The Steel Guitar Forum

Thanks all. This thread is amazing.
I've read all 79 pages over the
last 3 days. Mr. Larry Chung--you
are OUTSTANDING !!! And all other ZB
member/posters. A couple dozen short
of 2000 entries, and only--what--4 or
5 snit-fests. This is a great place
to learn. Semper Fi!

An Old Irish Blessing

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

(my Mom's a Mullen. With family names
like mine how could I not want to
be around Pedal Steels)

Jerry welcome to the somewhat exclusive ZB club. You will love your ZB and treat it with a kind hand my
brother for she is not easily replaced. I watched this guitar on ebay but I have spent my allowance for
pedal steels in the last month. Congrats to you.

Hello Jerry,
I'd like to echo the hearty welcome from "The ZB Nut Club". You appear to have scored a beauty. That is one of the finest examples of a 69/70 ZB (judging by the serial #) built by Mr. Tom Brumley. That maroonish finish appears to have held up like a champ. I've seen several that either have started out like that, or faded to that beautiful color. I hope that it plays really smooth. If it doesn't and needs a little "tweaking", (many ZBs do) I'm sure that you will find oodles of helpful assistance right here. Just don't ask me, on account of I'm a well-known imbicile specializing in mechanical incompetence. One word of advice, don't make the mistake I did and sell it (thus the well-known imbicile) to a guy named Joe (actually a very good and decent man).
Hey Chuck, how your new ZB, my ZB's twin, working out?
Duncan

The custom is in the capable hands of Mr. Jones and
sometime today he will examine the patient and give
me the word. Not much to do on this one. Add knees
and put on my wierd set-up Duncan. How's the weather
down your way bro.Is the Fulawka comfortable?

Good mornin' Scott, Chuck, and Duncan. Thank you for the welcome. Like the legendary 'Tone' of these instruments, the 'tone' of this forum thread is really nice. I do appreciate the fact that I'm now in possession of something special, and am going to treat it as such. I will have the ZB tomorrow and will try to get some different pictures of it posted, and get the info I mentioned, in my 1st post, online.
Duncan, I have already put the locations of Messrs. Jones, Knowles and Hatton in my GOOGLE maps. Like Dirty Harry says, " A man's got to know his limitations" and working' on a ZB is way beyond me right now. Be talkin' at ya guys.

AND Duncan, after reading all 79 (at the time) pages of the thread, you are without a doubt the guy I want to get stranded on a beach with if I'm;
1.-Blastin' my old vinyl LP's of the group
formerly known as The Warlocks.
2.-Hangin' with folks named Moonbeam, Sunshine,
or Wheatgerm.
and whilst staring at the sun
3.-like-you know-"tryin' to see Jerry man".
Your good humor kept me reading for, 'just one more' page. ( I have , however , submitted your picture to the authorities' face recognition program, just in case you show up before I get my hands on the ZB from the delivery guy )

Darn Jerry, you "outed" me. Well, I guess I'll have to come clean. Yes, I am an unapologetic leftist and strong believer in peace, love and understanding. I make my own tie dyes and own more than one Grateful Dead record. I will now publically go on record, between you and me, that the original reason I bought my first ZB was because some other guy, henceforth known as "the other Jerry", played a ZB. Also, as a welcome gift to the zany and madcap world of ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!, I'd be happy to send you a copy of a Dead/New Riders show from 1970 with "the other Jerry" playing a '69 ZB. Just PM me if you want one. It's got good sound quality, and as far as I know... totally legal. (Although my definition of what is "legal" is often disputed by the local constabulary). BTW, there's no real need to send my picture to THE AUTHORITIES, most of them already have it.
To my brother, Chuck, it was great talking with you today. When you get that ZB back from Greg, send me a bunch of pictures and play it in good health.
Duncan

Greetings all ZB owners. I can assure you that Messer's. Jones, Knowles and myself are keeping the great ZB tradition alive and well. Greg and Billy are restoring these classics and turning them back out into the steel community in pristene condition, while I am building new ones (Retro Steel Guitar). As you know there are not many of these guitars out there compared to some of the other brands. Please treat your ZB well and it will respond to you. They are a special guitar.

