ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 23 Jul 2003 9:15 am

200! 200! 200!

Please keep the ZB info coming!

ZBump

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 23 Jul 2003 11:01 am

201! 201! 201!

I am gonna try to track down the guy who owns my original '73ZB S10 and get the SN# info off it.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 30 July 2003 at 08:22 PM.]</p></FONT>

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 30 Jul 2003 3:02 pm

Hey, Dave:

You go do that, man... get on that horse and ride!

Hee hee!

ZBest
Zbump

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 30 Jul 2003 4:51 pm

I know it's been mentioned beore but just as a little aside Larry, has anyone kept any "detailed" records of the serial number system from the first days of manufacturing through to the end including all the people that have had input to their building?

Looking at guitars with just a few numbers apart, there are differences - especialy the cross strap fulcrum screw placement, plus placement of rods in the cross strap itself.

Bob Mainwaring.Z.Bs.and other weird things.

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Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 8 Aug 2003 5:55 am

Thanks, Bob:

I don't know if anyone kept "official records" - I have heard that an English gentleman named Eric Snoball kept some records for all of the guitars that were sent across the ocean (to the UK), but I haven't had any luck reaching him.

Here's a related question: Does anyone konw if Zane's wife is still with us or if he had any family?

I wonder if there are some company records... but I don't want to intrude, either.

David Rothon · Post by **David Rothon** » 8 Aug 2003 8:13 am

Hi there,
sorry it's taken me a while to post to this thread, but I play an S-10 ZB (3+4), serial no. 0279, which was bought (possibly new, but I'm not sure) by the previous owner in 1971. It has 4 knee levers now, but apparently had more before they were sold to the late Gordon Huntley (of Matthews Southern Comfort). I've had it about 3 years - pedals etc are kind of stiff, but I gather that's ZBs for you. I'm doing my best with it, anyway....

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 8 Aug 2003 8:37 am

Dave, your pedal action does not have to be that way. I'll bet your pulls are out of balance. Mine was the same way until it was balanced out. Now it plays butter smooth. Look at the allen screws on the endplate. When you press a pedal make sure all the pulls on that pedal stop at the same time on the endplate. Same with the knees.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 8 Aug 2003 8:49 am

Hi David:

Thanks for the info. Yes, I think you are right on about the date of your ZB. My S-11 serial number 0252 has original volume and tone pots (they work, too!) coded 1377038, which means they were made by CTS (137) in 1970, 38th week (7038).

Which means that my ZB (which is about 20 numbers off of yorus) was made sometime after September, 1970.

Hope this helps and thanks for the info!
ZBest!
larry

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 8 Aug 2003 9:41 am

Hi Larry - May Faye Beck is still with us as good and as strong as ever selling tapes of Zane.
I can't find the address at the moment - I'm sure one of the guys out there could/will help.

Bob Mainwaring. Z.B's and other weird things.

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Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 18 Aug 2003 11:40 am

ZBump!

Does anyone out there have a way to contact Ms. Beck? It's time to get back on the ZB investigative trail!

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 18 Aug 2003 2:29 pm

Hi there Larry - here goes:-

Faye Beck Millsap
20711, Arch St. Pike
Little Rock,
Arkansas,
72206

Bob Mainwaring. Z.B's and other weird things.

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Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 27 Aug 2003 11:25 am

ZBump!

Just like seeing the "ZB" name on consecutive posts...
(:

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 27 Aug 2003 11:48 am

I'm still looking for anyone who may have owned my Custom D10 w/11 pedal and 4 levers. Ser #1108. Jim Flynn is overhauling it now. Looking forward to playing it again.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 4 Sep 2003 8:59 pm

ZBump! ZB! ZBest!

John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 5 Sep 2003 1:12 pm

I don`t want to get lynched for this posting,as I know how you guys all feel about ZB`s, but if I were to remove (carefully) all the insides of my beautiful twin 10 (that is the prettiest guitar I have ever owned) is there another mechanism out there that has the smoth performance of a P/Pull Emmons or similar ,that would fit,or at least not have to wreck the guitar trying to fit. Thank you Greg, for all your help and advice,but these levers are still breaking my knees!!!JD

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 6 Sep 2003 9:44 am

you hold him down, I'll get the rope....

