Thanks for the info on how to post photos - I have an AOL account and my computer and software are "dated" - is there a way I can post pictures on the Forum without having to go through the Evil AOL Empire?

Please advise and will post ZPictures!

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I can not afford it and my wife will go buresque

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In your own back yard! Bobby Thompson, who has played in the bay area for many years, plays a ZB. I believe he has moved to Red Bluff or up close to there. He has played since the 60's. Good pedal squeezer. That's all I know.

Every so often I'm up around Red Bluff and Redding for fiddle contests. I'll have a look and ask around about Mr. Thompson. Is this the same Bobby Thompson who plays (played?) banjo on the Dukes of Hazzard, also with Jim and Jesse? Or is this someone different?

I'll be bringing one or the other to the San Jose Steel Jam in April if anyone out there would like to see a ZB up close and personal!

In my early enthusiasm after discovering SGF and this thread a coupla weeks back, I emailed Larry Chung and Dave Zirbel individually before my registration was processed. Anyway, for the sake of the knowledgeable and enthusiastic ZB community, here’s the “War and Peace” of self-introductions.

About two or three years ago, while my walnut S-10* was languishing as an apartment coffee table/geegaw-catchall, I happened on to a similar-vintage blonde-and-walnut D-10 (s/n 0131; 8P 3K; pot codes 306128 and ) in an Oklahoma (my ancestral home) music store tagged at $995 but to be had for the idiotic (or so I thought at the time but don’t necessarily anymore) price of $500 cash.

(Pot codes suggest 1971; does that seem to jibe with the serial number? And what about all the black paint on the pedals and undercarriage—factory spec or some Goth lunatic previous owner sniffing more than he was spraying?)

I sold the S-10 (#0248) on eBay in 9/01 (to Billy Knowles and I see from earlier in this thread that it’s passed on to Dave Zirbel who reports he’s in turn sold it to a friend) for $500 & some. No real beef against the S-10 except I can’t get comfortable at PSGs set at anything like conventional height. (I'm only 6-1 and so am at a loss to explain why I need Shaq's setup.) I thought I had an attempt to trade up in a big way virtually for free. yeahright…

My frustrating attempt to tune the D-10 resulted in an undercarriage thingamawhatsy (did I mention I’m even more mechanically inept than I am glib and rambling?) coming apart at the hex thang. Attempts to fix the one caused a cascading series of other discombobulations and de-linkings. I commended the D-10 to Blackie Taylor for reconnection, but found that I was still hopelessly uncomfortable with the height. After a self-installed lift kit procedure, I’m now finding other problems (mostly too minute to catalogue here even in my windy style) in getting the rods set for good feel, proper pedal height and quiet, positive pull.

One big obstacle to progress: the main KL for the E9th neck has been had its undercarriage doodad repositioned at a nonperpendicular angle, likely because the wood is chewed up in its original location. Bottom line: it doesn’t operate smoothly (or even at all, really.) Another thingamawhatsy has come undone and somehow I don’t see getting to play this thing for several weeks/months/years, a few hundred dollars and more blood, sweat and tears than Winston Churchill could ever imagine.

Never mind tuning—at this point, that seems a hundred miles down a tunnel with no light.

I have a co-worker (former pro player and teacher) helping me but I’m more than a little horror-struck at the retro-tech Fred Flintstone-meets-Rube Goldberg creativity of the ZB workings. (Ca. 1971? B.C or A.D.?) Before I happened on to the SGF and this thread a couple of weeks ago, I was ready to surrender and hope I could trade backwards to something like a gently used S-10 GFI or some kind of beast whose underbelly inspires a little less terror among the mechanically hopeless.

But in spite of all this, the enthusiasm of the participants of this thread is helping me (I won’t say “stay the course” because of whom I associate with that hackneyed phrase some years back) to not lose hope and keep plugging away.

Pictures (in its early March ’04 state of--ahem!, revival) are at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1845.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1846.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1847.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1848.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1849.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1850.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1851.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1852.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~weissenben/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bezb1853.jpg

Anyway, thank you for indulging a long diatribe. (The good news: my posts are always smilie-free.) Any wisdom, encouragement and observations of prior experience and expertise are heartily appreciated. Any attempts to wheedle me out of this Beast With Two Necks will be received with equal parts guarded wariness and deferential consideration for the possibility for escape from a mechanical quagmire.

