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Topic: ZB rebuild finished |
Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 10:44 am |
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Back in Oct of 2013 I started rebuilding my D11/10 ZB Custom. Here's a link to the orrig thread if you want to see the before pics.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=254610&highlight=
I had to take a few months off while I was traveling, but I got back to it in April & FINALLY finished. 
Played it at band practice last week & everyone loved the sound. It has a couple new (to me)changes, and the 11th string low E is really fun.
To celebrate I'm going to share a few pics...
I had to move the knee levers because they were way too close to the center. Adjusting all the turnbuckles was one of the most tedious exercises I have ever undertaken.  But the pedal action is very smooth and easy. And I LOVE the sound.
Thanks for great advice from ZB gurus Billy Knowles & Greg Jones.
Now I'm going to go practice.
_________________
"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 11:43 am
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Excellent job, Eric. You have a beautiful instrument to be very proud of.
Congratulations!
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Best regards,
Mike |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 12:28 pm
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| Beautiful restore Eric. I'd bet it sounds great too! |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 4:32 pm
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| Great job Eric. |
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Billy Knowles
From:
Kenansville, N. C. 28349 usa
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 4:59 pm Zb
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Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Billy Knowles
STEEL GUITAR EAST
Emmons authorized dealer and approved service technician
my web site: http://www.steelguitareast.com |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 6:24 pm
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| I have such a soft spot in my heart for these old ZB Customs. Billy Knowles really does know his business on these. He did such an incredibly beautiful job restoring one for me. I hope I never have to part with it. |
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Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 6:57 pm thanks!
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Thanks for the kind words guys!
Having gone through this process, I can appreciate the amount of work involved by a truly knowledgeable person like you, Billy. Thanks for your help.
For me it's mostly trial and error - with lots of error! 
And I really appreciate the upgrades you have done on some ZBs that have been shown here - like the adjustable knee levers, and mounting the turnbuckles at the cross-shafts.
This one I just kept stock. Maybe next time.
Back to practicing...
_________________
"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 1 Jul 2014 7:10 pm Copedent
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For what it's worth, here is how I set up the 11 string E9 neck:
Lowering #11 to C# on LKL along with P1 gives me the tonic bass note. Fun, but I need to vastly improve my bar position on that string!
P0 lowers #3&6 to G. Along with P1 I get a cool cord that's sort of a 7th but I'm not really sure what it is. Can anyone tell me? Great for blues.
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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 3:54 am Re: Copedent
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Great work!
| Eric Dahlhoff wrote: |
| ...P0 lowers #3&6 to G. Along with P1 I get a cool cord that's sort of a 7th but I'm not really sure what it is. Can anyone tell me? Great for blues. |
I had this change on a Universal 12 string lowering all three G#'s (3, 6 and 10). With Pedal A it does make some cool diminished chords and scales! Diminished (vii) and Dominant (V) chords are very closely related, so you are right on.  |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 6:54 pm
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Eric, that's a beautiful job!
Seems like the ZB undercarriage has a lot of metal. Is it a heavy guitar?
Your's looks fantastic, and must sound great. You should be proud.
Dan |
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Josh Rossow
From:
Mchenry, Illinois
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 9:34 pm
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| Eric your ZB looks awesome. |
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Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 3 Jul 2014 10:37 pm Heavy but worth it
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Thanks all! I'm really enjoying it. Especially the low E. Amazing how one string can open up so much more sonic possibility.
Yes - it's heavy. It weighs 50 lbs (out of the case!)
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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 4 Jul 2014 10:48 am
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ZB's are not for the faint of heart. Team one up with a Fender Twin with JBLs and you will end up with arms like Popeye! 
But...for lovely chimey bell-like highs and pronounced mids and rich lows, the ZB tone is totally like no other. I have played many in my lifetime, and they are just a wonderful guitar.
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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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dlayne
From:
OH
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Posted 7 Jul 2014 11:38 am Zb
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Great Job!! Love seeing refurb jobs like this
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Dan Layne |
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Daniel Policarpo
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Posted 8 Jul 2014 6:41 am
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| So cool! An eleven string E9 would be pretty fun. Did you have to do anything to the pickups? I think that ZB Custom pickup sound is my favorite. I put an EQ on my signal sometimes to try to goose it in that direction, but it is a pale imitation. Nice job, man. |
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Gibson Hartwell
From:
Missoula, Montana, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 7:09 am Inspiring!
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| This is some real inspiring work, Eric! I have a ZB that needs a little TLC and your story and pictures on this guitar are giving me the gumption to break out the tools and start digging in. Thanks for sharing and documenting all of this! |
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Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 1:47 pm tools
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It's practically essential to have 6-40 right-hand & a 6-40 left-hand dies, so you can thread your own pull rods. Nice to have taps too, to clean out the turnbuckles, and all the other threaded parts, which are 8-32 & 10-32.
The pickups were a whole story unto themselves. See earlier post at the top of this thread.
Happy Trails!
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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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Chuck McGill
From:
An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 6:04 am
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| she's a beauty and I know she has tone. Congrats |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2014 7:05 am
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Beautiful work Eric. You can be real proud of that. Martin.
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Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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