ZB connection

[moaimen]

Does anyone know more about the connection between ZB and Mosrite?

[Deke Dickerson]

I can only tell you that ZB was a steel guitar maker, and that ZB amp you posted the picture of is actually a late 60's/early 70's Standel amp that has been "rebranded" as a ZB. Not sure why they would list Mosrite's address unless the distribution company was running out of the same building. This is approximately the time that Ed Elliot came on the scene, maybe he would remember what the ZB connection was all about.

Deke

[Dennisthe Menace]

Maybe this will help?

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=w ... X5v4GjV1ew

[EFElliott]

ZB Custom was Zane Beck's Steel guitar company, and they were building steel guitars in Bakersfield in 1969-70 at 1424 "P" Street, But this was after Semie had moved out of the building, I don't think there was any business connection, I went down the around 1970
there was only a couple of guys working there, the boss was gone so I watched this guy
spray a batch of steel guitar bodies, there was a nother guy putting the hardware on and stringin' them up. I think Tom Brummly (Buck Owens, Ricky Nelson's Steel Player) was some kind of partner in this operation. They moved out, Semie moved back in.
The last time I heard any thing of ZB Custom was in 82-83, I ran across them in a little industrail park when I was down in Austin ,TX. It was locked up but you could peek through a narrow glass pain in the door and see 2 or 3 steel guitars setting around, a hand written sign on the door said "GONE ON THE ROAD".

Eddy

[Veenture]

Interesting site about ZB and Mosrite connection:

http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/zbcustom

"ZB Custom was a brand of steel guitars designed by Zane Beck and built by him, Tom Brumley and some others.

They sold one fuzz pedal that looks like a Mosrite Fuzzrite, which were made after Mosrite went under in 1969. Not much is known about this pedal, even Ed Sanner, the designer of the Fuzzrite, doesn't know about it. There are 2 links between Mosrite and ZB:

After Mosrite went bankrupt they used the old Mosrite building at 1424 P Street in Bakersfield, California, before moving to Arizona, possibly they used old Mosrite parts to build some pedals?

John Rutledge worked for Mosrite of California until they went bankrupt in February of 1969:

I think it was March the 1st (maybe a day or so one way or the other) that I went to work for the ZB Guitar Company. Zane himself taught me how to build the complete guitar, we even made the cases for them. The company had moved to California in 1968, I don't know exactly which month. The owners of the company moved me and the company to Phoenix, Arizona on February 1st 1971. I was at this time General Manager of the company. In January of 1972 I came back to Bakersfield, and went to work for Mosrite of California. After I left ZB, Bill Sims, the owner of ZB Custom, had Zane Beck come to Arizona to help him run the company, and find someone who was qualified to work and run the company.

So maybe Mosrite made some pedals for ZB after that?"