1998 Zon Legacy Elite 5 String Fretless Bass (EX John Giblin, Simple Minds, Kate Bush etc)

Here at RGG we are offering up for sale a great ‘Zon Legacy Elite fretless 5 string bass’ built in 1998. Previously owned by Ex Simple Minds / UK session player John Giblin & used in concert and on recordings with many top artists including Kate Bush, David Sylvian, John Martyn, Scott Walker, Phil Collins and others. Also on film soundtracks with Peter Gabriel and David Arnold (James Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies). Comes with a signed letter of provenance from John Giblin himself.

This bass plays beautifully with no issues. No truss rod on these models so set your action to your liking and forget about it. The neck will not move a mm. The pre is the original which has been re-installed because Giblin had put a Musicman pre in. He preferred the mid frequency which I think is 500hz on a MM. The Zon Pre mid is at 330hz and is accessed through the back plate, as was originally intended (The rear mid knob is just a dummy none functional control, as per the original custom circuit) The previous owner spoke to Joe Zon personally and apparently he was baffled as to why Giblin did this!

The bass itself has some unique features. It has a single Bartolini pickup (unusual on this model) in the ‘sweet spot’ which is slightly further from the bridge than the bridge pickup on a regular two pickup version. This gives a full but focused sound which is perfect for fretless.

The neck is standard Zon construction using carbon composite and a phenowood fingerboard (impregnated layers of birch/maple & pressure treated). Extremely stable and very hard wearing. The top is Koa wood from Hawaii. The lined fretless fingerboard is in very good condition. The bass plays superbly and has a very expressive singing tone with great sustain.

Cosmetic condition of the bass generally is very good but it’s not pristine, there are a few knocks and bumps from being well used over many years. The worst of these is where the finish has chipped through to the wood on the lower edge by the jack socket (See photos) I’m told that this was done on Kate Bush’s driveway, when attending a recording session, when the bass slipped out of the un-latched case!, So in a roundabout way that almost adds to the provenance! Currently strung with D’addario Chrome flats.  Comes with an unbranded hard case.

• Custom Built in 1998
• Hawaiin Koa Top
• Phenowood Fingerboard
• Single Bartolini Pickup
• Active Circuit
• Ser # 31090545
• Weight: 8lb-14oz