Just Kidding. Sort Of.

I am sure someone can advise you in your quest, but I would recommend agin it.

John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 7 Sep 2003 12:19 am

no need for that Dave, I`ll get the rope myself soon if I don`t find a way around the problem!!

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 7 Sep 2003 3:28 am

John,
You can make the ZB much easier to play if you put helper springs on the raises. My ZB plays like silk since I put helper springs on the raises, and modified the lowers with different length springs.

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 7 Sep 2003 10:46 am

John - I think when you ever get back to see all your buddies here on Vancouver Island you should bring it over as a gift for me!!

Seriously though, I'm sure it could be reworked using the original setup and resetting it all to play like the day it was constructed.

From your picture, it looks like a ringer of my D10 No.0510

Traaaaa then.

Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs and other weird things.

P.S. Don't buy that Bonneville - keep your money (and a little bit more)for a nice Vincent twin that's lurking in somebody's back yard.

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Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 7 Sep 2003 10:48 am

John - I think when you ever get back to see all your buddies here on Vancouver Island you should bring it over as a gift for me!!

Seriously though, I'm sure it could be reworked using the original setup and resetting it all to play like the day it was constructed.

From your picture, it looks like a ringer of my D10 No.0510

Traaaaa then.

Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs and other weird things.

P.S. Don't buy that Bonneville - keep your money (and a little bit more)for a nice Vincent twin that's lurking in somebody's back yard.

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John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 8 Sep 2003 9:42 am

Hi Richard,
That`s an interesting suggestion I will have a word with my mate Wiggo (the engineer) and see if he`s up for trying to fit some springs
I don`t have the ball`s for it myself as I am no good under the guitar,too clumsy!

Bob behave yourself!!! YOUR NOT GETTING IT
(yet!)

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 17 Sep 2003 8:02 am

Keep Zee Info coming.

I've been a busZBEE lately, so my apologies for not getting back with a couple of you for so long.

ZBest.
zbguitarinfo@yahoo.com

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 18 Sep 2003 1:51 pm

Well it looks like I just joined the club. It's a ZB Custom S-10, blue/blonde/blue maple with the funky white fretboard. Stock pickup. I think a 3rd lever was added in the past year or so. I got it home yesterday and while changing it over from Emmons to Day I got a crash course in ZB changers. It may be a weird design for some people but man I like the design. Good feel, very solid and in tune. I do see it's limitations but for a basic setup it's great. The guitar sounds incredible and so familiar. The 3 tap pickup is cool, a bit microphonic but not too bad. The guitar feels very solid.

My 2 '60s push/pulls are jealous. I've got some pic's that I'll post later. The guitar is beautiful. However there is some lacquer cracking where the blue body meets the blonde neck baseboard. Does anyone know if the body comes apart so they can be refinished as separate pieces? Also I've seen some ZB's that dont have that neck baseboard thing, just a typical neck on a body. What's up with that design?

SN is 0554. Anyone got a year??

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Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 18 Sep 2003 2:45 pm

OK, here are some pic's. Notice the second to last one. This is the lacquer chipping that's happening. My question is does the blue body separate from the blond part so they can be refinished separately? Do they unscrew or are they glued together?

Thanks,

Brad Sarno
'66, '69 Pushpull, '?? ZB custom S-10
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/ZBpage.html

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 18 Sep 2003 4:39 pm

The 3 taps on the pickup on this one are wound to:

1: 7kOhms DC
2: 14.8kOhms DC
3: 25.8kOhms DC

That's quite a wide range. The middle position is the most like my old Emmons pickups. The 7k is real thin sounding. The 25.8k is super hot and midrangy.

Is there a pickup height adjustment? Just the polepieces?

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Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis