A Masterpiece by John R. Coop

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 24 Jun 2008 9:04 pm

Have you ever seen anything more perfectly crafted and beautiful in your life??

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 24 Jun 2008 9:08 pm

Nope!

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 24 Jun 2008 9:25 pm

Absolutely Gaaaawgous Ricky! Makes me want to get my ole Sho-Bud out and play it some.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 24 Jun 2008 11:48 pm

Hey, what a surprise!......That's my guitar.

Coop just finished it up and sent it out today. I'm thinking the undercarriage is so pretty that I might just have to play it upside down.

Steven Black · Post by **Steven Black** » 25 Jun 2008 2:29 am

What Type of Sho-Bud is it, a Professional, or pro II or Pro III?.

Dave Diehl · Post by **Dave Diehl** » 25 Jun 2008 3:27 am

Jeff Newman once told me that while he was sitting up once with the guitar upside down in it's case a guy walked up to him and asked him "are you going to play that thing" thinking the undercarriage was the guitar. If anyone could have, it would have been Jeff. Yes Ricky, this is beautiful work!

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 25 Jun 2008 3:37 am

Looks absolutely great. Were the changer fingers replaced too?

What's your take on the bent pull rods Ricky. I know you said in another post that you set your guitars up with all straight rods, but sometimes there is no other option.

Note the chromed clip-on ball joints.

I can't see any extraneous screw holes anywhere. Have they been filled in?

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 25 Jun 2008 6:18 am

Wow ! i had to put my shades on
quite a beauty
i'd say a Pro II

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 25 Jun 2008 7:12 am

It's a Pro-II

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 25 Jun 2008 7:32 am

Yes those are Coop's Super Fingers and all Coop parts.
AS for the rods; the bent ones are for raises that need to raise quicker; therefore they are raising from the normal lower position....and that is fine to time strings out that way....as long as there is no slack in the rod...as that is what creates de-tuning.
Ricky

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 Jun 2008 7:42 am

STUNNING! But it's also Eggs Ackley what I always expect from John!

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 25 Jun 2008 7:46 am

Why was a barrel used on the C6th side of P4?

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 25 Jun 2008 8:12 am

Ricky Davis wrote:Have you ever seen anything more perfectly crafted and beautiful in your life??

Well, since you asked.

John did an awesome job on my Professional too but those new fingers sure do look purdy!

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 25 Jun 2008 8:35 am

Jim Palenscar wrote:Why was a barrel used on the C6th side of P4?

If I could hazard a guess--I believe there's also a barrel on the same rod for P7. Perhaps this is done to leave changer space open for other change(s) by combining the two fourth string B raises on one rod.

I can't make out in the pictures how the RKR lever is linked to the C6th neck. (It is, isn't it? Looks like it might be 4th string >Bb.) I've wondered how this would be done when studying the underside of my (stock) Pro III with two-hole pullers, no barrels. How about a close-up?

James Collett · Post by **James Collett** » 25 Jun 2008 8:45 am

Use CTRL+ Wheel on mouse to zoom in-- it looks like an extra linkage.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 25 Jun 2008 8:48 am

Why was a barrel used on the C6th side of P4?

Well you are pulling the 4th string on the C6, Twice and so to use just one rod(which is a damn good idea); you put a barrel behind each pull...and it is as smooth as silk and you don't run into multiple rod binding issues that can happen.
Another genious calcutlation.
Ricky

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 25 Jun 2008 8:53 am

James, good suggestion. Zooming in I could see the bell crank that was camouflaged by reflecting the color of the wood.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 25 Jun 2008 9:20 am

Jim Palenscar wrote:Why was a barrel used on the C6th side of P4?

To allow for 4 raises on the 4th string:

4th pedal: raise stings 4/8 whole tone
7th pedal: raise strings 3/4 whole tone
LKL-2: repeat of pedal 7 (for chord work w. pedals 5 and 6)
RKR: raise string 4 - 1/2 step

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 25 Jun 2008 10:04 am

Thanks for the clarification.

Eugene Cole · Post by **Eugene Cole** » 25 Jun 2008 10:54 am

I love and admire the art of Rube Goldberg. But I am glad that I do not have to maintain and service the devices he depicted in his drawings.

While those old Sho-Bud parts did polish-up well and do look very stunning in pictures. All those small pillow blocks and brackets, multiple rod-lengths, and oddly angled cross-rods at seemingly unpredictable spacings makes me appreciate the simplicity and serviceability of modern guitars.

It is an absolutely stunning sight! But I am glad that I do not own one.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 Jun 2008 11:37 am

Good Eugene! That means more for me!

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 25 Jun 2008 11:55 am

Eugene Cole wrote: ....All those small pillow blocks and brackets, multiple rod-lengths, and oddly angled cross-rods at seemingly unpredictable spacings makes me appreciate the simplicity and serviceability of modern guitars.

It is an absolutely stunning sight! But I am glad that I do not own one.

I'll let you know how difficult it is to work on once I set it up.

In all reality ShoBuds are very easy guitars to work on....... more so that Sierra S-14's (and believe me I know, I built more than a few of them during my 5 year stint as a builder for Sierra).

Most guitars (modern or older) have different pedal and KL rod lengths. Otherwise there would be a bunch of excess metal rod ends to add weight, clutter and binding.

The individual pillow blocks, while more tedious to install, allow for greater flexibility with knee lever installation and placement than do pre-drilled aprons.

The angled pull rods,(mainly E neck) make things a bit more complex, but not difficult. As in all mechanical devices there are always trade offs.....so if a bent rod yields better mechanical advantage and easier playabilty....so be it. I doubt I'll be making very many changes to Pedals A,B, C LKL or LKR anyway.

More pix and impressions to come.............

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 25 Jun 2008 11:56 am

if you can work on anything, you can work on a sho-bud......like an early smog exempt chevy or ford pickup!! these are some beautiful examples!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 Jun 2008 12:01 pm

The odd angle cross shafts for the knee levers are more ergonomically correct than those on today's "modern" guitars. Your legs movement is transferred to the knee lever mechanism in a more fundamentally correct manner.
And, well,,, they feel good!

Lynn Stafford · Post by **Lynn Stafford** » 25 Jun 2008 12:18 pm

Tony,

Gosh, that undercarriage is breathtaking!! I can't wait to see and hear it in person! Congratulations to you. I guess by now you're thinking that it was worth waiting all that time for it.

Best regards,

Lynn

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