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Topic: ZB Project Finished (Before and After) |
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2013 12:55 pm |
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This is my ZB that I have been working on off and on for about a year. It is converted to modern all pull bell crank type mech. Was a lot of trial and error getting it to work and play like I wanted but finally got it. The guitar wouldn't even play when I got it and was going to rebuild the cross bar mech but decided to convert. I played out last night with it and it plays easy and smooth and sounds just awesome. Stays in tune also. In high register, it's a killer. Here are some pics of before and after. The body of the guitar wasn't bad so mainly just clean up on that part. Still got a couple holes in underside to fill in, other than that, it's finished. The guitar isn't quite as re as photos.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2013 1:07 pm
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Really nice restoration! I like what you did with the undercarriage. Does it still have the ZB pickups?
Greg |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2013 1:29 pm
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Yes, the pickups are still orginal
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Bob Hamilton
From:
California Central Coast
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Posted 12 Jul 2013 3:16 pm Zb
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| Nice job Henry, where did you come up with the parts? |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2013 9:55 pm
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Thanks yall, I used GFI type bell cranks and made the rest of them with the help of Travis Partain. The cross bars are spring loaded and easy to get out. Because of the way the changer Is built, had to turn some of the E9th bell cranks upside down to get a straight pull. C6th was a straighter pull so didn't have to do that on it.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Daniel Policarpo
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Posted 13 Jul 2013 2:47 am
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| wonderful job. It's hard for me to imagine anything more desirable than an old ZB made strong again. |
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Paul King
From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Jul 2013 9:43 am
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| Great job Henry. It sure does look good. |
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 13 Jul 2013 9:10 pm greeeeat
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| Henry, as Tony the Tiger says: They're grrrrreat! Super job on the ZB. stevet |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 2:25 am
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The good thing is that you retained the endplate stops and changer mechanism. I have always felt with ZBs that the endplate stop does contribute towards that very distinctive ZB tone.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 8:34 am
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I think so too Ken and that is why I kept the original changer. As crude as it may be, they work and work good and maintain body contact with the end plates. This guitar has almost zero body drop. One needle width on a tuner and was surprised at how well it handles temperature changes.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 9:14 am
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Henry, a key advantage of the ZB changer is the changeable caps. If you get groove wear in the changer roller you can change the caps in seconds. Something that other manufacturers should emulate in my opinion.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Josh Rossow
From:
Mchenry, Illinois
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 11:52 am
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| Looks good Henry! Nice clean work. I'd like to try doin a restoration one day like that. |
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John Shadid
From:
Oklahoma City, OK
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 5:36 pm
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| That thing sounded amazing half broken. Good job Henry! Maybe some of the Louisiana forum members might recognize whose guitar this was. |
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John Shadid
From:
Oklahoma City, OK
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 5:39 pm
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| That thing sounded amazing half broken. Good job Henry! Maybe some of the Louisiana forum members might recognize whose guitar this was. |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 8:55 pm
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Yes John, i would like to know history of this guitar, when and where it was made and what year. Don't see many ZB's without then horns so im thinking it was a Tom Brumey era when he had the company and probably made in Waco, Texas. If anyone knows, let me know, thanks
I'm just not real fond of the cross bar mech and im sure some think that I'm trying to reinvent then the wheel but works better now.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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John Shadid
From:
Oklahoma City, OK
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 9:02 pm
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| I picked it up on consignment in Prairieville, LA (a suburb of Baton Rouge). Maybe another Louisiana forum member knows it? All I know is the a child or grandchild of the owner was selling it. It had definitely been a player at one point, but had probably been in a closet quite a while with the disconnected pulls and whatnot when I picked it up. The serial number is a mystery too. I posted it on the ZB thread and no one had seen one like it. |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 9:04 pm
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Thanks John, if you find out, let me know. Thanks
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Gary Patterson
From:
Gallatin, TN
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Posted 16 Jul 2013 4:22 am
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| Ken, could you explain or post photo of what you mean by "changeable caps" in the changer? |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 16 Jul 2013 6:49 am
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Gary
I no longer have a ZB guitar, although I sold them in the UK in the early and mid 70's.
The changer caps sit on top of the changer mechanism, and are a kind of C shape. Hopefully one of the guys who has an older type ZB will be able to post a pic to make clearer what I have just tried to describe.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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