ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 16 Dec 2005 7:35 am

Actually, this thread is turning into something of a book... (; G'day, Pat Kelly - hope your fire engine red ZB is keeping you smiling down under.

900 posts, and a whopping 23 pages. Sheesh, do you folks like your ZBs, or what?

Thanks for your continuing posts, everyone. The book project is still happening, but I've been super-busy with work and life (and practicing steel, of course). Another new year's resolution on the way. 2006 will be the year of the ZB book!

And thanks, bOb, for keeping this thread (and the gig of memory it requires) alive and kickin'.

Some lovely ZBs in the For Sale section right now, too. No, I'm not selling mine... (:

All ZBest during this very festive season.
LC

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Larry Chung
'67 ZB D-10 8+4 (ser. #1077)
'69 ZB S-10 3+4 (ser. #0124)
'70 ZB D-10 8+4 (ser.# 0215)
'71 ZB Custom S-11 4+4 (ser. #0252)

[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 16 December 2005 at 07:37 AM.][This message was edited by Larry Chung on 16 December 2005 at 07:49 AM.]

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 17 Dec 2005 4:44 am

Hi, Larry

Thanks for your e-mail re: ZB strings.

I did reply, but I see that delivery of my e-mail has been 'delayed'. I only have a handful of nickel-wound ZB strings (with the Phoenix, AZ address on them (I'd thought there were more, but I must have used some over the years), but you're welcome to them.

Let me have your street address and I'll pop them in the mail.

Best,

Roger R.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 17 Dec 2005 8:55 am

Hi Roger:

Thanks so much for the strings. I'll be sure to include them in the book-in-progress.

I know there were also ZB amplifiers (never seen one), volume pedal (own one), and maybe even a ZB effect box or two (never seen one)? If anyone out there has a photo of these, please do send them along.

Hey Kevin: too bad about the amp. I guess making great guitars was Zane's thing. Maybe not so much with the amps. Thanks in advance for the amp photos.

All ZBest!
Larry[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 17 December 2005 at 12:26 PM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 17 Dec 2005 11:52 am

I have a ZB amplifier from the seventies. Its a real dog and breaks up at medium volumes. Its in perfect condition. Larry, I'll send you some pictures.

Troy Porter · Post by **Troy Porter** » 17 Dec 2005 6:00 pm

Hi Larry, I got my ZB in 65 and always thought it was #1017 but a friend said he saw a post somewhere and it stated that mine was #1019. I sold the guitar several years ago but would like to know if it was #1019. It was a deep red, almost wine color with lots of beautiful birdseye. Is there any way to find out if the guitar is still around and who might own it now?

Thanks

Troy

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 17 Dec 2005 7:12 pm

Larry brought up the question of the many gigs of memory that these many pages require. How about tossing b0b an extra five or ten dollar bill at years end. I am sure he will be tickled to receive them.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 17 Dec 2005 7:14 pm

Larry brought up the question of the many gigs of memory that these many pages require. How about tossing b0b an extra five or ten dollar bill at years end. I am sure he will be tickled to receive them.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 17 Dec 2005 8:47 pm

Hi Lyle:

What a wonderful idea. b0b, my Palpal donation is on the way, and I encourage all of you ZB enthusiasts to do the same. It's the least I can do for this most excellent group of online steel enthusiasts.

All ZBest,
Larry

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 19 Dec 2005 8:56 am

Larry, I have a ZB volume control. It came new with the ZB Custom D10 35 years ago. I still use it and have only changed the pot about 4 times. I think the one I have in there now is an industrial grade .5 meg Allen-Bradley that a friend acquired from a local Caterpillar Tractor factory. I remember I had to cut the shaft down and file a flat on it to match the nylon gear. While a lot of volume controls required a string under tension, Zane I guess developed this method of rack and pinion.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Joe Shelby · Post by **Joe Shelby** » 20 Dec 2005 11:02 pm

Just a note on the ZB amps. They were apparently (at least some, if not all)
made by Standel.
I never played through one, but did hear Big
Jim Murphy playing a Sho-Bud through one at
the Great American Music Hall in SF in either
1975 or 1976 with Vassar Clements.Not a steel
sound-friendly room (from past experience as
a player and listener). Big Jim got gorgeous
tone out of that setup, as I 'spose he would
have out of anything. I think that's about the only time I've heard someone use a ZB amp
but thought at the time, if I find one, I'll
buy it...(No, I don't want one now).

Joe.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 21 Dec 2005 5:04 am

I have a couple of pics on my website of my
ZBs. The 67 Scranton and the 67 12str with the wrong logo and finger board. http://www.bandstandinc.com

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 21 Dec 2005 6:15 am

JD Maness said he used a ZB amp on tons of sessions back in the day. Do a forum search and maybe you'll find the thread.

DZ

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 21 Dec 2005 9:23 am

Joe, the Standel amps were good amps. ZB later had Risson Amplifiers build their amps. They were full of problems and real dogs. As mentioned above I have one. The preamps were pretty bad. Alot of distortion.

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 23 Dec 2005 5:44 am

ZB S-10 on ebay. Look like it needs work.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ZB-Z-B-CUSTOM-BECK-5-PEDAL-STEEL-GUITAR-10-STRINGS_W0QQitemZ7376853867

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 23 Dec 2005 6:46 am

looks like maybe it used to be blue?... someone offset the fretboard toward the back of the guitar maybe it's just the residual glue..... yikes, poor baby!!! still with some TLC it could live again....

