The Steel Guitar Forum

Read alot about the ZB's and a little about the BMi"s. So what is different and what is the same. I have my S 10 BMI that I bought from Scotty years ago when Zane was still alive and presumely built. Just wondering how different they really are.

Same=Zane Beck--period. (Someone would have to tell you this, becuase you'd never know from looking at the two side-by-side that they came from the same master designer/builder.)

Both are great-sounding instruments, but not particularly similar. ZB's are otherworldly rich and gorgeous in an old-school kind of way (and deserving of inclusion in that rarefied class of PSGs that include early Emmonses and Sho-Buds), while BMI's are merely fabulous. And excellent values at the going rates. (I say this from experience, just recently having sold a ZB S-10 and BMI S-10 to acquire The Time Capsule 1969 ZB D-10 of the Known Universe.)

The more mechanically astute SGF/ZBers can address this and my other points more precisely and in more detail (or in gentlemanly rebuttal), but ZB undercarriages can be vertigo-inducing tangles (and this is factory set-up, never mind when an owner executes his own inspired ideas besides) of rods, bars, yokes, turnbuckles and cotter pins, while the BMI, as you no doubt know, is Elegant Simplicity Itself. (And to really make things fun, many early ZBs--before plating facilities were in place--have most of the undercarriage parts painted black.) At the risk of talking beyond my expertise, ZB bodies are wood construction as opposed to the four metal, mica (and---?--) sides of a BMI all joined by the four metal corner-joint-thangs.

ZBs' sound tends to transport one back to the era of Buck Owens and Tom Brumley; Sonny Curtis and George & Tammy, etc. Still, to say that a BMI isn't a ZB is like saying a Bentley isn't a Duesenberg.

Of course, everyone knows that Duesenberg cars were built in the great city of Auburn, Indiana by the Auburn Motor Car Co. Whereas a Bentley is a cheap imitation of a Rolls Royce.

Actually, I like the looks of the ZB a lot, and each has it devotees, but here's the straight skinny (IMHO). Looks and sound aside, the BMI is an almost-modern type steel, and the ZB is more like something designed 50 years ago. Each has a rather unique sound, and most steelers buy on the basis of sound, looks, and OPO (other people's opinions). Most steelers aren't mechanical designers or engineers (which is why ZB wins the popularity contest between the two).

BMI mechanics were a step up in design from ZB. Being an advid ZB player I find that it is just about necesary to know how to work on them if they are going to be your main guitar. They sound and look fabulous but I have NEVER seen one properly setup and adjusted unless it was done by a ZB mechanic. Most all that I have seen before restoration and setup were unplayable. They are like driving around in a 48 Studebaker, but what a sound.

I've played an older BMI for about 16 or so years. I bought it used in the consignment room at Scotty's for $1200. It's a S12 and came with 6 knee levers and 7 floor pedals and a change lock. I've modified it a bit as I sent it to the factory and had an 8th pedal added instead of that 6th knee lever which was an additional RKL (inside). I never could get used to that thing. I also took off the black mica front covering and bought a strip of oak at the Home Emporium and covered the front with that. The guitar really looks and plays nice. Underneath is a wonderful set up. The cross rods are flat with the bell cranks screwed into them by one screw which makes them easy to move if you want to change a pull. You just unscrew the bell crank, back the rod out of the changer, and screw the bell crank into any hole you want on the crossrod. The old ZB's had a flat cross rod thing going but it moved sideways like a lever and the pulls had to be balanced similar to a yoke or something like that. The BMI cross rods raise from one end to the other so that the bellcranks pull straight back like other brands. The only thing I really am not to fond of is that the BMI has to have a Nylon spacer, a small metal piece (rounded on one end), and then the normal nylon hex tuner. My old ShoBud just had the Hex tuner on the end of the rod. If you're not careful with the BMI rod you can lose that small metal piece down in the changer and they can be hard to remove. On most other steels you can just take off the hex tuner and pull the rod out of the changer but the BMI you have to loosen it from the Bellcrank and then push it very slowly back through the changer until all three pieces are visible, then you can pull it back through the changer. It's nice that the changer is entirely hidden though, there are just holes in the endplate with the nylon hex tuner sticking out. All in all, I love my BMI and will probably never get another guitar as this one does everything any other guitar will do and sounds great on top of that.........Zane Beck was a genius...JH in Va.

Can anyone tell me where I might be able to purchase parts for a BMI or ZB?

The beckmusicalinstruments.com web site has been down for a while now so I was looking for an alternate source.

I have a BMI S-10 and recently got a D-10.

Not much alike at all, I have had them both, different as day & nite. The ZB was just a great sounding guitar with super pickups & when set up properly they played good. The BMI's were much different & the changer, was not as well made as the ZB guitars. If I had to choose between the two, I would take a ZB. But, you know me I like old guitars. I have two Marlens myself.

Ernie