ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 18 Sep 2003 5:33 pm

she's a Beauty Brad!!
I dig the raised single neck design...the extra height is kinda like the height offset of a front neck of a D10... wierd but cool- and that's part of the ZB mystique-

I think the SIngle necks are actually thicker (height strings to bottom of apron) than the front neck of a D10- can someone verify- ??

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Sep 2003 8:09 pm

Brad, welcome to the ZB club. Those windings on your pickup are exactly what mine are. I use the middle tap and add some bass and a little mids. I have been playing my D-10 for about six months now and love it. If there are any questions you have on setting the guitar up feel free to email me or call me. It took some time but my ZB plays like a good push-pull. You have a real nice ZB there.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 18 Sep 2003 9:10 pm

Hey Brad:

Welcome to the ZB family. I recently did some work on my S-11 4+4 and I can tell you, yes, the blue/green sections and the clear maple sections do screw together. So happy refinishing!

Your ZB #0554 is most defnitely mid-70s. I've never seen one from that era that has white fingerboards and a white pickup, but it's COOL! My D-10 has 'em, but it's a '66.

I use the middle and bassy positions on the triple coils, too. Very lovely sound. The pedals on mine play as smoothly as any other guitar that I've played and the sound ... well... you know.

If I can be of service for anything ZB, please let me know. Nice pictures, by the way. Most ZBs that are "blue" or even "brown" may have started out with the famous green finish. you can check easily enough by just inspecting any unexposed part of the guitar (under the knee lever mounts, in the corner of the guitar under the sides of the endplates, etc.)

ZBest to you,
lc

B. Greg Jones · Post by **B. Greg Jones** » 18 Sep 2003 10:35 pm

Brad, good lookin ZB there!!! Welcome to the ZB family. I just finished restoring a S-11, same color scheme, looks like twin sisters!!!

You need any parts, (and I have a bunch of N.O.S. parts), or help with set-up drop me an email. Be glad to help you out!!!!

Greg

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 19 Sep 2003 7:21 am

Ok, anyone got an idea what pickup setting Brumley used for Together Again? I found myself using the middle position last night a rehearsal most of the time, but this morning I was jamming on Together Again with the CD and I noticed I was on the thin setting and it was pretty close. How about "Teach"?

This guitar continues to impress me. Amazing clear high overtones and sustain. Also real responsive to picking near the changer to get it "talking". At rehearsal my A pedal kept creeping toward the floor. I found a lock nut was loose on one of the rods so it kept loosening. Got that snug now. The mechanical feel is real nice. Blah blah blah...

Brad Sarno

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 19 Sep 2003 9:21 am

<SMALL>At rehearsal my A pedal kept creeping toward the floor. I found a lock nut was loose on one of the rods so it kept loosening. </SMALL>

had the same experience at a gig... had to keep reaching under and spinning the turnbuckle tight again; audience must've thought I was doing something lewd to it....

have since put loc-tite (not the permanent kind) on the threads where the turnbuckles join up.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 19 Sep 2003 9:39 am

Brad, Tom cut Together Again on a Fender, not a ZB. If you get a copy of his Tom Cattin album you will hear his classic ZB sound.

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 20 Sep 2003 11:56 am

Hi Brad - nice one.
My D10 has the adjustable pole pieces but my SD10 has them fixed (non adustable)and am amazed at how many slight changes there are from guitar to guitar.
Strange how that extra piece of wood under the neck came to be although it looks all original.
My mostly used P/U position is the switch thrown to the left for that more "middy" sound but surprised the guys last night when I took one of my breaks with that thin
"tinny" sound; by their looks it didn't seem to go down too well.............ah well.

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

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Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 21 Sep 2003 8:24 am

Thanks for all the cool feedback guys. Yea Kevin, the Tom Cattin album sounds WAY ZB. There's a growl in the low strings that I've never heard another guitar make, and the high sustain is remarkable. How much adjustment of the pole pieces is appropriate. The pickup seems a little low from the strings but maybe thats where it should be. Anyone?

Also, I noticed something that's either brilliant or accidental. The top surface of the main body is finished with some lines in it, sort of like the surface of a vinyl record only straight. Like rough sandpaper left the top grooved and then a slight buff was put on over it still leaving the grooves. The front apron is smooth as glass but the top is grooved. When I was playing I noticed my ceiling light reflecting off the top of the guitar and those grooves did a great job of diffusing the light so the glare wasn't so bad. Judging by all the other little smart design ideas in the ZB, I'm betting that the rougher surface is intentional. Anyone?

By the way, the ZB into my Sho-Bud pedal into my '69 Twin is just amazing sounding.

------------------
Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 24 Sep 2003 9:52 pm

The thought of three consective ZB posts on this page is just too tempting.

