Sahara steel guitar

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 6 Feb 2013 4:15 pm

does anyone have any info on Sahara steel guitars?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 6 Feb 2013 4:24 pm

Not really info, but some cool pics

http://www.guitar-museum.com/guitar-298 ... eel-Guitar

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 6 Feb 2013 4:41 pm

thanks Richard, I found one of these in with a bunch of stuff in my shed put it together and it's one of the best playing and sounding steels I have played.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 6 Feb 2013 6:43 pm

I think the Sahara was a Sho~Bud knockoff made in Lubbock, or somewhere in West Texas. That's my recollection, anyway.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 6 Feb 2013 7:13 pm

Herb I've heard it might have been made in Tex.it's a push pull.I'm going to rebuild it and will probably have to make some parts cause I doubt if I can find parts any where.

Duane Brown · Post by **Duane Brown** » 7 Feb 2013 12:14 am

The Sahara was built just outside of Lubbock in Shallowater, Texas by Bob Stufflebeme. Bob was a welder who had an irrigation pipe business as well as playing and building steel guitars. When I moved to Lubbock, Bob was building guitars on a part-time basis, installing irrigation pipe and playing quite a lot. Lloyd Maines was playing a Sahara in 1974 when I first met him.

Sho-Bud went on a marketing frenzy and Bob started selling them as he couldn't build a guitar as cheaply as he could buy a Sho-Bud. All of us who were learning to play in the a'70's in West Texas wound up with a Sho-Bud from Sahara music. We all owe Bob more than we could ever repay. Bob sold me a pro-2 with pro-3 rods (nylon tuners instead of the brass ones) for $600. brand new. He would work on guitars, build parts, show me licks and never charge what it was worth. When I got my '68 Emmons, Bob helped me set up the knee levers, etc.

Bob Stufflebeme was the first player I ever saw raise the 1st string a whole tone, in 1976 or so. HE could really play unique things for the time. Nobody else used that change, so I didn't either. I could have been ahead of the curve if I'd only listened.

I never played a Sahara as I played guitar and bass until he was selling Sho-Buds, but I know it has to be built like a tank because Bob wouldn't have it any other way.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 7 Feb 2013 4:28 am

Great history and stories. Wow! Shobuds for $600.00,
and I've only dreamed about finding a pedal steel in my shed.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 7 Feb 2013 6:56 am

thanks Duane for all the great info.you were so right when you said it was built like a tank,and it also sounds great.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 7 Feb 2013 7:03 am

Jim, a good friend of mine emptied out his storage shed a couple of years ago and told me if I wanted the "stuff" I could have it. he told me there were some steel guitars in there but I never looked at them very close until about a week ago when I ran across the Sahara, someone had taken off the back neck but there was a box full of parts so I will rebuild it as close as I can to original.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 7 Feb 2013 1:31 pm

That's great Carl. It amazes me how folks throw out anything like that....well I guess he gave it to you rather.

Wally Moyers · Post by **Wally Moyers** » 7 Feb 2013 3:11 pm

Bob built my Dad a Sahara, in fact it was the first one Bob built. My Dad gave it to me when he quit playing for a while so it was my first steel. If anyone ever knows of one for sale I would really appreciate letting me know. Bob was a real treasure for the West Texas steel community. He would sell us Sho-Buds on credit back then, he was a great player too. I had the honor of playing for his memorial service... His wife Janette, lives about a mile from me...

Pic of my Dad..

baxter vaughan · Post by **baxter vaughan** » 7 Feb 2013 7:10 pm

wally, you are correct about bob being a treasure. smoothest player i have ever heard. i can't remember for sure; but i think bob told me he used brazilian rosewood. wow, and to find one in a shed. if you can picture a push pull sho-bud...that's a sahara. i sure do miss him.

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 7 Feb 2013 7:14 pm

I know that Frank Carter of Infinity Pedal Steel Guitars helped to develop the Sahara quite awhile back.

MARK GILES · Post by **MARK GILES** » 7 Feb 2013 8:59 pm

Not only Frank Carter, but also Dave Jones, currently in Bulverde, Texas also worked with Bob on the Sahara sometime after Frank did.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 7 Feb 2013 10:37 pm

Thanks guys for all the helpful info.I've started to work on putting the guitar back together and will post pics when it's done.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 7 Feb 2013 10:39 pm

I know Frank I'll have to give him a call

Frank Carter · Post by **Frank Carter** » 9 Feb 2013 3:55 pm

There is a Sahara guitar our there somewhere that Bob & I built for my personal guitar. It was made of zebra wood. Sure would like to know where it is.
Bob was really a great guy.

David A. Jones · Post by **David A. Jones** » 11 Feb 2013 6:01 am

There is a second Sahara zebra wood out there somewhere. I built it with Bob and he sold it in 1971 or '72. It was an SD-10 with stainless steel changer parts on it and would sustain forever. The necks, deck, and front and rear aprons were all 3/4" wood on all the guitars that I saw or helped Bob build....heavy but solid, reliable and great sounding. Bob made his own pickups including the magnets and windings.

I came to work with Bob in late 1970 or early 1971 some time after Frank Carter had gone. I had acquired a British steel guitar from a country band in Giessen, Germany in 1969 and shipped it stateside as I planned to take it to Vietnam with me to learn to play. It was broken during shipment and was not playable. I met Lloyd Maines during a break in one of his local gigs. He was playing a Sahara at the time and gave me Bob's phone number and address when I told him about the British steel. The rest is history.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 15 Feb 2015 8:25 am

Carl, I was wondering what became of the Sahara body and parts you had.
In doing some research I came across this topic; it's very interesting to read about zebrawood guitars, something built so well,
and interested to read Sahara's connections.

I'm in Lubbock, near where they were built; just curious.

J R Rose · Post by **J R Rose** » 15 Feb 2015 9:12 am

Very glad I found this post. Brings back some very good memories. I brought my first professional steel, Sho-Bud Pro II from Bob Stufflebeme in early 1982 for I think $800.00. I had not been able to remember his name, just where I was at. He had a small Music Store on the end of his shop. Was a very nice gentleman and very helpful. Guitar and case were new and no tax. It is the guitar I have on the forum that was stolen in Miami, Fl. Can you believe, a new Sho-Bud for $800.00.
A note about Bob that day is he sat down at the steel I brought and played Danny Boy and that was all it took. He did a beautiful job of it. I could not get it in it's case fast enough. J.R.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 15 Feb 2015 9:50 am

Hi JR,

$800 is an amazing price.

Here is the topic I was looking at, with some about Bob, his guitars, and the ones he sold.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... e666f700eb
You may find it interesting.

Carl Johnson · Post by **Carl Johnson** » 16 Feb 2015 9:44 am

Charlie, I got the guitar put back together and play-able but haven't done anything with it. it's setting in my music room holding a bunch of books.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 16 Feb 2015 10:15 am

The Sahara turned out to be a more formidable instrument than I'd guessed.
Apparently Sufflebeme could buy a Sho-Bud for cheaper than he could build a Sahara.

Wally Moyers · Post by **Wally Moyers** » 16 Feb 2015 3:18 pm

If I remember right, my Dad paid Bob 700.00 for his Sahara.. Wish I still had it... It was D9th and C6th...