Gear Watch: Epiphone Zenith Bass

Epiphone Zenith

Epiphone has released the new Zenith bass, an instrument that pays homage to the jazz guitar tradition. Available as fretted or “lined” fretless, the key to this bass is its unique NanoFlex and NanoMag pickup combination.

Epiphone Zenith close-upDesigned by Shadow Germany, the NanoFlex is fit underneath the saddle to sense the vibrations of the strings as well as the body. It is not a piezo, but a low-impedance 7-layer element with active electronics and %100 shielding to prevent sound loss or noise. The NanoMag, which is a more traditional pickup, is placed at the end of the fingerboard and has a tiny-air coil, 3 samarium-cobalt magnets, and silver platinum shielding. Both of the pickups are controlled by an active electronic system with a Master volume, pickup blend, and bass and treble controls for each pickup. The bass features stereo outputs, so the pickups can be summed for mono or split for stereo while still utilizing standard 1/4” instrument cables.

Epiphone Zenith Antique NaturalThe body is a mix of solid-body and semi-hollow, with acoustic chambers routed out inside. The top is laminated Flame Maple, and the neck, which is bolt-on, features a combination of Hard Maple and Walnut. The bridge is a neat throwback to Epiphone’s upright bass tailpiece models from the ‘40s and ‘50s. The bass is also available in an Antique Natural finish or Translucent Black.

The Epiphone Zenith is available for $799 in the translucent black finish and $849 for the Antique Natural finish. Visit epiphone.com for more details.

Epiphone Zenith Bass Features:

  • Body Material: Mahogany, Acoustically chambered
  • Neck Material: 5-pc; Hard Maple with Walnut stringers
  • Neck Shape: D-shaped; Satin Finish
  • Neck Joint: Deep-Set; 5-bolt
  • Truss Rod: Adjustable
  • Scale Length: 34″
  • Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearloid “DOT” inlays
  • Neck Pickup: NanoMag low-impedence
  • Bridge Pickup: NanoFlex low-impedence
  • Controls: Master Volume, Pickup Blend, Bridge Treble EQ and Bass EQ (concentric knobs), Neck Treble EQ and Bass EQ (concentric knobs)
  • Output: 1/4″ Mono (pickups summed) and Stereo (each pickup)
  • Binding: Multi-Binding on body
  • Fingerboard Radius: 14″
  • Frets: 21; medium-jumbo (fretted), 12, lined Hard Maple (fretless)
  • Bridge: Rosewood with string-thru body design
  • Nut Width: 1-11/16″
  • Hardware: Black
  • Machine Heads: Premium Die-Cast, 14:1 ratio
  • Colors: Fretted: Antique Natural (AN), Translucent Black (TB) Fretless: Antique Natural (AN)
  • Strings: Fretless equipped with LaBella 760N Black Nylon Tape Wound
  • Options: Hard Case
  • Warranty: Epiphone Limited Lifetime

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Leave a Reply to Luli Molinas Cancel reply

  1. darien Pavri

    Price?

  2. Hey Darien, the prices are in the article: “The Epiphone Zenith is available for $799 in the translucent black finish and $849 for the Antique Natural finish.”

  3. James

    Wow this bass looks amazing. Hopefully being semi hollow it won’t be as heavy as most epiphone instruments.

  4. Pottemagarn

    I just love this bass!

  5. Crash Collins

    How do it sound?

  6. I’ve had it since it came out, in the fretless version. Sounds and plays great – BUT… It is the HEAVIEST bass I own, the “semi hollow” chambers are minimal. The neck is balanced well, unlike the Thunderbird. Like my other two Epiphone basses, it did not come with any indication of what the control knobs did, or how to use the dual pickups. I wrote to Epiphone twice, no reply. I finally watched a review on YouTube that helped. Overall, worth it, especially if you use two amps, one for each pickup. I play blues, and it works nicely.

  7. Why does no one carry this bass? None of the big stores are carrying it.

  8. Hi! How does it sound unplugged? It is loud??? Thanks!