ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 30 Jul 2004 3:47 am

Wow I just realized this would be the 400th post, the longest post on the forum to date I am sure.

Dave Z when are you playing in Eugene Or and are you coming to Portland?

Larry Behm

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Jul 2004 4:08 am

Sorry! This thread was disqualified from the "longest thread" competition for reason #7.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 30 Jul 2004 5:21 am

LArry, we'll be in Eugene August 19 and Portland on the 20th. We play at Mississippi Studios in Portland. What's that place like?

I'll post all the shows with details a few days before in Events and Announcements.

DZ

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 30 Jul 2004 12:54 pm

Dave I am not familiar with this place, is it a venue or a studio? I am free that day hope we can hook up.

Larry Behm
503-722-7562

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 30 Jul 2004 1:29 pm

It seems to be a recording facility that has live concerts every now and then. Looks like a nice place. Mississippi Studios

I'll be playing with my friends from LA, I See Hawks From LA. It's alt country/hippie honky-tonk stuff.

It would nice to hook up.

Dave Z

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 18 Aug 2004 12:12 pm

ZBump for all you ZBers out there. Just one the best darned pedal steels out there. Tone, come to me...

Zbest,
larry

------------------
Larry Chung
ZB D-10 8+4
ZB Custom S-11 4+4 Dekley S-10 3+4

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Aug 2004 4:29 pm

Not sure I've ever seen a thread run for 11 pages and over 400 posts before. Especially before getting so far outta hand that somebody has to shut the thread down for uncivil behavior. Well, then, here's an extra 'bump' just to congratulate y'all!

 BUMP!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Aug 2004 5:49 pm

Sorry! Reason #7 still prevails.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Aug 2004 8:36 pm

There are photos of me playing my green D-10 at www.bbjack.com Just go to scrap book. I love my ZB.

Jaim Zuber · Post by **Jaim Zuber** » 7 Sep 2004 9:30 am

I just started playing a Red ZB S10 Student model.

When where these things made? I checked underneath the steel by the changer, but couldn't find a seriel number.

Not the prettiest steel you'll see but I have some pics around here somewhere if anyone's interested.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 7 Sep 2004 11:03 am

Hello Jaim:

Welcome to the ZB ... er... I mean Steel Guitar Forum. I used to play a red student model just like yours. Very fun and also had pretty good tone and the ZB changer and hardware, too!

The serial number usually appears on the bottom edge of the guitar near the changer - I've not seen any ZBs that didn't have some kind of serial number. Mine had a serial number plus the letter "S" which I'm assuming means Student Model. My understanding is that they were made during the early and mid 70s.

If you can send along a photo or three and keep lookin' for that serial number, I can send you some more info about the guitar.

ZBest,
larry[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 15 September 2004 at 09:44 AM.]

ray qualls · Post by **ray qualls** » 9 Sep 2004 7:09 am

Hi Larry, I just bought a double neck with a padded armrest. It has 3 floor & 4 knee levers. The serial number is 0005 and it has the ZB sticker on front that says it was made in Scranton. Any idea when it was made? Don't have any pics of it yet but it sure plays good. I'll be playing it at our convention on Oct. 1,2,3 of this year. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Ray Qualls(President-KSGA)

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 9 Sep 2004 8:44 am

Hi Ray:

Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful guitar. Serial number 0005 would make that guitar somewhere in the 1968-69 range, when the factory was moved from Scranton to Bakersfield. The serial numbers started at 1001 in Scranton, then went to 0001 when the factory moved. It's possible that yours was built in Scranton before/during the move. If it is a Scranton-built ZB, hang on to it! Those pickups sound great and have Zane's personal touch on 'em.

ZBest,
larry

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 11 Sep 2004 3:21 pm

The pedals on my ZB have to be sqeezed hard to get the last bit of the change. Is there and adjustment to rectify this or should I just tune the pedals to where they stop comfortable. I don't like the second option as it means I don't have a precise tuning.

All the best

Pat Kelly

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 11 Sep 2004 5:24 pm

Bye ZB land! I sold my ZB D10 to Lee Jeffries who will give it a better home. A great guitar that just needed some love! Can I still read the ZB posts? Thanks, JimP[This message was edited by Jim Peters on 11 September 2004 at 09:45 PM.]

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 14 Sep 2004 11:38 am

No.

welll... you did find it a good home....

okay, you can still read 'em.

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 21 Sep 2004 5:37 pm

It's been a week since the last addition here, so I'm bumping this in hopes someone's got some new serial numbers, photos, a recently unearthed ZB or maybe a full-blown controversy. I've been so desperated that I just read "Faking It in America," the story of wunder-conartist Bary Minkow and the ZZZZ Best fraud scandal. (All carpets, credit-card scams and Ponzi schemes, not a damn steel in the whole 200+ pages.)

Andrew Buhler · Post by **Andrew Buhler** » 22 Sep 2004 1:02 pm

OK ZB folks, ZBs caught my attention after I spotted an rare S 12 at a local music shop (Chuck McGill ended up buying it). I've also been listening to a lot of Brumley and the sound of these instruments is infectious (to quote DVA, I think I definitely have a case of the ZB jeebies). I think I want to make the leap into ZB land in the near future. However, I've been looking around online for an S10/11 or D10 without much luck. Do you all have any suggestions for locating one? I'm thinking of taking a drive down to Billy Cooper's to play the D 11 he has listed on his site before finally making a purchase.

