Yes or no?

[Tony Boadle]

Hi team.... advice please.
I can purchase this at a very good price but I'd have to buy it without trying it (distance purchase)
Seller says it stays in tune and plays well.
Recreational home use only...so yes, no or maybe?
Seasonal Greetings!

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[Dennis Detweiler]

No

[Richard Sinkler]

That is a ZB Custom student model. In my opinion, one of the two best student models ever made. The other is the Emmons student model. Both have the same changer and undercarriage as the pro models. In the late 70s, my friend and I were a ZB dealer for a short while. We sold one of these, and I was really impressed.

Of course, buying used can be a risk if it wasn't taken care of. What is he asking for it? ZBs can be a little intimidating to work on if you don't understand the mechanics, but they are not that hard to work on, and there are many here that can help.

[Donny Hinson]

Well, it's all there, and it doesn't look like anything's broken.
Kinda grungy, but if the price is right, I'd say "yes".

Here's an identical (broken) one that sold a few years back:
https://reverb.com/item/36442563-zb-cus ... video-demo

[Mike DiAlesandro]

Well, it's all there, and it doesn't look like anything's broken.
Kinda grungy, but if the price is right, I'd say "yes".

Here's an identical (broken) one that sold a few years back:
https://reverb.com/item/36442563-zb-cus ... video-demo

I'd say go for it. The above link was one Steel Guitars Ohio (me) worked on, and I have worked on others and when properly adjusted will play fine, and sound real nice. One other difference between the Pro ZB guitars and the student model is that the Pro guitars have 3 coil tap pickups, and the students are a single coil w/ no taps.

[Robert Miller]

Generally, it's very unlikely that a guitar in a good state of mechanical repair makes it to what looks like poorly masked rattle can metallic without some serious neglect on the way.

I think, at best, it's a major project and, as you didn't indicate what the price was, I would suggest "good," should reflect fair number of hours of dis-assembly, finish/mechanical work, re-assembly and set-up, even if you choose to play it "as is."

[Dave Mudgett]

I'd get a guitar like this if and only if:

1. I wanted a project that I was gonna have to spend a bunch of time on - this is definitely a project;

2. It was cheap. For me, that would mean just a few hundred dollars (US).

I think the example Mike sold above shows what's possible. To make that work for me, I'd have to tear it completely down, de-gunk and lube everything, hope everything needed is there, and put it back together to my spec. But ZBs are cool, sound great, and I think a relatively simple S10 like this would make a good project if you have the desire, time, and know-how.

Personally, if I wanted to get a guitar like this, I'd probably prefer to hold out for something cleaned up and ready to roll like Mike's. Nice job, Mike. But on the other hand, most ZBs I see for any type of reasonable money need a lot of work.

[Fred]

I would buy it, but I wouldn't pay a premium price or even average market price. I'd pay the mentioned "very good price", which is subjective of course. I'd expect to spend 30-40 hours cleaning it up, which would probably done over 4-6 weeks. I might spend more time stripping and refinishing it but probably not until after it was clean, played and fine tuned. Then I'd start thinking about refinishing it, but never actually get started on it.

[Bob Carlucci]

It all depends on how much you have to spend on it.. Its a 3 and 4 which is really good for a vintage student steel.. Its a ZB student, so it is a very well built guitar actually.. It might need to be gone through and right there is where the problems start.. If you have to give $1000+ for the guitar, and then ship it both ways to a tech for a good setup, then you are closer to I dunno, maybe $1600, $1500, something like that.. When you get into that price range, it stops making sense due to economics,resale value etc.. You can get a used S10 pro model in good clean shape for just a few hundred more bucks, or a new student guitar which across the board are all pretty good.. Now, if the guitar is 5-6 hundred bucks, I would take a chance, because even if it needs a setup, it is a 3 and 4 ZB, and is a cool little guitar you won't lose money on if you are in it around a grand with it cleaned up and playing as it should.. Personally I would pay $800 for it , because I can fix it myself if its not right,, Same goes for a lot of guys here.. However, if you buy it too high, and its not right and you can't fix it yourself, you have just added a LOT of expense that could have gone toward a newer/better guitar.. I like it I really do, but in my opinion, it would have to be pretty cheap for me to take a chance.. Only you know what you are comfortable with.. I would let us know the asking price, and I think you would get a lot more solid yes and no answers as opposed to "maybe, and it depends"... bob

[Mike DiAlesandro]

It all depends on how much you have to spend on it.. Its a 3 and 4 which is really good for a vintage student steel.. Its a ZB student, so it is a very well built guitar actually.. It might need to be gone through and right there is where the problems start.. If you have to give $1000+ for the guitar, and then ship it both ways to a tech for a good setup, then you are closer to I dunno, maybe $1600, $1500, something like that.. When you get into that price range, it stops making sense due to economics,resale value etc.. You can get a used S10 pro model in good clean shape for just a few hundred more bucks, or a new student guitar which across the board are all pretty good.. Now, if the guitar is 5-6 hundred bucks, I would take a chance, because even if it needs a setup, it is a 3 and 4 ZB, and is a cool little guitar you won't lose money on if you are in it around a grand with it cleaned up and playing as it should.. Personally I would pay $800 for it , because I can fix it myself if its not right,, Same goes for a lot of guys here.. However, if you buy it too high, and its not right and you can't fix it yourself, you have just added a LOT of expense that could have gone toward a newer/better guitar.. I like it I really do, but in my opinion, it would have to be pretty cheap for me to take a chance.. Only you know what you are comfortable with.. I would let us know the asking price, and I think you would get a lot more solid yes and no answers as opposed to "maybe, and it depends"... bob

Bob nailed it!

[Larry Behm]

No no no no. Save your money and step up to a newer more modern unit.