Sacred Steel on a ZB Custom S-10?

Holger Berg · From: Gothenburg, Sweden

First of all: Hello, from a new member of the forum! It's a really great site you've got going here, b0b, and a lot of very nice, talented people.

I'm just starting out on PSG after many years on guitar and a couple of years on lap steel. I'm very tempted to buy Duncan Hodges beautiful ZB Custom S-10. Now, I have couple of questions about this for all you talented people out there:

I've read that the ZB's are very hard (but not impossible) to work on, with their unique mechanics. I consider myself not a technical genious, but maybe slightly talented mechanically, and quite logical in my thinking.
Will I be able to work on this guitar?
Most of you ZB'ers seem to think they're a pain in the ***, but some of you say that they're quite easy to work on, once you've found out the "thing" about them. And ALL of you seem to be absolutely in love with your guitars!

To make to whole thing a lot harder, I've (almost) decided that I'd like to have a Sacred Steel setup, with E on top, something like this one from the Carter site, but simpler, since Duncans guitar has 4+6 (and of course since it'll take years 'til I will be able to use all changes...) :

http://www.steelguitar.com/resource/tunings/sacredsteelers/ssbasic_etop.html

Is the changer on a ZB Custom too limited for this kind of setup?

I'd greatly appreciate every piece of advice any of you might have on the subject,
Thanks!

Holger

[This message was edited by Holger Berg on 20 August 2004 at 01:08 AM.]

[This message was edited by Holger Berg on 20 August 2004 at 01:09 AM.]

Brad Burch · Posted 20 Aug 2004 5:27 am

If you are just starting out on pedal steel, I would say not to go with a ZB.....but that is just me. I started on one and it was fine, but I am very mechanically inclined and was able to make my own parts, balance the pull rods, etc. I spent all my time working on the guitar instead of playing it. Also, a ZB is basically a single raise single lower changer, although there are ways around that. They can be setup to play pretty easily with a little effort. You don't want to be changing copedents all the time or, like I said, you will spend all your time tweaking and wrenching instead of playing. The mechanics are rudimentary at best, and the knee levers are very spungy unless a positive stop is installed. You may want to ask one of the ZB gurus on the board to send you some email pics of a ZB undercarriage closeup.....a laoded D10 is quite a sight underneath!!!!!

I went from the ZB to a ShoBud LDG(with Superpro undercarriage) in about 6 or 7 months. The Shobud was so easy to change around and the pedal action can be made to play as soft as butter. It was lighter to carry too.

I then went to a Marlen D10 due to the potmetal parts on the Shobud. Totally happy.

As far as sound goes with a ZB against other more modern guitars,.......I just couldn't tell a difference enough to justify the hassle of the older mechanics.....but thats me.

Beautiful machines in every sense of the word......I'd love to have another one someday thats been fully restored.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

The ZB changer can easily handle this setup. However, it would require a complete redoing of all the changes. You might consider a hybrid E9th/Sacred Steel .copedent, which would involve much less work on the ZB (and these things are really hard to work on). b0b has an excellent example at the end of this page: http://b0b.com/tunings/sacredsteel.html

[This message was edited by Dan Tyack on 20 August 2004 at 08:53 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I am a ZB player and would also NOT recommend a ZB for your first guitar. ZB's are fabulous sounding guitars, but you need to know how to work on them a bit to own one because they have their own set of maintenance issues. When they are set up properly they play fabulous, but if something goes wrong mechanically or you want to change the set up you need to know how to do it. Its not a big deal if you take the time and effort to educate yourself but for your first guitar I would suggest something else. For myself I don't think that I will ever play any other guitar exept a ZB, and I've owned a few.

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

Duncan's guitar was rebuilt by Billy Knowles. I've got a ZB that he fixed up and I barely have to tune the thing. It's solid, and no knee lever sponginess to speak of. Seems like a shame to dismantle Billy's fine work.
I think you should get a D10. Lots more versatile, and you'll still have a playable neck while you're working on the other. There's an MSA for sale on the forum right now that looks like a great deal.

richard burton · From: Britain

If you know exactly what your copedant is going to be, you will only have to set the ZB up once. However, as a new player, sometime down the road you will want to change something. Even a minor change on a ZB can mean stripping out a lot of rods to get at the bit you want, and then putting it all back together again. If you are mechanically minded, and have the time, go for a ZB. If not, try a more recent All-Pull steel, (Zum, Carter, GFI etc), as these are far easier to work on.
R B.

Holger Berg · From: Gothenburg, Sweden

Thanks very much everyone for your valuable input!
Seems like a very interesting tuning (SS/E9 hybrid) there, Dan and b0b!
If I would buy this guitar, I would keep the current setup until I have learned how to properly work on it. Right now I can't really make up my mind though. To have a doubleneck (like the MSA, Henry!) seems like a really good idea, so at least one neck is playable at all times.

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