ZANE BECK /Pedal Steel Guitar History

Ron Bailey · From: New Mexico, USA

I have a friend I haven't seen on around 12 year's now he use to live in Phoenix AZ He New Zane Very well & Tom Brumley He work for Zane Building ZB's for over 11 year's until Zane Sold out to Tom & moved to Scranton AK. To Built BMI's Then he latter worked For Miller & Build Miller Pedal Steel Guitar's a few year's He was a fine Steel player & guitar player he played with some of the best. His name is Allen Douglas. I haven't seen him in a good while Or talked to him. I believe has Passed away but not sure? I had a nice D-10 8X5 ZB for a good while he worked out It & set it all up for me. It was A Beauty for sure.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I remember dealing with someone named Bill Sims (I think) in the late 70's. Is my memory correct?
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

I really enjoy playing my BMI.
No fancy bells and whistles.
Just a pleasure to play and it sounds great through any of my amps on the bandstand.
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande

There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.

Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat

Samuel Phillippe · From: Douglas Michigan, USA

I,like you Lee, am really loving my BMI. I do not know how old it is but I bought it from a guy with an attic full of guitars about 2 years ago.Not knowing anything about a psg I got the guitar for $500. Needles to say it needed a LOT of work.

I'm happy to read this posting and how easy they are to work on.

Not knowing anything, I joined this forum, and am happy to say I am now an expert (LOL). You people really helped me through the redo and now the playing.

I am extremely happy with my BMI and after reading these comments am convinced I have the best pedal steel guitar ever made.

I really enjoy this article and the history.....Thanks Zane for posting it.

Sam

bob drawbaugh · From: scottsboro, al. usa

I didn’t know Zane personally. But, I did meet him once at Jeff Newman’s school in Nashville. It must have been 1979 or 1980. He was playing a keyless BMI. He made a big impression on me that day as a teenager. Hal Rugg, Buddy Emmons and Jeff playing bass, as I recall., we’re on stage. That little stage was packed. Zane was setup on the floor next to Hal. The place was packed when we got there. I could only see the top of Zane’s head. But, some of the stuff he was playing was very interesting to me. I worked my way towards the front. All the older guys giving me the go to you know where look. When I got to Zane I was shocked to see the little toy like guitar Zane was playing. When they took a break I introduced myself to Zane. I told him how much I enjoyed his playing. He said I’m just trying to keep up. Boy, did he ever! That encounter with Zane sent me down a rabbit hole of playing 12 string guitars. Can you imagine the look on my face when years later I found out Zane wasn’t playing a standard E9th tuning. LOL I still to this day listen to Zane’s music. I’m still impressed with what he got out of his tuning. Go listen to Stars over Alabama. Zane’s version is the best I’ve ever heard. I still don’t know how he got all them big cords.

Lee Dassow · From: Jefferson, Georgia USA

Great Steel Guitars. Tenn.Lee
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2015 Mullen D-10 Royal Precision 9x8,-1990 BMI S-10 5x5-1972 Silver face Fender pro Reverb amp,-1965 Fender Super Reverb Amp,- 1966 Fender Showman Amp Two 15" JBL speakers,- 2006 65 Fender Twin Reverb reissue Amp,- 1982 Peavey Session 500 amp,-1978 Peavey Session 400,Goodrich Volume Pedals,John Pearse Steel Bars,

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

I met Mr Beck just once at Scotty's very briefly. I had a ZB early on, so i figured i'd meet and at least listen to the fellow who built my old ZB. I've been a Zane Beck fan since the 70's, and i'm a Zane King listener as well. I still say..... i enjoy the album "Zane Beck Plays the ZB Student Model" as much as anything else he's done, including his album with Bobby Caldwell, or even with Julian Tharpe. I mean, who else play's those beautiful chords, and a waltz like Zane Beck?.... No One. Required listening 101.

Gordy Rex · From: Southport, NC

I think this was my first steel guitar album…..
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Gordy Rex
Current guitar '78 Rosewood Emmons PP 8 X 6, La Grande II..8X8...

Gary Spaeth · From: Wisconsin, USA

this is the first buck album tom played zb on. 1964

Mike Neer · From: NJ

The Kansas City Steel player whose guitar he added levers to in 1952 was Ray Noren, on his Rickenbacker D-8, who was on the Ozark Mountain Jubilee as part of the Grady Martin band after Bud Isaacs left.
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http://www.steelinstruction.com/
http://mikeneer.com

Olaf van Roggen · From: The Netherlands

Many years ago I remember seeing a ZB Pedal steel on a Flea market, somewhere between Waco and Austin Texas.
Back then I never heard of the brand, it looked nice and the guy selling it had some steel guitar records.
He couldn't tell me much about steel and showed me the Zane Beck record with the steel on it.

I bought the Zane Beck records he had and i liked them, i spoke to Neil Flanz in Austin about the pedal steel.
Neil knew Zane Beck ofcourse.

I saw one on youtube but it's a ZB Economy model, looked very nice to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbEActSYpfk[u[/url]

Wade Black · From: Arkansas, USA

My wonderful Mother In-Law passed away in December. She regularly wrote and edited for the Johnson County Historical Society (Clarksville, AR). Late last year, she wrote an article on Zane Beck and I helped her by sending a few links from SGF. I am posting to honor both of them.

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