1971 ZB D-10 8/5 Price Drop

[Pete Grant]

I’ve rekindled my romance with the tone of the push-pull Emmons, so I’ll be letting my 1971 ZB Custom loose on the world. It’s two years newer than Jerry Garcia’s ZB—the one he played on “Teach Your Children” and the first New Riders album. This ZB is functionally and tonally the same as his (the color and logo are different), but it has two more knee levers than Garcia did when he was playing his. It’s a double 10, E9 and C6 with 3 pedals and 4 knees on the E neck and 5 pedals and one knee (shared with E9) on the C neck. Both are standard setups. $1600 cash. Pick up in Auburn, California.

[Art Beard]

You sure know how to hit a guys weaknesses. Is the a black or Midnite Blue My eyes arent that good anymore (along with rest of me). Could you post pics of front, top, changer, thou I must at least try to resist. lol Thanks Art

[Art Beard]

Also what is the history as you know it. Is it all functioning properly, can you change the copedent for sale? Thanks agAIN aRT

[Pete Grant]

It originally belonged to Dan Tyack, who bought it at age 17 in 1971. I bought it from a mutual friend, and I'm guessing I'm the third owner. I'm sure Dan had Greg Lasser in San Francisco work on the machine; Greg was also Dan's teacher. He may have even added a knee lever. Greg does the best work.

The pedal setup is Emmons and the E's are on the left knee. The RKL lowers both B's to A#, and the RKR only drops the D# string, currently to D, but I'm sure it will go to C#.

The color was originally blue, but it changed over the years to a greenish blue or a blueish green.

I would be very reluctant to change anything. It works fine the way it is. I bought that with that in mind, even though I knew the right knees would be awkward for me. I bought it for the tone. Back in '71 I tried to work on the Jerry Garcia ZB #0009. I was lucky enough to be able to have Greg Lasser fix it afterwards. I believe Greg is no longer working on ZB's but I could reaffirm that.

[Art Beard]

What is the serial # on this one , Pete? Thanks,Art

[Dan Tyack]

Slight correction, I was the second owner. I bought it in 72 (when I was 17). Greg did a great job rebuilding it. Best playing ZB I have ever played.

[Art Beard]

To Pete and Dan, beside wanting to know,S/N # , are thoe the irignal. Pick up? All ZB's I have seen from early years were white or had whitetop?? Thanks Art

[Pete Grant]

The serial is 0216. The two pickups have slightly different pole pieces. They're definitely ZB. The E9 pickup is very much like—if not virtually identical to— the Garcia ZB, #0009, with hex key adjustment for the pole pieces. The C neck has Phillips head adjustment. The Garcia ZB, the 9th one made in Bakersfield by Zane (and Tom, I suppose), has black pickups and black fingerboards.

[Art Beard]

Pete. You have a great ZB there, I know what it like to chase Tone. The early Professional, Pro II Sho-Bud tone got into my head, and I started looking for one. Became Friends with Ray Walker on the way and ended up with the more Modern sound of a custom he and Jack Palmer built out of a few Sho-Bud pieces. Its one of the Prettiest and smooth playing Steels I have ever seen. but I finally started chasing the Bud Tone again. Your ZB has a tone of its own also that I love. But at the moment I am both financially and Steel Poor. 4 Steels in a fifth Wheel is tight. I might have to buy another 5th wheel to live in. LOL Good Luck, can't understand why its still for sale, ZB's dont come up for sale often. But that loaded Show-Pro 9/9 is still for sale also, showing how slow the market is now. Keep it if you can. Art I think you'll regret selling it later

[Art Beard]

P>S> While resisting yours and slowly caving in, I accidentally bumped into 1969 D11/10 that a lady named Emma had owned and played with 9 strings on each neck. one look at the condition (like yours) I cave in. Awaiting its arrival now. I must know try to learn about Emma and her setup and why she used it. The Older few Steels with the "TONE' are getting harder to find now. Art

[Pete Grant]

Congrats, Art. Glad you got one. Additionally, it'll be nice to have a low E on the E neck.

[James Quackenbush]

I had a Rusler pedal steel as my first REAL pedal steel......It was very much like the ZB.....It had George L pickups in it that didn't sound good, so I changed them out for a couple of Truetones, and I can still say to this day that it was one of the sweetest sounding steels that I have ever owned ! Jim

[Pete Grant]

With rickety student steels like the Maverick and the Carter Starter going for nearly $1000, this is so far beyond that for not that much more.

[Gary Spaeth]

does it aound like this?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPItlOTXlI

[Pete Grant]

That's the sound, but I absolutely cannot guarantee you'll sound that smooth. I'm not at my steel right now, but the way he goes from 8, 6, & 5 seamlessly to 10, 8, & 6 at the end of the solo is just masterful.

[Jim Hollingsworth]

Hi Pete,
It's hard to see the finish of the guitar is it checked or intact ? Just curious.
I am getting ZB lust......

Jim H

[Pete Grant]

It has checking. Tomorrow I'll see what I can do about posting a close-up or two.

[Pete Grant]

As you can see, there is checking in the finish and the overall guitar could use some general cleaning up. I sat down to clean it today and played it instead. Oops.

[Art Beard]

Give in Jim, lol. I was fighting this,one off as hard as i could and was caving in when I stumbled in to the 2 tone closet queen I bought, by accident. If you have the,tone in your head buy it now as they don't come up 4 sale very often any more.
You'll not escape the tone, lol

[Art Beard]

Are you sure you got to sell it ,Pete. The tone is in your head, by playing instead if cleaning it. Don t see them 4 sale much these days. They will have to pry mine from my cold dead hands, lol

[Pete Grant]

Yeah, Art. If I sell a banjo or two, I might be able to keep it.

However, even though I just sold a steel, I do have seven PSGs here at the house, and many have to spend a lot of time in their cases. If I played enough C neck to fool anyone, I'd keep it.

[Art Beard]

Golly Pete, I thought I was bad at 4 in a 5th wheel,lol. Even been thinking about taking the bed out to make a steel guitar n guitar room, lol lol

[Pete Grant]

If you pick it up here in Auburn, California, I'll throw in a two-hour lesson. I may or may not have the time and the wherewithal to pull the Garcia ZB out of storage and A/B the two ZBs, but that is a possibility, but only for the purchaser, not for the "just interested."

[Pete Grant]

I dropped the price from $1700 to $1600.