Duncan Hodge wrote:Hello Jerry,
I'd like to echo the hearty welcome from "The ZB Nut Club". You appear to have scored a beauty. That is one of the finest examples of a 69/70 ZB (judging by the serial #) built by Mr. Tom Brumley. That maroonish finish appears to have held up like a champ. I've seen several that either have started out like that, or faded to that beautiful color. I hope that it plays really smooth. If it doesn't and needs a little "tweaking", (many ZBs do) I'm sure that you will find oodles of helpful assistance right here. Just don't ask me, on account of I'm a well-known imbicile specializing in mechanical incompetence. One word of advice, don't make the mistake I did and sell it (thus the well-known imbicile) to a guy named Joe (actually a very good and decent man).
Hey Chuck, how your new ZB, my ZB's twin, working out?
Duncan

Just don't ever buy a guitar from Duncan, you'll never hear the end of it... Here you go Duncan.

Thanks for posting that picture Joe. It looks even prettier than I remembered it when it was still mine...sniff, whine, moan. Joe, that is the picture that haunts my dreams at night as "the one that got away". Truly, I hope that you enjoy it, it is a magnificent beast from fine stock. It wouldn't look as pretty if I didn't buy those white fret boards from Kevin Hatton. Anyway, I may have a line on another ZB so nanny nanny boo boo to you Joe. I hope you can live with yourself. Somehow, though, it's just impossible to be mad with a guy as nice as you. Anyway, from what I can tell, you play a ZB a lot better than me. When I owned that blue one it sort of cringed every time I would touch it.
Hey Jerry, see what I mean about selling your ZB to a guy named Joe?
Y'all have a great night,
Duncan

Hi Duncan. Got ya loud & clear.
NO SELLING!!! I do hold on to
my things though. Lotta TLC will
be heaped upon #0111a. The
delivery guy should be here
within the next 2 hours. It's
like being an expectant dad. I
will get some fresh photos when
the weather breaks again.
Russ Tkac has posted some really
nice shots and I'll try to do the
outdoor light shots like he does. Later!
All things ZB !

I received #0111A at 5:25pm today.
The color is a reddish light
mahogany/dark cherry. I learn
something every day. I didn't realize
that the ZB Custom decal was
transparent and showed the guitar
color. Thought is was black, white
and red. No more history yet. Topside
real nice-underside the African Queen
-plus UPS might have really beat
it up. Popped knee lever shaft, loose
screw in case. Will fine tooth comb it
tomorrow. Hey Duncan--ya still up.
Looks like I'll have to be a Padawan
Learner now--many , many questions.
"Do or do not.....there is no try!"

Just a little update on that sound from (as Duncan says) the ZB Nut Club!
http://www.youtube.com/user/psglicks

I am no Tom Brumley (my hero mind!) and as you will see from the date of these, and I'm very new video!! oh! it is unforgiving!!! it can only get better!

Hey Bob,
I watched all of your videos on YouTube. Great playing and much fun for all.
Actually, the term "ZB Nut" was a term that I believe I stole from our very own Poppa Bear, b0b. He made a post once that, I believe, went something like "why don't you ask one of those ZB nuts". b0b, of course, hit the nail right on the head and I have remembered what he said for several years. At least I believe that he said what I said he said. Then again, my mind is a very strange and mysterious place, sort of like opening a box of squirrels.
In any event, ZBs are not for the faint of heart, nor the impatient.
Duncan

Hey Duncan, What b0b said could be said to be spot on the mark! We are all a bit mad about the instrument, but is that so bad eh!? Who else do you know in the music field with such passion! Yeh! the ZBs are not for the faint hearted that is for sure but they have that sound that grabs you like a dog in heat!! And I love it (not the dog! The sound!
)

Take care and thank you for having a look on You Tube, glad you enjoyed.
Regards from Scotland………….Bob

I am looking for a Triple coil pickup for a ZB 12 string, switch also.

Dwight
ijaash@yahoo.com

Hallo Dwight !
Your best bet is, I think, Billy Knowles, I had one from him a few years back and very reasonable to
boot, he's a great guy to deal with, a proper
gentleman !
All the best
Frank. Corfu

Please bump so Chris can find "ZB Nut" central

thanks duncan...i'm relieved that it is still here...i've got the fever again...

