Sho-Bud popularity coming back?

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 23 Jan 2003 4:12 pm

Here's something for us Sho-Bud owners to ponder and the rest of yall as well. With Lloyd Green back in the studio recording again do you think that the popularity of the Sho-Bud guitar will go up? What do you think keeps one guitar more popular than another? Would it be the endorsement factor which we all know stands for something, the price or just what is the most important factor in the popularity of one brand over another?

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 23 Jan 2003 7:36 pm

Could be. Everytime Clint Eastwood came out with a Dirty Harry movie, the prices and popularity would go up on Smith & Wesson Model 29, .44 Mags.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 23 Jan 2003 8:48 pm

Frank, I think when those recordings that Lloyd is making with Alan Jackson come out on radio its going to make quite an impression with the steel community. Sho-Bud was always a classic sounding steel but when Lloyd is playing it the sound becomes extra special. His original LDG is in top condition for the recording scene. I can't wait.
Every time I hear most of the newer guitars I just shake my head and go back to my Duanne Marrs custom shop Professional.

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 23 Jan 2003 9:54 pm

I have stuck with Sho~Bud throughout the years due to the tone. After starting with a "Baldwin" universal model, I stepped up to a new Pro II. When the Super Pro came on the scene, I really wanted one until I played one. To me, it didn't have "the sound", so here I am still playing the Pro II.

When I bought my first one, Sho~Bud was pretty much the guitar of choice for the big guys. Emmons was beginning to get more attention, but Sho~Bud was still recognized as providing the "Nashville Sound". Being very attractive guitars, and having good tone seemed to make less-than-perfect mechanicals a minor issue for me. And I'll have to admit, Lloyd Green played one, and that made me pretty proud of mine!

Regarding Lloyd playing the Sho~Bud and impacting the popularity - I doubt if it could come close to what Jerry Douglas has done for Tim Scheerhorn's resonator guitar business! It could increase the value of an old Bud a little, though.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 24 Jan 2003 12:54 am

Lloyd has a sound in his head he always trys to get...and he has played other guitars....but he told me that his LDG is giving him the sound he has always wanted and strived for.
Lloyd knows what he wants to hear and he has found/re-found the guitar that delivers that to him....His '73 LDG ShoBud.
Everyone should try to identify the sound they want to immulate from theirselves...and that will be the most popular steel guitar you will ever want.
I play a brand new steel guitar now...and it is delivering the sound I want...but I also got the sound I wanted out of my Shobud......but the most popular steel guitar is the one I have under my fingers at the time....and nothing else influences that issue with me.
Ricky

Henning Kock · Post by **Henning Kock** » 24 Jan 2003 2:47 am

24.jan.2003
Sho-Bud was sold to Gretch many years ago, including all the parts and materials neccessary to build the pedal steel guitars again.
It is interesting, that now the Fender company has bought the Gretch company.
Is this including all the Sho-Bud parts and materials? Will Fender now launch the Sho-Bud pedal steels again?
It is also interesting, Fender in the mid 1970ties sold Fender pedals steel guitars, which was actually made by Music City Manufacturing Co. in Nashville) a subsidary or partner company to Sho-Bud, which was operated by one of Shot Jacksons sons, and Duane Marrs plus others.
I have owned 3 of these Fenders, a Student Model, a single ten Artist, and a double ten Artist.
They did not have roller bridges. They had seperate cam bridges, almost like the Fender Stratocaster, every finger were riding on a cam (an edge). They also had Fender pickups.
All played well and in tune. They were in black lacquer. Later they were offered in brown also.
Kind regards
HenningHenning Kock
(pedal steel guitar, piano, keyboards, vibraphone)
Henning K. Music
111 Aarhusvej
DK-8300 Odder
Denmark,
Europe
phone +45 8654 2959
--------------------------------------------
e-mail address: henningkmusic@hotmail.com
.........
webpages:
pedal steel guitar: www.geocities.com/Nashville/1520 www.steelguitardanmark.subnet.dk (information)
.........
piano & keyboard: www.sitecenter.dk/henning-kock www.danskmusik.com/dmfbook/selskab/html/henning_kock.html
.........
and for musical instrument products wholesale (to dealers): www.henningkmusic.subnet.dk

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[This message was edited by Henning Kock on 24 January 2003 at 02:48 AM.]

