The "Show Off Your ZM" Thread

These are just some damn fine lookin' guitars!

They are, aren't they?

The interesting thing, to me at least, is that the regular-issue-ZM (with Trampas Green top) resulted in some nice-looking customizations, but the limited-run tops (tobacco burst, spalt) are resulting in a different set of modifications. There are some ZMs being sold by Sweetwater that are spalted in Vintage Yellow - I would love to see what possible mods would look good on that top...

I wasn't one for modifying my guitars (except the first "real" elec guitar I got, all those years ago). I've left everything stock on everything else, IIRC (except for strap locks occasionally). But the ZM just seemed to call for a few tweaks to make it "mine".

I'm hoping to actually play a fair bit of guitar over the next few weeks/months, as we enter the Thanksgiving/Christmas break timeframe, and I can spend more time goofing off (I spend two nights a week either at band practice or a gig, typically, which steals away from my goof-off time). Because although I have GAS for a bunch of other PRSi, I really just need to play what I have a whole lot more...

Then, once I've satisfied that itch (and can be sure to maintain the goof-off playing time!), I'm gonna get another PRSi sometime in the new year, perhaps a 7-stringer, an SAS, or a CE (probably be something completely different now that I've called out those three models). And I wonder what I'll want to modify on that new toy...
 
2jkug.jpg
 


Nice looking guitars, Rubalup.

That ZM looks great with the metal covers.

I have a Santana SE like yours in Santana Yellow; still sporting the zebras. This may well be the place where my extra set of raw nickel/silver covers will be going - in the very near future. It hangs on the wall, right here. All I have to do is grab it and the covers will be on in a short time. I think it would look better; just like the ZM does to my eye.

Beautiful guitar man.
 
Thanks Duffy!

Truth is that I dig the look of zebras on the Santana... And that guitar sounds sooooo good that I would be hesitant to change anything on it.

The 36th on the ZM are nice... Not a very prominent difference from the stock pu's, maybe a little more articulate and clear tone on the neck and a bit more oomph on the bridge. However I love how the covers look on this guitar. The zebras are just wrong IMO.
 
Thanks Duffy!

Truth is that I dig the look of zebras on the Santana... And that guitar sounds sooooo good that I would be hesitant to change anything on it.

The 36th on the ZM are nice... Not a very prominent difference from the stock pu's, maybe a little more articulate and clear tone on the neck and a bit more oomph on the bridge. However I love how the covers look on this guitar. The zebras are just wrong IMO.


I talked to someone that got the 36th anniversaries and didn't find them to be remarkable. He bought some Gibson '57's - the Classic neck and Classic Plus bridge. He said that for old style pickups that he thought these were the best for him; and he sold the Dimarzio 36th's.

I like '57 Classics too, but I also like some of the newer style pickups like the Dimarzio SuperDistortion, a bunch of the Seymour Duncans, my stock SE pickups, and more.

Also, you might find that those 36th's start to sound better to you after a while, being that they are old style sounding pickups, they might have a sound that you are unfamiliar with but will learn to appreciate as you get more into them. I have had that happen with my Gibson 490/498 covered set that I put in my LP Custom. At first I didn't find them remarkable, then I found that the two markedly different sounds from the neck and bridge were really useful and sound great together, plus the bridge pickup is more of a modern sound and I now really like those pickups. Time has a way of changing things and the way we experience and interact with things. I have had pickups that I just had to replace though - there was no getting used to them.

Good luck with the guitar. You are probably digging it real well by now.
 
I wanted a spalted ZM ever since I heard they were coming out last spring. When I was finally able to purchase one I could only find a few for sale. I felt like I was getting one from the bottom of the barrel. I almost gave up because what I pictured in my mind was nothing like the pictures I saw. I decided having a natural color was more important to me then how much spalting was in the wood.
I’m so glad I went ahead and bought this guitar. I’m in love with it now. I wanted to add my pictures to this tread just to show an example of a lightly spalted ZM to help cover the spectrum of possible color variations. I also tried to get a picture of the side because I felt like I got a bonus with the beautiful grain pattern.
The guys at Brian’s Guitars were very patient with my indecisiveness and very helpful. My only regret now is I missed their Thanksgiving sale goodies ;)

SAM_0292_zps5857e4a0.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
SAM_0299_zps1620e208.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
SAM_0297_zps74a465c3.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
Lunafire, that is indeed a fine example of lightly spalted but still excellent graining!

btw, is that a spalted maple BC Rich Mockingbird beside it? Looks like you have a spalt collection going! Maybe hunt down one of the spalted SE CU24s that were available a year or three ago...
 
Yes that is a BC Rich Mockingbird beside it. You caught me,
I have a thing for spalted and would like to add more some day. A SE CU24 would feel right at home here.
 
Anyone with Tremonti's in the ZM SE got any thoughts on it? I have the Tremonti pickups, but unsure if I want to put them in a ZM. (I really don't want to waste them on an Epiphone LP).
 
Anyone with Tremonti's in the ZM SE got any thoughts on it? I have the Tremonti pickups, but unsure if I want to put them in a ZM. (I really don't want to waste them on an Epiphone LP).

I have the Tremonti's in mine. They sound awesome. There's a video on YouTube of me playing the guitar with Tremonti pickups. Search for rwhoward21
 
I have the Tremonti's in mine. They sound awesome. There's a video on YouTube of me playing the guitar with Tremonti pickups. Search for rwhoward21


Damn those do sound really good in the ZM. That settles that then. End of January it is. I'm joining the ZM club!
 
I have the Tremonti's in mine. They sound awesome. There's a video on YouTube of me playing the guitar with Tremonti pickups. Search for rwhoward21

Just remembered: Did you make any changes to the electronics or just straight swap the pickups?
 
I have 57/08s in my Zach Myers that were given to me by Paul Reed Smith, himself.
Not sure how to post the picture though.
 
Back
Top