Looks like a Sho-Bud fingertip

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 4 Oct 2009 11:09 am

The guitar player in a band I'm in recently got a pedal steel -- it looks a lot like a Sho-Bud fingertip from the outside but I don't know about under the hood. I haven't seen it myself but he sent me some photos and would be interested in any ideas anyone has on what the guitar is and/or what's been done to it.

Ryan Barwin · Post by **Ryan Barwin** » 4 Oct 2009 11:19 am

Yep, that's definitely a Sho-Bud fingertip.
I don't know much about the undercarriage, but the necks, fretboards, and keyheads are Sho-Bud for sure, and the changers are definitely fingertips.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Oct 2009 12:57 pm

Early run Fingertip. Just like mine! But I don't have a gas valve handle installed on mine. Nor does mine have the very strange assortment of knee levers/prosthesis!

Rosewood aprons, staggered 5th and 6th string tuners. Mine has different inlay strips though. They could be twins!

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 4 Oct 2009 4:01 pm

John Billings wrote: But I don't have a gas valve handle installed on mine.

Yours is electric, ain't it John?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Oct 2009 4:21 pm

Steam, James!

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 4 Oct 2009 4:29 pm

John Billings wrote:Steam, James!

I knew that gas lever had to be after-market.

Thanks, guys.

Ryan Barwin · Post by **Ryan Barwin** » 4 Oct 2009 4:52 pm

what does the handle do?

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 4 Oct 2009 5:00 pm

Beats me. At first I thought it was there to show scale, but it looks like it might be functioning as a knee lever. I'll ask.

Ian Sutherland · Post by **Ian Sutherland** » 4 Oct 2009 5:39 pm

The gas valve handle is configured to operate as a RKV lever. A bit tricky, that one.

Ian Sutherland · Post by **Ian Sutherland** » 4 Oct 2009 5:49 pm

Jim, I should have mentioned that I had a chance to look at the guitar when Paul brought it to my house a few weeks ago. It looks like it needs quite a bit of work done to put it in shape.

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 4 Oct 2009 6:42 pm

Thanks, Ian. That gas lever is pretty wild. Is the undercarriage standard fingertip apart from the weird lever replacements?

PS -- Nice to meet you the other night -- you've got me convinced to go to St Louis, now I have to convince my wife.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 4 Oct 2009 6:51 pm

Jim, it's awful. I can't bear to see a friend stuck with a thing like that. Send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Oct 2009 6:56 pm

"Is the undercarriage standard fingertip "

Yes, it is. I would suggest he gets in touch with James Morehead. The bizarre knee levers can be easily replaced with the correct parts. Nice guitar! Better maple than mine. F-tips are fabulous sounding guitars. I would encourage him to spend a few bucks to bring that lovely guitar into tip top condition.

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 4 Oct 2009 7:08 pm

Sorry, Scott, it's not mine to send. Given John Billings' comment I may suggest Paul (the owner) store it at my place -- he's got a B-bender already, the last thing he needs is to get hooked on pedal steel. It does look pretty and having broken a 5th string Saturday night on the bandstand on my "the Professional", I'd like that offset tuner.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 4 Oct 2009 7:16 pm

It's gorgeous Jim. More than worth the effort involved to restore it!

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 5 Oct 2009 8:28 am

Hey John, thanx for the kind words, my friend. Yes I do love to take on refurb projects once in awhile.
Jim , that fingertip is a real sleeper. Here's a few pics of what's under that "blanket". My fingertip project.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 5 Oct 2009 12:34 pm

WOW! JAMES! That looks terrific!

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 5 Oct 2009 12:44 pm

Thanx John. Shows what's possible. Hopefully I can get back on this project this winter. I got a list of 'bud projects to get done first. Yee Haww!!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 5 Oct 2009 12:47 pm

Projects? Tell me about it! My whole kitchen is sittin' in my living room!

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 5 Oct 2009 2:18 pm

THIS IS A FINGER-TIP THAT I AM WORKING ON. WHEN FINISHED IT WELL BE UPDATED TO THE TWO HOLE PULLER SYSTEM. JOHN COOP IS STILL FINISHING UP SOME OF THE PARTS, I WELL POST THE FINISHED PHOTOS LATERhttp://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix0903/7120_DSCF0125_1.jpg[/img]

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 5 Oct 2009 2:24 pm

Wow Bob! I love it! It gives me great pleasure to see people starting to appreciate Fingertips again.

Benton Allen · Post by **Benton Allen** » 5 Oct 2009 2:36 pm

Hey Bob!
That's going to be really pretty!
There's some really nice Birdseye there.
I can't wait to see the completed guitar.
Good luck with your quest!
Cheers!
Benton

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 5 Oct 2009 6:35 pm

Nice Bob. I decided to keep mine as original as possible. Fun projects, huh??

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 6 Oct 2009 3:18 pm

Those are beautiful restoration jobs. But how do you turn the gas on?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Oct 2009 7:30 am

My first pedal steel was a Sho~Bud fingertip.
It was a beautiful looking guitar, complete with coco-bolo wood and etc.
However, you can spend a lot of time and money in restoring an old fingertip but it will STILL be a fingertip!

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