3 ZB`s from 3 eras.

[steinar]

Here is the merry gang of 1108, 0219, and 0822 in Norway.
1108 is a Scranton built D10 from 1968 that once belonged to Bobby Garret. Greg Jones first restored it and expanded it from 2 to 6 knee levers, Marv Fluger did the body work, and this year, Billy Knowles modernized the undercarriage, put helper springs on, and nickel plated parts. Great tone.
0219 is a D11 early Bakersfield(1969/1970). Again, Greg Jones took care of the restoration, and Fluger again gave it a great body work. A solid, dependable work horse with tone to match.
0822 is a Texas SD 11 that started out as a D11. Billy Knowles converted it, and modernized the undercarriage, nickel plated parts, and put helper springs on.
Plays very smooth!
I`m very grateful to Mssrs. Jones and Knowles for their outstanding work on these guitars. Greg and Billy are painstakingly accurate and conscientious, and I feel honored to have been able to benefit from their expertise and friendly helpfulness.

And Duncan, as you can see, these three ZB buddies are positively thriving and groovin`as they enjoy the view of a Norwegian fjord. Florida, nah!

[Kevin Hatton]

Beautiful picture Steinar, and outstanding work by all involved. Bakersfield sound tone machines.

[Larry Chung]

Wowsers. I need to sit down... from the land of Wikings.

Lovely collection of ZBs, Steinar.

Oh! Det er bra! Takk og gratulerer!

ZBest,
LC

[steinar]

Oh, I forgot to add, Kevin, 0219 and 1108 both have nothing less than the famous Hatton split cases! Great job, Kevin!

Larry, zhezhe nin!
And thanks for starting this great thread!

[Russ Tkac]

Steinar,

That middle one was my D-11/10 before I sold it to Billy! Glad you got it.

Russ

[Duncan Hodge]

Steinar,
There has never, and I repeat, never been and observed, documented, or otherwise bonafide case of a ZB "pinin' for the fjords". They are much happier living in a hot and humid climate with little chance of getting hit by a glacier, or stepped on by a reindeer.
You have a beaturiful stable of prime ZBs there...I hope that they survive the cold and dark Scandinavian winter.
Your friend in hot and humid Florida,
Duncan

[Jody Sanders]

Steiner, Which of the guitars is the Bobby Garrett guitar? Jody.

[steinar]

Russ, your old 0822 is the easiest playing ZB I have ever owned, - and this is thanks to Billy Knowles and his workmanship.
Jody, 1108 - the D10 to the right in the picture - is the Bobby Garrett guitar. I bought it from Earl Yarbro(R.I.P.) Never met Earl, but he played steel well into his eighties. Earl brought 1108 to Tom Brumley (R.I.P.)who helped me evaluating the guitar. He liked the tone, but recommended that it be sent to Greg Jones for some restoration.
Greg rearranged some pedals, expanded it from 2 to 6 knee levers, and had Marv Fluger give it a black body with bindings.
Duncan, unlike the "Norwegian Blue," these three ZB`s are not pining for the fjords! Jaded as they are with an everpresent panoramic view of a beautiful fjord surrounded by mountains, they take such things for granted!
And in the clean, dry air up here, they don´t even need A/C to stay cool, - even after some vigorous scale exercises.
Do you really think they would enjoy high humidity and tropical temperatures out on the porch, in Florida, before freezing their changers off when returning to a heavily a/c èd apartment??
Noooo!

[Duncan Hodge]

Steinar,
My ZB,s love the porch in a hot and humid clime.



BTW, that is not a fjord in the background, it's just a little old lake, but it is full of bass. Did I mention that ZBs love a nice bass dinner?
Have a beautiful Norwegian evening, or morning, or afternoon...whatever time it is there in the land of the caribou.
Duncan

[Jody Sanders]

Thanks Steiner, I have an 8/10 pic of Bobby playing that guitar. Also I acquired a red D10 ZB, 7/3, from Bobby Garrett in about 1970 or '71. Played it for about 4 years. Great tone. I finally sold it to Bobby's son Rick, who sold it to another party. Bobby told me the reason he started playing ZB guitars was because of the great sound Tom Brumley got with ZB. Jody.

[steinar]

Hi Jody.

I also have a picture of Bobby playing this guitar, - got it from Rick Garrett.
Bobby is fairly young, wearing some sort of western shirt and smiling, looking at the camera.
Same motive on your picture?
Did you read Rick`s book, by the way?
Duncan, I could see that concerned look on your poor, but beautiful ZB`s. They were probably fearing porch calls from that lake by some steel guitar hating alligators.
How can you submit these wonderful instruments to such a threatening environment?? Better pack `em up and ship them to me in safe Northern Norway. No alligators, not even snakes, but all the fish their little changers can gobble up.
And new Jagwires thrown in for good measure as dessert!
But Duncan, if you can keep a secret and not tell anyone, - with snow, ice and 5 degrees Fahrenheit over here - I`ll paraphrase a quote from W.C. Fields: "On the whole, I`d rather be in Florida."
Never mind reptiles and other nuisances of a tropical climate, I`d change my fjord and fish for a porch afternoon with pina colada and Bermuda shorts in a Fort Lauderdale minute anytime.
I trust that this will remain betwen the two us. Duncan? DUNCAN!!

