| Author |
Topic: An Unusual ZB |
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 6:47 am |
|
Has anyone seen one of these? First one I've ever laid eyes on. I'm sure its a student or beginner model and built by Tom Brumley but thing sounds awesome and plays pretty good for a ZB. It looks to be some sort of plastic maybe over wood and then the whole body is surrounded by an aluminum frame. It has three pedals and one knee and has the initials, JDM on right front apron.
_________________
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. |
|
|
 |
Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
|
|
|
|
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 7:06 am
|
|
I believe that is it Greg, thanks. Maybe this was built by Zane. I friend of mine bought this in a pawn shop about 10 years ago and been in his closet. I cleaned it up, tweaked it out and put new strings and when I plugged it into an amp, I was blown away by the tone. Even the keyhead is plastic and it's a bugger to put strings on. The keys aren't quite long enough and the hole is sorta covered on some of them. Looks to have been built that way. Doesn't look like guitar has ever been modified in any way.
_________________
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. |
|
|
|
Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
|
|
|
|
Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 7:31 am
|
|
One of those was the first steel I ever bought. Eventually realised it wasn't what I needed for the Hank Williams and western swing stuff I'd been listening to and trying to learn so and sold it to buy a lap steel.
One of these came up on the UK forum recently and it seems that if you strip off the plastic coating, there's a nice bit of wood underneath it. |
|
|
|
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 9:12 am
|
|
Thanks for the replies guys. After Googling that model, I found several other articles about the student model.
ZB's are great sounding guitars but lack the pedal feel that a P/P or modern all pull guitars have. ZB's have mushy pedals or at least most of them do. The trouble being that the pedal stop on the end plate is already so far in the pull train that it doesn't have a positive feel. I eliminated most of that on a ZB I had once by putting a hard stop with an adjustment screw on the cross pull bar. Same principle as a push pull. Had to be timed just like a push pull. It worked great and really improved the feel of the guitar. May do this student model like that because it sure sounds awesome.
_________________
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. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 11:11 am
|
|
a friend of mine picked this up for $300 and it was a great entry level steel. i added another knee lever to it.
 |
|
|
|
Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 1:10 pm
|
|
Jesus - some of Julian Tharpes playing towards the end of that track is just outrageous! Great stuff.
Also it must be borne in mind that the ZB 'student' that Zane Beck is pictured with is a 12 string 3 + 4. Far removed from the basic ZB student model which was 10 strings and 3 + 1.
I used to sell ZB's in the 1970's in the UK, and indeed owned 2 ZB D10's at one point. One of the best pedal steels that I have ever played for tone was a ZB Student model with a black top. It sounded incredible.
_________________
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, |
|
|
|
J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 7 Dec 2015 6:46 pm
|
|
Hey Chris, Do you know any of the story of the Rus-Ler Steel Guitar? I have been told that the gentleman worked for Zane Beck when Zane was starting ZB in Phoenix, Az. I know that a lot of the design of the Rus-Ler looks a lot like ZB. Thanks, J.R.
_________________
NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 8 Dec 2015 6:19 pm
|
|
not much more than you, jr.
they're big, heavy, pretty and sound good.
norm h. used to play a green one with merle. back when men were men and..... |
|
|
|
Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 2:12 pm Re: An Unusual ZB
|
|
Me and Ken Byng also on the Forum used to sell some of these for the Late Eric Snowball who brought in the first of many Z.B's into U.K. Yes this is the student model but had a fantastic tone 
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
|
|
|
Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 2:21 pm
|
|
Yes Mickey, guitar has an awesome tone and sustain. To me, this just throws everything and reason out the window of what makes a guitar have a good tone.
_________________
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. |
|
|
|
Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 2:37 pm
|
|
Yes you're right Henry. I had a S-10 pro ZB years ago. If some guys who had that student managed to add a few more knees and pedals to accomadate some of the modern Copedants, they'd have a great steel, and lighter weight if that's what they might have been after  ....I listened to the 12 + 14 track....what amazing picking....wow!!
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 2:53 pm Re: An Unusual ZB
|
|
| Micky Byrne wrote: |
Me and Ken Byng also on the Forum used to sell some of these for the Late Eric Snowball who brought in the first of many Z.B's into U.K.
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
byng and byrne bring beck bling to the brits!! |
|
|
|
richard burton
From:
Britain
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 10:40 pm
|
|
Chris,
don't forget 'burton' |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 9 Dec 2015 11:23 pm
|
|
| byng, byrne and burton....bitchin'! |
|
|
|
Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
|
Posted 10 Dec 2015 3:44 am
|
|
Hey Richard.....I know you have a super playing Pro ZB, but did you have a student one at any time?? Hope you're well and happy Christmas to you and Cynthia
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
|
|
|
Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
|
Posted 10 Dec 2015 3:46 am
|
|
Chris he's just Jesting Richard is a super steel Mechanic....done lots of jobs for me
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
|
|
|
richard burton
From:
Britain
|
Posted 10 Dec 2015 10:39 am
|
|
Yes,
I gigged a heavily modified (by myself) ZB student in the early 90's
I had to sell it in about 1994 due to a cash-flow crisis, unfortunately.
 |
|
|
|
Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
|
Posted 10 Dec 2015 2:12 pm
|
|
Shame it had to go Richard. The wood finish adds to it....it looks great
....what was the remote control for?? 
Micky "scars" Byrne U.K. |
|
|
|
richard burton
From:
Britain
|
Posted 11 Dec 2015 1:08 am
|
|
Ha!! Very observant Micky
The steel recently re-surfaced, John Davis had it up for sale on ebay |
|
|
|
