Zon Sonus Custom 5-String Fretless w/ Walnut Top Reviews 5

I bought this bass new in Rockville, Maryland. It had been sitting on the wall for a while and had been marked down several times. According to Zon's website the bass retails for $3500 and I paid $2000, only after playing it in the store at least 10 times. I was more impressed and comfortable each time I played it, so I had to scoop it up before someone else did.

The thing I like the most is its versatility. I can get a great P-bass sound if I favor the neck pickup, a nice Music Man sound with both pickups equal, and a truly awesome Jaco sound with the bridge pickup favored. If you cut about 3db from the 900hz range on your amp, you can't even tell it has a graphite compoiste neck, as every other frequency sounds very woody. Plus, with a little thumb muting action, you can hardly tell it's fretless, especially in P-bass/Music Man mode.

The control cavity has four screws and that makes it hard to change the battery during a show. My other bass is a Warwick with control cavity that can be opened with your thumb, so I guess I'm spoiled. It doesn't have a passive mode either, so you have to pay attention to battery life.

The construction is top notch. Flawless really. The body finish is beautiful, especially the walnut. It's also light, and never having to adjust the neck is a big plus.

I would recommend this bass for any touring professional, or anyone who appreicates perfection. The bottom line for any instrument is the sound, and this is about as good a fretless as I've heard. It's naturally loud and resonant, with killer natural and aftificial harmonics.

Tim rated this unit 5 on 2002-02-16.

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