Zane Beck recordings

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Oct 2003 6:03 am

Can anyone list some Zane Beck albums and please tell me where they are available. The more I find out about Zane Beck is the more that I wished I had known him.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 16 Oct 2003 6:28 am

From Tom Bradshaw
A-026-C Beck At His Best Zane Beck $11.00
That's a cassette. Most of his stuff is vinyl and out of print. I'd also check EBay.

He made several recordings with Julian Tharpe and others. Unique style and unique approach to a universal 6/9 tuning.

Talk to Randy Beavers, Zane King, Blake Fougerousse, Joe Mac McHam in Houston -- those guys and more could fill your ear. Zane was a character. I always enjoyed chatting with him in St. Louis.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 16 Oct 2003 6:36 am

"Zane Beck/Julian Thorpe,12+14=Country Jazz"

My copy is vinyl, distributed by "Jet Enterprises, 5430 Woodfield Road, Midfield, Alabama 35228"
www.genejones.com

Walter Glockler · Post by **Walter Glockler** » 16 Oct 2003 8:05 am

Here are two more albums:
Zane Beck plays the new ZB student model and
Zane Beck meets Bobby Caldwell.
BTW: the cover of the student model lp shows a ZB amp.
Walter

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 16 Oct 2003 9:17 am

a ZB Amp!!??!!

wow... now I have something else to search for for thirty years....

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 16 Oct 2003 9:31 am

Does anyone know Zane Beck's copedent?
Thanks in advance.

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 16 Oct 2003 10:51 am

Hey Kevin:

Sorry we didn't bump into each other in the elevator at IBMA in Louisville earlier this month. We could have put the bluegrass stuff down for awhile and talked ZBs...

I have another album entitled "A Tribute to Zane Beck" which was released posthumously by Zane's wife Faye and Dewitt Scott. Here's the info:
1. Beckin' It
2. Jammin' at Scotties
3. Song Unknown
4. Take Your Pick
5. Song for Sarah
6. Beverly's Tune

1. Watch What Happens
2. No Tear Drops Tonight
3. Secret Love
4. Stars Fell on Alabama

I believe Zane's copedant is listed at the end of the Winne Winston/Bill Keith Book.

A great player, and a great steel builder!

lc

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 16 Oct 2003 10:54 am

Dave Van Allen:

I just saw a ZB steel guitar amp for sale on Ebay, but it disappeared and I can't find it now. Looked like a solid state 2x12 w/Altecs. Heavy as a horse...

The grail has been spotted, Dave, what is your quest? What is your favorite color? (;

lc

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 16 Oct 2003 12:36 pm

Kevin,

Try ringing Faye Milsap (Zane's widow, remarried to Joe Milsap). She may have some of the vinyl records "A Tribute to Zane Beck". As far as I know, her number is 501 938 2575. Failing that, I do have two unopened copies of the LP but I live "over the great ocean" and it would be easier to get them from her rather than me.

Graham

bob drawbaugh · Post by **bob drawbaugh** » 16 Oct 2003 12:59 pm

A trubite to Zane Beck, Is Zane's best work in my book. I play it often. I saw him one time in Nashville with this little short Steel. You could have put it in a Sax case. But, he was playing all this C6th stuff. I thought this was mind blowing and went out and bought a 12 string. I still can't play like Zane but I still have the 12 string.

Joe Finley · Post by **Joe Finley** » 16 Oct 2003 2:23 pm

Yes Kevin, I wish you could have met Zane. He was something else. Not only a great inovator and musician, but a great guy and friend. I had the misfortune of playing the gig the week after he died. He had a unique tuning. He always said it was the best of both worlds. I couldnt play the tuning. You had to kick a knee lever to play e9th. He called it - E9th with an added 6th. His top strings really messed me up. Blake did play his tuning and quite well. His keyless guitar was great and very compact. I have an album of Zane and the Barn Jamboree group in Russellville Arkansas. Musicians included Zane, Tommy Sparks ( Mel Tellis lead play from the army days) and Bob Morris on guitar.
Bob wrote Buckaroo, They Call Me A Playboy,
Made in Japan, more Buck Owens hits. He played fiddle also. It was a great group and is where I first met Zane. He lived in Scranton AR at the time. He was from Goose Camp AR which is near Clarksville. It was fun to get him talking about the first use of knee levers. The singer didnt want pedals so you could hide the knee levers which he used while at the Louisiana Hay Ride. He had a style of his own but he could play commercial when it was needed. He is truly missed here in Arkansas.[This message was edited by Joe Finley on 16 October 2003 at 03:24 PM.][This message was edited by Joe Finley on 16 October 2003 at 03:25 PM.][This message was edited by Joe Finley on 16 October 2003 at 03:26 PM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Oct 2003 4:43 pm

