Zion Guitar Technology - show me what you got!

[KENHOOVER]

Can anyone familiar with the orginal setup give me the skinny on the tone knobs? They don't roll off the high end completely like a normal tone knob would. The knob towards the bottom has a more audible effect on the overall sound: when rolled off the single coils sound very glassy and mellow. The tone gets grittier as I turn the knob up. The middle knob is very subtle, I can't exactly determine what it does but it also affects the tone a little bit.. What are they and what exactly do they do?

The middle control is a SPC or "fat control" Sounds like the battery needs changing as this provides a 10-15 db boost of the midrange.
The third knob is a regular, passive tone control rolling off the high end. Remember, with active EMG's, they behave a bit differently than passive pickups. Use an alkaline battery for longest life.

[perfektus]

Thanks for the replies!

Guitardude, the #1 fan is playing "guitar tech" and was checking my neck relief...he said it's fine

Ken, I changed the battery as soon as I got home with it, so that's covered.

I sat down and played the guitar clean while tweaking the controls. It sounds like to the 3rd knob is the SPC, it gives the neck pup humbucker-like fatness and grit. It also gooses the bridge HB gain...very cool!

The middle knob sounds like the RPC, it accentuates the highs giving the bridge HB some single coil-like bite. It also makes the other pup combos more "quackier" sounding.

With both knobs turned all the way down, it sounds like a normal guitar...it doesn't go into "woman tone" territory.... which is fine, I rarely use that tone anyway.

Anyway, I'm really happy with the axe!

[KENHOOVER]

Originally Posted by perfektus

Thanks for the replies!

Ken, I changed the battery as soon as I got home with it, so that's covered.

I sat down and played the guitar clean while tweaking the controls. It sounds like to the 3rd knob is the SPC, it gives the neck pup humbucker-like fatness and grit. It also gooses the bridge HB gain...very cool!

The middle knob sounds like the RPC, it accentuates the highs giving the bridge HB some single coil-like bite. It also makes the other pup combos more "quackier" sounding.

With both knobs turned all the way down, it sounds like a normal guitar...it doesn't go into "woman tone" territory.... which is fine, I rarely use that tone anyway.

Anyway, I'm really happy with the axe!

We did use that combination on some. If there is a circuit board on the back of each pot, you've got a RPC and a SPC.

[blaublaublau]

Hi

I'am new here, and this seems to be the perfect thread for a first post.

This is my Zion:



I love this Guitar! The Sound is warm and balanced. Very nice clean and distorted.

Zion deserves a special thank you for building lefty guitars. Good leftys are hard to get....

Are other lefty zions around here?

@ Ken Hoover: Can you tell me who made these pickups? The sound great, but seem to have very low output. This makes it difficult to set the Amp, if I have to change Guitar. I was thingking about changing the pickups...

Thanks

Yves

p.s. english is not my first language....

[r9player]

Welcome Blau ... nice looking lefty.

[guitardude5]

Originally Posted by blaublaublau

I have always loved the look of that blue finish. It is REALLY nice looking. I'll have to add one of those to my collection one of these days.

Yves, welcome to TGP, glad you're here!

[KENHOOVER]

Originally Posted by blaublaublau

Hi





I love this Guitar! The Sound is warm and balanced. Very nice clean and distorted.

Zion deserves a special thank you for building lefty guitars. Good leftys are hard to get....

Are other lefty zions around here?

@ Ken Hoover: Can you tell me who made these pickups? They sound great, but seem to have very low output. This makes it difficult to set the Amp, if I have to change Guitar. I was thinking about changing the pickups...

Thanks

Yves

p.s. english is not my first language....

We have made 50 Lefties.

The pickups were made exclusively for Zion by Mr. Bill Lawrence. They are great sounding. Many, many people have commented and they have not been made since the ninties. They are also quiet, dual-coil side by side humbuckers. Have never heard the complaint about them being too low output. Recommend a preamp booster to raise output but be careful as it could change the tone too. Perhaps, some readers of this thread can recommend a good booster pedal. Maybe a different amp!

[perfektus]

Originally Posted by KENHOOVER

We did use that combination on some. If there is a circuit board on the back of each pot, you've got a RPC and a SPC.

Welp, I just set thi baby up the way I like it: polished frets, .010s, fairly straight relief and nice low action... SWEET!!! :AOK

I also pulled the pickguard to take another peek at the innards..Yup, both tone pots have circuit boards, confirming my guess and Ken's post above. Oh yeah!!!!!

:RoCkIn

[blaublaublau]

Thanks Guys, thats a warm welcome!


Blue guitars seem to be still something special. I like it very much.

Ken, I did not know, that these are Humbuckers, thats interesting. To use a booster to match the output with my other Guitars is a good Idea. Especially since I got one!

[KENHOOVER]

Originally Posted by blaublaublau

Thanks Guys, thats a warm welcome!


Blue guitars seem to be still something special. I like it very much.

Ken, I did not know, that these are Humbuckers, thats interesting. To use a booster to match the output with my other Guitars is a good Idea. Especially since I got one!

[LTE]

Ken,

That is one sick guitar.

:AOK

Just wondering. About how many prototypes do you and/or Zion have in the collection for models that never happened? And of those, which one did you really want to happen?

[blaublaublau]

Very nice!

The matched headstock is a fine detail.

Thanks

[KENHOOVER]

Originally Posted by LTE

Ken,

:AOK

Just wondering. About how many prototypes do you and/or Zion have in the collection for models that never happened? And of those, which one did you really want to happen?

The answer in a word is "none" Since 1980, we sold everything we made including "prototypes" However, there is a model from the mid to late eighties, early ninties, that still gets talked about. We built 200-300 of them. It was called the Powerglide. It was one of the most innovative designs, we ever did and apparently players dig it as we still get rave reviews, 20 years later.
We intend to rerelease it eventually so if you have one, it will become an original collectors item overnight. Following are a few shots of it. We made 7 colors, so if you have one, post it and you will eventually have a collectors item.

[KENHOOVER]

[KENHOOVER]

As it has been a month since the last post, let's hear from you guys. BTW I check this everyday!