John Rutledge · Post by **John Rutledge** » 24 Dec 2005 7:04 pm

I haven't been on in a while, But to day I was at my daughters house, watching home movies. I had forgotten about the movies I took inside the Z.B. factory in Bakersfield. Tom Brumley was there checking ont the steels. Anyway the whole room was full of new steels. they sure did look good.
anyway everone have a Mary Chirstmas.
John

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 25 Dec 2005 3:22 pm

john, i'd be really interested in seeing that home movie of the inside of the factory, i'm sure a lot of the rest of us zb fanatics would be interested too. any chance of you putting them up for us to see? it would make an excellent zb christmas gift...if not, maybe you would care to elaborate on what kinds of stuff is on the tape...merry christmas!!!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 25 Dec 2005 9:31 pm

John, I second that motion. We would all be interested in seeing those movie clips on line being as fanatic as we are about ZB guitars and their history. Would you do it?

Alan Harrison · Post by **Alan Harrison** » 26 Dec 2005 9:27 am

My first pro model steel was a beautiful red front and rear, clear top, birds eye maple D-10 with eight floor and five knee levers. I bought it slightly used in 1971 from Larry Petre in Bakersfield, CA, where Bev and I were living at the time. I I played it for a few years and sold it to a man in Delano, California. Tom Brumley told me he thought it was the last unit built in Bakersfield before they moved to Arizona. Sorry I don't have the serial number. I have many fond memories of this guitar and wish I had kept it.

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Emmons LeGrande II D-10, 8 & 5, Willy D-10, 8 & 8 two Peavey 112's, Profex II and Hilton Pedal.

Alan Harrison · Post by **Alan Harrison** » 26 Dec 2005 9:37 am

My first pro model steel was a beautiful red front and rear, clear top, birds eye maple D-10 ZB with eight floor and five knee levers. I bought it slightly used in 1972 from Larry Petre in Bakersfield, CA, where Bev and I were living at the time. I played it for a few years and sold it to a man in Delano, California. Tom Brumley told me he thought it was the last unit built in Bakersfield before they moved to Arizona. Sorry I don't have the serial number. I have many fond memories of this guitar and wish I had kept it. I do have some photos.

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Emmons LeGrande II D-10, 8 & 5, Willy D-10, 8 & 8 two Peavey 112's, Profex II and Hilton Pedal.

Alan Harrison · Post by **Alan Harrison** » 26 Dec 2005 9:52 am

My first pro model steel was a ZB D-10 with eight floor and five knee levers. It was a beautiful red front and rear with natural clear top in birds eye maple. I bought it from Larry Petre in Bakersfield, CA in 1972 and played it in that area for about three years. I sold it to a man in Delano, CA, about 1975. Tom Brumley told me he thought it was the last guitar he inspected before the company was moved to Arizona. I do have some photos but have lost track of the serial number. Larry may have it in his records. Many great memories of the ZB.

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Emmons LeGrande II D-10, 8 & 5, Willy D-10, 8 & 8 two Peavey 112's, Profex II and Hilton Pedal.

John Rutledge · Post by **John Rutledge** » 26 Dec 2005 10:19 am

Hope you guys (gals) will forgive me for the spelling, I never did get good grades in english.
I don't know whether or not I have the right equipment to do this, But if I can I will put the movies on the air. I talk to and see my kids on the computer, and they see me. So maybe I can put the movies I have on the inside of the Z.B.Factory on the air. I can't myself, But maybe my Grandson can. He's the one with all the knowledge around here. I'll get back with you guys after I talk to him.
Merry Christmas John

Alan Harrison · Post by **Alan Harrison** » 27 Dec 2005 5:50 am

Thanks John, had an e-mail from Larry this am, he tried to look up the SN. Said his records did not show it in 1973. It could have been mid 1972 or earlier, my memory is pretty short. Back in those years, "Ole Chops Petre" was eaten up with ZB. Thanks.

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Emmons LeGrande II D-10, 8 & 5, Willy D-10, 8 & 8 two Peavey 112's, Profex II and Hilton Pedal.

[This message was edited by Alan Harrison on 30 December 2005 at 04:56 AM.]

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 28 Dec 2005 6:06 pm

Larry or John Can you give us a time line of the different factories in which the ZBs were made? Arkansas, California, Arizona with I believe another state along the line.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

John Rutledge · Post by **John Rutledge** » 30 Dec 2005 10:25 am

Hi Lyle
I worked for Mosrite of California untill they went bankrupt In February of 1969. I think it was march the 1st( maybe a day or so one way or the other) that I went to work for Z.B. Guitar Co. Zane taught me himself how to build the complete guitar, we even made the cases for them. Z.B. Guitar Co. moved to california in 1968. I don't know exactly which month. The owners of the company moved me and the company to Phoenix,Arizona February 1st 1971. I was at this time General Manager of the company. I don't know what happened after I came back to bakersfield, but in January of 1972 I came back to Bakersfield, and went to work for Mosrite of California, which at that time I was General Manager. I hope some of these dates will help you. After I left Z.B. Bill Sims (the owner of Z.B. Guitar Co.) Had Zane Beck come to Arz. to help him run the company, and find someone who was qualified to work and run the company. After this point I don't know what happered.
[This message was edited by John Rutledge on 30 December 2005 at 08:18 PM.][This message was edited by John Rutledge on 30 December 2005 at 08:20 PM.][This message was edited by John Rutledge on 30 December 2005 at 08:23 PM.]