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 24 Jan 2003 5:45 am

Henning, I asked the same question on one of the forums at the Gretsch Pages. Dinah Gretsch has forum there where she (sometimes) answers people's questions. I had as my header "Dinah....Info about Sho-Bud?" and it has not been replied to in months. I was asking if they knew of any plans to reintroduce the brand following Fender's acquisition of the distribution/manufacturing(?) rights of Gretsch.

My thought is this....Fender pulled out of the pedal steel guitar business a long time ago, and though they used to have ties to Sho-Bud in the past, current management would probably care less about manufacturing steels again.

Of course, even if Fender DID reintroduce Sho-Bud, there is no guarantee that the resulting products would be anywhere close to the originals, in terms of either looks, mechanics or sound.

Just my two cents....

Joe

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 24 Jan 2003 5:59 am

And the funny thing about Fender owning Gretsch now, is that, in the late 1940's, Fender was sued by Gretsch for the name of the 'Broadcaster' guitar.... hence why we now have what is called the 'Telecaster'... if only leo would have thought about buying out the gretsch name back then

IIRC, wasnt one of the Fender pedal steel models actually made by ShoBud?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 24 Jan 2003 8:08 am

I have a LDG Sho~Bud that is signed by Duane Marrs on the underneath when he worked for Sho~Bud. I think I'm going to be hanging onto it for a while! The only thing detracting from its appearance is the green finish has faded over the years. But then, that adds to its authenticity. (Boy, that's a big word coming from a left-handed Norwegian!)

Uff-Da!

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 24 Jan 2003 11:27 am

If Fender were to manufacture a new Sho-Bud, how good would it be? Is there anybody in their company that really knows how to build PSGs? For the sake of argument, let's say they do and they build a model that half the players in the world buy; would they get the return on their investment that they want?

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 24 Jan 2003 12:24 pm

ShoBud has never lost its popularity with me. My Pro 111 Custom has been all over Europe, on dozens of flights, several hundred recording sessions and in and out of motors on countless gigs since I got it in 1975. Why do I keep it? It still has THAT sound.

Ken Byng

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 24 Jan 2003 3:21 pm

Gotta add a
personal endorsement..
(I, myself have trouble with the narrow string spacing of other guitars.)

When I took a bunch of lessons from Mr Charleton in 77-9 It was across from him playing an old green ProIII that I believe belonged to the store.

At the time the S~B company was being transferred to or from Gretch/Baldwin and Leo Kellar, the (now deceased) owner of Oxon Hill Music in MD had a whole WALL stacked with them for $600 a copy.

I, without Buddy's urging, bought one. I don't think he wanted to be involved in the "sales" end, or possibly he thought my "career" would be about the same on my MSA Red Baron. ( A fine synthetic body guitar).

I had no idea that Buddy played an Emmons til I saw him at Hunters' Lodge. At that time Mr. Lashley came by the store while I was taking a lesson one Sat and got input from him about a custom guitar he was building for him. I believe it was an Emmons, but it had an active pickup circuit.

I had my reverb set just past the 11 setting the other night, played a lick, walked out front and heard it come out of the PA.

Just what I wanted to hear.

Listening to that Jimmy Day FWP clip, I wish I'd have been able to borrow enough to buy ten PIIIs from old Leo in 79.

Don Christensen, some time later, here at Sierra really busted my hump when Mr Emmons, and BC endorsed and played Sierras. I was about to be dismayed, when I went home and fired up the old sled.

I know what kind of guitar I'll be playing from now on, unless maybe Harley James wants to part with his S10 Z-B CUSTOM ( sorry Felix)...

I think it was the kind of genius that went into the old Colt 45s. Some things last a long time.

