Sho~Bud fingertip help...

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 May 2003 8:43 am

Once again I`m taking advatage of this great place and asking for the help from all of you Sho~Bud people to help me find out more about fingertip guitars.I don`t know anything about them except what they look like.I`m interesting in buying one and your help would be very helpful to me.Thank you.
Damir

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Larry Harlan · Post by **Larry Harlan** » 18 May 2003 9:58 am

Damir, go to the Greg simmons Web site found in the links of The Forum here, "Sho-Bud Unofficial Web site, OR www.planet.eon.net/~gsimmons/shobud/index.html. Click on History. Click on field Guide to Sho Bud PSG Models.
I have a 67 D-10, 9x4 that I bought in 1971. For it's day, it was a good steel. But now it is antique. The reason they only made them from approx. late '65 till early '67 is they were not as mechanically sound as they should have been. These years are approximate I might add for in their changes from one model to the other, they overlapped some in completely going from one model to the other. As with all Sho-Bud's they really "looked good" but the FT was SB's "first" attempt at a all-pull changer. Without some updates, they are a bit of a monster. BUT, I hasten to add there are updates that can be done to make them a fairly viable guitar. i.e. redo the bell cranks (which I've done to mine), and a pr. of BL-910's or GL-E66's. However, the 910's "look" like the original pickups. But anything you do will not keep it from still weighing some 90 lb. in the case. Therefore it is a Sho-Bud fitness machine enroute to wherever you go. Best of luck in whatever you do.[This message was edited by Larry Harlan on 18 May 2003 at 11:09 AM.]

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 18 May 2003 10:59 am

Did Sho Bud make any single neck fingertips? Any time I've ever seen a picture of one, it's been a double.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 May 2003 12:45 pm

Hi Larry,thanks for the info.Does anyone knows what happend to Lloyds fingertip.If I`m correct Bobbe sold it sometime back but I don`t know to whom.Thanks.
Damir

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Larry Harlan · Post by **Larry Harlan** » 18 May 2003 5:02 pm

Bruce, all the Fingertips I've ever seen are D-10's. There was a D-12 made that Jeff Newman played on the Opry that was in the picture of Jeff on the Opry stage on the cover of an early Sho-Bud instruction book. I think Ed Naylor told me he has that steel now. But as to single Necks, I don't know.
Damir, I haven't kept up on individual FT guitars and their whereabouts, but it would be interesting to know where the FT on the album cover of Lloyd's "Cool Steel Man" Album, and the one on Curley's "Big Hits On Big Steel" Album ended up.
Probably the one to talk to on that would be Bobbe Seymour or Duane Marrs. I think both of them were around Sho-Bud at that time, especially Bobbe. These old steel's are a trip down memory lane. In working on them it's like remodeling an old house. Where do you draw the line in the amount to spend on them. Next thing you know, you've got more than a good down payment on a new steel or one of "modern" manufacture involved, and unless you're just want to mess with an antique, it might be better to move onto something newer. This one that I have I updated the bell cranks on it. Am now pondering if I'd like to put a set of BL-910's in it. If so, what to do with the two little double wound "tone softener switches" on the right endplate? I'm wondering if they could be used as on & off switches for some other type of effects unit due to their being so handy. When these kinds of updates keep going they are like setting a 1937 Ford body down on a late model Mustang chasis and frame--and it just never ends. Best regards in whatever you do.[This message was edited by Larry Harlan on 18 May 2003 at 06:05 PM.][This message was edited by Larry Harlan on 18 May 2003 at 06:07 PM.]

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 May 2003 5:54 pm

Larry,thanks for the info.I would like to find a nice original FT for myself.I would love to find out where Lloyds FT end up too.

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Marco Schouten · Post by **Marco Schouten** » 18 May 2003 8:49 pm

I know who bought it, but I doubt he will ever sell it.

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Steelin' Greetings
Marco Schouten
Sho-Bud Pro III Custom; Sho-Bud LLG; John Pearse bar; Emmons bar; Panther amp

Martin Weenick · Post by **Martin Weenick** » 18 May 2003 9:34 pm

When I was living in St. Petersburg, FL. I had a friend by the name of Jim Clark who bought a double 12 Sho-Bud from Jeff Newman. I was there when it arrived. Jim Clark ( he has passed on now) had a auto body repair shop and was a pretty good player. I really dont remember whether it was a fingertip or not. I do remember it was HEAVY. This was some time in the late 70's and I dont know if he had sold it before he passed away or not. I wonder if it is the same guitar you are refering to. Martin.