I was just today lucky enough to locate and puchase an original unopened copy of "Tribute to Zane". I am very much looking forward to hearing it. Thanks everyone.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 16 Oct 2003 7:33 pm

Bob D., that little ZB was on ebay about 3 years ago. It was something like 18" and was a real working model. Wish I knew about ZBs at the time.

Now that I see Joe's post, I realize that this model was not keyless, and so is not the guitar that you mentioned.

Would love to see this thing surface again though.[This message was edited by HowardR on 16 October 2003 at 08:37 PM.]

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 17 Oct 2003 12:59 am

Here is Zane's copedant. Aren't strings
3--12 E-13th?
<pre>
LKL LKV LKR 1 2 3 4 RKL RKR
1 G# A A
2 F# G
3 E Eb F F#
4 C# D D D#
5 B C# C
6 G# F# A A
7 F# F F
8 D Eb E
9 B C# Bb
10G# G A
11E Eb C#
12B Bb
</pre>
[This message was edited by b0b on 17 October 2003 at 09:56 AM.]

Graham Griffith · Post by **Graham Griffith** » 19 Oct 2003 12:37 pm

Roger,

it certainly is E13th and, as Joe said, Zane called it E9th with an added 6th ... he basically told me that he did this in the hope that the tuning's name wouldn't frighten prospective players off. It really is a pity that not many players use his tuning. I've got one of the "little guitars" and it's unbelievably well designed and made (by Don Fritsche). I'm soon to get an Anapeg (I won't be getting rid of the BMI) and there's a few different changes than Zane's original tuning but essentially it's still his tuning on this new guitar ... Zane really had figured it out ... how to get a "universal" tuning with a minimum of fuss and bother and with only 4 floor pedals!!!

Graham

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 20 Oct 2003 4:24 pm

Zane Beck and Julian Tharpe were my friends and mentors. I still play the custom 14 stringer that Zane built for me a few months before his death.

He was one of the nicest and most helpful people that a steel player could have known. He was genuine and sincere in every sense of the word.

The man was very knowledgeable about steel guitars, players and what most younger players today don't realize, is what a great player he was too.

The albums mentioned were his recordings as a soloist, and or with the late great steel player Julian Tharpe. I agree with the aforementioned that "A Tribute to Zane Beck," was his best. It was recorded on the fly. They just happen to be out in his studio practicing for Scotty's Steel Convention and somebody had enough sense to record those tunes. In my opinion because it was so spontaneously played and recorded, it reveals the true heart of the player, one of the best of people my mentor, and friend the late Great Zane Beck.

You can still get ciopies of it from Faye Milsap or from Don Fritsche who worked closely with Zane on building BMI steels and in fact still builds them in Arkansas.
Don's a great guy too.

GOD bless you!

Terry J. "Woody" Wood

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 26 Jan 2005 11:54 am

A very interesting tuning.

Dan Rollans · Post by **Dan Rollans** » 26 Jan 2005 6:53 pm

Hello, It's been a while since I replied to a thread,but I could not pass this one up. I have been playing Zane's tuning for 25 years and I love it!. All your E9 licks are right there,plus more c6 type combinations than I will ever be able to figure out. I live only 1 mile from Faye & Joe Milsap here in Little Rock,Ar. where my dad Kenn Rollans and I build the Steelers Choice pac seats. If I can help anyone with info on Zane's tuning,BMI steels or the Milsap family,please send email. Also I would like to thank everyone who uses our pac seats.