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Zon Pedulla Elrick Skjold I need to pick Two

J

jaferland

Jul 3, 2010
5
0
#1
Hello everyone,

I'm planning to buy two new basses next summer, a Fretted and a fretless. I have been looking around for about a year and came across a couple of basses whick i find interesting soundwise and lookwise. Wo what would you pick between these : Zon Sonus Fretted and Fretless, Elrick, Skjold, Pedulla MVP/Pentabuzz and other basses in that range. I need to pick two.

Thanks for your opinions and sorry for my english.

J-A
 
#3
They are very different basses, and if at all possible you should try them.
I have a Zon Sonus Special fretless. I love Zon fretless. Pedulla Pentabuzz is a different, but very good fretless sound as well.
But what I love may not be what you love.
 
#5
I've owned all but the Skjold and played many of each one (except the Skjold again), and a Skjold is one of the few basses I haven't tried that I'd really like to. It's probably not the answer you want, but they're all really fantastic basses that you'd be best off trying in person to find what you prefer if you can track them down.
 
#7
Depends on ergonomics, tone you're going for, etc. Zon and Pedulla have very different neck shapes (at least the ones I've played), and Elrick is 35" scale for 5-string. That is another variable - you talking 4, 5, or 6 string? What bridge spacing do you prefer? Do you like a flatter or rounder neck shape? What about fretboard radius? Fret size (for the fretted)? Fretless fingerboard material? Is weight important? Do you want one "signature sound" or a lot of flexibility?

No single answer...
 
#8
I like elricks a lot but the 35" scale isn't my thing really. I'd definitely go with a Pedulla for the fretted; Rapture J2 or Thunderbolt 19mm.... Amazing fingerstyle tone.

Not sure about the fretless. Pentabuzz tone isn't really my thing either.
 
#12
kesslari said:
They are very different basses, and if at all possible you should try them.
Click to expand...

Really, most people will just tell you the basses they like. I could do that just as easily, but this is about what YOU like. Before you drop that sort of coin, you really need to know many specifics or you could potentially be bummed with the results. If you don't know what you want, how can you expect someone to build what you want?
 
#13
nostatic said:
Depends on ergonomics, tone you're going for, etc. Zon and Pedulla have very different neck shapes (at least the ones I've played), and Elrick is 35" scale for 5-string. That is another variable - you talking 4, 5, or 6 string? What bridge spacing do you prefer? Do you like a flatter or rounder neck shape? What about fretboard radius? Fret size (for the fretted)? Fretless fingerboard material? Is weight important? Do you want one "signature sound" or a lot of flexibility?

No single answer...
Click to expand...

Good points here. How would you compare the neck of a Pedulla to the neck of a Zon? There are not much of these basses here in Quebec so I can't try them until a couple of months. I know all about choosing an instrument is personnal but a experience from others can be a good thing as I will be more directed on what to compare and what main points make each bass that different before I try them. Again sorry for my English and thanks for the answers.
 
#14
If you dig the sounds of those basses I'd like to throw Tom Clement into the mix as well especially for a fretless! I've played fretless basses from each of those builders and they were all nice but Skjold and Clement really grabbed me. I can't speak for all the basses of any one particular brand but the Zons, Pedullas (with the exception of the buzz basses) and Elricks I've played seemed to lack balls for lack of a better description. They had very clean musical tones but too much to for me. On the plus side, they all felt and played like a million bucks.
 
#18
Kwesi said:
Didn't see that one coming at all :rolleyes::D!
Click to expand...

Haha, yeah... I'm definitely a Skjold fan!

But seriously, this question is nearly impossible to answer without more specific information. Of the four luthiers/brands in question, which one does the OP think has the best neck profile? Which one offers the string spacing or scale length he prefers? The most comfortable body profile? Nevermind the electronics package and overall tone...

I've owned and played numerous examples of each of the four builders, and they're all great at what they do. Each of them has their fan base here on TB, and we all chime in whenever someone mentions our builder of choice (like me with Skjolds). But really, how does the OP know that what I like about Skjolds is something he'll like?

To the OP, would you provide more comments about what you're looking for in terms of tone? Are there any other brands that you've liked that we could use to help guide you? There's a lot of experience here on TB, but telling you which brand is right for you with no information is a wasted exercise.
 

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