Zoom 504 Acoustic

8 I'm not a gearhead, but I didn't have too bad a time getting it up and running. I second every comment made about the manual, every time I use it(not often), I'm tempted to ball it up.

I use an Epiphone Sorrento w/ P-90's(any comments on these guitars, I couldn't find any), a cheap Regal Acoustic, and my father's old Dreadghnout(set-up for slide). The acoustic simulator is what I use it for most and it sounds ok to my hunble ears, perhaps a little too trebly though. I thouroughly disagree with the last assessment of the 12-string simulator. I think it sounds good, especially direct to tape, which is what I use it for mostly. Also, I've found you can get a decent Byrds-type sound if you turn off everything but the 12-string simulator. The chorus is a bit cheesy, but the delay sounds excellent, especially for this price range.

It seems a bit lightweight. I just bought it and I'm in between bands, I don't know if I'd use it onstage. Maybe if I were playing solo, but probably not in a band.

I've never dealt with them

I play Rockabilly, surf, acoustic, you name it. It works out pretty well, especially the delay. The delay is comporable to any dd I've used, and it's as cheap as most delay units themselves

This unit is very easy to use and program. The manual should be a booklet and not one large confusing piece of paper

I use my two guitars on it: An Ibanez EX series (electric) and a Performance 10 (acoustic-also from Ibanez). The EX has a hum-single-single config and I use a Don Lace Acoustic pickup for the PF-10. I pipe both into a Peavey Audition 30. Thanks to the feedback supressor, unwanted noise isn't a problem. The only gripes I have about it are its unnatural and inferior sounding 12-string effect. The octaver takes it up either two or three octaves and not one like a real 12-string. Also, the regular chorus is extremely weak and the light chorus is almost non-existant! I have my own sound and I get what I want out of it.

I'm not really in a band (just a couple guys I play with) so I don't take it to gigs and stuff but it's pretty good for home and studio use. If I DID have a band then I'd use it at a gig, I'd just be really careful.

Never dealt with the company

I play pretty much everything from Classical to Heavy Metal so the pedal is good for my purposes. I've been playing for 3 years and own the two Ibanez guitars mentioned above. It helps me compose music. I view it as a really good paintbrush that helps me use my imagination with more material to work with. I wish the 12-string effect was more believable, it's a lot of the reason I bought it. I also suggest to Zoom bringing the price up a few bucks and including booklet-style instructions and an AC adapter.

Hate the manual. It's a lesson in map-folding every time you pull it out. Editing is really pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but it isn't exactly intuative at first. Pre-programmed patches sound pretty good, though.

I use my 504 with an Ovation Elite and (usually) with a Peavey KB60 amp (yes, a keyboard amp, but really does the job well).
I like the chorus and reverb, and I can get a very nice sound out of it. My favorite effect is in fingerpicking -- the 504 can give an "attack" as if you're using a pick. Very useful.
I don't use the acoustic simulator patches.

The plastic casing does not inspire confidence. Also doesn't come with an AC adapter, but you can buy one at Radio Shack for a few bucks.

Never dealt with Zoom.

Good value for the relatively cheap price. I play in a large church setting and usually go through direct box straight into the PA mix. I use it all the time to get the sound I want before it goes into the system. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

The unit has 5 banks of 4 patches, each pre-set at the factory, but they can all be completely re-programmed as needed. There are 4 "acoustic" and 4 "electric" pre-amp models - the electric ones are supposed to make an electric sound like an acoustic - they do if your idea of an acoustic sound is a bad under-saddle transducer...
You change patches by using 2 pedals to scroll up or down. A useful function is you can lock the unit to only use one bank, then scroll through the four patches in it withiut accidentally overshooting into the next bank.
Hit both pedals and you switch off the effects. Keppe both pedals down for a few seconds and the unit mutes it's output and you can silently tune.
There is also an anti-feedback feature which automatically cuts the frequency that's howling - you do need an add-on footswitch to do this. This feature actually works quite well, though it won;t completely kill really manic feedback.
the patches as supplied are all over the top - huge amounts of reverb and modulation effects and a lot of compression. Altering setings is easy, though like any multi-fx unit it takes a while to set up.
If you buy one in the UK you should get a power supply included - don;t be tempted to use batteries, it eats them.

