Uncovering original fretboard on a Sho-Bud

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 28 Feb 2012 8:30 am

I just got my Sho-Bud last week and it has a black fretboard (vinyl I think) which the seller said he had placed over the original white fretboard. It looks as if it might be attached with some type of contact paper?

So my question is if I decided to take the black one off to expose the original one, would it most likely still be in tact or is it better to just leave on the current one on? I'm just wondering if the adhesive might have damaged the original one b/c I am unsure what it is made of. Thanks for any input!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 28 Feb 2012 2:37 pm

Seeing as how you don't know what adhesive was used, I wouldn't take the chance. You might end up screwing up the fretboard underneath. Of course, 'Bud fretboards are available if you need to remove both.

Then, someone here mentioned using an .011 string to slide under the fretboard to remove them. You could try this for maybe the first inch or so and see what happens to the lower fretboard. If it is screwing it up, you can just use some adhesive and glue the part you lifted back down.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 28 Feb 2012 3:39 pm

I'd try a hair dryer first. A heat gun, very, very, carefully if the hair dryer didn't work. A lot of fretboards are installed with two-sided tape. Worst comes to worst, use a string to remove both of them, and install a new one.

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 28 Feb 2012 4:14 pm

Im pretty sure it came from Tom Bradshaw if that is any indication of the type of adhesive used. It seems as if the one under the newer one is thicker so Im wondering what it may have been made of. I am told that the Bud is around a 74 model. Thanks!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Feb 2012 4:26 pm

Odds are fairly good that if someone put on a new fretboard, it was because the one underneath was pretty crappy.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 28 Feb 2012 8:00 pm

This was my guitar that I traded for an S-12 universal a few weeks ago. The white fretboard underneath came from John Coop and is made of aluminum. It was like new. I have no idea why another fretboard was put on over it unless someone liked the black ones better.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 29 Feb 2012 5:21 am

Stage light reflections can be pretty intense with the white fretboard. Perhaps that's why.

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 29 Feb 2012 7:14 am

Just tried the string method for about a half inch but sadly it peeled the white vinyl off of the aluminum. Can you get aluminum fretboards nowadays? This isn't a give deal but I had to see what was underneath. The seller did say in his initial emails that he did like the looks of the black one better.

So Bob, the bud I have was yours at one time? Wasn't sure if I read that correctly.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 29 Feb 2012 9:21 am

Eric, I owned this guitar up until about a month ago when I traded it off. I played it for close to four years. It is a sweet little guitar and I would have kept it, but I decided to try the Universal tuning (again). It had a dustcatcher fretboard on it when I got it. I put the white fretboard on it. I know you'll enjoy the guitar. I sounds really great.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 29 Feb 2012 10:04 am

White fretboards look nice around the house. What happened to me onstage, however, is that the stage lights cast a string's shadow on the fretboard, making it very difficult to know if you're shooting for a string or a shadow.

That's my personal experience, though. Your mileage may vary.

Bob, I love your avatar photo!

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 29 Feb 2012 11:13 am

Thanks Herb. Dad bought that new T-8 Custom for me for Christmas about 1953.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Feb 2012 11:25 am

so someone owned the steel for a couple weeks, 'improved' it (?) and sold it....

and people wonder why i'm not crazy about the buyer/sellers on the forum.

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 29 Feb 2012 4:12 pm

Hi Bob,
I was sure the seller said he had it for a while, but maybe I misunderstood. It is a beautiful guitar and I will probably put a white one on eventually just because I like the look of it and Im sure I wont have to worry about glare from the stage lights for a while

Do you know if the covering underneath is original? It seems like its velvet or something similar. Also, do you think 74 is a fair estimate of when it was made? Thanks Bob, I always enjoy finding out any history I can about my older instruments/amps (not that I really have that many).

Oh and that really is a neat photo above!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 29 Feb 2012 4:16 pm

Pics of the underside, please.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 29 Feb 2012 4:31 pm

The maroon flocking underneath was added when it was restored. Leon Roberts did a total restoration on it some years back. I'm not sure exactly when. He is a forum member and could probably give you all the details. As to the age, I would guess that it's older than '74 but don't know for sure.

Leon Roberts · Post by **Leon Roberts** » 29 Feb 2012 8:08 pm

Eric, I refurbished Your Pro-I for Ernie Cawby. It was truly a basket case when Ernie brought it to me. The flockig was used because I'm not a big fan of spatter paint that Sho-Bud used on the earlier guitars. The old rack and barrel system was replaced with triple raise/bouble lower changers with aluminum "uppers". The 14 hole pulling fingers allows perfect timing of pulls. My main guitar is an old professional the same color with the same under carriage and changers. Im my opinion the guitar you have is as good as a Sho-Bud can get. Enjoy, Leon

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 1 Mar 2012 3:14 pm

Thanks for sharing that information Leon. It seems that many here on the forum have a lot of respect for you and your work and I am very pleased to own the Sho-Bud.

I had noticed that in just the right light I could see where there was a decal that had a name that I couldnt quite make out so its good to know who that is. Do you know when it was approximately that you re-finished it and do you have an opinion on when it may have been made? I was told that it may have been 74 but Bob Tuttle thought it may have been earlier. Thanks again for sharing the information.

Leon Roberts · Post by **Leon Roberts** » 1 Mar 2012 7:46 pm

Eric, I don't know exactly when your guitar was made. I'm sure Bob Tuttle could come closer to the date than me. I would think it's earlier than 1974 because of the rack & barrel under carriage and the single raise/single lower changers that it had originally. If you have any questions, email me at;
leonusn@comcast.net
I'll check back over my records and let you know when I done the work and refinish job.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 2 Mar 2012 2:24 am

With racks and barrels, the changers are not single-raise, single-lower. The changers "abilities" are determined by the number of racks and barrels operating on any given string.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 2 Mar 2012 3:27 pm

The Sho-Bud "Professional" series, including the single neck, were made from 1970 to 1973. These were all round-front guitars with the rack and barrel pulling system. (That's what I read somewhere).

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 2 Mar 2012 3:46 pm

"The Sho-Bud "Professional" series, including the single neck, were made from 1970 to 1973."

Bob, that's correct, at least as far as the info I have. But the system started years earlier. Rick Abbott's is the earliest I've seen. Probably a '66. My '67 is next. I happen to love R&B guitars! You can do anything with them. Guys look at them and say, "Single_Raise, Single-Lower." Totally wrong! But timing pulls was a problem. This was eased a bit by the barrels behind two-puller guitars in '73 or so. I'd like to see James Morehead make cranks/pullers with about 5 holes.

Leon Roberts · Post by **Leon Roberts** » 6 Mar 2012 6:07 pm

John, The under carriage of the guitar is like the E-9th on this D-10.

Eric Davidson · Post by **Eric Davidson** » 6 Mar 2012 7:09 pm

oh and here is the underside of mine

The Steel Guitar Forum

Uncovering original fretboard on a Sho-Bud

Uncovering original fretboard on a Sho-Bud

What's underneath?