How to buy a Sho Bud?

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 24 Feb 2019 4:48 pm

Carl Williams wrote:A Beaut Damir....great video as well! Carl

thank you for the nice words my friend ðŸ˜Š

Steve Sycamore · Post by **Steve Sycamore** » 27 Feb 2019 1:52 am

Damir Besic wrote:this was just done with my Pro III
https://youtu.be/5bGwE1h4ZhQ

That's a great example of the Pro III sound Damir - so organic, full and yet somehow whispy and ambient. And a beautiful, heart felt song it is too.

I'm very happy with the Pro III Custom you sold to me. As I've said before when you dig into the strings they jump right back at you with very spunky, almost explosive sound. I'm curious at why you didn't keep it, but your current Pro III is quite special with the natural maple and white fretboard.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 27 Feb 2019 3:16 am

Steve Sycamore wrote:
Damir Besic wrote:this was just done with my Pro III
https://youtu.be/5bGwE1h4ZhQ
That's a great example of the Pro III sound Damir - so organic, full and yet somehow whispy and ambient. And a beautiful, heart felt song it is too.

I'm very happy with the Pro III Custom you sold to me. As I've said before when you dig into the strings they jump right back at you with very spunky, almost explosive sound. I'm curious at why you didn't keep it, but your current Pro III is quite special with the natural maple and white fretboard.

thank you for a nice words my friend, Iâ€™m glad you like your Sho Bud, awesome guitars... unfortunately I canâ€™t keep all of my guitars, Iâ€™m in no hurry to sell any of them either tho ðŸ˜Š btw. best way to listen to that song I did, is by using a headphones, theeeen you can really hear what that guitar has to say lol ... actually, it turned out better then I expected...

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 1 Mar 2019 9:26 am

but then again, like Bob said, if you are buying a Sho Bud make sure it is in good working condition... this one is completely restored tho

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 1 Mar 2019 11:42 am

Damir Besic wrote:but then again, like Bob said, if you are buying a Sho Bud make sure it is in good working condition... this one is completely restored tho

In my own case, I always seemed to buy "bargains" with Buds.. They were typically well worn.. The 2 that I played on stage that were close to acceptable did not have the play wear.. Much older and wiser now, and it would seem that very well maintained, or totally rebuilt Sho buds are a better deal.. yes, you'll pay more money, but have fewer headaches most likely... That ProIII guitar that Demir posted looks brand new and is a gorgeous piece.. looks classic and "factory fresh" at the same time... Unlike a lot of Bud freaks, I happen to really like ProIII guitars.. They don't have the same tone as lets say a good round front, but not in a bad way.. They are still beautiful sounding guitars with a bit more modern sound.. Mine sounded great, and had long singing sustain.. It didn't like stage lights though, and that would always irritate me.. Still,,, I wish I had it back... bob

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 1 Mar 2019 5:37 pm

I am a fan of the Pro III as well.

especially this old roundfront

Tom Keller · Post by **Tom Keller** » 2 Mar 2019 8:16 am

I loved everything about the Pro III but the weight.

Regards

Tom Keller

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 2 Mar 2019 8:20 am

Tom Keller wrote:I loved everything about the Pro III but the weight.

Regards

Tom Keller

ðŸ˜†... I agree... thatâ€™s why I got a brand new Hatton split cases for mine ...

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 2 Mar 2019 8:22 am

Bob, thank you for the nice words my friend, I love everything about this guitar... but weight

Leslie di Leva · Post by **Leslie di Leva** » 2 Apr 2020 10:08 am

Hey Bob - I just purchased a 6140 - six pedals only - pedals to the left - not centered - it's being shipped to me - I will keep you posted - it's been referb'ed and in so called excellent condition - - i'm a newbie - maybe not the smartest choice - i like to tinker - looks like I have some work ahead of me. Thanks for all the open and honest opinions. -Les

Bob Carlucci wrote:
Craig A Davidson wrote:
b0b wrote: You can go to a steel show and never see one on stage. There's a reason for that.
Last year at Dallas there was at least one on stage.(Lloyd Green) We usually average at least one at our show every year. I own two Sho-Buds and tuning has never really been an issue. I can check my open tuning and run with everything for the night if I have to. They sound great and I would be hard pressed to part with either one. I can't believe Mr. Carlucci that if you are not that fond of them you would have owned around a dozen in your years of playing.
You have been reading something very different from what I have written here here my friend... I have stated in this very thread the fact that I adore Sho Buds, and yes, over 42 years I have had 12 of them... As a musician who was constantly on stage sometimes 7 nights a week , I simply found them much more problematic than other brands.. Bring them from a trailer to stage lights, and the guitars would be totally out of tune at the keyhead, and the endplates, I would tune completely, and after 1/2 an hour I would be touching up the end plate nylons again between songs.. things of that nature..

