ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 21 May 2009 10:35 pm

Kevin Hatton wrote:Not at all. Just a pain in the !@#%%. This is how we got to be expert ZB mechanics. Because on alot of fixes you have to disassemble the whole guitar. Try changing out a pickup. That'll keep ypu busy for a while (disassenble the guitar). A great insentive to rebuild one 100% absolutely correct the first time. Then you don't have to do it again for a long time.

This guitar was rebuilt by Greg Jones who has contacted me and has offered to take care of this problem for me. I've never met anyone who stands behind his work at much as Greg does.

Jimmy Gibson · Post by **Jimmy Gibson** » 22 May 2009 12:59 am

I got this beauty last Sunday.S/N 0665..

JG

Billy Knowles · Post by **Billy Knowles** » 22 May 2009 10:30 am

Greg is as good as it gets. IF he said he would repair it he will.
Billy

memphislim · Post by **memphislim** » 22 May 2009 1:50 pm

Billy Knowles wrote:Joe
I am afraid that there is no solution other than taking the rack off the front apron and re-brad the 10/32 hex head screws. .....Billy

What is re-brading?

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 22 May 2009 2:11 pm

Jimmy. What a beauty. Sweet and sexy little loafer. I
let a green loafer get away once. Greg tried to tell
me.

Oh well. Man that is a gorgeous piece of maple Jimmy you should be proud.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 22 May 2009 2:13 pm

Anyone heard from Duncan lately? I guess he's fishin.

Bob Hamilton · Post by **Bob Hamilton** » 22 May 2009 3:12 pm

Looks like you're subbin' for him Chuck. He'll show up.

Billy Knowles · Post by **Billy Knowles** » 23 May 2009 6:11 am

rebrad may not be the proper term. Tighten the screws up and hit the back side of the screws with a punch. This is the method always used by ZB. Sometimes the back side was ground off, which helped but then they were hit with the point end of a punch several times. This caused the back side to expand thus holding the screws in the alum.
Billy

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 24 May 2009 10:43 am

Still, though, it most certainly must have something to do with that horrid lack of humidity where you live, Joe. But in deference to you, my friend, I will let us continue on with our lives, leaving the obvious solution...unsaid.
Duncan

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 26 May 2009 12:32 pm

Duncan. You talk so purty. Where you been?

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 26 May 2009 5:12 pm

Hello Chuck. I've been off tending to some really crappy family stuff in NJ. My daughter's boyfriend had a stroke and died. He was in his 30's. Life on this planet has a way of showing you that just when you thought you were prepared for pretty much anything... you aren't. Thanks for the shout out, though. BTW, Chuck, I'm starting to believe that your new '69 red ZB just might win the "best in show" for purdyness.
And to my friend Joe, I hope that you know that my previous comment about humidity, and stuff, was meant with friendship, fondness and supposedly funny, but on rereading I sounded a little harsh and snippy.
Have a great night everyone.
Duncan

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 26 May 2009 6:17 pm

A little Al Perkins on his ZB SD-11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgED5OZE ... re=related

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 27 May 2009 4:56 am

Duncan. Hope you see some clear water and a star to follow. Still we all miss your sharp wit when it's gone brother and we miss those fishing stories.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 27 May 2009 7:15 pm

Thanks for the nice words Chuck. The world is starting to right itself again. Playing sad songs on a ZB helps. I just went back and looked at the pictures of that red ZB you scored again and yours wins, hands down. I'm not sure what the prize is, but I'll look around and if I find it, I'll send it to Tennessee directly.
You know, fishing might be just the ticket. I think that I'll pick up some shiners and see if I can catch that 10 lb bass that I caught a few years ago in the backyard. (and yes I do have pictures to prove that I caught it). I just hope that the two otters that spent a year eating all my fish in the lake didn't eat that one. They are voracious evil beasts that behave like a school of bluefish with fur.
Duncan

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 14 Jun 2009 5:25 pm

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 14 Jun 2009 6:14 pm

Oh yeah!

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 14 Jun 2009 6:25 pm

Dave,

Reverse the polarity.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 16 Jun 2009 6:09 am

That happened to me once. We found the crazy leg on
a 3 phase.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 16 Jun 2009 11:33 am

Dave's playing always gives me a jolt...especially his work on Raised By Hippies

Bob Hamilton · Post by **Bob Hamilton** » 2 Jul 2009 6:59 pm

Hi everyone, Let's bring this thread back up. Anyone else seen anything like this? I've been refurbishing No. 1060 and it appears that Zane decided to doodle a little bit while he was staining the neck. Kind of cool. I still have a long way to go with the guitar, but I thought some of you might be interested in this photo. Long live ZBs.

