Shobud ID assistance

[Bryce Van Parys]

A S10, clear finish, flamed maple bud is potentially available. I don't have enough photos of it yet to have a clear picture of what era/model we are talking about. The pot is stamped AB 93869A A-500K-OHM TypeJ The decal is Sho~Bud NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 3 pedal. two knobs and a switch in the center of the neck. I'm asking for serial number, and how many knees.

Where do I direct them to find a serial number on this?
Where do I go with that information to determine an era/model and fair price?

Thanks
Bryce

[Bryce Van Parys]

There is a very nice looking Bud out here, serial number 7606, with 3 pedals an no knees. (At least I'm told there are no knees.) It's nicely flamed, clear finish (fairly yellow), with 2 knobs and a switch. It's a S10 frame.

I don't have the guitar in front of me, but I am puzzling over a 3 pedal no knee guitar with 2 knobs and a switch on a single frame. Are these mods? Is this a nice Maverick missing a knee (or he just doesn't know where to look). Help with my curiosity!

Thanks
Bryce

[Michael Yahl]

Bryce,

From your description it sounds like it's a 6139. They didn't have a name for it at that time as it was the precursor to the Pro I. It most likely has the rack and barrel system under it unless someone has changed it.
It could have anywhere from 0-4 levers under it. Most were custom ordered and that's the variance.
A lot of guys really like them cuz of the sound. The sister model was a 6140 which had 6 pedals and no knee levers and was set up in a C6th tuning whereas the 6139 was set up e9th.

They were built during the Baldwin era and the serial numbers in the 7XXX range are a mystery as no one has come up with any verifiable dates and I've had conversations with David Jackson about them to which he replied that he doesn't remember anything wierd or special about that S/N series.
Anyway, most people believe that they were built in the late '60's.

Michael

[Ian Worley]

Based on the serial # it's probably from '69-'70, most likely has the wood wrap around neck (same as a Crossover) and not the typical aluminum tail piece found on the '70s Professional/Pro series guitars. It's not a Maverick if it has the knobs and switch.

The 7xxx serial numbers aren't too mysterious, they go from ~'66 to early '71 in roughly sequential order, serial #s 7001 to 8109. They restarted the numbering system at 1001 in early '71 (they then skipped over those numbers when they got to them in early '75). The earliest few 'Professional' guitars from late '70/early '71 still have numbers from that sequence, in the high 7xxx's and low 8xxx's. I'm not sure they called the S10 models 6138/6139/6140 yet at that point, I think that perhaps those model numbers coincide with the introduction of the Professional series with the cast aluminum tail piece. The end of the Baldwin run is also when they started using the rope inlay. The earlier Baldwin era guitars used different diamond or zigzag inlays, but some of the last models had the rope, and some of the earliest Professionals had the older style inlays.

Baldwin era S10 w/ wraparound wood neck:


6139 w/ aluminum tail piece:


An early "The Professional" with a 7xxx serial number and older style inlay:


A ~'71-ish S10 w/ a low 1xxx serial # but still with the wood wrap around neck, later style rope inlay