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Martin W. Emmons LG III 3/5 Peavy 1000

Larry Harlan · Post by **Larry Harlan** » 19 May 2003 9:20 am

I don't know if it's the same or not.
Talk to Ed Naylor, Pedal Steel Guitar Works in Portsmouth, Ohio. Best regards

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 19 May 2003 12:25 pm

I have quite a few old Finger Tippers including the Jeff Newman Guitar, Johnny Paycheck old steel and several D-8,D-9 and a Triple 9. I understand there was only 3 T-9 built. I am sending parts to a fellow that has Barbara Mandrell,s old 14 stringer. On an earlier post I mentioned I have Hal Rugg,s old S-10 keyless that he used with Nat Stucky.I also have a couple pre Maverick prototypes. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 May 2003 1:36 pm

Anyone want to ask me a specific question, I'll give you a correct answer. Yes, I was involved with the factory through the "fingertip" years. The first one I ever saw was Buddy Charlton's D-10 in '64 in Norfolk VA.I moved to Nashville soon after. The last one built was in the summer of '69. The "permenents" and "Baldwin crossovers" were built during the same period and not very many "Fingertips" were really built , around 100 D-10's as I remember, total. I prefered the perminent myself to anything up to the Pro II of '71.
Yes , there were many single 10string Fingertip guitars built. I have had many, many over the years.
Bobbe

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 May 2003 1:41 pm

By the way, Sho-Bud never ever, at any time in the existence of the company ever built a "Push-Pull" guitar. Period. People seem to confuse the perminant mechanisum with an Emmons "Push-Pull" Mechanisum. Nothing could be farther from the fact, even though both tune raises, pedals down.
After all this, I will say, I'd lot rather put a pedal setup on a fingertip than a permenant. Quite simple to work on. Like a "Model A ford".
Bobster [This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 19 May 2003 at 02:53 PM.]

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 19 May 2003 3:15 pm

Larry Harlan · Post by **Larry Harlan** » 19 May 2003 6:25 pm

Jay, what a beautiful fingertip! Thanks for posting it. Mine has the mahogany aprons front and rear with black lacquer on top, mahogany inserts and white fretboards like you have here.
Bobbe, thanks for getting on here and enlightening us a little. We appreciate your historical knowledge and expertise.
These old buggies create a love-hate relationship with you. You love them for their historical tone and sound, but the mechanics are a killer.
Damir, have we answered any of your questions here and do you have any more? Just trying to be helpful.
Best regards.[This message was edited by Larry Harlan on 19 May 2003 at 07:28 PM.][This message was edited by Larry Harlan on 19 May 2003 at 07:29 PM.]

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 May 2003 7:15 pm

Yes Larry, everytime I see one, my heart pounds a little faster and the memories come racing back. This was a very broke but fun period of my life that was filled with the magic of youth. When I met many of my now great friends, this is what they were playing,guys like Buddy Charlton, J.D. Maness,Dick Miller, Weldon Myrick, Sonny Burnett,Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green etc. Something truly magic in these soulful guitars, just look at them and you can see it! Shot , David and Harry Jackson seem to speak to me every time I get near one of these old , soulful '60s Sho-Bud guitars. I'm proud of my collection, I'll even play one on a job once in a while, and love it!

Bobbe,

Kim Tidrow · Post by **Kim Tidrow** » 20 May 2003 6:43 am

Bobbe,
About time to write a book or books on steel guitar history, i.e. Emmons, Sho-Bud,Z B etc.?
Kim

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 20 May 2003 9:52 am

Larry,thanks a lot,I read all this and learn.I think that new guitars no matter how moder do not have the shine and carisma of the old masters.I don`t think I will ever again buy a new "modern" guitar.I have nice `74 Emmons,nice `69 Marlen and one nice FT would be the last part of my quest of collecting my ultimate guitars.Thanks to all of you and keep it coming,I`d like to see more pic`s and hear more stories.
Sincerely,Damir

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Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 20 May 2003 4:26 pm

Kim, I'd write one but my spelling prohibits me from embarking on this endeavor more than anything else. Have I been faking this bad spelling as a way to color my personality? Nope! Well, at times possibly,

(edited for spelling)[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 20 May 2003 at 05:28 PM.]

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 22 May 2003 4:03 am

Damir and Bobbe, you're men after my own heart. My first steel was Professional S-10, which I still own and played at rehearsal last night- the finish is yellowed from many years of cigarette smoke, there's a cigarette burn on the rear apron, finish is badly checked and flaking off...

but, man, that thing has got a vibe that won't quit... and it plays and sounds great. It's so beautifully simple. And I don't worry about someone scratching it or dropping the bar on it!

The guys in my band, all of whom are "vintage" dudes like myself

like this guitar better than my mid-70's Pro III or my modern Marlen (even though those are both very nice guitars, too). Frankly, I have no interest in anything covered in formica or made out of plastic.