The Steel Guitar Forum

I don't even own a Sho~Bud, but I think that this thread is fascinating and Gene is amazing and one of the helpingest fellows that ever walked the planet and sat behind a rectangular piece of wood with wires and incomprehensible mechanics that supposedly (in the right hands, but not mine) makes beautiful music.
Gene...you da man!!!
Duncan

Wow! This is all just too cool. Hi Gene, would you happen to have any information on a Pro 1, serial #16985?

Thanks!

Trevor Fagan
Trevor,
Guitar model 6148 Red, serial # 17681 built 4/16/82 in Conway AR. By two girls, Frieda Roberts and Evelyn Pratt. It was "Tuned and Adjusted" by Yasu Kamiya. Don't have a ship date.
Guitar model 6152 serial # 9613 built 9/25/75 by Shot Jackson. Shipped 9/30/75
Gene

Matthew Kay
Matthew,
Guitar model 6148 Red, serial # 9735, built 11/7/75 by D Marrs, Checked by Yasu Kamiya and shipped 11/14/75. Sold to George Alexander 6/21/76.
Gene

Frank Raines
Frank,
Guitar model 6166 serial # 17528 built 2/9/82 by Frieda Roberts and Yasu Kamiya, Tuned and adjusted by Yasu and shipped 2/17/82 to "The Music Mart" Smyrna GA. The guitar was a special order because of Aluminum Necks.
Gene

Norm Pratt
Norm,
Guitar model 6148 red, serial # 16985 built 8/31/81 shipped 9/8/81 to "Guzzards School of Music" In Rockford Illinois.
Gene

Good Morning Gene,
I would like to add my Thanks for what you are doing for us Sho-Bud owners. If I may, I have a Super Pro #15329 if you have any info on it. It has been completely redone and is beautiful. Also, it is signed by Lloyd Green and dated 01/04. That is about when it was redone then sold by Bobby's place in Hendersonville to the fellow I bought it from recently. I am not a pro player, in fact I am 70 yrs old and have only been at it for about 3 years now. Just thought it would be nice to know something about the steel. Thanks again and Bless you for all your time and efforts.

Jerry Grant
Bartlett, Tx

Gene!
What great information! Really helps straighten out the serial numbers. How about some of the earlier ones?
My Fingertip is #7-207-207
My rack and barrels S-10 is #7444 (might be in that range you mentioned that ShoBud kept for itself?)
My later S-10 is #6535
Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Best,
JB

Hi Gene, when you get a chance I'd like to know about the two I have: a rack and barrel professional, 7776, and an S-10, 9895. Thanks

Russ

Hi Gene,
Sorry to disturb your morning coffee.
This request comes via South Africa from Sweden.
My friend, Raymond has a Sho-Bud Pro III no. 11368, and would like to know the year of manufacture and whatever info you may have on this instrument.

Thank you so much for your time.
Regards,
Nic du Toit

Jerry Grant
Jerry,
Guitar model 6166 black with metal necks serial # 15329 built 12/12/79. Don't have a builder name. Checked by Yasu Kamiya. Shipped 12/18/79 to "Morrell Music Center" Bristol Tenn.
Gene

John Billings
John,
I don't have anything on 1-207-207 or 7444 sorry!
Guitar model 6139 Brown, serial # 6535 built 11/4/74 shipped 11/5/74 to Gretsch.
Gene

Russell Nugent
Russell,
Don't have anything on Serial # 7776! Guitar model 6139 Charcoal, serial # 9895 built 12/24/75 by D. Marrs
Gene

Nic du Toit,
Guitar model 6164 Charcoal, built 12/7/76 don't know who the builder was, shipped 3/30/77 to Stockholm Sweden.
Gene

Gene, you are amazing!..... never expected you to answer so quick.
My sincere thanks....I'm sure my friend will be so happy to have this info. Thanks again.
Regards,
Nic

gene: just bought a pro 2 serial number....12588...that i am getting ready to re-work. would like to know year mfg. if possible...thanks jack

Gene- My Pro II #5696, originally all brown, is an oddball in that it has both single raise and double raise fingers, with two hole pullers and nylon tuners.. maybe changed from barrels, maybe not. Any information you could give would be awesome. This is a fun thread, thanks.

Gene, I can't resist,... model 6160 #17200. Thanks for
all your work! Bill Flores

Thanks for the info, Gene!

Russ

Gene, thank you very much. I would like to add something here, and please don't take it the wrong way, because I think what you're doing is abdo-lutely wonderful. I don't know what year Gretsch became involved with ShoBud. But, I do think they came in with a well thought out, mature, business model. Something that Shot and David probably weren't that concerned about previously. They built guitars. I think that with Gretsch's involvement, things tightened up.
Now my guitar #7444 is a very early R&B model, a 1967. Yet it has a higher serial number than my 1974 guitar! And I've seen many other earlier guitars with serial numbers that just don't jive. I think that the confused, earlier serial number questions, unfortunately got passed on to include, wrongly, the guitars of the Gretsch era. You have been able to correct this mistaken assumption.
My 1959 Permanent has no serial number! And my Fingertip? #7-207-207? What's up with that wacky number? No one knows. I've been told by Ricky and Coop that it's a "first-run" guitar. But various sources place various dates on that run. From 1963 to 1965. I wonder what serial number is on our friend James' Fingertip?
Anyway, thanks for providing this great service to all of us ShoBud lovers!
Best,
JB

Jack Goodson
Jack,
Guitar model 6155, serial # 12588 Has no build date on record. However 12587 and 12589 were both built 10/17/77 so I think this should be good. All I have is the Model and serial number sorry.
Gene Haugh

Brian Herder
Brian, Guitar model 6155 serial #5696 built 6/13/74 by "Yasu" also checked by same.
Gene Haugh

Bill Flores
Bill,
Guitar model 6160 Blue serial #17200 built 10/15/81
shipped 10/30/81 to "Valley Arts Guitar Ctr" Studio City CA.
Gene Haugh

Gene, Thanks so much for the info on my SuperPro. Guess it will celebrate it's 30th birthday next week. I would never have thought it was bleached from black to the sort of transparent orange color it is now. But knowing it was once black accounts for the slightly dark graining in the finish. Someone did a wonderful job on it.
Again, Thank You,

Jerry Grant

Gene, thanks- My guitar was made on my wife's 16th birthday! That's a fun fact..