Zoom 504 II

it's very easy to use. You just click the foot switch and bloop it goes where it needs to go. It's easy to edit patches and to store. It's pretty simple.

very good effects. I wish the delay was a little more flexible. Maybe it is...but as far as I found out, you don't really have a strong delay effect.

But the chorus and other stuff is really nice, it adds such a sweet sound to an already sweet sounding guitar. I mainly use it through a PA at the church. It's pretty sweet. You get it just right, more so out in the house than in the monitors so you can barely hear moreso in the house than in the monitor and then you rock hard.

i'm so glad that one of the other users posted how they keep the thing from popping in and out. What i mean is, after a while, it seems as if the cable just doesn't work unless it's JUST RIGHT inside the pedal. It's so freaking annoying. I cannot stand it. I want to throw it sometimes because it always pops.
And I tried to write the company and they said they'd fix it for $29 an hour! YEAH RIGHT! That's some crap. I'll just use the toothpicks and see how good that works.

some guy wrote me back like, 3 days after I wrote. And said very simply "it'll cost $29." I was like DAG and I didn't write him back

eh. Whatever. The whole "popping out" thing ticks me off.

Very easy, just read the manual and you are on your way.

Okay, this is the tricky part. I use this with my electric guitars, a Riff 330 copy, a Samick Greg Bennett Tele and an Epiphone Genesis. While the acoustic simulator part of this pedal will not turn your guitar into an acoustic, it does give a fairly realistic tone. I found the Tele in the middle position works best. The setting on Jumbo is good, especially in the 12 string setting. I have also found that if you finger pick or pick in a staggered way as opposed to strumming, the sound is more realistic. The twelve string setting is really nice for rythym. Now for the added plus, leaving the setting for electric, but using the tweleve string setting, I was able to make a setting that makes the Riff Rickenbacker copy sound very very similar to a Rick 12 string. The twelve string simulation is great, and adjustable. Nice touch. Have not used with an acoustic guitar so I will give the rating as such.

Zoom pedals are very reliable, wish the cover was metal though.

No problems, they are fast to respond to e-mail.

I like power pop and 60's and 70's classic rock, as well as some country. This pedal will be very useful.

I think this is very easy to use if you can read

I have an Alvarez Yairi Jacaranda Dreadnought with a Fishman Matrix as well as a K&K sounds Pure Western (don't ask!) I run the guitar into a Bags Para Acoustic DI with the Zoom in the effects loop into a Carvin 200 watt PA system. It is slightly noisy with just the Fishman strapjack preamp but with the extra boost of the para Di it's negligible. This actually a follow up to a review I wrote a couple of years ago when the 504II 1st came out. I was still new to the world of acoustic ampflication and thought my Fishman sounded thin and brittle. The Zoom improved my acoustic sound immensely. But I thought it seemed like a toy being all plastic and everything and that there were even better things that I could do that would allow me not to have to use the Zoom and make me sound more professional. I installed a K&K Pure Western Pickup because they claimed to be the most realistic pickup out there. I STILL, needed the Zoom to get that sound. I recently bought a Baggs paracoustic DI thinking I could use that instead of the Zoom and be like the "pros". It really gave the pickup a boost and some EQ but I STILL needed the Zoom the get a good sound. I short, of all the crap I've bought to get a "natural" sound, the cheap "toy" 504II is the best $80.00 (or $100 or $150) I have spent to date. I am not an "effects" guy, I want a natural sound and occasionally cheese one or 2 sounds up with the A-2 12 string setting. For 95% of my songs I use a tad of L reverb and a tad of C chorus and ALOT of limiter/compressor and air. I think it's the limiter/compressor that really gives it the natural sound, I don't know. I have played a baggs dual source and K&K trinity western through a Baggs para acoustic DI (all 3 or good products) but the Fishman matrix straight through the Zoom by far gives the better sound IMHO. Although right now I run the Fishman matrix through the baggs para DI with the zoom in the effects loop. The K&K pure western just gave me too many feedback and boominess problems when I played out at gigs, while it sounded more microphonic, it also sounded less clear than the Fishman. Just a bit of info for those of you who think this is a cheap toy (which it is, if they would house this thing in metal and charge another $50 I would buy 2!) I just read that Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull runs a Fishman Matrix through a Zoom 504! (Bet he can afford a back up though)!