Longer than the people (sadly) in a lot of cases...

As a PS to the "Caddy" string. it's possible that Sho Bud is more like the "Packard". They went through some similar changes, and there were sefinitely some better years, and then their "studebaker" phase.

Incidentally, the Rack/Barrel models just didn't get it. I've got one that I'm gutting out and gonna get Duane Marrs to set me up as per our email. Sure glad he's doing it.
[This message was edited by Eric West on 25 January 2003 at 03:24 PM.]

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 25 Jan 2003 8:37 am

Gino, the "Artist" models mentioned by Henning above were those made by ShoBud. Not very many of them were made.

Neil Lang · Post by **Neil Lang** » 31 Jan 2003 12:24 pm

I started playing Steel in 1965, on a Sho-Bud. I love them so much I now collect them also. I own seven of them at this time. I also feel no need to change out the original pick-ups. I am presently playing through a peavey Nashville 1000, it is a great amp. Just can't seem to give up lookin at those Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds & Spades! Ha! Guess if I were to buy a NEW guitar it would have to be the New MSA!

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 1 Feb 2003 4:48 am

I don't know of Fender plans to reiissue any Sho-buds, but they are planning to reissue EXACT replecas of many of the classic Gretsch guitars, insluding 6120s and Country Gents with the little retractable rubber mutes they had in the 60s. They have already begun having the mutes made.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 2 Feb 2003 1:15 am

I don't think SHO-BUD popularity ever left! Only their availability! I had #3 in '57, when the Co. first appeared, and about a dozen after that! They were always fine guitars! "Big John" http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 2 Feb 2003 6:26 am

I had a chanse to ask Mr.Paul Franklin once about wich steel guitars he thinks are the best for studio recordings,he answered in second,Sho~Bud and Emmons.And I agree with you Big John,Sho~Bud popularity never left,but guitars did

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Tommy Minniear · Post by **Tommy Minniear** » 2 Feb 2003 8:36 am

As was stated by Ken Byng above, Sho~Bud's popularity never left me. I have pretty much stayed with Sho~Bud as my main guitar since the mid seventies. I bought and tried a couple of the "modern" pedal steel guitars. They were well built and mechanicaly sound, but, they weren't a Sho~Bud. I've also taken a lot of "heat" over the years from other steel players because I stayed with Sho~Bud.I believe that a lot of guys buy the newest-most seen guitars because that's what the player that has influenced or inspired them is playing. I have to admit that is what I did a couple times. This is a good thing for todays builders. It was a good thing when Sho~Bud was in their glory days. I recently expressed a thought that I've been entertaining in Gene Jones recent thread. I'm begining to look at Sho~Bud as the "Indian(motorcycle)" of steel guitars. The Emmons P/P as the "Harley-Davidson". Now, mind you; Honda, Yamaha, BSA, Triumph, Kawasawki, and several others build a fine bike! "Sho~Bud popularity coming back"? Lloyd Green is back to playing his again. Remember: a lot of times, the deciding factor in the purchase evolves around what brand of steel guitar that the players who inspired or influenced the buyer plays.

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Tommy Minniear
www.ntsga.com

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 2 Feb 2003 6:53 pm

I'm an authorized Fender dealer, and it's my understanding that Fender has only acquired the worldwide distribution rights for Gretsch guitars. Gretsch guitars have been made overseas (I presume by Samick) since their reintroduction. I have heard NO mention of Fender beginning to manufacture any Gretsch guitars. If anyone has better info. on this situation, I'd appreciate hearing it. Again, my understanding is that Fender will be distributing Gretsch guitars in a "partnership" arrangement with Fred Gretsch, Jr. Fender is not choosing to use the language "Fender bought Gretsch".

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Rick McDuffie
Debbie Elam Band

www.tarheelmusic.com

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 2 Feb 2003 6:55 pm

Re: Sho-Bud. Gretsch drums were definitely NOT a part of the Fender/Gretsch agreement, so I rather doubt that Sho-Bud was involved either.

Rick