Zane Beck

Zane Beck
Birth nameZane Beverly Beck
Born(1927-12-24)December 24, 1927
Clarksville, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 1985(1985-05-26) (aged 57)
Little Rock, Arkansas
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Musician, steel guitar manufacturer
InstrumentPedal Steel Guitar
Years active1947–1975

Zane Beverly Beck (1927–1985) was an American steel guitarist and builder of pedal steel guitars.[1] He is best known for his 1952 innovation of adding knee levers to the pedal steel guitar to alter the pitch of certain strings,[2]: 2  a feature which has become a standard on all modern-day instruments.[3]: 115 [1] Other inventors had patented crude knee-operated devices as far back as 1933, but none were successful. Beck revolutionized the concept into a durable and reliable mechanism and was the first to put knee levers on production guitars. He became a member of the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1991).[4] As a musician, he performed on the Grand Ole Opry and Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride. Beck formed the ZB Music Company which manufactures steel guitars, later called BMI (Beck Musical Instruments).

  1. ^ a b Sowa, Tom (July 3, 1983). "Steel Pickin' After All These Years". No. 101:46. Spokesman–Review (Spokane, Washington). p. E–10. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Ross, Michael (February 17, 2015). "Pedal to the Metal: A Short History of the Pedal Steel Guitar". Premier Guitar Magazine. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Winston, Winnie; Keith, Bill (1975). Pedal steel guitar. New York: Oak Publications. ISBN 978-0-8256-0169-9.
  4. ^ "The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame / Inductees". scottysmusic.com. The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, Inc. Retrieved February 21, 2021.