It's cheaply made compared to a Baggs Para DI. I've used it for 2 years and the inputs jacks are loose and cause it to cut out if the cords aren't positioned just so. I jammed some toothpicks in between the housing and the jacks and they aren't loose anymore (mcGiver to the rescue). For cying out loud, just use metal will you?
I have to gig without a back up, who can afford backups of everything?

There is no customer support. They don't even exist! They are like trying to talk to the Great Oz! If you want great customer support, buy a Baggs or Fishman product, those guys will get back to you!

I,ve rambled on long enough, yes I would buy another if stolen. Compared this to para Di, Fishman pro EQ platinum. Only thing I wish it had was a sturdier (metal) housing. THIS THING BY FAR IS THE BEST VALUE vs. $$$$$ YOU CAN SPEND TO IMPROVE YOUR ACOUSTIC PICKUP SOUND SHORT OF GOING THE MICROPHONE ROUTE! bELIEVE ME!

Ease of Use, well, if your foot bends at the ankle, your in good shape with this. EASY to use, EASY to edit, its as simple as plugging in and clicking on the different settings. There is SOMETHING in there that you were looking for!

I use a Fender, Rosewood back and sides, my guitar is over 33 years old. My guitar has a good deep sound that I very much like, the 504II just made it sound like it was worth a thousand dollars more! No kidding, I didnt think my guitar could be improved upon (sound wise) but it did.
I run straight through our church's PA, no amp at all. Just the Fender, a DOD EQ and the 504II, I found what I'm looking for.

I didnt read any other reviews before I wrote this, I did however read them before purchasing this 6 months ago. I use it in our band at church and it's made a difference in my/Our sound. I havent had one problem out of it.

Havent needed help so I havent asked for it.

I want to tell you this before You head on down to the next review. I had wrote a song, I thought (like every other guy I guess) that it was decent. Well, when I got the 504II I sat out on my deck messing with the different sounds I could make and then found A6 (sort of a wha wha). Played it for the intro of my song, it was like the first time I'd ever played a complete song on the guitar all over again. It just made my song "AWESOME" in my eyes.
If your an all acoustic player, you wont be disappointed with the 504II. I sit out on my deck, plug in the head phones and go to town hearing music all over again, songs sound so much better, my guitar ust got an overhaul and it was never touched. Do I love it, yes. Would I buy another if it were lost or stolen, only after I hunted the guy down and castrated him. The only thing I could improve on the 504II was to give it away for free.
Acoustic player for 12 yrs now.

This product is a no brainer. If you have even a slightly musical ear you can get great sounding effects and equalization out of this thing. The manual is a big help, although it is very short, I feel that it gives you enough to start playing with it one your own and feel okay with that.

I am extremely happy with this pedal. I have tried many others, and researched many others, and this one by far has the prime spot in my gig bag. I am not sure if I would use it in the studio because why? For an acoustic just record it using a Shure Condenser Mic and call it a day. But for live gigs, this thing is great. I gave it an 8 because the high end is a little much at times. I turned it down on the amp, I turned it down on the guitar, and even turned off the High end boost, and there is still a little "twing" left. It does go away on many effects, but of the delay, and a few of the Acoustic processors there it stays. Other than that, it sounds incredible. I am playing with a Seagull S6+, and not the new cheap ones, one of the original with the mahogony sides and back, with the cedar top. A very good sounding guitar made better.

I am not sure about this one. It feels pretty lite and cheaply made. It sounds great so it obviously isn't cheaply made, but I would be afraid of it breaking. Actually I ordered it through a guitar store I trust, and they had to order me a new one because it got destroyed during shipping. The box it came in was okay, but the pedal itself was cracked practically in two. I would bring a back-up pedal that is made of steel!

Don't know yet!!!

