ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 31 Mar 2008 3:25 pm

I'd like to remind everyone that I have replacement nut roller combs with SMALL PIN AXLES and SMALL NUT ROLLERS. Greatly improves hysterisis and string separation. Polished comb. $49.95 plus postage for the polished comb, pin, and 10 small rollers.

Dag Wolf · Post by **Dag Wolf** » 10 Apr 2008 7:35 am

I just bought ZB D-10 #1045.
I'm planning to add some knee levers and redo it.

Bob Hamilton · Post by **Bob Hamilton** » 10 Apr 2008 8:13 am

That's a beauty Dag. Good luck with the refurb. BH

Paul Frank Bloomfield · Post by **Paul Frank Bloomfield** » 10 Apr 2008 9:48 am

Hallo Dag
Welcome to the exclusive ZB club, you probably won't
remember me,I met you back in 1997 when you and Leif
Aase were playing in the Fiddle and Steel Bar, Printers Alley, Nashville. You had a laugh at my ZB tour jacket which I was wearing at the time !
Look after that ZB, ( it looks an early one to my
untrained eye) or Duncan Hodge will claim it ! (only
joking !)
All the best
Frank. Corfu

Dag Wolf · Post by **Dag Wolf** » 10 Apr 2008 10:43 am

Frank, good to hear from you.

I want that ZB jacket now

That was a fun trip me and Leif had.
I'm about to go out the door to listen to Leif play.

The ZB #1045 is a 1966 model I've been told.

Dag

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 11 Apr 2008 5:34 am

The 74 loafer is on it's way to Californee. I will regret selling but things come up. I will let the new owner post to let you know who got it. He will be very pleased.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 11 Apr 2008 2:36 pm

Hello Dag. Great looking ZB you got there. You will look longingly and lovingly at it every time, except for the 10 seconds before you pick it up. At that point your pupils will dilate with terror, your neck muscles will tense until they stand out like ropes and your brain will start sounding like The Little Engine That Could repeating "Ithink I can, I think I can...". The moment that you start playing it all, all will be well with the world again. If you want me to come to Norway to try it out, just to make sure that you weren't cheated, all you have to do is send a plane ticket and I'm there, my brother.
And to Chuck, congratulations on the sale! For some reason, I thought it might be going to Kentucky. I guess that your daughter didn't go for the idea of a really nice comb/wax paper with several gentlemanly lessions.
Well, it's a beautiful Florida evening and I'm gonna take the kayak out for a little fishing so y'all have Z-Best evening wherever you are. Good Night...and Good Luck.
Duncan

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 23 Apr 2008 6:19 pm

Do most of you ZBers use, stainless or nickel wound strings? I've been using nickel Jagwires. I'm playing mostly through a Webb with an Altec. I find that I like my lows to have a punchy twang to them which means cranking up the highs a bit but then the high strings are a little too over the top with high end. ZBs are known for that I guess. I thought that if I switch to stainless, the lower strings wouldn't need the highs turned up so I could back off the highs and the frequencies across the strings would be more balanced the way I want to hear them. The stainless or nickel only affect the wound strings.

What are your thoughts and what do you guys like to use?

I suppose I just just order a set and try it for myself. $:\$

Thanks, Dave

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 23 Apr 2008 8:13 pm

Howdy Dave and Fellow ZBers - I haven't posted here in awhile, hope you're all enjoying your fantastic ZBs!

Dave, I've used GHS nickel strings on my ZBs for as long as I can remember. Two reasons:
1. Sound - I like the sound of 'em. Nickel sounds a bit more mellow to my ear, and I find I can dial in my sound pretty easily with them. Nothing like ADDING trebles! I find stainless a bit too zingy and bright (maybe scattered overtones?). Nickel is just a bit more musical to me.
2. Technique/Touch - I use a chrome plated BJS bar, and I think that the nickel strings are just a bit smoother with slides and bar motion than the stainless strings. I tried playing a stainless bar for awhile, but it just felt sticky on whatever strings I used. Chrome bar/Nickel strings seems to me the best combination for smooth feel and easy, smooth slides. And several hours a day...

Worth mentioning - Greg Jones (Hi Greg!) advised me a long while ago to use a .016 instead of a .017 on the high B string (6th string on E9) to make the C pedal easier to engage. I have to agree!

