Memories of the Sho-Bud shop in London

[Ken Byng]

Ron - you underplay the role that you played in the sucess of the shop. John was not into the mechanical side of pedal steels and Les was not into pedals steel full stop.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for you, and you have helped numerous people out of difficulties with their guitars from time to time. This includes Pete Townshend who used to throw his ShoBud in the river with frustration and then get it sent down to you to sort out.

Anyone who can get a guitar back up and playing after that sort of treatment is a genius.

[Ron Mawn]

Ken-Restoration,servicing and mods was all part of my job which I was paid to do no matter what it intailed, I still do some work for players and look on it as being another of lifes little challenges.

[steve takacs]

Ron, every time I visited London from Norway in the late 70s early 80s, I stopped in at the Sho-Bud shop and chatted with you. I was new at the pedal steel, and it was always a learning experience for me as well as being a laugh. So thanks for both. Regretfully I recently sold that nice national Style 0 purchased from you, but still have those memories of the Sho-Bud shop. steve t

[John Roche]

Roger, this is the ZB you once owned

[Roger Rettig]

WOW!

Thanks, John. I think I can safely say that, while I played it on a few stages, I was never dressed like that!!!

Do you recall what all those pedals did? I'm still reeling from the realization that I can't for the life of me remember - apart from the main three 'Day' pedals - what the other two did.

Thanks for posting the picture.

RR

[John Roche]

When I had it was Emmons setup, I don't remember what the other pedals did, I barely new what the 3 I was using did , I think the first string was altered with one but can't be sure. Maybe Kevin Hatton would know as there can't be that many five pedal ZB 10 string steels..

[Roger Rettig]

Actually, John, they weren't uncommon. It allowed a player to opt for a single-neck guitar to be set up as a C6th-only steel.

Your one (my old one) had to have been switched to 'Emmons' (maybe by Eric Snowball when I traded 'up' to D10) as it was set up 'Day' for me. I didn't choose a 5-pedal guitar - it was just what was available in the store when I wanted to trade up from my ZB Student model. I loved the colour, so I went ahead and bought it.

I'm just pondering what those other two did. Maybe they weren't hooked up at all. I certainly was such a novice back then that I'd have been unable to make an intelligent choice about ADDING pedals to the already-confusing ones I had!

RR

[steve takacs]

Thought this might be worth a bump for those who might not know of this and other London shops that sold pedal steels in te past.

Jeff Mead recently mentioned this in a post by Olli Haavisto in the PEDAL STEEL section of The Forum.

[Frank Freniere]

Thanks for spreading the word, Steve - great thread.

[J R Rose]

Thanks for the BUMP Steve. I have never seen and maybe never would. It is a great read. Thanks Again, J.R.

[John Billings]

What a great thread! Loved reading every comment.