Overall, I love this thing. So what that a stiff breeze could break it, I am not hard on my stuff. If you take care of it, it will take care of you. I have been playing guitar now for about 6 years. Mainly acoustic guitar. This is the best pedal I have ever heard, especially for the money. I do a great deal of studio recording in which I doubt I will use it, but for shows, I will use it proudly.

I also have a digitech RP200, and I find this pedal equally easy to program, although the programing processes are not all that similar.
The music store from which I bought this unit allowed me to take it home from a week on approval, so I put it though a lot of tests. I concentrated on the "A" bank of patches, focusing on getting a series of subtle, but similar, clean acoustic sounds. My main gripw about the Digitech RP200 is the dissimilarity between adjactent patches. With the Zoom 504II, one tap of the pedal may easily shift the sound, without alot of programming hassles. At $75 more the Digitech does allow for nicer EQ tweaking, but it really takes a back seat to the Zoom in maintaining and enhancing acoustic sounds. The De-amp feature is quite effective. By the same token, I've not been too pleased with the way my electrics sound though the Zoom's patches "E and F". The RP200 holds its place as an electric's companion.

I have a high end Alvarez AE with a very nice EQ, a lower end Takamine with an add-on passive piezo pickup, and 2 humbucker-equipped electrics. The Zoom can be noisy if the patch level is 28-30 on some stteing-a variable is the high EQ setting. Right now I'm playing through a Peavey (electric) amp and an old all-tube amp.

I don't mind the delay/reverb/chorus choices the pedal offers. I use them in varying degrees on the patches. I play blues, jazz, and rockabilly.

So far (2 weeks) so good. Be aware that some of the Zoom 504IIs are supplied with a 9-volt battery. The 4 AA's model is the way to go..lotsa hours of playing time, and I've been told that the newer rechargeable alkaline batteries will work well (cheap way to go) with this pedal. I'd use it on a gig w/o a backup...I'd always bring along an extra guitar (electric) and batteries for the Zoom.

I trust my local music store. I'd work with them first.

As I mentioned before, blues, etc. I've played off and on since the 60's, mostly not in public, just jammin' with friends. I like this pedal ok-I look forward to see what it will or won't do with a good acoustic amp.

Very easy to use. Editing the different patches were a snap, although I had to read the manual a few times over to get it (or maybe I'm just slow) The Manual is pretty straight forward. Overall very simple and easy to use.

I use a Takamine EG530C, a really good guitar by itself but when plug into the 504II it sounds even better. Lots of different patches to choose from and they all sound great. I can be so bold as to say with this effects pedal you will find the sound you are looking for. The limiter works great on this and you can adjust the limiter on the different patches which is a definate plus. The Reverb is alright could be a lot better. But the biggest beef I have with this pedal is the Delay. Sure, the manual says it has a delay, and the pedal says there is a delay but trust me, there is no delay!!! I was pretty upset at that. But then again I can't complain for 139 dollars. I usually plug into a system I hardly use an amp, but through the system I have no complaints. I play Praise and Worship for my church and there is a huge difference from when I never had an effects pedal. It does the job I need it to do. It gives me a nice solid strumming sound, or a clear, sharp fingerpicking sound.

I feel I can depend on this piece. Although I wouldn't just throw it around. It's only made of plastic so it's not something that you would want to just toss into your gig bag. Bottom line: if you take good care of it it will remain reliable. I feel confidant enough to use it without a backup. Although generally that's not a good idea for anything. But if you really had to, you can rest easy with the 504II, it's realiable enough.

Never had to deal with customer support. That probably means it's an ok piece of equipment.

Like I said before I play Praise and Worship music for my church and it serves me well. I've been playing guitar for about 8 years now and this really reignites my interest in the guitar again. I mean, I've always loved playing the guitar and with this effects pedal it makes it even more fun. Along with this pedal I use a Danelectro Delay and EQ pedal. I also use my Samson Wireless system, and I encounter no problems. If this was lost or stolen I would most certainly get another one. I compared this with the DOD Acoustec and I cose this one because of the price to quality ratio. If you are looking for a way to spice up your acoustic playing but don't want to shell out 200-300 bucks then the 504II is the way to go. I love the fact that you can get so much for so little. That is the best feature by far. My only problem is the lack of Delay. I ended up buying a delay pedal only because I want a separate delay pedal. It's a great product overall. With the 504II, totally get the most for your money. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

I found this pedal very easy to manuver through all the parameters with this unit. Editing patch are alot easier with the 504II than the original. Had a buddy that owned one & said it was a pain. Manual was pretty staight forward.

