Zander Zon is a notable solo bassist from Southern California, living in London. He is primarily a YouTube artist, releasing videos of original compositions as well as complex arrangements of popular songs. Zander is known for using altered tunings and thin gauge strings, which give him access to a massive tuning range. He uses a variety of techniques, including harmonics, two-hand tapping, flamenco-style strumming and chordal fingerstyle. Though his approach is highly technical, the emotional depth of his music, described as cinematic and unique, is what stands him apart.
Playing a variety of instruments including fretted, fretless and acoustic basses, as well as the electric cello, Zander’s solo videos have been seen millions of times on YouTube and Facebook. In 2015, his 'Star Wars Medley’ reached 10 million views on Facebook; the video has also been shared over 100 thousand times. In 2016, he released his arrangement of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’, which surpassed a million total views. His version of Adele’s 'Someone Like You' was featured on CBS News’ website, and this along with his 'Mr Brightside’ arrangement, made it to the front pages of Reddit and various other top sites. Zander's version of Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive' was also well received, with Imagine Dragons tweeting about it and sharing it on their Facebook page. Other videos with hundreds of thousands of views include ‘Epic Love’ (an original), ‘Hurt’ (Nine Inch Nails), and his ‘Lord of the Rings Medley'.
Zander maintains an active Internet profile and communicates daily with followers, subscribers and other musicians. He offers video tutorials and Skype lessons though his Patreon page.
In April 2013, Zander released his acclaimed second album, 'Saturn Return'. It features six new solo bass compositions, three orchestrations and an arrangement of Pachelbel's Baroque classic, 'Canon in D'. This release follows his renowned debut album, 'Sonorous' (2010), which contains 10 original compositions, including ‘Epic Love’. All compositions are solo bass.
Following the release of 'Sonorous', Bassline Publishing released the 'Zander Zon - Sonorous Bass Transcriptions' book in 2011, which contains tabs and sheet music for all of his compositions on 'Sonorous', as well as performance notes, interviews, and information on bass-setup. 2011 also saw the release of the bass compilation holiday album, 'Holiday Rumblings' by Zon Guitars. This album includes two pieces by Zander, as well as pieces by Michael Manring and various Zon Guitars artists.
Zander has been featured in Bass Guitar Magazine as well as in Bassline Publishing's 'Solo Arrangements for Electric Bass'. He's also been featured and interviewed by prominent online bass magazines, such as No Treble, Bass Players United, iBass Magazine, Bass The World and the International Institute of Bassists. He has performed solo concerts, house concerts and weddings in the London area, and has gigged at venues such as The Troubadour Club and The Cobden Club. In 2017, Zander was featured in the book ‘Known’ by best selling author, Mark Schaefer.