This is for Bob Adams: Bob can you email me the wiring for the switch and pickup setup? It's for my baby.

Thanks
Dwight

ijaash@yahoo.com

And you Keep your baby nice and warm!! she's a beaut!!!
diagram sent regards.....Bob

The ZB thread seems to be kinda stalled (down to Page 4?!?) so I'm going to give someone a leg up to make post #2000. Unless a discussion of the evolution of ZB student models kills it completely at 1996.

Just from observation over the years, I've seen at least three configurations of a student model. (I wish John Rutledge could comment on this, since he's stated the ZB student was his baby during his tenure in Bakersfield and Phoenix. But we haven't seen a post from John in about three years...)




I have an 11-string model (above) in red. It has a non-serial serial number (ZBDS-11) which makes me wonder if it might be one-of-a-kind, few-of-a-kind or perhaps the very instrument Zane played on the LP demonstrating the ZB student model. (Someone has "dressed up the ZB Custom decal with a gold pen which will make comparing it to the Zane/Student LP problematic, when I get the record back in hand.) Mine has a red lacquer wood body that bolts from the top and has a full size pedal rack. (Many student models famously have a thick plastic shell over the body. Mine is definitely red-stained lacquer.)

Fast forward to a few months ago. I snapped up a blue student model (serial number 336S--below) and because I wanted to try it out--but at the 2" raised height I need. Its bizarre home-modified rods prevented that, so I thought, "Hey, just borrow the rack and rods from the red S-11."




No go. the red one is longer (possibly to accommodate an 11-string keyhead?) and it has a cast pedal rack (just like pro-model ZBs), whereas the blue one is a rough aluminum bar with arcs dressed away for the legs to fit. I also noticed the blue guitar's frame wasn't cast like the S-11. Instead it's rectangular with four leg holes welded into the corners. The body is screwed to the frame from the underside.

More recently, I happened onto Scotty's website and noticed another blue student ZB (s/n 154S). It's also blue--plastic shell, with accompanying care stamp on the undercarriage--but not the same as 336S. Its body is also bolted through the top. I lifted the photos here from Scotty's site (I hope he regards that as extra publicity and fair use in a educational context). 154S pics:




So it looks like there are at least these three phases of ZB student models, although I can't really hang dates on any of them. I hate tearing things apart but some pot-code inspection may be called for on the S-11 and 336S guitars.

Greg Jones, Billy Knowles, Kevin Hatton, Larry Chung. Larry Petree and others with more knowledge on the subject are earnestly invited to weigh in, comment, refute, guffaw in hearty derision or expand upon these observations.

Ben,
wish I could help but I have never seen a ZB student model in person, only seen photos of them so I have no first hand knowledge.
Wish I could help,
Billy

Hi Ben, Billy, Duncan, fellow ZBers and Forumites:

I'm delighted to see that so many of you (us) are still posting pics and info on this ZB thread. Hard to believe that it's been as many years as it's been since I posted it initially. And we're now on the verge of 2000 posts, I'll leave that honor to whomever else would like to keep this going. It's a testament to the love we have for these great and beautiful instruments and the music they help create.

I still love my ZBs, for sure! Played "Together Again" the other day on my S-11, reminded of Mr. Brumley's recent passing. It's just a pleasure to play Zane's guitars and their descendants. Tone for days. Looked up after having played a bit and an hour had just flown by... not complaining! (:

Ben, I used to own an S-10 student model, have info and photos on several others including blue, black and red, some S-11s most are S-10s. Single coil (no coil splitting) pickups, seem to be would to the middle setting on the pro model pickups. The changer and parts underneath are all the same, but the aluminum body makes for some tricky mechanics getting more than the standard 3+1 setup. Nice sound, still prefer the pro models. It's been mentioned before, but Zane did a great album featuring one of the student models, a testament to his skills as a musician and steel player. Serial numbers seem to be a different system from the pros. Greg and others may have more info...

Last, but not least, a HUGE thanks to bOb for keeping this thread going, and to all of you (us) for keeping the stories and information coming.

All ZBest and Congrats to Us All,
LC

This is for Billy Knowles. Billy check your mail.

Dwight
ijaash@yahoo.com