ShoBud Accoustic?

Jeff Savage · Post by **Jeff Savage** » 17 Feb 2000 10:19 pm

A friend of mine told me that he knows someone that has a ShoBud accoustic guitar. He said that it has the same fret board as the Shobud Steel and the Shobud name on the head of the guitar. I thought at first that what he was talking about was maybe a Shobro but he says it doesn't have any kind of a resonator on it at all and that it looks just like a regular accoustic guitar. I had never heard of a Shobud accoustic guitar before and have looked all over the internet for one but cannot find anything on it at all and was wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this and also if anyone might be able to tell me if and where I might be able to get some info on this guitar. Thanks to everyone for your help...Jeff

Ric Nelson · Post by **Ric Nelson** » 18 Feb 2000 8:47 am

The ShoBud guitars that I know of are all resonator, square-necks(dobros). Shot Jackson made, as best as anyone knows, 7 of them total, all with 7-strings. I own (and play) one of them that was a little diffrent than the other 6 in that it has an arched back and a slightly thinner body.

When the ShoBros were being made by Gretsch, beginning in 1969, Shot put the ShoBud name on the resonator guitars that he made at his shop. After 1972, Shot used the ShoBro name(again)since Grersch no longer made them.
I also have a ShoBro, which has a McIntye pick-up in (for when we all plug in), and which I keep as a back up. It does not have the same mellow sound of my ShoBud, made about 1970. We can account for most of them.

Shot also made ShoBro Spanish guitars, so I'd guess that the ShoBud Spanish was made by Shot between 1969 and 1972. I'd sure like to know more about the one that your friend knows about.
[This message was edited by Ric Nelson on 18 February 2000 at 08:50 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Feb 2000 10:33 am

Yes, Shot did make regular ("Spanish") guitars with the Sho~Bud name on them. His wife, Donna Darlene plays one he made for her, to be a matching pair with his Sho~Bro resonator. I think they were a limited quantity sort of thing. But at some point, Gretsch, I guess, was having them made in Japan. One was recently offered for sale on eBay. We had a thread about that a few months ago. If you do a Forum search you might turn it up.

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 18 Feb 2000 11:42 pm

Cal Smith has and plays Ernest Tubb's Sho-Bud dreadnaught--good sounding easy playing great looking guitar! Kitty Wells still has and plays her Sho-Bud thin bodied flat-top on all her live shows. You're right, there weren't a lot of them made. Hey there's lots of other semi-custom-made brands of guitars out there that were mainly played by performers, the Grammer just to mention one of the best known. Check out the guitars in some of the old Webb Pierce and Carl Smith promotional photos for instance (50's cool). Also remember that Sho-Bud marketed some of the Baldwin (Burns) electric with a Sho-Bud decal on them! Tim R.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Feb 2000 8:40 pm

Here's the link to the older thread on this subject:
http://www.b0b.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/006764.html

Jeff Savage · Post by **Jeff Savage** » 20 Feb 2000 4:01 am

Thanks, I really appreciate the replies and I'm still anxious to see this guitar. The person who has it is supposed to bring it with him at Easter so I guess I'll get a look at it. I really like rare guitars, not sure if this is rare or not but have never seen one so it will be different...Thanks again...

Shotsie Jackson · Post by **Shotsie Jackson** » 18 Mar 2001 9:53 pm

Dad only made a few acoustic guitars. I personally have a miniature set that he made for me when I was born. I have a mini-guitar and a mini-dobro. Both are blond and beautiful. I wouldn't part with them for the world. My mother has 3 guitars that are also great. The necks of the guitars are smaller than most and are great for people with smaller hands like myself. Unfortunately, I am now spoiled for other guitars and perfer the smaller necks. I would like to find myself a regular sized Sho-Bud acoustic, I've outgrown my mini one

Shotsie

Steve Honum · Post by **Steve Honum** » 19 Mar 2001 8:42 am

I have vague memories of seeing photos in Guitar Player of an Acoustic Steel String Sho-Bud Spanish Guitar in the 70s. Could be wrong. I recall an article in GP about then on a pro pedal-steel player (Weldon Myrick?) who had an acoustic ShoBud Steel 'practice guitar'- looked like a ten string -shortscale lap steel. I believe Dobro (OMI) made a few acoustic spanish steel string guitars under the name Houndog some time in the late 70s or early 80s.
Haere mai,
Steve

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 19 Mar 2001 9:04 am

Here's an update of Jim's link posted above:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum1/HTML/006764.html

The Forum files are no longer stored at b0b.com

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 25 Mar 2001 12:31 pm

In the early 80's I remember a SHO~BUD six string solid body single cutaway electric hanging in Bobbe Seymours shop for sale. It looked similar to a Gibson Les Paul in size and body shape. I remember George Gruhn saying that there weren't many made. There was also a SHO~BUD dreadnaught hanging in the old Nashville used instrument store on Nolensville Rd. I tried to buy it several times, but the guy wouldn't sell it. It was still in the store when it burned to the ground 10 or 15 years ago. George Edwards once showed me an 8 string dobro that said SHO~BUD on the peghead (instead of SHO~BRO). He said only two were made, one for him and one for Buddy Emmons.

John Drury
NTSGA #0003

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 25 Mar 2001 2:20 pm

Here's a picture of Donna Darlene's Sho~Bud accoustic, zoomed-in on the fretboard.

[This message was edited by Kenny Davis on 25 March 2001 at 02:55 PM.]