[Duncan Hodge]

Steinar, I just want to know how you know that I currently have a very troublesome and threatening alligator living in my backyard? I'm preparing to remove the beast myself, before he develops a taste for my ZB, but am restrained by my passionate pleas of my wife who pleads "have you ever actually caught an alligator before? To which I answer "Well, no, but the process seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it?" My beautiful wife seems to think I may lose a limb, or two, to which I reply, "but not the important one...I hope".
In any event, My friend, come on down anytime. You always have a vacation home here. We're about 35 miles (56km) from the Mouse House, (AKA Disney World)
Duncan

[Jody Sanders]

Hi Steiner. Same pic. Have read the book. Jody.

[Bent Romnes]

Steinar, you sure know how to make a man homesick don't you? What a stunning pic of the three ZB's overlooking the fjord!
One mint Zb would be fine. Your 3 are simply amazing and mind boggling.

[steinar]

Bent, - pining for the fjords, eh? Well, I`m sorry I missed you last time in Norway, hope that we can connect next time. Always enjoy your posts on the mechanics of steel guitars.
Duncan, I see that you have one D10 and one SD10 ZB. That`s of course not counting the blue one that Joe keeps for you!
Are these Bakersfield specimen? Graduates of Greg Jones`Finishing School for ZB`s?
Beautiful guitars that you had better send to me pronto for safekeeping before your `gator prepares your right leg ossu bucco style for lunch. He`s probably sick and tired already of all the chicken I - oops - I really had NO idea you had such visitors, Duncan!
I thank you for your kind invitation, and the same to you. I`ve got a house down by the Oslo Airport and one up here in the north. Mi casa es tu casa anytime.

On a final note - since we should concentrate on steel guitars and not personal issues(right, b0b!) - Rolene Brumley has the most famous and beautiful ZB`s I have seen. She has D11 1039, which Tom Brumley used on many of the Buck Owens Ranch Shows. That guitar has a tremendous cabinet resonance producing miles of sustain, and it looks gorgeous in it´s black splendour with bindings.
She also has the SD 11 that was used on "I sang Dixie" for Dwight. Both Greg Jones and Billy Knowles have worked on that guitar, and it`s a wonderful guitar.
To round up her selection of ZB`s, she also has 2 more SD 11`s, one that was used with Ricky Nelson, and one that was used on Dwight`s "Hillbilly deLuxe" album, both good looking tone monsters.
I`m constantly busy buying lotto coupons!

[David Mason]

Hey steiner, do you need a houseboy? I do strings....

[Chuck McGill]

Steiner
What a beautiful trio. I know they all sound great but which is your favorite? I have a D11 with Greg
now trying to decide what color. You and Duncan and
Joe and Russ should help me. I was green but faded
to sorta brown. I'm leaning towards Joe's blue but would like to have something different. Someone make
the call.

[Kevin Hatton]

I love to watch the reaction on people the first time they hear a ZB. Its like they were hit with Cupid's arrow. The sound of the C6th neck on a ZB is just fabulous.

[Duncan Hodge]

Chuck,
I love my red/blonde sunburst... but I have to go with the blue/blonde, like the one Joe is holding for me for a while. That is unless you can get a really cool green Like Stu Schulman's Desert Rose. I've never actually seen a truly vibrant green/blonde ZB. Yours could be the first.
Your Friend, Duncan

[Chuck McGill]

Duncan. Any pics of the green machine?

[Duncan Hodge]

Here it is Chuck. Now, something like this would be the most unique color in recent ZB in history.



Have a beautiful night in Tennessee, Duncan

[Joe A. Camacho]

I love to watch the reaction on people the first time they hear a ZB. Its like they were hit with Cupid's arrow. The sound of the C6th neck on a ZB is just fabulous.

The C6 neck is something very special. I love mine through my '68 Twin Reverb with a K130 in it.

[Joe A. Camacho]

Chuck,
I love my red/blonde sunburst... but I have to go with the blue/blonde, like the one Joe is holding for me for a while. That is unless you can get a really cool green Like Stu Schulman's Desert Rose. I've never actually seen a truly vibrant green/blonde ZB. Yours could be the first.
Your Friend, Duncan

Hahaha, holding, that's a good one Duncan.

Joe

[Chuck McGill]

First Steiner sorry for hi-jacking your post. Not my intention. It's just when you start a ZB post, things just get crazy! Duncan that may be the color bro.

[Duncan Hodge]

I love the green too, Chuck. As far as Steinar is concerned, he seems to be pretty much a "go with the flow" kinda guy. I don't think he would mind. He's just another guy who loves ZBs...just like you and me.
Duncan