The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi again everyone! Thanks for all the help on my last ZB post.

Do you guys lubricate the roller nuts?

What else could it be besides the roller nut hanging up when the E to Eb change returns sharp?

Thanks again, Dave Z

You might try changing the string . . . I just had that happen on my C6th neck . . .I put new strings on it, but didn't have a NEW 10th (12th in my case), so I put a new but ancient Black Diamond .070 on it. It would drop to the A OK, but return to a C#b. Then, IF I raised it, it would return right on the C note. Changing that string fixed it.

Chick, I tried that and it still returns sharp. When I raise the 4th string, it knocks it back in tune. I guess that means it's the roller nut. Right? DZ

Hey Dave:

You're really going at that ol' ZB, eh? Well, welcome to my living room! (:

Seriously, take the roller nut off the guitar body, clean off all the parts (rollers and roller pin), get all the crud and goo off of everything, and then lubricate. I soaked them in some cleaning solution for a couple of hours, then cleaned them off with a rag and some very, very fine steel wool.

My ZBs all needed to be cleaned up like this - they all had the sharp/flat thing going on - and now they work like a charm. Remember that each string is affected by the other string that pulls along with it (esp. on ZBs) so be sure to clean both strings (or the whole roller assembly).

Good luck - let me know what works and doesn't.

Cheers!
larry

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Larry Chung
ZB D-10 8+4; ZB Custom S-11 4+4; ZB Student Model 3+1 Yeeeeahhh, Bay-Bee.

Dave, Larry (Austin Powers) Chung is right on this one. Those nut rollers need to shine like a new minted coin. A drop of oil will help too after they are polished. Just remember if you can still see the oil on the axle, it is not doing its job!!!

Another remedy is to wind the string "up" the post as opposed to down. This will let the string cross the roller in a straighter line, resulting in less "side drag" at the nut roller.

Greg<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by B. Greg Jones on 17 October 2002 at 11:19 PM.]</p></FONT>

Right you are, Greg. Rollers should shine - the whole guitar should shine. Just makes it more of a heart-stopper when you see it across the room . . .

Seriously, I find that I have to be careful about winding the strings up as opposed to down as this also causes the string length behind the roller nut to vibrate a bit more when you play. I can sometimes hear this through the amp - so I usually put a cloth or other dampening medium behind the nut.

Good luck!

Got my ZB mojo, Bay-Beee.

Greg and Larry, I polished the rollernut shaft by chucking it in a drill and ran oiled 400/600 sandpaper over it while running the drill. I suppose I should try the cleaner and steel wool.

Greg, can you send me your phone number again? I think I have enough gigs coming up to pay for a rebuild!

Larry, I'm playing at the Fillmore in SF on November 30th, opening for Robert Earl Keen. Drop by and say hello. Hopefully I can get the ZB running by then! DZ

Hey Dave:

Thanks for the invite - Robert Earl Keen is a favortie of mine and a few of my bandmates. Will hope to see you there with some serious ZB tone.

How'd everything turn out on your ZBaby?

(:

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Larry Chung
ZB D-10 8+4; ZB Custom S-11 4+4; ZB Student Model 3+1 Yeeeeahhh, Bay-Bee.

Larry, I think I'll be using the Sho-Bud for the REK show. I hope to be able to have Greg rebuild the ZB sometime early next year. It's close but not completely dialed in. That would distract me from focusing on my playing. (Good excuse, eh?)

DZ<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 27 October 2002 at 09:36 AM.]</p></FONT>