Sho-Bud Custom III with Custom II Model Number?

[Justin Shaw]

I recently saw a Sho-Bud D10, 8 & 4, that said "Sho-Bud" and "The Pro Custom III" on it. It all looked fine, and I remember the model number was 6155. However when I looked up the model number later it said 6155 is the Pro Custom II. But the Pro Custom II only had 2 levers. So it really seems like it's a III.

Does anyone have experience with this kind of mismatch? I don't have the serial number unfortunately.

[Kenny Davis]

Pro III guitars had aluminum necks. While the 6155 Pro II came standard with two knees, a person could order as many as they could afford. Mine came with four and now has five.

I know of one special Pro III guitar that was built with wood necks. If the guitar you saw was stamped 6155 then it was a Pro II.

[Mike DiAlesandro]

This one?

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-guitar/london/s ... 1637743688

[Justin Shaw]

This one?

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-guitar/london/s ... 1637743688

Haha yes that's the one!

[Justin Shaw]

Pro III guitars had aluminum necks. While the 6155 Pro II came standard with two knees, a person could order as many as they could afford. Mine came with four and now has five.

I know of one special Pro III guitar that was built with wood necks. If the guitar you saw was stamped 6155 then it was a Pro II.

Thanks for the reply!

Do you know why it would still say "Sho-Bud III" on it?

[Kenny Davis]

Probably was refinished. You can buy the decals for several models and put whatever you'd want when you refinish it. Personally I wouldn't do that.

[Justin Shaw]

Probably was refinished. You can buy the decals for several models and put whatever you'd want when you refinish it. Personally I wouldn't do that.

Ah I see. Hmm yeah I wouldn't do that either. Besides being a misrepresentation it seems like it would effect the value somewhat as well.

[Justin Shaw]

I got the serial number: 8842. And the model number is 6155. I guess that makes it a Pro Custom II built in 1975, but then with 2 knees added and re-badged to a Pro-Custom III. Hmm.

[Justin Shaw]

Sorry to bump my own thread, but is this thing worth buying do you think? It's in the link that Mike sent. I went from being curious to maybe buying it just because pedal steels are not common up here in Canada, and ones a 30 min drive away are even more rare.

[Roger Rettig]

Maybe a little high priced?

My Sho-Bud memories are tarnished by the frequent breaking of pot-metal parts in the undercarriage. I had a Pro-111; maybe the 11s had better materials. I don't know enough about it.

[Justin Shaw]

Maybe a little high priced?

My Sho-Bud memories are tarnished by the frequent breaking of pot-metal parts in the undercarriage. I had a Pro-111; maybe the 11s had better materials. I don't know enough about it.

Thank you for the input. That's the kind of worry I have as well, and I also don't know much about it

[Bob Muller]

Justin the Sho-Bud pictured in the link above was made before the pot metal parts were made. As for the decal it should say Pro II but that won't affect the playing of the guitar in any way. I have no Idea of the value of guitars in your area that would be a judgement call.

[colin mcintosh]

That guitar is a Pro III. I had one in the 70's.
With the Pro 3 the top of the apron/body joint is square.
The Pro2 has a radius.
I think I bought mine in 76 or 77. It was pre pot metal.
It was fitted with tapped pickups and 2x small switches just above the bottom of the end plate on the E9th side.

[Mike DiAlesandro]

That guitar is a Pro III. I had one in the 70's.
With the Pro 3 the top of the apron/body joint is square.
The Pro2 has a radius.
I think I bought mine in 76 or 77. It was pre pot metal.
It was fitted with tapped pickups and 2x small switches just above the bottom of the end plate on the E9th side.

[Charlie Hansen]

I don't know why people keep saying that steel guitars are rare in Canada: they are not. Just look around. Give Al Brisco a call.

[Justin Shaw]

I don't know why people keep saying that steel guitars are rare in Canada: they are not. Just look around. Give Al Brisco a call.

Maybe they aren't, but ones for sale definitely are. I know they're more popular out East and out West but here in Ontario you'll only find one if you go out of your way. I have been looking, but pedal steels for sale within driving distance come up very seldom. Everything on Al Brisco's site is on hold or backorder. I do appreciate your feedback though, and thank you for contributing to the thread!

Indeed, thank you all for your feedback!

I must say the varying opinions have kind of put me off. It does seem like it's a decent guitar, but I don't have the experience to know by looking at it. We're not even sure if it's a II or III. Maybe I'll make him a lower offer I'll think about it.

[Kenny Davis]

It's a square front Pro II that someone refinished and applied the wrong decal that has enough knees for most everybody but might be priced a little high. Offer them what you'd like to pay for it, and buy it if they accept. Easy!