Brad - Your pickups are very strong with lotsa magnets in them. My experience is that backing them off slightly will give you better response in the upper part of the neck, with minimal loss of lower tones and growl. Try them out at different settings and go for what sounds best to your ears.

My '57 Tele sounds wonderful with the pickups a good distance away from the strings. Really clean, full and harmonically very rich sounding. Just like my ZBs.

Good luck!
lc

ZBest!

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 25 Sep 2003 7:13 am

Well last night I played my first real gig with my ZB. It sounds great loud. And so easy to play. However I did notice my A pedal taking my 5th string B gradually sharper as the night went on. Yup, the tuning nut was slipping. So I got home and loc-tited it so hopefully that'll stop. This guitar is so cool and different.

Brad Sarno

'66, '69 Emmons Push/Pull,
'7? ZB Custom S-10
'69 Fender Twin w/BW
'76, '78 Session 400
(never trust an instrument under 30)

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 25 Sep 2003 7:38 am

<SMALL>By the way, the ZB into my Sho-Bud pedal into my '69 Twin is just amazing sounding.</SMALL>

My ZB into my ZB pedal into my '68 Twin is just amazing sounding.

like they were made for each other...

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 2 Oct 2003 7:45 am

Greeting from IBMA in Louisville, KY!

ZBEST, still, but too many banjos around here (:

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 10 Oct 2003 6:33 am

ZBump!
lc

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 12 Oct 2003 7:18 am

All hail the Great Green ZB machine.

Go Cubbies!!!

ZBest,
lc

John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 14 Oct 2003 12:18 pm

Hey you guys! I finally got the knee levers sorted on my ZEEBEE D10 0506 You will all be pleased that I will no longer be bitching about knee levers as I now have a guitar that is a pleasure to play! and if any of you are this side of the pond and your steel falls in half I would strongly recommend MR. John White from Eastleigh in Hampshire UK for the repair job
ZB now ZBest!!!!!1

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 Oct 2003 5:23 pm

just tought I could post the 241st reply on here,seems like this thread has been around since Forum first started...

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Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 18 Oct 2003 9:40 pm

naw Damir- thread's only a smidgen under a year old...

Just to stay on topic;
Let us not forget that ZB stands for Zane Beck, and man did he ever design a great pedal steel!

I took the old D10 out for a romp last weekend in Chestertown MD, a small listening club called Andy's...

I Love My ZB!

(I love my Zum too... does that make me a ZBigamist?)

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Oct 2003 5:54 am

Dave, do you know what the punishment is for polygamy?

Two wives!

That joke doesn't work for ZBs though.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 19 Oct 2003 5:00 pm

I've played about 5 gigs now on my S-10 ZB. It's really gettin dialed in now. Great sounding and feeling guitar. My push-pulls are getting jealous. ZB into a Twin w/BW. Yup!

------------------
Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 20 Oct 2003 5:22 pm

Zis may be of interezt to zome;
http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2566298879&category=308

now you zee it, and zoon, you won't.....

ok, it's late, gotta catch some zzzzz's

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 20 Oct 2003 6:46 pm

hey larry, looks like your old student model is up for sale on ebay. i caught your set at hardly strictly and thought you sounded great. hope things are going well for you as i haven't talked to you in a while, and if there is any way you could send me your address again via email i have something to send to you. i'm digging my zb and sort of getting used to lugging it all over, finally got some wheels on the bottom of my case, wheels are it!!

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 20 Oct 2003 6:55 pm

Hey Chris:

Thanks for the kind words. We had a great time in Golden Gate Park and we had just gotten off the plane from IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) festival in Louisville, KY, about 12 hours before!

Did you see the steel player after our set? He was goooooooooood!

The ZB for sale on Ebay is not mine, has too many knee levers! (:

Mine has one lever and I sold it to a steel student in the East Bay. My friend in San Jose just picked up a D-10.

THERE ARE ZBs EVERYWHERE!!!

Yikes!

ZBest,
larry

here's my address:
Larry Chung
3260 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Hope you're playing well and having fun!!!

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 20 Oct 2003 9:14 pm

I had a ZB student similar to that one at one time. Nice tone, but terrible cabinet drop, which I attribute to the all wood construction of the top, including the mounting for the tuning keys.

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 22 Oct 2003 1:14 am

i didn't happen to catch the steel player as i as trapped in the sea of people awaiting willie's show. i am playing a lot and finally getting more of the hang of it, i am in love with the zb sound man, i don't know why more guys don't play them, but i guess that is the little secret, shhhh. i'm very thankful there are guys in zb land that love steel enough to let a total newbie sit at one and get him hooked like i am, thanks man. if you ever run across a s-10 zb let me know, the d-10 is a little heavey to lug back and forth all the time and a little lighter load would be nice, but all the effort pays off in the end. zb's rule.