How Michael Manring’s relentless search for new sounds led to the creation of his signature Zon Hyperbass

Having released several acclaimed solo albums and appeared as a side man and featured soloist on dozens more, Michael Manring’s reputation as one of the most amazing musicians to ever pick up a bass guitar gets stronger with each new release.

His tuitional videos are widely regarded as some of the most useful educational videos around, which has helped to build him an international reputation as an inspirational clinician, visiting universities and music colleges across the US and Europe to speak about the unique noises that he gets from a bass.

Sparked during his long-term collaboration with the late acoustic guitar genius Michael Hedges, Manring's relentless search for new sounds led to the creation of his signature Zon Hyperbass, an instrument that boasts a three-octave fretless fingerboard and seemingly endless tuning capabilities.

For a better understanding of exactly what we’re talking about, check out Manring's solo bass composition The Enormous Room.

The Zon Hyperbass offers a vast extended range via a three-octave fretless fingerboard and limitless altered tunings. “Michael’s thing is altered tuning and the Hyperbass is designed specifically for that,” Joe Zon told Bass Player.

“It’s capable of thousands of different tunings and Michael’s got a great number of them under his belt. There are Hipshot detuners up at the headstock, which allow you to detune each string individually.

“The bridge also has two levers that activate the cams under the saddles. Each saddle has a series of set screws that correspond to those cams, so you can vary the amount of travel for each saddle and basically have each string change at whatever increment you want – a step apart, a half-step apart or whatever. When you move the levers the pitch changes accordingly.

“Not only does this system allow Michael to instantly change tunings, he also found that he could incorporate the process of the pitch changes into the composition itself. Being able to alter the tuning is one thing, but being able to change the pitch of the strings and incorporate that in the music is another.”

Manring continued, “I’m so lucky to have somebody like Joe who is interested in building these crazy instruments that I dream up. Somehow he has learnt how to build a bass and give it a voice so that it almost speaks for itself.

“There’s some kind of added mojo in there; I don’t know what it is and I usually don’t even ask! It probably involves sacrificing chickens or something! I don’t want to know about that!”

Manring's relationship with Zon Guitars has also produced a number of other instruments. “Joe has also made me a headless fretted bass, a 10-string bass (5 sets of 2) which I re-strung and tuned in whacked-out ways. One day I'll give it back, but I'm having too much fun with it at the moment!”

And of course, the ever adventurous Mssrs Manring and Zon have an even more bizarre creation currently on the drawing board... “Joe and I have also been trying to complete an over-the-top, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, double-neck, 6-string Hyperbass, But as we expected, it hasn't been easy!”

“The biggest problem is that much of the hardware and electronics have to be custom-made, which tends to be a very expensive process – how many people are really going to have use for a 12 output bass preamp or a tuning key with four preset tuning positions?!

“But we'll continue to experiment to see what's possible and try and open some new doors.”