ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

[Brendan Mitchell]

Any clues on 1"rod extenders so my friend can raise up his ZB ? Where can he get them or thread size ?

[Art Beard]

As I await my new (to me) ZB D11/10, 1969 Ser# 024. does anyone know the Dimensions of this pedal Steel

[Eric Dahlhoff]

I've been searching for a single neck 11-string ZB for a while. Thanks to Ben Elder I was lucky enough to find this one a few weeks ago. Ser #0669 making it fairly late in production I think.
It was built as an SD-11, not chopped. It has gauged nut rollers and a thin roller axle. Original Sperzle tuners. You can see the original bright green color in the picture. Even the underside was painted green.
Took a while to fix a few things but it's all good now - I love it!
It's almost 10lbs lighter than my D-11/10

[Henry Nagle]

Eric, that's great! You found your guitar! I recently got my old S10 back from Zirbel. He helped me get it dialed in and I'm really enjoying it.

[Eric Dahlhoff]

Henry, that's great you're enjoying the ZB!
I really like the 12 stringer I got from you, but I still haven't gotten used to the narrow spacing, or the extra 2 strings.
When this single neck 11 popped up I jumped on it. I am just really more comfortable with it. I have it setup as an extended E9. Having those bottom strings is fun for rock & roll.

[b0b]

Does the 12-string ZB have narrower string spacing?

[Eric Dahlhoff]

Well I never actually measured it...
It just felt too tight (and too many strings!)
Okay, I just measured & compared the 10 & 11 string necks. They are the same from string 1 to 10: 2.5" at the nut & 3.25" at the changer.
The 12 string is the same as those at the nut and 1/8" more narrow than the other two at the changer. Hardly any difference.
Sure does feel more crowded though! Ha!

[Russ Tkac]

I saw this just sold on ebay. Looks like a good one.

[Bruce Wandmayer]

A year or two back I bought a beat-to-hell D-10 from some guy in Berkeley, CA. I think it was on Craigslist. Serial no. 0598. Don't know the vintage.

I just opened the case again (partially destroyed, to be replaced) after leaving it fallow for quite a while (actually, since I got it) and started tinkering with it. All the metal parts are corroded—looks like somebody just left it outside— and the Kluson tuners are junk. I'll probably replace them with Gotohs. Though the guitar is a kind of natural-looking finish, when I removed the tuner pegheads I saw that underneath them the wood was originally stained a lovely blue. Well, that's completely faded away.

And onwards in fits and starts.

[Art Beard]

ZB S10 FANTASTIC. I SHOULD HAVE S11 NOT D11/10, lol.
CAA

[Erv Niehaus]

It looks like the caps are missing on the changer fingers.

[Bruce Wandmayer]

Erv, I removed the caps and have stored them. I’ve also pulled and cleaned the axles. They’re a bit scored so I’ll look for replacements. I’ll disassemble and clean the changers. Well, I’ll take everything apart and clean it. Someday ZB will ride the musical range again.

[Russ Tkac]

Dial it into that Ed Black blue/blonde vibe Bruce!

[Benjamin Franz]

Seems like a good time to post some pics of the D11 I picked up off Joe Goldmark. I spent a year pulling it apart and cleaning it out.

[Russ Tkac]

Beautiful work!

[Benjamin Franz]

Thanks Russ! It was actually in pretty good shape when I got it. Joe said it had been sitting in a closet for thirty years. Mainly needed to get the old gunk off the fingers, and all the metal in the undercarriage was tarnished. Still needs a bit more tweaking to get the pull timing spot on.

[Russ Tkac]

[Art Beard]

SADLY because of my diabetes related AGENT ORANGE PROBLEMS. I or my estate will be selling my D11/10 as soon as I am gone. Not cheap, highly figured, closet queen. What are they worth ? ? CAA

[Russ Tkac]

Unfortunately not near what we'd hope Art.

If it needs to have the set up changed for the new player that too can cause potential buyers to hold off. But when they're set up right they hold tune and sound great.

This was my D11/10. Like all my steels I should have kept it.

[Art Beard]

who is the best west coast guy to set it up Russ? ? I got it with 9 strings per neck, believe it to be a CLOSET QUEEN all its life. It is one if the most highly figured pieces of birdseye maple I have EVER seen.. 13 years if looking for my recently acquired Sho-Bud D10, Professional, barrel and 2 hole puller (Eric Dahlhoff's). I think Shot and Zane wanted to see who could build the PRETTIEST STEEL. THANKS 4 THE HELP.
HAPPY TRAILS. CAA

[Russ Tkac]

Not sure who to to direct you to out there Art. But Greg Jones and Billy Knowles do great work on the east coast and midwest.

[Skip Edwards]

I don't know, Art. Maybe Jim Palenscar? Joe Camacho in San Diego area (I think) and Joel Martin in LA both have ZB's. Maybe they have some ideas.
Meanwhile, here's a shot of Art's 11/10 for those who haven't seen it.
It's spectacular...

[Eric Dahlhoff]

That is a real beauty!!!

[Russ Tkac]

Art has himself a beauty for sure.

[Duncan Hodge]

Wow, Russ. I try to not think about that orange ZB. I spoke about potentially buying it with Billy Knowles about 14 years ago. That is the one that keeps me up at night. Truly, it was the one that got away. As an aside, it just hit me that we have been communicating for about the same amount of time. My, how the years roll by like a freight train.
Have a beautiful evening Russ.
Duncan