Sho Bud pros and cons?
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
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Sho Bud pros and cons?
So I have not been playing psg a real long time but I got the hang of it enough to gig with it 2 or 3 nights a week. I have a Bradshaw rebuilt MSA 12 string. I need another one for back up and I see a nice Sho Bud Pro 1 12 for sale. Sho Bud pros and cons? I'm sure it has been discussed here but I never saw the thread. That or something brand spanking new? I gotta admit a love for vintage just for the music that has poured through them but they often require a lot of work. Thanks for any help! I love this place.
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- Dave O'Brien
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Sho-Bud vs MSA?
Larry- I played Sho-Buds back in the 70's and became a dealer so I had all the latest models to take out and gig with and try to sell. One day I took an MSA in on trade. I had it in my van and took a corner too fast. It crashed down on it's face and when we carried it on stage it was still in tune! I used to tune the dang Sho-Buds all night! Anyway they sound really great and are lots of fun to play but 30 years ago I bought a MSA S-12 and have played them ever since (I have 3 now).Just finished a 23 day gig with one of them and hardly tuned it. Maybe the precision the old MSA's were made with is why? I don't know - I do have an old "The Professional" D-10 I'm fixing up and love the tone of it. Hey try one you might like it!
Dave O'Brien
Emmons D-10, CMI D-10, Fender Deluxe Reverb, PV 112, Fender Pro Reverb
www.myspace.com/daveobrienband
Emmons D-10, CMI D-10, Fender Deluxe Reverb, PV 112, Fender Pro Reverb
www.myspace.com/daveobrienband
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- Richard Sinkler
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The only "tuning" problem I've encountered is due to temperature change and not very often for that. When you take the cover off, you need to give it a space to adjust to ambient temp. I would guess that to be a string charcteristic more than the guitar. But I guess that some get their strings from a magical place delivered by the "string fairy", and are not subject to time and temp. I guess they are like cars, if you don't drive them you don't have problems but the what good are they. In the music realm Sho-Bud is a household name. Can't say that for some of the others. The test of time.
- Ronnie Boettcher
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My LDG was born in 1977. The only tuning problem I have, is when I pack it in the case to gig. When I take it out, the 5th string is either sharp, or flat, depends on the position of the tuner peg. Maybe I just lucked out, but I have had no issues with it since 1977. Yes I moved the left knee levers a little so I can rock my stiff ankle off the B, with the LKL. And I also lengthened the pedal rods, when I raised the steel a inch and a half. Still is a beautiful looking steel, and great tone.
Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142
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Thanks fella's. My MSA is a '77 rebuilt by Tom Bradshaw a few years ago. It stays in tune amazingly well. Plays smooth, sounds good. The temptation is to buy something brand new but them Buds sure are pretty and I'm gigging a lot so I have to get a second guitar for backup and so I can leave one in the case and one up at home. Keep the input coming!
- Michael Hummel
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I'm sorry...I know I'm a new psg guy, but I've been playing 6-string in bands for 35 years and have a pretty good ear.
I tell everyone my old Sho~Bud Pro III can be thrown in the case, put in the car, left at work all day, taken to the band rehearsal that night, and barely need anything touched.
Compared to my 6-strings, this old guitar is like a rock!
Mike
I tell everyone my old Sho~Bud Pro III can be thrown in the case, put in the car, left at work all day, taken to the band rehearsal that night, and barely need anything touched.
Compared to my 6-strings, this old guitar is like a rock!
Mike
MSA Classic 5+4
Too many 6-strings and amps to list
Too many 6-strings and amps to list
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Super Pro
I play a '81 Super Pro that was rebuilt by Duane Marrs,or so I was told. Pot matal parts are gone. It plays smooth, stays in tune and sounds great, at least I think so. I also have a '79 LDG. It's a little wider body, but I have had no problems. Check out Dickie Overby playing for Amber Digby. There's a lot of good guitars out there and Sho-Bud is one of them.