I use this unit primary for playing my fiddle through, occasionally my Ibanez Acoustic guitar with a Martin bridge pickup playing Country Music. Once I tweeked everything, I was able to get a very good sound for quitar & fiddle. The preset patches suck. I was better off starting from scratch. Some of the effects are good, some just OK, & some that could have done without. I have used this unit through a amp & straight into a mixer board; and it sounds much better going through the mixer board. I was not total hooked on the unit until I started playing live with it. I used it for gigging & now just at jam sessions; and consistent getting compliments on the great sound that is produced. I have everything set so good, that when a person listens to either my acoustic guitar or fiddle unamplified & amplified, they say that the sound is replicated exactly. I guess I just got lucky tweaking everything. The de-amp effect works pretty good. The anti-feedback works best if tweeked manually, instead of the automatic setting. The effects on the unit that I mainly use are the chorus and delay & reverb mix.

I am the kind of person that is always very carefully with all my equipemt & instruments that I own. So, up to this point, I have had no trouble. Unless you are either physically jumping up & down on the thing or throwing it against a brick wall, it should last. For regular gigging, I used an adapter. But, for jamming, I used batteries & they do last about as long as the manual says they will(about 14 hours, I believe).

I use this unit 98% of the time for my fiddle playing country music to cut down on the harsh tones give off just playing straight into a mixerboard without any thing on it. I have used other effects units and this, by far, has worked the best. If something were to happen to this, I definitely would purchase another one. For the price, you can't go wrong.

Fair

Was hoping, that the De-amp-effect could help getting my Yamaha AEX500 N electro-acoustic guitar with piezo sounding better through my Yamaha DG60-112 amp.
The De-amp helped a little, in fact, but I'm not completely satisfied.
The other effects in the Zoom 504 II are not so good as a similar stompbox. An example: My Danelectro Dan-Echo are much better than the delay of the 504 II. Another example: My Boss SuperChorus are better than the chorus in the 504 II.
The 504 II seems to cut of some the highs of my guitars.
The acoustic guitar simulator is a joke. My Gibson Les Paul Standard don't sound like a acoustic, it sounds terrible through the 504 II. In fact, you should use the normal settings, when playing a Les Paul (pretend it is a western guitar!)
The 504 II will give a lot of hiss and hum when used together with other effects/stompboxes, but are silent, when used alone.
The bypass-function are also noisy, when the 504 II are used together with stompboxes.
I do like, however, that the 504 II are so small. You can easely carry it to the rehearsalroom.

I don't think, I will use it on a gig. I rely on my stompboxes instead.

As I said before, the De-amp does help a little, when you play piezo through a normal combo.
I do like the built-in guitartuner, which are neither fast or slow.
Other than that, you can't use any of the pre-settings from the factory. You have to spend some time getting your own sounds from the 504 II. Some of the effects are not so good, other are poor. None are extremely good.

Standard option select and then push buttons to toggle through values. The manual is helpful.

I tried this with a Gibson acoustic with a transducer pick up running direct to a PA. No EQ or controls on the guitar. The sounds from the Zoom were just okay. It tended to reduce the acoustic quality of the signal compared to running straight or through my Digitech RP-7. You can add some color to your sound, but it didn't provide a lot of sounds or any really great sounds.

This is an okay unit, but wouldn't send enough signal to the board to cut through the monitor mix. I maxed the patch volume and master volume, but it wouldn't provide enough signal when blended with keyboard, bass and drum band. It does not take a transducer signal and make it sound better, nor does it have the ability to create some really interesting and diverse acoustics coloring. Would be a good first effect for someone, but not a step up unless your previous effect was a real dog. I returned it and am using the RP-7 again.