The Steel Guitar Forum

Is that a student model?

I had a 10 string ZB student that looked like that one; I removed the plastic vacuum-formed covering and varnished the wood.
Nice tone, terrible cabinet drop.

Dave Zirbel's gonna take that case off my hands. Bump

Serial #0085 is completely restored. My friend Jim Whitford owns it here in Buffalo. He is now a ZB convert. 1969 model. I remember Jim's face when he first got the guitar. It was a complete wreck. Totally rusted and unplayable. It looks and plays like a Harley Davidson now after a complete restoration. It wasn't eay. Beautiful ZB tone and sustain. I'll post pictures.

Yes. Please do!

These photo's are from around 1976 and the ZB I had was a 11 stringer (I think) with the low E on the bottom inspired by Tommy Brumley. 1st photo at the Bel Air Club in Concord, California. The second photo is from a band I was with in Concord, California and our lead guitar player was the designer of the Webb Amplifier (George Moore). I was the original guinea pig and got to try out a new prototype every week. Unfortunately he also played through one and blasted my eardrum out every night. My ears would ring into the next day after a wild night at the Western Way!!! I then moved down the road to Black Bart's after Joe Goldmark rode into the sunset toward San Francisco.

Hello Rick, great pictures of your beautiful ZB. What an incredible piece of maple on the top of it. I just brought out old #0093 after a couple of months of playing that other "F" brand. I had an incredible smile on my face from the beginning of the slide up the neck to the first ping of the intro to Dire Wolf. For some reason I love to warm up on that song. God, a ZB is a wonderful sounding instrument. I just wish that they were easier to work on, being very much a fumblethumb myself. Don't get me wrong, the "F" steel is an incredible psg and in a class by itself, but my ZB is, well... it just sounds the best. I also believe that they are just about the prettiest too, at least the ones I have owned are. Now Joe, remember to take good care of my old blue one #0127. Oil it and polish it early and often,
Duncan

Yeah Duncan... Underneath that maple was a dark rich green color with mother-of-pearl lining. This was definately a beautiful machine. But, then Kline came along and my love for mechanics outweighed looks, although I did see a Kline at the St. Louis Convention that looked like this ZB but without the stripes. Now that I think about it, that was the most beautiful steel I have seen to date. I often wondered who bought that magnificent machine.

Hey Larry, that is a noble thing you are attempting. It is important to keep history correct. I'm not sure why ZB guitars are not more popular , but they sure have my attention. It's not easy being a human encyclopedia but you are doing great! I just acquired a 1968? from a fellow forumite so perhaps you already have this one logged ser # 1095 D-10 9&1 . i'll get pics to you soon. When did ZB start up? what yr & model did J garcia play? I would like to get info on proper adjustment & maintainence & more history ,please keep up the good work. Billy Lee Fraser

I spoke to Billy Knowles about ZBs and he told me if they were easy to work on they'd still be in business. But, I believe once you get your set up on them they stay in tune and work great.

I think yours is 10 X 1 once you get the 4th pedal working. Look at the pictures of the underside you'll see 7 pedals for the C neck.

Russ

anyone have an extra tuner they could sell me?

Hey Larry, I just took delivery of a 1968 D-10 #1095 10&1 I'm in love & hav'nt touched my Sho-Bud since it got here. I wouldn't mind knowing what the switches between necks do, it has quite a range of tones . It has numerous broken pedals ,so I'm looking. I,m thinking of trying som pedals with multiple holes for the rods it seems that moving the rods closer to the pedal rack would help the stiff pedal action that it's last owner found annoying [legs must have been stronger back then! It looks as tho MSA pedals will fit & provide some extra holes to work with ANY info is greatly appreciated. this ZB belonged to Travis Kline, a stand-up guy . Billy Lee Fraser

Hi Billy:

Congratulations on your new (old) ZB. The switches in between the neck are pretty straightforward. There should be two blade type switches (ala a Telecaster) and perhaps one two-position sliding switch. The first blade switch controls which neck (or both in the center position) that are activated. The second blade switch (the magical one) selects which of the three coils in the pickup are activated. You can get a thin Fender-like sound with only one coil, a nice, balanced (classic) ZB tone with two coils in the middle position, and a thick, warm tone with all three coils activated. Several folks have indicated average resistance across each of these three positions earlier in this thread.

Finally, the two position sliding switch either sends the signal directly to the output jack, or through the tone and volume controls on the side of the guitar.

Hope that helps and all ZBest to you!
Larry

Hello ladies and gentlemen. I had a visit from a friend and he brought his son with hime. After a period of time he asked if he could play "that thing", meaning my ZB. I said sure and he sat down and proceeded to experiment and try different things for a good period of time. I'm not sure he was producing the "classic" ZB tone, but it could be classified as a good musical attempt with lots of enthusiasm. This great young man was smiling and had complete concentration on the instrument. I can't wait to see him again. He can play my ZB anytime.
Duncan

Now that is how you get kids involved in steel!

Keep it up. Give him your Fulawka!!!!!

Russ

That young man has pedal steel written all over his smile. Encourage him Duncan.

I just purchased a project ZB. Does anyone know someone who can update it to a 4X4. It is currently a 2X4.

I hate to update it, but it appears that too much is missing/has been changed to restore it back to original. From the looks of the pictures, most of the undercarriage stuff isn't original.

I will know more once it arrives at my house.

Casey, I work on ZB's. Email with pictures of the underside. I hope its not too butchered. I'll give you my opinion, your options, and a price if it can be done. I have original parts.

Kevin,

As soon as it is in my posession, I will send you some pics. I'm pretty sure that it is totally butchered from the looks of the photo. At one point, it was a nice lookd D-10 & now it is a decent looking SD-10.

I will email photos that the seller provided.

Casey

If you wanted it put back to original I could do it. That includes making it a D-10. Its really ashame what some people have done to these guitars. I also have a conversion option for you.

Kevin,

I have emailed the pics to you. Hope they help somewhat. I can send more once I receive the steel.

Since it is missing sooooo much to make it a D-10, I'm afraid that leaving it an SD-10 is the simplest & best way to go.

I am interested in the conversion option. Ideally, I think I would prefer it to be a 4X4 or 4X5 E9th. Let me know what you're thinking.

I'll be back online late tonight.

Casey

Hey Kevin and Russ, thanks for the kind words. I loved to watch this guy just sit down and start playing. My kids looked at the steel and two of them literally said, "I could never learn to play that". Next time the young man comes over I intend to show him a few of my tricks on the ZB, or maybe the Fulawka. I hope that my teaching doesn't turn him off from ever playing the steel, or transfer any of my bad technique to his obviously musically talented hands. It was beautiful to watch him trying to work things out and figure out which strings sounded good together, but he was getting it and most importantly had a great time. And Russ, no, I am not giving him the Fulawka...at least not until he can prove that he can play it better than me. That should take about two months of figuring it out by himself. Please note the concentration, I should concentrate so well and his volume pedal control was impressive.
Duncan

Does anyone else work on ZB's???

I think I'm looking to get it converted/upgraded vs. restored since it is pretty butchered.

Anyone else have any ideas???

Greg Jones is an obvious idea, he's in Kentucky... Do some research on this thread and I'm sure you'll find him.