ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 16 Oct 2006 10:08 am

Is there someone out there who can rewind ZB pickups, mine are pretty microphonic, I can hear my undercariage.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 16 Oct 2006 10:15 am

Jerry Wallace of Truetone Pickups can rewind them. He's on the forum.

DZ

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 16 Oct 2006 10:27 am

Thanks Dave, Jerry rewound one of my Sho-Bud pickups, wasn't sure if there was anything different about a ZB pickups.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 16 Oct 2006 10:39 am

They are different than shobud and most other pickups but he is familiar with them and has rewound them for forum members with great results. I plan on sending a few ZB pickups to him soon for rewinding.

DZ

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 16 Oct 2006 10:51 am

it requires gargantuan force to push the pedals, but I'm not too worried about figuring that out.

It's definitely out of adjustment... mine was like that, but now plays very easily after a going over by
Greg Jones; contact him or one of the other fine ZB undercarriage guys here... I'm sure they can talk you thru the steps to lighten the pedal action, balance the pulls, etc...

JW Day · Post by **JW Day** » 18 Oct 2006 7:08 am

In about 76 or 77 I purchased A new purple ZB D-10 with 8 & 4 or possibly 6. from Bud Hall in Evansville,In. Another gent by the name of Bunch Laser had one just like it.My question is, do any of you guys know of these guitars. I always thought it was beautiful but I sure took alot of flack over the color. I always thought that the legs made the guitar look cheap. I should have changed them and kept it. It sure haqd A good sound. J W Day

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 18 Oct 2006 12:13 pm

It would be great if one of the ZB experts could post a few tips on balancing the pulls on these guitars . With my limited skills I have got mine playing OK but would love to be able to lighten the pedal action a bit .

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 29 Oct 2006 8:50 pm

It's offical, I've got the bug...

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 29 Oct 2006 11:10 pm

Joe...from a post by Larry Behm a few years ago:

"Danny [Shields] told me if you take the metal plate off of the bottom of the pickup and float the pickup on large dime size drops of silicone the sound will become cleaner and less microphonic."

------------------
Mike
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Blue Moon Highway
(Country Music...and then some.)
www.bluemoonhighway.com

ZB Custom S-10 (#0509)

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 30 Oct 2006 8:15 am

I did a side by side comparison of a ZB with the silicone on the pickup and one without and there is a noticable difference. The one with did sound quite a bit cleaner. I may try it on my own guitar.

DZ

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 30 Oct 2006 12:38 pm

Brendan,
I added helper springs to my ZB
to get a lighter pedal and lever
action on the raises.
I hooked a thin piece of wire
to the changer finger
(see arrow on photo),
and ran the wire down the steel
until it was past all the
mechanical parts , then hooked
some springs onto this wire,
and ran the springs to
a home-made plate at the
end of the steel
(under the keyhead).
It doesn't look very elegant,
but it works

[This message was edited by richard burton on 30 October 2006 at 12:41 PM.]

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 30 Oct 2006 3:51 pm

Thanks Richard ,I might try that if I can't do it any other way but I've heard some of these guys talking about how they have their guitars set up to play real easy , I was hoping for some more info along theses lines .

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 30 Oct 2006 4:22 pm

I think that Joe really does have "the bug". The ZB prophets fortell a blue baby in his future.
Duncan

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 31 Oct 2006 2:19 pm

It's up to page 31 and I haven't yet signed on to this thread....just don't want to be left out if it gets retired into the history books.

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 1 Nov 2006 10:34 am

I can't believe that I am going to own Duncan's guitar!
[This message was edited by Joe A. Camacho on 01 November 2006 at 10:37 AM.]

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 1 Nov 2006 12:06 pm

Hey Fellow ZBers:

Joe, I can't believe you're going to own Duncan's ZB. Congratulations. Great job on it, Greg Jones!

Duncan, I can't believe Joe's going to own your ZB. Congratulations? Still, great job on it, Greg Jones!

Dave Z., this isn't a contest, buddy. Maybe your ZBs should meet mine, and we could start some sort of breeding club or something. ZB Husbandry, really, think of all those unbalanced pulls... Congratulations on the bouncing new (old) S-10.

ZBest,
LC

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 1 Nov 2006 4:58 pm

Yes Larry, the blue ZB is going back to California where it was born. Joe and I sell a steel to each other every couple of years, or so. It's our way of staying in touch. Many people exchange emails but Joe and I send 100lb pieces of wood and metal across the entire length of the country. It's quite the bonding experience. I fell in love with one of those "F" steels (no, not the "F" your wife uses when referring to those (blank) steels) and the only I could make the deal was by parting with the D-10. It was a very sad day when I came to the realization that it had to go. At least I still have the red ZB so I'm still in the club.
Duncan

[This message was edited by Duncan Hodge on 01 November 2006 at 04:59 PM.]

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 7 Nov 2006 3:57 am

Duncan the 12str is on the way to KY. Greg
will do for her what I can't and breathe life into a gorgeous steel. Looking forward
to getting it back and sending my Scranton
D10 for a touch up.

Ad Kersten · Post by **Ad Kersten** » 7 Nov 2006 2:42 pm

Try another brand - less help needed - more time to play !

Ad

------------------
Zumsteel S12U

Yo, Man! homepage

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 7 Nov 2006 5:20 pm

Yeah, but they wouldn't sound like a ZB Custom.

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 9 Nov 2006 8:18 pm

Hey Ad,
In thirty or forty years time, if you've still got the Zum (fine guitar), maybe you won't be so dismissive of having to get it "tweeked."

Pat

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 10 Nov 2006 11:38 am

XB D10 8+4 seial 0085 , what year please

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 10 Nov 2006 2:10 pm

I have # 0086 here in Buffalo. It should be a 1970 guitar. ZB switched over its serial numbers in 69.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 10 November 2006 at 05:52 PM.]

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 11 Nov 2006 7:19 am

I got a Bakersfield era ZB Catalog on e-bay in pristine condition! Exactly like the catalog I ordered my first ZB from.

I've scanned it in hi res and here are a few low res images for you ZB freaks

The front cover

The inside

The back cover

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 12 Nov 2006 1:52 am

Can someone tell me how to get my E to F on LKL and E to F# on the C pedal
ZB D10 8+4
also i need a replacement for one of the bridge
push on rollers , not sure what they are called
but its where the string comes over the bridge,
lost one after a string broke on the last song of the night , decided to replace the string next day and must lost the the roller when putting the guitar in the case , thanks my fellow ZBeers
ps. i live in spain no steel outlets there..