I'm using it with a Simon and Patrick electo and a fiddle. Either into a solid state guitar amp, or more usually into a PA. It sounds better into the PA, (although the "de-amp" control - essentially a presence adjuster - does a reasonable job of compensating for the kinds of tones amps intended for electrics produce when you feed a piezo pickup into them).
The chorus/modulation produces some hiss, especially at the more extreme settings (i.e. the default ones). the reverb isn't entirely convincing, but again the factory settings don't do it justice. the modulation also sounds a bit synthesised if you overdo it.
I suppose the best thing I can say is that simply by changing patch I can completely alter the tone of my guitar - e.g. bright rythmn sound to a warmer, fatter jazz tone. It isn't as good at producing the natural tone of the guitar as a decent condensor mic, but I've yet to hear any piezo system that is no matter how it's amplified.

It seems reliable. These little Zoom units seem stronger than they look. time will tell i suppose

It does what I exoected - it adds buffering and more tone shaping than the 3 way EQ on the guitar can give. That plus the tuner and the feedback suppressor make it a useful little gadget. On the other hand if you spend lots more money you will get better (e.g. dedicated acoustic amp and a rack fx unit).

This processor is fairly easy to use. The preset effects are simple enough, one pedal scrolls up, the other scrolls down. Changing the effects to fit your own style is a bit of a hassle. You have to read an owners manual that looks like the instructions to a box of hair color. I don't get the poster-like instruction book. If you can't figure this effects unit out on your own, then forget it because the instructions are of little help. But, everything is well-labeled on the unit itself.

My setup consists of a Washburn D-17CE, an old Fender Electric Lead I, and a vintage Peavey Decade amp.
The effects with the acoustic guitar sound very true, giving the tone brightness and a rich flavor. It's amazing how great my acoustic sounds through the Zoom and the little 10 watt Peavey amp.
The settings for the electric are a little disappointing though. The simulated acoustic tone of the electric guitar is really thin... almost like playing through a tin can. It sounds slightly better when I play through a PA system, but not much. If you are buying this pedal to make your electric sound like an acoustic, I'd recommend saving your money and buy a Parker Fly.

This box is very reliable, as long as you have a power adapter for it. The battery only lasts about 2-3 hours on a good day, so it would be wise to invest in the optional power supply. The pedal doesn't look very sturdy (the casing is all plastic) but I have dropped it a few times and it keeps a licking and I still keep finger-picking. The electronics inside must be pretty well put together in order to take that kind of abuse.

n/a

My style is alternative rock Christian. This pedal is awesome for this style, because it helps the acoustic cut through two electric guitars with distortion, a bass and drums. The acoustic really stood out when I used the Zoom pedal, where before the piezo pickup alone was letting my acoustic get lost in the mix.
I have been playing acoustic for about 3 years now, 2 seriously. I've had my Fender electric for 6 months.
If the Zoom pedal were stolen, I'd promptly replace it.
I love the Zoom 504 because it has a great acoustic tone, and gives me the "Goo Goo Dolls" sound that I was looking for. It really helps my acoustic stand out in a crowd of distortion and bottom end. I also love the fact that all of the Zoom pedals have a built in auto-chromatic tuner built in, and when you step on both the up side and down side at the same time, the tuner is activated. It is simple and easy to use.
There was only one other pedal in this price range that I considered, a Boss Acoustic pedal. The downside of that pedal is that there were tone knobs instead of preset pedals, and you can't change your tone or sound quality in between songs without bending down and turning three or four knobs. The Zoom is faster and easier (for lazy players like me).
The only feature the Zoom is really missing is a bypass for the tuner. When you activate the tuner, it would be nice if it would cut off the sound to the amp or PA so you could tune in silence without 250 people hearing you tune.
The Zoom has helped my creativity, because I can now change my acoustic "sound" to emulate great alternative sounding bands like Jars of Clay, Smalltown Poets, DC Talk, etc.
I'd recommend this pedal to anyone who has a on-board pickup in their acoustic and can't afford to buy a Fishman Pro Gold to replace the old one with. This pedal will enhance your tone just as much without costing you a fortune, plus the Zoom pedal is fun to play with. With 24 settings, you can play until the cows come home (or your wife, whichever comes first). The 504 is perfect for someone who wants a better tone from their acoustic guitar. Hmmm, I actually sound like a good guitarist now...go figure.

