promised delivery so many times.
At this point as silly as it sounds I would talk a partial refund on my deposit and go to another maker. The frustration of waiting is too much.
Good luck to everyone!
***EDIT*** Shortly after posting this, I got a response from Martin. They are short handed and very busy, but also waiting on Bart for pickups and Gotoh for tuners, delaying everything. Hoping to have the parts to finish my bass "at the end of the month." This is my first goalpost shift...going to try to be exceedingly optimistic. ***EDIT***
I'm downright despondent after reading this thread.
I bought a used Sonus in 1996 as a college kid...saved up every penny from two summers of working 80+ hours a week. That bass has been my daily driver (and the only full-scale bass I own) ever since. It had a bad neck issue due partially to operator idiocy and partially to the older epoxy/composite not being as stable. I had a friend DIY repair the neck. Terrifying story...I have a picture somewhere of the neck, mid-repair. My buddy took a grinder to the neck, all the way to the fingerboard, from nut to 13th fret. He worked at a yacht service place and rebuilt the neck using the carbon fiber and epoxy they make racing yacht masts out of. To his credit, the fix was a remarkable success, but the action never fully recovered.
After a few years of playing it like that, I started a conversation with Martin about replacing the neck outright. Due to the age of the bass and changes to the neck pocket measurements, it was going to be a pretty hefty job and cost nearly a third of a new build. Martin convinced me to just pinch pennies and let him know when I was ready to spec a new one.
That day finally came last December. After 25 years of dreaming of having my very own Zon built, I placed an order for a Sonus Special 5 (matching Bub headstock, all black hardware with a passive circuit). I paid up-front. I didn't want to be a pain in the ass, so up until my estimated delivery date (12/1/2022) I sent two emails with a couple of design questions and heaps of praise. Once 12/1 passed, I sent a short (I swear!) email requesting an update. Forwarded that request again today, 11 days after the first. Tried the phone a couple of times, too, which goes straight to voicemail. Can't get a reply from any method of communication.
I'm just gutted. I thought for sure I'd be debuting my new Sonus at my last scheduled gig of the year (on my 45th birthday, no less). Now, I find this thread and it sounds like I'll be lucky if I see it by December 2023. Gonna go cry, now. Sorry for the long vent/rant. Bass on, low enders.
I'm downright despondent after reading this thread.
I bought a used Sonus in 1996 as a college kid...saved up every penny from two summers of working 80+ hours a week. That bass has been my daily driver (and the only full-scale bass I own) ever since. It had a bad neck issue due partially to operator idiocy and partially to the older epoxy/composite not being as stable. I had a friend DIY repair the neck. Terrifying story...I have a picture somewhere of the neck, mid-repair. My buddy took a grinder to the neck, all the way to the fingerboard, from nut to 13th fret. He worked at a yacht service place and rebuilt the neck using the carbon fiber and epoxy they make racing yacht masts out of. To his credit, the fix was a remarkable success, but the action never fully recovered.
After a few years of playing it like that, I started a conversation with Martin about replacing the neck outright. Due to the age of the bass and changes to the neck pocket measurements, it was going to be a pretty hefty job and cost nearly a third of a new build. Martin convinced me to just pinch pennies and let him know when I was ready to spec a new one.
That day finally came last December. After 25 years of dreaming of having my very own Zon built, I placed an order for a Sonus Special 5 (matching Bub headstock, all black hardware with a passive circuit). I paid up-front. I didn't want to be a pain in the ass, so up until my estimated delivery date (12/1/2022) I sent two emails with a couple of design questions and heaps of praise. Once 12/1 passed, I sent a short (I swear!) email requesting an update. Forwarded that request again today, 11 days after the first. Tried the phone a couple of times, too, which goes straight to voicemail. Can't get a reply from any method of communication.
I'm just gutted. I thought for sure I'd be debuting my new Sonus at my last scheduled gig of the year (on my 45th birthday, no less). Now, I find this thread and it sounds like I'll be lucky if I see it by December 2023. Gonna go cry, now. Sorry for the long vent/rant. Bass on, low enders.
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- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,222
- 45,003
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Pretty sure he does not read this thread, nor does he spend time here on TB. Not Joe nor anyone representing the shop.
"For what it’s worth he should reach out to his customers. I am at the two year mark."
That's the crux of the problem - terrible, virtually nonexistent communication.
I feel really sad that this is still going on.
Hate to rain on your parade but way back on this thread Zon used the same excuse “ we’re waiting on parts from Bartolini”, turns out a rep from Bartolini told the customer that they had a whole shipment waiting to go, my guess at the time was Zon owes them money and they are waiting for him to settle up before they ship anything, saw the same happening in a camera store I worked in before it went under, I still think that’s what’s going on here and it is sad for all concerned.
I too have been given the waiting on pickups and hardware line. My parts have been in stock for 6 months. Still no bass.
Is there anyone who has been to the shop in person recently?
At the price of these basses, I wonder how many he would need to ship every month to make a profit.
Does he have a large overseas market where they may pay more therefore shifting he focus to maximize profits in a month?
Good luck everyone.
Is there anyone who has been to the shop in person recently?
At the price of these basses, I wonder how many he would need to ship every month to make a profit.
Does he have a large overseas market where they may pay more therefore shifting he focus to maximize profits in a month?
Good luck everyone.
Ouch. Sincere condolences.
Gotta ask: is your TB handle related to your Zon order, or accidentally ironic?
