Here it is folks!! 70's D11 ZB Custom. Two toned birdseye maple. This is one unbelievable sounding guitar.
Original Pickups. Emmons Setup. 8 pedals 5 knees.(5th lever is a inside LKL not a LKV)
Includes a heavy duty anvil type case made by castle cases. (White in color) The case is being re-upholstered with new velvet lining. Also most of the parts for a 6th knee lever. AND a new guitar cover and rod/leg pouch included.
All for $1500.
This guitar is heavy, so I'll work with you on the shipping. It weighs near 95 lb. in the case. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill C. Buntin on 04 April 2002 at 05:25 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill C. Buntin on 04 April 2002 at 05:35 PM.]</p></FONT>
Location: beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
Postby steve takacs »
Bill, I just sent you and email confirming I will buy the steel. Assuming it it has not been spoken for already, I will buy your ZB to be sent to North Dakota and not China (thank goodness given the weight)
What happened to the devil horn motif on the tail block? And it looks like they're missing from the headstock as well.Did they do away with them on later models or was that a mod?
Pretty guitar though. -MJ-
I don't think this guitar ever had the devil horns. I talked with another guy about that. But the wood showed no signs of where they would have been. And I don't think they would have fit on this paricular body. Believe it or not, it is only 32" in length and about 10 3/4" in width.
Location: beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
Postby steve takacs »
I appreciate the congratulations, Chas; I'm just sorry there weren't two of them to go around so one could go your way. Bill has been very helpful explaining the idiosyncracies of this guitar, which is a good start for me since I know very little about ZBs. I will have to go back through The Forum and dig up some of that valuable collective memory that's been archived here. If anyone else has anything to add ZBwise, please chime in. Thanks again, Bill<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by steve takacs on 05 April 2002 at 03:43 AM.]</p></FONT>
One of the prettiest Zeeb's I've ever seen... I'm wondering if this is a guitar that was built by Basil (?), the fella that bought the ZB Company stuff when Tom sold out and the company moved from TX to the midwest. Or are my "facts" totally off-base?
I've never seen one without the devil horns although I've seen one w/the back horn on the tailblock milled off - you know,the one that digs into your forarm.....And I don't know if that was a factory job or a user mod.I recently saw an S-11 that seemed to have the tips of the keyhead horns milled down to a nub - presumably to keep them from extending past the end of the guitar body. Also on this one,the swiveling plates seem to have been replaced w/more contemporary cross shafts.Back in the late 70s-early 80s,Al Perkins used to tell me about what he called a new "quick change" ZB design.Perhaps this is the model era he was referring to. -MJ-
This looks like one that was built in the early to mid eighties when Tom Brumley moved the factory into Austin from out towards Marble Falls. I forget the guy's name that was building them, but a couple of design changes were instituted then: shorter overall length, no "devil horns" on either end, elimination of cross "straps". Also, the equalizers were eliminated. This is an apparatus ZB used where one pedal pulls two strings. It is similar in principle to the way two horses are connected to one wagon, allowing them to pull at the same time. If you want more info, contact forumite Greg Jones. When he snores it doesn't go ZZZZZZ, it goes ZBZBZBZB .
Bill, what a beautiful guitar and Steve that is like Christmas in April.
I was talking to Greg this afternoon on the phone about this guitar. Bill, you can answer this. Is the 11th tuning key in the middle of the two rails? In the picture it looks like just 5 keys on each side, if so then it probably is the last generation of 11 string ZB's and was probably built by Basil Smith. Basil put a single tuning key between the two rails and still used the 5 key rails on the guitar but that allowed for the 11th string.
It was something like that he did, I can't remember exactly how her did it. I will let Greg check in maybe later tonight and clear up what I tried to say. Renfro Valley kicked off the full schedule last night so he is very busy playing 2 or 3 shows a night and 1 one Sunday morning.
Whoever built it it surely has some beautiful wood in it. The weight is right on, after we rebuilt an anvil raod case for his 11 & 10 it too tipped the scales at 95lbs. Have you ever noticed how the older ZB players can scratch their kneecap without bending over
Yes this D11 has the single tuner in the middle of the keyhead.
Greg originally thought this guitar was Indiana built by Basil. He later told me he thinks it was one of the later guitars built when Tom still owned ZB.
The fact that it is all cross shafts makes one think that it has been modified, but when I had it completely disassembled, it showed no signs of anything modified.
I thought surely someone might recognize this guitar. I was hoping to find out eventually who may have owned it. It was in a terrible way when my wife found it. I don't think it had ever had a bath. I found 30 broken string ends under E pickup and changer mount. It was incredible. I've got the entire project photographed. Amazing what a little spit and polish will do for one huh? Thanks guys.
Steve- I''m glad you got it Pal. Best Regards to all.
Ah Yes!!! This is the 1st pics I have seen of the guitar assembled. Bill and I have stayed in touch through out the rebuild process. Bill did send me pics of the guitar torn down and I didn't catch the "11th" tuner and the undercarraige assembled. I thought at first this may be a conversion, but looking at it now, it was built in Indiana by Basil Smith. Tom had told me that he had never used anything but the flat cross straps for the pedals. Take a look at the guitar, the pedal rods are spaced evenly between pedals 3 & 4. The older ZB's had a bigger space between rods 3 & 4. ( E9th & C6th) Of course that would change if you had 4 pedals on the front neck. Basil shortened the guitars even more than Brumley did. I visited Basil in 1990 and saw the operation. He passed away in Dec. of 1991 of a massive heart attack.
Bill, you did a fantastic job on that guitar!! It is absolutely stunning!!
Herb, you are right, I would bet Chris Goewey built the body and the head stock, tail piece, etc. I know Chris's work quite well and that is NOT his undercarriage. Chris was quite an innovator, but his straps,etc were not like those in the picture. Whoever bought the guitar has one beautiful ZB... By the way Herb, has anyone heard from CHris inj awhile ??
Greg, I knew you would know as soon as you saw it together. It did turn out nice I think. Steve you owe a little kudos to Greg, for if it weren't for his coaching and tips, I wouldn't have done as well. Others too gave plenty good advice, They are Steve Lamb, Tommy Cass and Jim Smith.
Location: The Great State of Texas, United States of America
Postby Mike Castleberry »
I special ordered this ZB guitar and built the case. You can e-mail me for more info. I have pics of the guitar when it was new.
mcastleberry@salud.unm.edu
Location: The Great State of Texas, United States of America
Postby Mike Castleberry »
Walter Jones ask me to post this on the Forum, so here's the scoop. The guitar was ordered in 1979 from a dealer in ALbuquerque, New Mexico. Tom Brumley did own ZB Guitars then and lived somewhere around Austin, Texas. I don't know who built this ZB guitar, but he had excellent taste for quilted maple. I played the guitar until 1984 and sold it to a guy in Midland, Texas for $600.00. I payed #750.00 for it new. The guitar was kind of a prototype and I'm not sure you would see another like it, I haven't. I took the original case and modified it into a flight case. The ZB was a great looking, sounding and playing guitar for me. If you're a ZB Guitar lover, here's your chance to own a great instrument.
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