Possible Zane Beck built guitar, pre ZB Custom

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Hope y'all had a nice Thanksgiving.

I picked up a mystery no name D-10 pedal steel with a pull/release changer. It needs a complete set up. It has "Zane Beck" on the fretboards, and pedals from a Rustler. Since I'm very familiar with ZBs I assumed that the fretboards were replaced since the pedals were too, but discovered on Facebook with the help of Greg Jones that when Zane left Shobud he built a few pull/release pedal steels called Pedalmasters before he started the ZB Custom company. He eventually stopped using the the name Pedalmaster since it was already being used. My guitar has a few other cosmetic similarities to the ZB design, like where the endplate wraps around the front apron and is angled, not straight. The guitar sounds real good like a permanent Shobud....not like a ZB, and the fretboards do say Zane Beck unlike the ZBs that say ZB Custom. Greg and I think I have an early '60's Zane built pedal master. I was thinking that the undercarriage was replaced but looking closer I don't see too many extra screw holes in the wood underneath. The craftsmanship is real good on this heavy guitar. Smile

Does anyone have any info or knowledge of the Zane built pedal masters? Or how many he made? Thanks for looking.

Does anyone no more about these or how many were made?
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

Don't have any info, but that's a fine looking guitar!

Dave

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Very nice looking guitar. My input here is that I knew a Gentleman in Ft.Smith, Ark. back in the mid sixty's by the name of LeeRoy Prine. He owned the name then of the Pedal Master Guitar. Had a sign shop in the back yard of his house or alley. An old timer and a good steel picker from days gone by. Had the first Evans Amp I ever saw. Had this guitar or one just like it set up in his shop, Had every Joaquin Murphy LP that was and he play like him like you cannot believe. The big band sound of Murphy in early days. LeeRoy had a little record player in his shop and run it into a amp of some kind. Sounded very good. I also met Zane my first time at LeeRoy's shop. I later learned that they were in cahoots and Zane wanted to buy the Pedal Master name from LeeRoy and he said no. One or two years later Zane came up with the ZB design and was located in Scranton, Ark.
So I made an appointment and drove down and spent the day with him. Very nice Gentleman. Later he sent me his LP of the beginner guitar demo which I still have. And this guitar is a Pedal Master. I know that Lee Roy made the fret boards for it and the early day ZB's. Lee Roy and Zane remained friends forever. I do not know any of the story that Roy Thomas has with getting the Pedal Master name years later. Maybe someone does. Just my little bit of info, J.R. Rose
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Great info JR!! Thanks!!
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Hey Dave, I am going to go out on a limb here and say I think that is a Lee Roy Prine built Pedal Master Guitar. I used to hang out at Lee Roy's shop and he had a lot of tools and could do all of this work. He was a fine sign painter and a fine craftsman. A very smart man and did not mind to share with me his knowledge. He taught me a lot including how to find the north pole on a magnet and how to wind pickups. He and Zane were good friends. I am 80 years old and have forgot a lot of things but I really think this was one of Lee Roy's. You have to remind yourself that this was in the mid sixty's when pedal steel guitar was born. Ben Jack in Ft.Smith even built some, BJ Steels I think. Most everything came from Lee Roy. I still have the Silk Screen fret board he show me how to make and make my own fret boards. Of course the screen had to be made by a silk shop and then you wrapped it on to your frame. It was a wonderful time in my life, I just did not know how lucky I was to have these kind of friends. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Thanks JR! This is all great info and history. You could be correct....this is way different than Zanes design. Maybe it’s possible that Zane helped Lee Roy build some guitars. Thanks for contributions to this thread...great history! You were lucky to have been there.
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

The Pedal Rod connector you see in one of these pictures is a lot like today's but in my time we brought them from a auto parts store and they were Carburetor Connector Linkage. Pretty Cool. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Yes Dave, As I said they were in cahoots. I really do not know to what degree. I just know they worked together on some. The end plates with the ZB angle design I think was by Lee Roy?? Been too many years. But Zane's changer was all his among other things. I can remember in my talk's with him how he was all ways thinking ahead of me. Way out of my league. I had the pleasure to set in front of him that day in Scranton and watch him play his single neck eleven string guitar and it just blew my mind and I was just a beginner. But I knew he was way ahead of his time. And this was in 67 or 68 maybe 69. Ok, I will hush now, hope all enjoys this tidbit. J,R, Rose
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

Eric Dahlhoff · From: Point Arena, California

Wow Dave, what a sweet looking guitar!
Another similarity with ZB's is the way the knee levers mount on the cross shafts.
Are the pull rods covered in red plastic?
Enjoy! Very Happy

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan)

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Hi Eric. I think itâ€™s a heavy coat of red paint.

BTW did my friend Rob contact you? Heâ€™s selling a ZB s11
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

Eric Dahlhoff · From: Point Arena, California

Yes he did & it's a beauty and I'm trying REALLY HARD not to buy it Laughing

Stay safe! Smile

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan)

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Hello Dave. Posting a picture of the Rose Custom Fret Boards. Back in that day I was going to build a few custom guitar's I thought. Gave that ideal up pretty quick. I still have about a dozen or so of these. I made them myself. Thanks to Lee Roy's guiding. Lee Roy was an old man in the late sixty's and early seventy's. Zane and I both much younger. Wish I had ask more question's and paid better attention. I remember seeing some of the ZB looking cross shaft knee lever's laying on his work bench. Just did not know what I was seeing at the time. J.R. Rose

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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

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