Bob

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 9 Jul 2009 3:44 pm

I have not had a chance to review this whole thread, so please excuse me if these questions have been answered before. I've been handed a ZB D-10 (apparently early-70's) by my drummer who *thought* he was doing the band a favor. It looks decent from the top, but I have a couple issues below-decks (more will crop up - I've only spent an hour or so with it):

1. It's missing one C6 rod - both the rod to the changer AND the turnbuckle. First - is there a source for these parts, or is this a "you're screwed unless you can machine them yourself" situation, and second - the part that goes to the changer for the high-E looks to split into two sections - like a small loop is welded to the main rod. I did not have time to pull springs to look more closely, and it's kind of a rat's nest in there.

2. Those rods themselves - one was hanging loose on the back neck, and the end is "mushroomed - it almost looks like a bike spoke, but heavier. Again - does someone make these or ARE the rods some kind of spoke cut to size and threaded (and - what thread do these use? I tried different fits from my tap/die set and nothing seemed right - and yes, I *was* trying the correct part of the rod)

3. Pedal rods fall out easily - when upright the pedal rods do not seem secure at all - just testing it a couple slipped out at the top, but I saw no way to secure things - no stops at the pedal levers or the pedals themselves.

4. Edited to remove the question - got a note from Bob Adams and he posted the info - a great help!

5. Edited to remove question regarding the allen nuts - the top and second row are for raises, third for lowers and the screws for spring adjustments. So it appears the double-lowers are adjusted by using both slots in the changer and adjusting the turnbuckle - similar to my use of shobud barrel tuners and stops to get double-changes on my 400 and 1000.

Thanks - I can already see this is a long-haul project (and the guy who bought it isn't going to send it out for setup...and it's not my guitar so I'm not paying to have it done either, soi I'll have to slowly work my way through - at least I have some experience building Fender from boxes of parts and completely reconfiguring my GFI Ultra.

edited to add pic (I'll try to shoot better ones in the next couple of days).

Arg - pic is a little small so it's unreadable - basically, the right arrow points to a loose-hanging rod - the left arrow points to the general area where the other half and the turnbuckle *should* go.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 9 Jul 2009 4:09 pm

Hey Jim, does your buddy want to trade it for a Fender 1000? (assembly required) $:\$

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 9 Jul 2009 9:50 pm

Jim,
Welcome to the bizarre world of the ZB

The rows of tuning screws is correct, the second row of holes is for tuning any string that raises to two different pitches eg. the fourth string raises to F and F#.

The top 4th string tuner is the F#, the screw under it is attached to the bent rod thats welded to the motorbike spoke, and that's the F tuner.

The third row down is for tuning the lowers

The bottom row of screws are the return spring adjustment screws

Don't forget that the motorbike spokes/pull-rod connectors are a left and right-hand thread.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 10 Jul 2009 12:29 am

Concerning the vertical pedal rods falling out , the first time I set mine up that happened because I had The hooks facing the wrong way but looking at your picture they seem to be ok .

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 10 Jul 2009 5:04 am

Thanks for the tips guys.

Not being an E9 player I don't have a preference as to anything except it being set up "Emmons" as far as the pedals go (because my B6 has the first two pedals in essentially the same configuration). I managed to rob a rod to the changer from the C6 neck (I just got lucky that one pedal had multiple pulls at about the same distance as the missing F lever rod - and I corrected an error, it was the lower-E pull I was missing; the usual "the guitar's upside down" mixup). Here's what it has currently for E9:

Just because of the hassle of changing I'll leave the E levers where they are(and I don't have a preference...plus it's not going to be used all that much). What about the 6th string change? I know there are a zillion preferences for this lever, but what's most common and what am I getting with what's there now? Also, should the second string lower (which appears to not have a "feel" stop) drop to D or C#?

Then a couple of followups that I really would like to get info on:

1. I'll need to change pulls on the C6 neck (which will be B6). It looks like making "trees" will be no problem, but I need a source for both turnbuckles and rods (if the rods actually ARE some kind of spoke - what kind?)

2. I still need a wiring diagram for the switches since this one is fouled.

3. One of the changes for the B6 neck that I'll need really works better with a lever. Is there any big problem having a lever do "double duty" and perform a single string change on each neck (parts for it fall under #1 above)?

Having dug into it last night to steal a rod and reset a change it doesn't seem to be the horror I was warned about....but then again I'm JUST starting on it!

Thanks -

A couple pics (not taken by me - sorry about the resolution, I'll try to get better ones up this weekend):

The Steel Guitar Forum

ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Another beauty.

Greg

Re: Zb

Duncan

Zb

Autographed ZB ?