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Skip hit it on the head. My 74 had been neglected before I got it 15 years ago. I took it apart, cleaned it and set it up to my liking and it has been rock steady since. It has zero cabinet drop and tuning stability is great.. any tuning issues are the results of my playing... Because of the way it feels and the tone, it is more inspiring for me to play than modern guitars and whenever I take it out, people are interested in it.. players and non players alike.
- mike nolan
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I've owned Sho~Buds from nearly every era, and have never had a serious problem with any of them. Parts and service are readily available. The one listed in the for sale section is a nice late model. Some guitars from those later years had issues because of all the pot metal parts. For the price, you could replace the entire underside, and still have less in it than some new guitars.
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Sho-Bud
I've owned 3 Sho Buds. An LDG my 1st guitar. It was about used up when I bought it, but all I could afford to learn on. Wouldn't stay in tune, lots of slack in pedals, knees, etc. Then I had a 73 round front, with two hole pullers. It had good tone, played very well, stayed in tune most of the time
it had the solid metal bellcranks, stainless I think, and was one of the purtiest Sho-Buds I'd seen.
But I just didn't like the retuning (not that often though) and the weight was on the heavey side. I now have an 84 Sho-Bud Pro II, has great tone, plays as well or better than some of the used newer models, and I don't have to retune it but about one time during about 3 hours of playin time. And is a looker to boot. The only 'con' is it has the pewter bellcranks. But in the 3/4 years I've had it I've only broken one bellcrank. I'm planning on replacing the bellcranks, with aluminum, or stainless, and replacing the knee levers with the tear drop style.
Some day before long I hope.
Terry
it had the solid metal bellcranks, stainless I think, and was one of the purtiest Sho-Buds I'd seen.
But I just didn't like the retuning (not that often though) and the weight was on the heavey side. I now have an 84 Sho-Bud Pro II, has great tone, plays as well or better than some of the used newer models, and I don't have to retune it but about one time during about 3 hours of playin time. And is a looker to boot. The only 'con' is it has the pewter bellcranks. But in the 3/4 years I've had it I've only broken one bellcrank. I'm planning on replacing the bellcranks, with aluminum, or stainless, and replacing the knee levers with the tear drop style.
Some day before long I hope.
Terry
- chris ivey
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shobuds are beautiful. find one at a good deal. a superpro maybe... and put a great modern undercarriage in it. i cant stress enough how good my ldg plays and feels with a williams undercarriage. it is a new creation. i love the hybrid. its tight. but theres nothing wrong with a shobud undercarriage. get good parts for it in case sumpthin breaks and learn all your stuff. then get a williams, franklin, msa or what have you.
stelling banjos . shobud ldg and superpro/ martin hd28v weber mandolin, session 400, danelectro delay, korg d3200, bose L1 x2
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My all time favorite steel guitar is the Sho-Bud Super Pro. It was light weight, beautiful, and was at one time the ICON of steel guitars. The undercarriage was noisy, the potmetal levers often broke, and routine maintenance was always required.
However, if I were to be restricted to only one steel guitar to retain from my career, it would be the Super-Pro. My second choice would be the Carter products because they sound like the Sho-Bud, but without the undercarrige noise or the continual maintenance.
However, if I were to be restricted to only one steel guitar to retain from my career, it would be the Super-Pro. My second choice would be the Carter products because they sound like the Sho-Bud, but without the undercarrige noise or the continual maintenance.
- Henry Matthews
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Sho-Buds are great guitars and have always loved the sound of them and if set up right, the later model Buds play as good as any guitar. I wouldn't want a rack and barrel or one of the older Buds with 2 hole changers even though they still sound great. I think some of the best Sho-Buds are the Pro II's and Pro III's. Super Pro's are also nice guitars. I've owned them all at one time, everything except a finger tip, that is.
Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.
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How is a Sho-Bud any different from any other make of steel with regard to string replacement?Bo Legg wrote:String breakage!
Oh my! Change a string on a Sho-Bud during a gig....you better have a flashlight, three hands, a first aid kit and the band play 4 or 5 songs without you.
The one difference I can come up with is that on the later-model Sho-Buds with notches instead of pins it's easier than trying to line the ball end up with the pin, especially in low stage lighting.