Very easy to use because of the limited amount of features (which isn't bad by itself), but it's just too low on configurability, e.g. I still use almost all the standard-patches, because you can't really make any wild alterations to make them sound better. The manual is a bit messy, too. (One big fold-out piece of paper)

My setup: Samick electro/acoustic(nylon-string), Torque bass-amp, Epiphone Special II, AriaProII 20W. I really bought it for the pre-amp, so my Samick would sound good with the Torque(didn't have any other amp at the time) and for that, it works well enough, i.e. it really does make it sound more acoustic. The pre-amp has four 'acoustic' and four 'electric' settings. The 'acoustics' are good and can really improve the sound. The 'electrics' however, are TOTAL CRAP. 3 out of 4 settings just turn the bass WAY down, and the fourth (to emulate a gut-sound) just turns down the mid-range. The equalizer isn't bad, but it can only adjust treble, bass, or both at the same level. The air-feature isn't bad, it simulates the distance between the guitar and the mike. Erm... Chorus then... There are four types of it, weak, strong, twelve-string, and delay, which can be set between 0-9, and they're not bad, except for the twelve-string, which is just bad octaver. And the reverb is good enough. Nowadays I only use it as a reverb for my Epi-AriaPro-setup.

I think it's dependable enough, I wouldn't take a backup on a gig.

N/A

I used to play acoustic-only, and it isn't bad. I wouldn't buy it again, though, 'cause I don't really use it anymore. I think I'll just buy a reverb-unit next time. I love the 'acoustic' pre-amps (work good for electrics too) and the reverb, I hate the 'electric' pre-amps and the overall configurability. So overall it's not too bad, just don't expect too much of it.

Overall it's very easy to use. It takes some reading to learn how to program it, but once you've got it down it's very easy. It's not much different from any other ZOOM multi-effect pedal. If you use a 501 you'll be right at home.
The manual is okay. I would have prefered a booklet or pamphlet to the poster thing they give you (lots of info crammed in a small space). I'm not certain, but I don't think it would have killed them to add a couple of buttons to the box and a few pages to the manual.

It's the only effect I use with my rig (Ovation Celebrity Deluxe and Trace Elliot) at present. It's a little noisy all around, but can be made tolerable with a little tweaking. The default patches aren't that great, but programming ones that fit your taste is easy.
Adding this sort of effect box to an acoustic rig will almost always give it an "electronic" or "synthesized" flavor, but the ZOOM may be a bit more guilty of it than most. The key is to use it with moderation or else suffer an artificial sound.

Why in the HELL won't these guys take a hint?!?! Put the guts in an aluminum chassis and mark it up $20. More people would buy it!
The box itself has a rather cheap feel. No real substance. I'd use it onstage if it were only me and it was a nice, quite set where I didn't have to worry about the bass player crushing it or beer getting spilled on it or whatever.
The only other complaint (which, again, is VERY common to all ZOOM owners) I have is that a battery shouldn't even be an option. Mine will chew a 9-volt in a matter of minutes (not hours). ZOOM should package the AC adapter with it and mark the price up $5.

I've never used their customer support.

If you're strictly a traditional acoustic player who swears by their trusty Martin and shudders at the thought of plugging in a toaster (let alone a guitar) then this unit probably isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you're an acoustic/electric player who's tired of watching Strat-slinging guitar heroes get to play with all the neat toys then you might consider picking one up.
If mine were stolen I *might* replace it. Then again, I might look at similar products first. Who knows? Why? Do you know something I don't?
Seriously - if you've got roughly $100 US hanging around and you're just DYING to spend it on a neat toy that will texture your sound a bit and, at the very least, be a blast to screw around with when your band is rehearsing then grab one. It's packs a huge bang for the buck.