[Ian Worley]

It's a square front Pro II that someone refinished and applied the wrong decal that has enough knees for most everybody but might be priced a little high. Offer them what you'd like to pay for it, and buy it if they accept. Easy!

What Kenny said. If the listed price is Canadian dollars it actually seems pretty reasonable - $3000 CDN = ~ $2225 USD incl a volume pedal.

It's interesting, the diamond inlay strips are throwbacks, the same as the later '60 Crossovers and the very early ~'71-ish Professionals, not the typical dark wood diamond inlay on the mid-'70 -> square fronts. Presumably just some leftovers they had laying around the shop in '75. This guitar does have pot metal fingers BTW, but that's probably it. The rest of the undercarriage is most likely the typical two-hole pullers, impossible to know though without a pic. It looks like the end plate window on the E9 neck has been hogged out a bit for some reason too, but it still appears to have the typical mid-'70s 2/1 changers on both necks. Again, hard to know why without a closer look.

[Dave Campbell]

this is a cool guitar.

going by the undercarriage, changer and body i'd say pro II custom. it has waffle style pedals and i'd expect to see skinny, but maybe somebody swapped them.

undercarriage won't have any pot metal.

the changer fingers are chrome plated pot metal. when they wear they get zingy, but with a c6 neck to get fingers from it'll probably go another 40 years or so before any real issues.

i had an ldg with the same changer/undercarriage.

if it was a half an hour from me i'd already be driving...strike up a conversation, and if you went home with that for 2500 CDN you'd never need to buy another steel. 3000CDN is pretty fair, but it's not super clean, and there's a puller there with no swivel that i see. easy to get parts for this from psgparts.com.

[Kenny Davis]

Forgot about the currency rate...If it's solid, never been in a flood and no severe cracks I'd say buy it!

[Mike DiAlesandro]

Heck...
We might as well look at some photos while we are discussing this Bud

[Dave Campbell]

you know, i can't find a pro II custom that has the same finish.

it's almost identical to this pro III except for the aluminum neck.

maybe a wood neck pro III? seems like something sho bud would have done to confuse us all.

again, i'd go see this guitar in a heart beat.

[Ricky Davis]

A "The Pro~III Custom" is a completely different Changer finger mounting; with axle in a completly different bracket; with completely different bracket underneath and NO Tailpiece; just a aluminum Neck goes around changer assembly; then the "The Pro~II Custom. So you are looking at a "The Pro~II Custom" > don't care what it says on the front; because it is a LOooooooong ways away from Pro3 mechanically. I can tell you 15 separate stories about the Decals and finishes; but I'm not going to....ah...ha...LOL....But I've taken apart and put together over 100 Sho~bud's in my 28 years of work on all models from Beginning to end of Sho-Bud history; and this is a "The Pro~II Custom" and if you think it's a Pro III cause of the decal; I have some Ocean Front Property in Arizona for sale for a Great price!!!!!! for you!!!!...LOL
Ricky

[Kenny Davis]

Dave - It's a Pro II. Very unlikely that someone was smoking crack at Music City Manufacturing when they stamped the model number. All logical signs point to a Pro II with
a mis-matched decal that a previous owner added. An original red guitar could fade over the years due to the water based stain. My beautiful blue guitar turned green in less than ten years.

I mentioned that I know of only ONE Pro III guitar being built with wood necks. A guy from Oklahoma City used to take vacation from his day job once a year and go help make guitars. He wanted the "new" updated guitar but hated aluminum necks. They let him build it, and it was stamped "6164" and he put the Pro III decal on it. One could argue that it was actually a Pro II with 4 knees, except for the model number! Once the square front "Custom" series started, the ONLY difference between the two models were the necks and how many levers came STANDARD.

A side story to further make my case: My round front Pro II was ordered not long after they became available. Paul Franklin Sr. built it in November of 1973. I ordered it with 4 knees. I paid an extra $200 for them. If I knew what to do with them and could afford it I could have had more. That's what I did a several months after I got it. While there for the vertical install, Duane Marrs called and asked me if I wanted him to change the undercarriage to a new and "improved" version. After he told me it was better, I told him yes. My 2 up and 1 down changer came back with a slight mod, and my barrels were gone and I suddenly had nylon tuners! The new version was the Pro III. Even if he'd put aluminum necks on my guitar, it would still be a Pro II...not a Pro II Custom or a Pro III.

Also, custom guitars were built at the Broadway Sho~Bud shop upstairs. There's no telling what came out of there! There has been several stories here about some of those guitars. Ricky Davis and Johnny Cox are the experts here.

[Kenny Davis]

I took too long on my post, and Ricky came in to help out! Thanks brother!

I told you he was 'da man!