ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 28 Oct 2002 3:12 pm

Hello Fellow Forumites:

As a pet project for my copious free time, as a labor of love, and as a service to all of you, I've decided to compile a database of all information pertaining to ZB guitars that I can find.

I've looked back over the Forum Archives and come up with alot of information already, but I'm sure there's a whole lot more. I would like to ask your help if you own, ever had owned, or know anyone who owns a ZB guitar.

I certainly don't want to clutter the Forum, but I would really appreciate information on ZBs. I will also put my email project address at the bottom of this post to mail me directly. I'm looking for the following information:

1. Type of ZB Pedal Steel Guitar
2. Serial Number
3. Date or Approximate Dates of Acquisition
4. Set-up
5. Stories, Anectodes, Memories
6. Photos!

Thanks so very much for any help in advance. Wish me luck!

Greg Jones, you probably think I'm nuts. Really, not, but just love ZBs!

Best wishes,
larry
zbguitarinfo@yahoo.com

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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 Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 28 Oct 2002 6:03 pm

...you probably think I'm nuts.

Larry, you are so not insane!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 28 Oct 2002 6:31 pm

Larry, I'll get you the information on my D-10 as soon as it comes out of Jerry fessenden's shop. I can't believe no one bought it for $1800.00. When it comes out of Jerry's shop, I won't take less than $2000.00 for it.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 28 October 2002 at 10:02 PM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 28 Oct 2002 7:04 pm

When it comes out of Jerry's shop, I won't take less than $20000.00 for it.

$20,000!

I know that Jerry is good, but I didn't know he was that good!

B. Greg Jones · Post by **B. Greg Jones** » 28 Oct 2002 8:04 pm

Larry!!! You know I will help you out!!! I may have SOME pics around here and some info you could use.

Yeeeaaahh Baaaabbeeeee!!!!!

Greg

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 29 Oct 2002 6:16 am

Larry, I have an old D10 ZB with 11 pedals and 4 levers.
Ser #1108. I believe it was Glen Jones that told me it was probably built in 1968 or so. I'm playing a Zum right now but when I do set down to the ZB, that sound is what I think a steel guitar ought to sound like. I wish I knew some history on it, the fellow I bought it from lived in Ft. Worth, and didn't pass any of that info to me.
If anyone of this forum has had this steel in the past or knows any history of it, I'd like to hear it.
It has some cigarette burns on it and some slide dings, but otherwise looks real good. I'd sell it (don't need 2) but my son won't hear of it. I can't raise the E's on it, and the Zum is lighter. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Zum but ole ZB still gives me warm fuzzies.
I hope you get more post on History of other ZB's.

Earl

smike · Post by **smike** » 29 Oct 2002 7:18 am

i just got my zb from tom bradshaw, who has been restoring it for... 5 years!

it is gorgeous, and i will try to post some photos.

it is a zb universal, serial #001 (!).

it is stunning... ball bearing nut rollers, half-stop on second string, 8 pedals, 5 knee levers (one vertical), blond zb fingerboard...

bruce

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 30 Oct 2002 12:38 am

bumparino

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 30 Oct 2002 5:25 pm

Larry, Greg Jones is in the process of rebuilding mine. Since I took it to Vietnam for two One year tours, and since I sent Greg some pictures taken there, and told him some of it's history, Greg has decided that old #0017 may be the only "CombatInstrument" [this is his term]surviving today. When I get it back I'll send pics, or maybe you can get some from Greg.
Jim

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 1 Nov 2002 8:30 am

and Jim am I correct in assuming you are the original owner?

Jackie Anderson · Post by **Jackie Anderson** » 1 Nov 2002 8:48 am

Is it going to have on it somewhere a Vietnam Service ribbon and a Vietnam Campaign ribbon (the red and yellow, and the green and white, "I was there ribbons")? How about a C.I.B. (Combat Instrument Badge)?

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 1 Nov 2002 10:02 am

Yes Dave, I'm the original owner, while I was stationed in Hawaii, I called Zane to order two new ZBs, one for myself and the other for Chick Donner. By the time the guitars were ready for delivery, Tom Brumley owned the company. Tom called me and asked "How do you want it set up?" I told him to just set it up like for himself. I didn't know how short Tom was. I had to have extensions made for the pedal rods. BTW it's a D-11. Chick and I both still have our ZBs
And Jack, That's a great idea'
Jim

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 1 Nov 2002 10:08 am

Am I mistaken, or is this not a ZB (or at least using some parts off of a ZB? The headstock and changer look a lot RIGHT... hmmmm http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=917325592

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 1 Nov 2002 12:44 pm

Hmmm. Very interesting guitar there on Ebay. Looks Zb-esque with the horns and lines, but the bottom is definitely not the cross-straps and pull-rod set-up I'm used to seeing.

Greg, you have any ideas?

Thank you all for the great info. Keep it comin'! Jim, that's a very special ZB you have and I'm glad to know that both of you are around to enjoy each other's company! (:

Again, the email account for ZB info is zbguitarinfo@yahoo.com.

I'm hoping to attend the Northern California jam tomorrow in San Jose. I'll be bringing one of my ZBs if any of you are in the area and need a taste of Zane Beck's skill, ingenuity, and taste!