Sounds like you have a classic case of the "ZB Jeebies™"

lexicon:
undercarriage doodad = Knee lever cross rod bracket
thingamawhatsy = pull rod
hex thang = pull rod turnbuckle

I love the description:
"retro-tech Fred Flintstone-meets-Rube Goldberg creativity of the ZB workings. " It's true they are arcane...

Take this as you will, but personally I think you should plan a nice long driving vacation trip, routed thru London,KY.

Plan on staying there a couple of days; and of course bring the ZB for it's own stay at B.Greg Jones' ZB Spa and Chiropractic Center.

that way the ZB gets itself detoxed, and you'll get a nice (apparently much needed ) rest.

Upon trip's completion you'll both be restored to health.

[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 09 March 2004 at 11:05 AM.]

From what I've been reading here, I was thinking right along the lines of your advice. (Need to look up London's location relative to other KY landmarks like Lexington, Louisville and Rosine.) Maybe one day soon a gallon of gas will cost less than an hour of shop labor.

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"ZBGBZ"

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I love a palindrome!
Thanks Ben!

I just thought of "ZB Jeebies™" a couple days ago... I'm copyrighting it

[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 09 March 2004 at 07:08 PM.]

See you at the SJ jam on 4/3, Larry!

Bill

[This message was edited by Bill Llewellyn on 09 March 2004 at 08:58 PM.]

Would ya like to???? (:

Thanks to everyone who's added to this post - it just goes to show ya how great these pedal steel guitars really are. I'm trying to decide whether to bring my S-11 or my D-10 ZB to the San Jose steel jam in April. Any requests out there???

ZBest to all of ya and thanks bOb for allowing this post to keep growing!

I wanted to #300, guess I am too late.

Congratulations! I live in San Francisco and have fixed up my own and several other ZBs in the area. I'd be happy to look yours over if you know when and where it will arrive in San Jose (which is abou 45 minutes from me). I'd also be happy to put you in contact with the right folks for parts, too, if your new (old) guitar needs them.

Please email me if I can be of service.

Congratulations. Sounds like your ZB is probably in the 1968 to 1969 range to me, based on the serial number you have. A few answers to your questions - the two way sliding switch between the Tele-style switches is to activate (or bypass) the tone and volume controls on the changer side of the guitar. Some people like to preset a second tone and volume setting (other than wide open). I've seen many ZBs that had the two knobs and pots removed and the holes plugged up on the end of the guitar. The two other blade-type switches are for choosing either or both necks (middle position for both) and for choosing to split the original triple coil pickups - you can get a very thin Fendery sound, a middle thick, and a super thick sound. I don't know about the toggle switch... maybe Greg Jones can shed a little of ZLight on this.

Enjoy and congrats-
All ZBest and thanks for the info!
lc

[This message was edited by Larry Chung on 15 March 2004 at 07:23 AM.]

The center sliding swith is a bypass switch for the volume and tone controls on the endplate. It sounds like someone may have replaced one of the controls with a switch. There should be 2 larger switches too. One of them is the neck selector and the other is the tap switch for the pick-ups. These can go bad, they are the same thing as Fender Telecaster 3-way pick-up switches. I usually have to replace them on the real old guitars.

I have the ZB Decals here in stock along with a bunch of NOS parts if you should need anything. I sent some decals and parts to another fellow in Australia, about 6 months ago. He was restoring his.

Enjoy that guitar!!!!!

Scary? yes, we spend WAY too much time on these computers!!!! Back to the shop for me. I have way too much work to be done.

Duncan

[This message was edited by Duncan Hodge on 16 March 2004 at 04:56 PM.]

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1) ZB players can't be trusted, 2) I was not destined to have one, 3) I'm better off keeping my money and playing my Fessenden and 4) I guess I'll find another steel to fantasize about buying.

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I understand your disappointment Duncan, but don't let it make you bitter.... I guess that sounds "easy for me to say" as I have my ZB; but I waited 30 years for it! Don't give up hope... they are worth the wait

[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 17 March 2004 at 02:41 AM.]

Duncan

[This message was edited by Duncan Hodge on 17 March 2004 at 02:47 AM.]

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I have given up on the ZB

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It took me awhile to find a good ZB, and I know that if you keep your hopes up, one will be there for you sometime soon!

Thanks to everyone for all the continued great ZB posts. Keep 'em comin'.