Sho-bud Custom

[Gary Hamblin]

I have acquired a Sho-Bud Custom.Can anyone give me any info on the year and if they were pretty good guitars.All the workings on the C6th are pretty much missing.I will probably make a SD10.Thanks
Gary

[Ian Worley]

Yep, it's "Custom". It looks like it actually is a mid-'70s Pro III that someone "customized" with a can of black Rustoleum, some vinyl lettering from the hardware store and some metal trim strips off a '73 Buick. There's probably some really nice birdseye maple hiding under all of that if you wanted to do a refinish. It has the longer body so it's from ~'74-'77. Based on the tear drop knee levers visible in the pic it's probably from the early end of the Pro III production run, '74-'75, with two hole pullers, a really solid system if well maintained. Two raise/single lower changer is really solid too, if it has the two raise/two lower changer those were a different scissor design, less durable over time. You can find the year/month of manufacture by the serial# from this list: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... 49#1951049.

It's hard to give much feedback from just the one pic, some pics of the underside would help.

[Lee Baucum]

Ian, I was thinking maybe '71 or '72 Buick. Possibly Oldsmobile.



~Lee

[Gary Hamblin]

Thanks for the info.I will post more pictures.

[Gary Hamblin]

This is what I found after removing the mica.Im excited now.

[Lee Baucum]

[Ian Worley]

looks better already

[Ricky Davis]

Gary told me it is the double raise/single lower changer; this is first changer after "barrel tuning single/single"...so I have it pegged in the late '74 to '75 era. Course if Gary will just post the serial number(stamped on endplate underneath the keyhead end) and on wood; but that may be crapped out.
Ricky

[Ricky Davis]

Ok Gary just told me the serial number has it at September 1974. Wow...this is one of the very first "The Pro~III Custom" built...yeeehaaa great discovery.
Ricky

[Jay Jessup]

FWIW I bought the very first Pro-III Custom to hit Metro Music in Richmond VA, I think it was sometime in the summer of 74? Same finish as Gary's but it had a round front cabinet so I've always guessed they were using up some cabinets they'd already made as every Pro-III or II steel I saw after that had the square fronts.

[Kenny Davis]

Ok Gary just told me the serial number has it at September 1974. Wow...this is one of the very first "The Pro~III Custom" built...yeeehaaa great discovery.
Ricky

That's good info Ricky - That helps me date when Duane Marrs added my vertical and offered changing to the nylon tuners on my Pro II. You may remember he only modified 4 & 5 to double raise, not all. He said they were just coming out with the new pulling system and suggested it to me. My guitar would have been 1 year old in November of '74.

I know you disliked what he did, but I don't think it affected it in a bad way!

[Ricky Davis]

Yeah Kenny I love that he did that at that time they decided to go to a nylon tuner and get rid of barrels because he just added a raise hole to the strings that raised twice to do that, so he kept the 6061 aluminum tops best sound shobud ever had, then when they started making a double raise single lower finger, that's when they started using a casted pot metal top.

Hey Jay like Kenny said all that was starting to change at the time they made yours that's why I think you actually may have a round front with extra raise whole added to 4th and 5th strings???? Pro 3 custom as they were still making just regular Pro 3 custom?
Ricky

[Skip Edwards]

Here's a couple pics of the only round front Pro III I've seen. it has the extra raise holes on strings 4 & 5.

[Ricky Davis]

Here's a couple pics of the only round front Pro III I've seen. it has the extra raise holes on strings 4 & 5

That's awesome Skip; do you have serial number??
Ricky

[Skip Edwards]

Sure don't. It's not my guitar. Kinda wouldn't mind if it was...

[Gary Hamblin]

This is the the sticker I found.

[Gary Hamblin]

Should try to fix this damage or just leave it alone?

[Gary Hamblin]

This the finished product.

[Brian Herder]

Just for some more time frame reference, I have a round front Pro ll with the nylon tuners and only a few two hole raises that was completed 6/13/74 and a friend has a square front Pro ll Custom with the same changer situation that was completed in early July 74. Good save on that Pro lll Gary!

[Gary Hamblin]

Thanks Brian.