Any suggestions? BTW, I think it was Brumley's playing and tone on Rick Nelson's "One Night Stand" that stole my heart...

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 23 Sep 2004 9:23 am

Andrew, ZB's are getting harder and harder to find, and when you do find one it is usually seriously out of regulation and in need of a complete restoration. I waited almost seven months to find my D-10. I had the old knee levers repositioned and replaced with new adjustables and a complete action regulation. It was worth it though. For my money it is THE best sounding guitar of all time. Especially in the studio. These guitars are works of art and are getting rare. I think anyone that has them are holding on to them.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 23 September 2004 at 10:24 AM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 23 September 2004 at 10:25 AM.]

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 23 Sep 2004 10:26 am

Great sounding guitars!!!

Dave[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 23 September 2004 at 11:27 AM.]

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 24 Sep 2004 11:10 am

Thanks to Mike V for a lengthy e-mail reply that was very helpful. Mike I'll be in touch when I get my e-mail fixed; at the moment I can't send out.I have another couple of problems that I will be asking help for soon.

Pat Kelly

dlaurice · Post by **dlaurice** » 26 Sep 2004 12:41 am

Larry: Someday I will go through this entire post, but, in case you close it off some day, I thought I would add my nostalgic recollections of my first "professional" steel, a ZB S-11 on a double body. Unfortunately I have none of the details you are looking for. I bought it through John Campbell who was working for Jimmy Webb at Webb's Music in Antioch. I would guess it was probably about 1974. It was a beautiful bright emerald green lacquer with mother of pearl inlay. I have never owned a prettier guitar. Frankly, from the bottom it looked like something that shouldn't work at all! However, once it was set up (mine was fine-tuned by Greg Lasser from whom I was taking lessons at the time. Greg also played a ZB which, of course is why I bought one - thought it would make me sound like him - wrong), it was bullet proof. The secret to keeping it working well was not to mess with it. Tune it, but don't do anything else unless you really know what you are doing. It was the only guitar I played for many years, but eventually I began an as yet unfulfilled quest for less weight and a lighter action (my only real complaint about the ZB was the amount of force necessary to fully actuate the pedals and levers). Eventually the ZB ended up in its case, made a couple of moves, was subjected to extreme temperature torture etc. When I finally pulled it out again (had to have been well over ten years in the case), it was almost in perfect tune! Unfortunately, bringing it out was fatal. My wife demanded that I get rid of at least one of my steels (I had four at the time), and I picked the ZB. The pad was a bit worn, but other than that it was in excellent condition. Anyway, I sold it for $600 some years ago to somebody in San Rafael (he was a newbee who knew that Jerry Garcia played a ZB and that was all the credentials he required). I don't recall his name. By the way, unlike other laquered birdseye maple-bodied guitars I have had, that bright green never faded (well, maybe a little - but very little). I have since regretted my decision to sell that guitar. I wonder if you have come across it?

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 26 Sep 2004 10:29 am

Dear dlaurice and Forumites:

Thank you so much for your post, information and stories! I own an S-11 that is emerald green just like yours (on a single body, however, and without the fancy inlays), and aside from the tops, the rest of the finish has stayed beautifully true to colour. Thanks to everyone (especially bOb) for keeping this thread going.

I recently received a phone call from a very, very kind gentleman across the country who offered me his old ZB to play and to love. It has arrived, #0215, blue D-10 faded to gray with birdseye maple tops. I am honored by and humbled at and grateful for this most magnanimous act and musical gesture. And I've played two gigs on her already (yes, she, is a beauty!) and several people have commented on how lovely she sounds. She just sings! Now I just have to wipe that stupid grin off of my face...

All of which is to say that I believe things happen for a reason, and it is time to finally start putting the ZB Manual and History together. I figure that this long post would make a great introduction! (just kidding) With the help of many, many people on the Forum (Greg Jones, Kevin Hatton, Dave Van Allen, Billy Knowles and countless others) I've been able to collect many photos and stories over the past couple years (check out the date on the first post on this thread), and have also had lots of requests for putting together a manual of adjustment tips and the like. Well, consider it officially "on the way". Greg, Kevin, Dave, Billy and everyone else, I'll be in touch!

It is the least that I can do to give something back to all of you for the beautiful music that pedal steel guitar has brought into my life and into the lives of the friends and audiences who listen.

All ZBest,
larry

------------------
Larry Chung
ZB D-10 8+4
ZB D-10 6+2
ZB Custom S-11

[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 26 September 2004 at 11:32 AM.][This message was edited by Larry Chung on 26 September 2004 at 11:34 AM.][This message was edited by Larry Chung on 26 September 2004 at 11:40 AM.]

Andrew Buhler · Post by **Andrew Buhler** » 4 Oct 2004 12:52 pm

I just sent out payment for #0098. It's the sunburst SD 10 once owned by Duncan.

I can't wait to play this baby. Thanks for the info guys.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 9 Oct 2004 4:16 pm

I posted this guitar already but thought I would ask the experts on this grand ZB post.
It's D10 8&5 Blue sunburst apron with natural
deck. Serial is 0191. I just got it this morning.Got any info on this one. By the way
it's a killer sounding guitar.