ZB Pedal Steel Guitars - Please help!

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 8 Aug 2006 5:44 pm

I got my ZB ysterday, I finally got a chance to set it up, stay tuned, I'm sure that I'll have a ton of questions!

Ron Thompson · Post by **Ron Thompson** » 16 Aug 2006 11:36 am

Joe,

Just came across this topic. I have serial #1126 built in May of '68. It has tone to die for, I know you'll love yours.

Ron

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 16 Aug 2006 11:46 am

Hey Ron,
Yeah, I spent the better part of Saturday cleaning and restringing it, it sounds great, there are a couple knee lever changes that I'd like to make, but I figured that I should leave that to the experts. Which finish do you have?

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Aug 2006 3:29 pm

#1107 was built in Feb.68. I have it.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 18 Aug 2006 5:21 am

My D10 is 1067. What year Kevin?

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Aug 2006 5:47 am

67. Thats really a collectable Chuck. Have you restored it? Those 60's ZB's just reak with tone.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 18 Aug 2006 6:47 am

Kevin I have done a little work to put my
set up on it and it's my main axe now. I need a case. Maybe we should talk.

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 18 Aug 2006 2:14 pm

Here's one for the ZB pros out there... how difficult is it to change the set-up on my knee levers?

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 18 Aug 2006 3:45 pm

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Aug 2006 7:42 pm

C'mon Russ be kind. The reason why Russ is laughing Joe is because it is not easy if you don't know what you are doing. You need to take it to a ZB mechanic. The pulls have to be equalized and stabilized.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 18 Aug 2006 9:45 pm

The ZB will still function, not perfectly, but good enough, without equalizing and stabilising the pulls, in my opinion.

Take a long look at the mechanics of a ZB, it's all very basic stuff, simple but effective, certainly not rocket science

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 19 Aug 2006 12:05 am

Sorry Joe it was just a little humor.

I talked to Billy Knowles on the phone last year and he told me if they were easy to work on they'd still be in business.

If you have a question I'd send an email to Greg Jones. He has helped me a great deal with set up questions and he really knows his stuff!

Oh...cussin' helps...

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 19 Aug 2006 11:05 am

This could be a whole topic on its own! I'm aware that I need to (try to) set up the pulls so that two pulls operating together "close" at the same time. I assume that's whats meant by "equalising." What do we mean in this context by "stabilising?" This is a subject I would like to see more posts on preferably with some practical tips .......perhaps diagrams etc.

Anybody?

pat

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 20 Aug 2006 8:54 pm

Yeah , you and a lot of other people Pat , including me , i'm first in line .
Brendan

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 20 Aug 2006 10:14 pm

The end plate tuners on a ZB have a tendency to loosen up over time and get sloppy. If they do (and I have seen many) one way to remedy this is to crimp the tuner with a pair of nippers or the back half of a pair of needle nose pliers half way down the tuner shaft. If those end plate tuners are loose, every time you press a pedal or knee lever the tuner can creep out of tune making the guitar unstable. The guitar just won't stay in tune.Once the end plate tuner is crimped it will hold snug. The problem is that you can't crimp the tuner too hard or you will never get it back on the finger. Also if you crimp it too hard and screw it back on and try to force it you can snap the weld on the finger and then you are really screwed. Which is why I suggest you take it to a ZB mechanic. You can also use lock tight but it will be more temporary.

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 22 Aug 2006 3:39 pm

Chuck McGill, I have a 1969 D10 Serial # 0154. The case is black covered plywood with a blue interior.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 23 Aug 2006 4:52 am

Thanks Lyle. I have a case that's worse for wear that's kinda wierd. I may have to get a case from Kevin.

Ron Thompson · Post by **Ron Thompson** » 23 Aug 2006 4:07 pm

Joe,

My ZB is the same color as yours. I know you will enjoy it. Any questions contact Greg Jones he is the master and a great guy also.

Ron

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 25 Aug 2006 8:14 am

Kevin, On an earlier page, away ,way back it was recommended not to crimp the tuner nut but to use a medium grade of LOC-TITE.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 25 Aug 2006 9:05 am

I recommend either. I've done both. It depends on personal preference. I like crimping because its permanent, but you have to have a feel for it because you can't crimp it too hard. When you crimp it just right its just snug but still adjustable.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 25 Aug 2006 12:36 pm

Hey Fellow ZBers:

Hope you're all enjoying the summer (or at least the end of it). Just a little helpful hint that I happened upon the other night.

I noticed that the pickups on my 1970s D-10 were a little far from the strings, so, being the resourceful ZB mechanic that I am, I loosened the strings, unscrewed the pickups and added a small length (1/8") of small rubber tubing to the existing rubber tubing around each of the pickup mounting screws. I think Greg Jones had told me about this trick before - the original rubber tubing shrinks with age, and, as a result, the pickup can sit a little lower than optimal. Well, 45 minutes later, I have a louder signal (which means more hum, too) on both necks, and, by bringing the coil closer to the strings, what I believe is a warmer tone, too.

A disclaimer, too - it's still nowhere near as warm as my '67 D-10. Rubber or not. That's still got a LOAF of tone.

Update - I've moved the pickup closer on my S-11, too, and the results are lovely. Still, both the D-10 and S-11 are not quite as warm and full and the '67 D-10... Zane-wound pickups!!!

Just my two and a half cents. Hope this is helpful!

ZBest,
Larry[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 28 August 2006 at 12:54 PM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 25 Aug 2006 9:20 pm

Just to remind everyone. I have polished ADJUSTABLE aluminum replacement knee levers for ZB steels. They are $99.95 each. Repositioning and adding these knee levers makes the guitar much more playable. I also have ZB fret boards in both black and white.

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 2 Sep 2006 10:23 pm

Mickey McGee · Post by **Mickey McGee** » 2 Sep 2006 11:22 pm

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 3 Sep 2006 4:53 pm

Can we take that to mean that Mickey is exhausted from hearing about ZB guitars, plain fed up with this post or is there some other esoteric message far too meaningful for my meagre intellect?

PK

Uh Uh the penny has dropped. It was a hot day in Arizona. Sorry guys.[This message was edited by Pat Kelly on 03 September 2006 at 05:57 PM.]