Best wishes,
lc

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 1 Nov 2002 1:06 pm

Nope folks, that guitar on ebay is a Clark. Built by Jim Clark of Owasso Oklahoma. I've got one sitting here in my music room at this minute. I belong to OSGA from Owasso. The story goes that Jim Clark and Zane were good friends and Jim had permission to copy some of ZB design. The only thing on that guitar that isn't a dead ringer for my clark are the end plates . They're a little different. Everything else is exactly the same. Even the White fretboard and the symbols on it. The pedal tuners are allen screws and they are the mechanical stops for
the pedal itself, and like the ZB, you can run over it with a dump truck and not knock it out of tune.I edited this because I forgot to add that the story on Ebay could still be correct, remember Roy Clark headquartered in Tulsa Okla, for many years before going to Branson. Tulsa is 20 miles from Owasso.
Jim
Jim[This message was edited by Jim Florence on 01 November 2002 at 01:11 PM.]

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 3 Nov 2002 6:59 pm

Zbumperoo.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 5 Nov 2002 10:10 am

ZBump (:

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 5 Nov 2002 11:01 am

A little more to the Clark story. Troy Klontz played for Roy Clark (no relation to Jim Clark) for several years, and played Clark Custom guitars. Troy's dad built the bodies for the Clark Customs for a while. I had a Clark and a ZB for several years, and although they looked similar, the changers were vastly different. The Clark was almost impossible to change setups on. The guitar on Ebay is definitely a Clark.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 5 Nov 2002 6:25 pm

Hi Larry,
I think that what you're doing is a worthwhile project as time rolls along real fast now - we have to detail some of the happenings with ol' Zane gone and nothing written down ecepting for some of the guys out there like myself who "keep" some of the stuff that's been mentioned over these last few months.
You'll also notice that there is quite a nice little following for something so different than some of the other guitars out there.
To place my two Z.Bs in any kind of order, I brought the SD10 from the U.K. when coming to Canada for the second time - it's number is 0649 and all the exterior aluminum was gold plated about 1981 not long after I aquired it.
The D10 was bought from one of our good forum buddies Jake Doell in Vancouver nearly three years ago; the D10 was originally bought at St Louis about 9 years ago from all accounts by another forum buddy who now lives here on the Island - Denny Mohan. Denny said that he wishes that he'd never sold it!!!
Recently I aquired an RV3 which makes both of them sound so much more colourfull.
I think I'll be taking them with me to the other place when this place decides to pull the plug!!!!! - seriously though, I don't think I'll ever part with either of them.

Bob Mainwaring.Z.Bs. and other weird things.

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Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 5 Nov 2002 6:27 pm

OOOOOps!!!! I forgot, the serial number of the D10 is 0510.

Bob.

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Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 5 Nov 2002 7:36 pm

Hey Bob, when you go to the other place, you might have to have your ZBs altitude compensated. Depends on whether you are going up or down.
Jim

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 5 Nov 2002 8:16 pm

My first 2 pedal steels were both ZB Customs. My first that I bought in '71 was a single 10 black laquer with the white fretboard and pickup. Soon after I got it I wanted to add 3 knee levers to the 2 already on the guitar making it 5 pedals and 5 knee levers. I took it to a great ZB player in San Francisco named Greg Lasser who also worked on them. He is the one who turned me into a Day setup player.

My second was a beautiful brown laquer D10 with 8 pedals and 7 knee levers. I bought this in about '73. I played this guitar until about '77 when I bought my Kline.

I don't have any pictures that I can find and don't remember the serial numbers. I sure wish I had these guitars back though.

To the best of my recollection, my setups were as follows.

E9th (S10):

[tab]
LKL LKV LKR 1 2 3 4 5 RKL RKR
F# G
D# D/C#
G# A G
E D# F F# F#
B C# C#
G# A F# G
F# G
E D# F
D C#
B C# A

E9th (D10)
LKL LKV LKR 1 2 3 RKL RKR
F# G
D# D/C#
G# A
E D# F F#
B C# C#
G# A F#
F# G
E D# F
D C#
B C#

C6th
LKV LKR 4 5 6 7 8 RLK RKR
D
E F D
C D D B
A B Bb B
G F#
E D# D
C C#
A B Bb
F E F#
C A D

[/tab]

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 7 Nov 2002 9:09 am

Thanks, Bob, and also Richard. Sorry, Richard, that I didn't get to speak with you at the Steel Jam in San Jose. Sounds like you have ZeeFever, too.

Keep all that good ZB guitar info coming!

The email address is:
zbguitarinfo@yahoo.com

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 8 Nov 2002 3:23 pm

Just as a matter of minute interest- are there any other steel guitars out there that have/had utilized a tripple-wound pickup in their build???. It sure makes another tonal aproach to a guys playing.

Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs. and other weird things.

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Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 11 Nov 2002 9:27 am

Bump-bump!

My girlfriend Megan and I just spent the weekend with Pete and Phyllis Grant. What an inspiration and a treat is was.

HIs steel playing (and her flute playing) was out-of-this-world AND Pete manages to smile whenever he plays! Go figure.

He also showed me his ZB D-10, which sounded beautiful, clean, clear, warm and musical. Now THAT'S a steel guitar!

Pete, thanks for making our weekend. Time to practice. (:

More ZB stores, please!
zbguitarinfo@yahoo.com