Sho Bud Pro

[Darrel Graves]

I'm cleaning up a Sho Bud Pro and will be putting it on the Forum once I get new Strings and polished up a bit. My friend Doug had this Guitar and never played it. His wife asked me if I would help sell it for her. The Serial # is 3288....can anyone tell me the date when this was made? Thanks for any help.

[D. Scheindlin]

From what I’ve seen that would put it at 1973

[Darrel Graves]

OK guys, here are the Pics of the Guitar (not cleaned up). The Case looks to be in pretty good for the age. The Ser#3288
Everything is Original, as far as I can tell. It has a Fender Foot Pedal that looks to be around the same period, 2 knee levers and 8 foot pedals. Doug, a friend of mine passed away a few years ago and his wife found the Guitar stuck back in the closet. She said that Doug bought this back in the late 70's and only tried to play it about 4 or 5 times, from what she remembers. It has a few small dings on the C6 fret board and some on the Cabinet. I'm just trying to help her. She's a very sweet lady and is on a fixed income so I am not getting any money from this. My Wife and I went to Church with her (Margie) and Doug back many years ago.

[Darrel Graves]

I'm not sure what the numbers are that were etched into the corner by "The Professional" logo

[Ricky Davis]

Hey Darrel; like D said: 1973 is correct; but I gotta throw in something. Actually it was built "April" 1973 and 1973 was the release of the LDG which actually came the next month in May. So from May 73 to May '74; all ShoBud's had the emerald "GREEN" added to the white texture spray they treated the underneath with(to commemorate the new Green LDG). So this Professional was the LAST month of the White Texture spray....yeeeehaaaaa.
Looks fairly clean underneath and top; so hard for me to say how much it's work; because I'm a full-time musician and everyone makes a million more bux than I do. Good luck.
(Oh can you say exactly what all the numbers are etched on that endplate/front corner? pic doesn't show the whole square ?????
Ricky

[Chris Boyd]

I'm guessing it's social security #'s...

[Darrel Graves]

both top and bottom numbers are the same. someone re-etched the numbers a second time because the top set were hard to read. OK....I just got off the phone with Margie and she said that the #'s are not Doug's SSN. She then remembered that the Guitar originally was owned by Doug's Father and he bought it back in early 70's, which might mean that it was purchased new, and when Doug's Father died it was then handed down to Doug. The #'s might very well be Doug's Father's SSN. Margie is in her late 80's so her memory isn't real good about details from that long ago. If she remembers anything else I will keep everyone posted. Doug's Father and Doug also only played music in Church. (Christian Family) No Drinkers or Smokers so the Guitar was in Smoke free environments. Not like some of us, huh? LOL

[Jerry Overstreet]

You should edit out the SS numbers in this text. Dangerous fodder for scammers and identity thieves. They are not necessary and have no meaning or purpose for the sale.

I would remove or obscure them from the guitar as well. I know that would be a chore but it needs to be done before it leaves it's current owner.

Back in the day, we were encouraged to engrave SS #'s on property so that we could recover stolen items if they were found but that was before we realized the damage that could be done with personal information.

[Darrel Graves]

Thanks Jerry....Wasn't thinkin bout the Bad People

[Jim Reynolds]

Darrell, do you have a price, for it?

[Darrel Graves]

Sorry Jim, I don't have a price....I was hoping that someone from the Forum with a lot more smarts about Pedal Steel Guitars than I would help me out with a decent price range that would be fair. Like I said in my earlier Post...I'm not taking any money from Margie on selling this Guitar, but I want her to be treated fairly.

[Dennis Wireman]

Darrel I would say 1500 to 1800 price range

[Ricky Davis]

Darrel I've been doing restorations and repairs/set up on Sho~bud for over 25 years. Here's my take on what we have here and most will want to add two knee levers to make it more currently available to play.

Yes the lever kits for RKR and LKR with two pulls each with rack and barrel...those two kits are around 150-170 a kit from the ONLY machinist for correct parts these days and that is Michael Yahl at www.psgparts.com

So just parts your looking at at least 300.00 bux. Then if I do the work; I can tell you already that that steel sitting in a case for 40 years, ain't gunna move very smooth at all. You can see dried oil/crust on many parts; that will inhibit movement. Also the fingers would have to come out and get pivots lubed....and then new knees put on and strung up and tuned up....I would probably do all that labor for 300.00 if that's all the labor it takes....It does look fairly good underneath....and I can probably get to the finger pivots with no rods and strings on it and drop oil and move....so maybe even 200.00 to 250.00 my part. But you are looking at parts and labor. 500.00 to 550.00. So to me; that Professional is worth 1500.00 to 1800.00 then add 500.00+ ish; so it all done then would be worth 2000 to 2300 bux...that seems about right to me.
Ricky

[Darrel Graves]

Thanks to all that gave an interest to the Sho Bud Pro. I will inform Margie of all the offers made and will let you know what she decides to do. A special thanks to Ricky for the great info that he gave.

[Ricky Davis]

OH you're very welcome Darrel; that is actually the explanation of my job: "I take old Dead Sho~Bud's and make them New and ALIVE".....
So anything I can do to help that happen; whether I do it or not....to me; Sho~bud MUST LIVE ON.
Ricky

[Neil Lang]

WHAT RICKY SAID! Sho-Bud Must live on!!!

[David Zornes]

I will say this, once that ol’ Bud gets cleaned and new strings, depending on the ohms on the pick ups, it’s probably got a tone to live for.

[Darrel Graves]

IT'S GONE TO A NEW HOME GUYS. THANKS TO ALL THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. DONATION TO THE FORUM WILL FOLLOW UPON COMPLETION OF THE DEAL. ONCE AGAIN THANKS

[Paul E Vendemmia]

Ricky you forgot to add in for refinishing the end plates. you have to removed those numbers And that's not easy to do. then you have to re polish both end plates so they look the same. I would charge around $150 to $200. Buy the way don't ever stamp or etch the end plates. If you need to stamp do it on the underside somewhere. Just my 2 cents.

[Ricky Davis]

Paul; I haven't been commissioned to work on this. I don't sand and refinish endplates...I would send it out to be done. BUT this was something our society did back in the 60's and 70's; they would put their own SS number somewhere on their equipment so if found; it came back to them as owner. I would of put it underneath on endplate; not on finished front...but it was HIS and he can do whatever he wanted with it and he did...ha....But now the new owner has a number code already scratched on; so he's good to go..ha.(there's no name and birthdate to go with that number; so no thief can do anything with writing down that number; that's like just making up a number and trying to find who it belongs to.......NULL and VOID).
Ricky