Thanks again to bOb for keeping our little community up and running!
All ZBest to all of you Zaney Boys (and girls?) - keep those stories and info coming!
LC

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 28 Apr 2008 4:58 pm

Hi there Larry and all those other good Z.B.owners.

It's been quite some time since I was on the forum talking about these great sounding Z.B.Steels'

Talking about strings, I've been using Jagwire's for a few years now and I'm thinking I'm going to stick with them especially as my third string on my D10 has been on there for nearly 7 months!!!!!!!!!!! and that's with playing it on a regular basis, just totaly "wowed"

Hope thet you are all keeping fit and well out there in Z.B.land

All Z.B.est

Bob.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 28 Apr 2008 5:19 pm

Bob, are you using stainless steel wound or nickel wound?

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 28 Apr 2008 5:47 pm

Hi Dave,
Just checking the packets out - it dosen't say what the material is but I'd guess they would be S.S.

All Z.B.est.

Bob.

Brian J. Doyle · Post by **Brian J. Doyle** » 6 May 2008 5:42 pm

I bought #1124 here on the forum this past September. From what I understand it was built by Zane Beck in '68 for Bobby Garrett. It was 7+3 (no C pedal) when I got it, which I assume was the original set up. I had Kevin Hatton set it up for me with four brand new knee levers, and had pedal 4 on the C6 neck converted to a C pedal on the E9 neck. It is now basically Emmons minus the P4. It looks great (that is the original finish, not a refin)and it sounds like a million bucks. If any one knows any more about the history of this guitar, I would love to know more about it. I'm glad to be officially part of the ZB club!

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 7 May 2008 8:13 am

Hey Brian,
Glad you like it, that guitar has great tone, I was thinking about it the other night. Glad Kevin was able to help you out.

thanks again,
Joe

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 8 May 2008 12:03 am

ZB in the house :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr8QiW6lAVU

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 8 May 2008 5:19 am

Brian. What a beauty. If she ever just becomes a burden to you,which I doubt, give ole Chuckie a call
and will relieve you of said pain.

Really nice Scranton.

Brian J. Doyle · Post by **Brian J. Doyle** » 8 May 2008 12:02 pm

Thanks, Chuck. ZBs are always a burden, but the tone is worth the backache.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 8 May 2008 1:43 pm

Congratulations Brian and welcome to the ZB club. Joe sold you just about the sweetest looking ZB available in captivity. Don't let Mr. Chuck talk you out of it. He already has a fantastic one of his own. If you don't really feel like playing it, just sit there and look at it and you'll feel a whole lot better.
Duncan

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 8 May 2008 4:17 pm

Hey Dag -- Don't go sticking any Zum stickers on this one ok !!

Well at least it's still a guitar starting with a "Z" !!! good luck with the refurb mate, I'm sure it will be awesome.

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 23 Jun 2008 8:36 am

Just a few new pictures to bump this to the top!

Russ

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 23 Jun 2008 9:54 am

That's a beautiful looking guitar Russ.

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 23 Jun 2008 10:43 am

Russ,
I am not worthy to play my pathetic ZB in the shadow of such beauty(and I thought I had a pretty one). Play it well, my friend, and forget about that old Professional that someone told you to sell in order to by a "more modern" pedal steel. I was thinking about selling my ZB, or Fulawka, to buy a "more modern" steel on account of THOSE ZBs ARE SO FRIGGIN HARD TO WORK ON AND MINE CURRENTLY HAS ISSUES AND I HAVE NO MONEY TO HAVE IT FIXED. Anyway, after playing it with the band yesterday...."Oh yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away...", well, anyway, The ZB sounded so sweet that I came to the conclusion that the notes that I actually could hit were beyoud compare and that I'll just have to drive up to see Billy Knowles and have him set to rights.
Wow, that is a beauty Russ. Did I tell you how much I really like it.
Have a beautiful day, Duncan

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 23 Jun 2008 11:12 am

Hey Russ, looks like you adopted the identical twin to my S10ZB!

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 23 Jun 2008 11:22 am

Thanks guys. This is a very clean steel for 30 years old. It has a great sound.

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 23 Jun 2008 12:55 pm

For those who haven't seen it, here's my ZB retro guitar which was custom built for me by Kevin Hatton, and Jerry Fessenden.

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