What would you like to know about Zon basses? Many answers are included here, but if you have a question that isn't answered, contact us!

Neck

What are the advantages of the composite neck on the Zon bass?
The benefits of our composite neck are that it is extremely stable and will not warp or twist like wood. This means that no adjustments are required and your bass will remain playing consistently great for years to come. Furthermore, these materials enhance the instrument's sound, the bass has better definition, cutting clarity, and attack, and every note across the entire fingerboard is even in sustain and volume, without any dead spots.

How is the neck attached on the Legacy Elite basses?
The neck on these basses is a set-in, or glued-on dovetail design. Here the neck heel is fitted to a precisely matched pocket in the body. Both parts are then glued together using a specially formulated aerospace epoxy. Upon inspection, it looks like a neck-through-body design. That's because we carve the body and neck so they seemlessly blend together.

Why don't you make a neck-through-body bass?
Our research has found that in the case of composites, the neck-through-body design sounds too sterile and lacks character. We attach our necks to all-wood bodies to give our instruments much more warmth and personality. Additionally, in using various wood tops to "voice" the instrument, this design has a more pronounced effect.

Is the fingerboard graphite, too?
No, the fingerboard is called phenowood, which is actually wood (usually birch) that has been impregnated with a phenolic resin. Layers of wood are compressed under heat and pressure, resulting in a material similar to ebony in hardness and appearance, yet it is much more stable.

Can the neck be refretted?
Definitely. Although we use a very hard fretwire for long life and to prevent premature fret wear, refretteing of the fingerboard can easily be done by an experienced repairperson. It's similar to refretting an ebony board.

Electronics

What do the Sonus controls do?
Please visit our online Owner's Guide for more information.

Are the Bartolini pickups the same as on other basses?
Absolutely not. None of the Bartolini pickups on Zon basses are "off-the-shelf," but rather custom-wound for each of the different models. In developing a new instrument, we achieve the "voicing" for that bass by altering the pickup's winding to complement the neck and body materials, as well as the electronics. Everything has to work together as an integral unit. This is usually a very involved process and takes a lot of time. We think it's worth it, and the results prove so.

Woods

Which woods are used for which models?
The specifications sheet for each model ists the exact wood(s) used for that instrument.

Are any endangered woods used in the construction of Zon basses?
Absolutely none. We use mostly domestic woods in the construction of our basses. Any exotic woods are secured from vendors that harvest wood in a sustained-yield manner.

Hyperbass

Is there a standard tuning for the Hyperbass?
Because the Hyperbass was designed specifically for altered tunings, there is no standard tuning for it. However, the primary tuning used by Michael Manring is: E A E A, starting from the 4th string, going up.

What are the string gauges used on a Hyperbass?
The gauges are .020, .032, .042, and .052.

Miscellaneous

What kind of strings come on Zon basses?
All Zon basses come equipped with regular-gauge UltraSonic bass strings. These premium-quality strings are custom-wound exclusively for us to our specifications. Strings with the black silk wrap are nickel; the ones with a blue silk wrap are stainless steel.

Want To Know More?

Do you have questions about Zon products? Contact us by e-mail.
Naturally, you may contact us by fax, phone, or standard postal mail.

©2012 Zon Guitars