To be fair, a few were better than others, but some were just terrible.. My ProIII an an old 6140 that started life as a 6 pedal no knee rack and barrel guitar were the most stable, but neither compared to all the other brandsI played in a playing career that spanned over 4 decades.. I had no issues other than tuning with sho buds.. I stated more than once i do realize there are some good ones,,, However the fact remains, despite their great looks, fantastic sound, and easy playability, few are used by pro players these days, However you see old Emmons guitars everywhere.. Why would that be? tuning stability is not a weak point on an old Emmons.. I have talked to many great players with a lot of experience that have buds, love them, but keep them at home because of tuning issues.. Again not all, some are stable no question..

There's a very good player here on this forum, a well known guy that every single person here on this forum knows and likes very much.. He rarely comments in this type of thread and I cannot name him, but he PM'd me on this subject with these words about Sho buds..
"I like them, I've owned them, but I've never met one that would stay in tune".. That is the experience of some players.. If you have a truly good one, don't sell it.. bob

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 2 Apr 2020 10:40 am

I highly recommend a Sho-Bud, they are easy as pud to work on, simple and effective. As far as tuning stability? thats typically your strings that change with your heat from you're hands, the guitar seldom flexes with body heat. You'd do well to have a wound 6th string, oh and the lacquer is beautiful.

If you're rods don't have enough end play you can have tuning issues, thats a physics thing not a sho-bud thing, but often overlooked, i think it's like a 16th or so to allow for temp expansion.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 2 Apr 2020 12:05 pm

I may be alone in this, but if I wanted a guitar that sounded like a Sho~Bud, and looked as good, but with a better undercarriage, I'd be getting a Fulawka. Admittedly, I've never played one, but the ones I've heard and seen were truly beautiful guitars, and the sound was very reminiscent of the older Sho~Buds.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 7 Sep 2023 2:07 am

I look at it like this, I have a house full of pedal steels both old and the newest designs available. I won't grab my new Paul Reed Smith or Yamaha Grand piano if I want an old Telecaster and Steinway sound, two different animals. Such is the old Sho-Buds. Early Emmons push pulls, ZB's and Fenders all had very unique voices largely do to drastically different designs and today it's impossible to get a piece of wood that's kiln dried and only 5 to 7 years old to sound like a 60 year old piece of wood. The older the violin the sweeter the music has real meaning.

Jon Irsik · Post by **Jon Irsik** » 7 Sep 2023 11:16 am

Old thread, but I'll chime in nonetheless.

My lovely wife gifted me a pristine 1973 LDG a couple years ago, I found it and she paid for it. It was a dream of mine to own a first year LDG and while it might not be the latest or fanciest guitar with all the modern changes it sounds like a million bucks. I'll play it until the day I die.

I'm primarily a guitarist and in the world of vintage guitars the caveat is that older guitars require maintenance, upkeep and you sometimes have to work around the instrument's quirks. I guess it's the same with these beautiful old Sho-Buds and I'm happy to be the caretaker of this fine guitar.

David Ball · Post by **David Ball** » 7 Sep 2023 2:52 pm

I've had a bunch of Buds and a couple of Jacksons over the years--the Jacksons have all of the good Bud stuff going for them, but have a lot of mechanical improvements too.

But my favorites are still the couple of old Madison permanents I have. Not the easiest or more flexible to set up (though really not that hard once you get it), but they stay in tune, play well and have an incomparable sound. Not the best platforms for lots of knee levers, but in the day they were built there wasn't yet any demand for that many changes. Still, I've got to say my favorite steel guitar sounds are from that era. My earliest permanent with 6 pedals and no knees still does the job and does it with tone.

Dave