Memories of the Sho-Bud shop in London

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 6 Jan 2008 3:24 pm

Ron Mawn wrote: The red LDG was one of many we ordered along with Blue and standard ones and one in Black with a ali neck.

I would love to see pictures of these gems. I wonder where they are now.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 6 Jan 2008 4:05 pm

Hi Ron, as others have already said, welcome to forum, your inputs will be very valuable for many of us on here. Thanks for kinda confirming that was my ZB S-10 in the picture. I remember it didn't take you long to swop the 2nd string double lower over on the day I got my Sho-Bud S-12. I'm drooling at the pictures you've given Ken to post for us to relive. It certainly was a Country music shop to a certain extent. I still find it amusing about the story you told me of the African Chief who walked in with his flowing robes, and said "What's the most expensive steel you have??" You sat him behind a D-10 Sho-Bud...he sat feet away from the pedals....strummed a chord.....pulled out a wad of notes, paid you and walked out happily with his new toy....wonder where in Africa he played that

Good memories mate....once again "WELCOME"

Micky Byrne

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 6 Jan 2008 4:14 pm

Micky. I was wondering what his band was called . There must be some good names.....

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 6 Jan 2008 4:16 pm

John, the big hair was fashionable in the 70's

I remember when we first met at a festival at Hemsby...double take Lol. Mine was natural though, "not" permed...those who've seen "Bad hair day" on my website would have seen

Roger...love the glasses in that picture

gone full turn, they are back in fashion again.Nice seeing Billy there too

Micky Byrne

Ray Kedge · Post by **Ray Kedge** » 6 Jan 2008 4:25 pm

I traded my ZB D10 for a Black LDG which someone had ordered but never collected it had the super pro inlay and under carridge but all the old wide pedals and curved knee levers ,John always wanted me to play a Sho Bud.
I still have the Dobro I bought from there in 1978 houndog 88 square neck.
Hi Ron good to hear from you.

Ray Kedge

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 6 Jan 2008 4:31 pm

Ray. when are we going to hear some of your playing?, we know you are ace on the western swing stuff now come along and don't let David Hartley get all the glory....

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 6 Jan 2008 4:33 pm

Ray, your D-10 ZB was the one I took home to East London by mistake after having a few pints in the pub with Eric

Had to go all the way back next day. Must have been too inibriated to even realise it was a D-10 case and not my S-10 case. Yes good to have Ron aboard at last

Micky Byrne

Ray Kedge · Post by **Ray Kedge** » 6 Jan 2008 4:42 pm

Thanks John,
When I get the new Bennett later this month I'll see If I can do something,haven't done too much of the good ole stuff for quite some time, the band mainly is into the modern country and line dance material.
I have trouble enough keeping up with my son our guitar player, he's into Brad Paisley and does a great copy of Nervous Breakdown, Mickey will tell you he's a monster player.

Ray

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 6 Jan 2008 4:59 pm

Ok Ray, but don't keep us waiting too long..........Love to hear you again....

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 7 Jan 2008 1:00 am

Too true John, Ray's son Steve Kedge is about 21 I believe and really is an awesome player, and also a "very" nice bloke, the irony is he hasn't been playing that long either, just a natural

Micky Byrne

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 7 Jan 2008 2:43 am

Back to the Big Hair and silly hats,

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Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 7 Jan 2008 4:41 am

I didn't know that Noddy Holder played a ZB

Paul Frank Bloomfield · Post by **Paul Frank Bloomfield** » 7 Jan 2008 9:29 am

I've got some wonderful footage (Thanks Slim) of Ray Kedge playing with his band Hickory Lake up Prestatyn
or somewhere for Welsh TV,it's very good !
Frank Bloomfield. Corfu

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 7 Jan 2008 10:55 am

Frank, can you upload it to youtube?

Larry Chung · Post by **Larry Chung** » 7 Jan 2008 12:30 pm

What a delightful read. Thanks for the lovely post and photos here, gentlemen. I've tried for years now to contact the elusive Eric Snowball about the ZB shop across the pond (unsuccessfully), and I'm glad to hear that so many of you frequented the shop (and owned ZBs, too). Happy New Year.

Cheers and ZBest to you,
LC

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 7 Jan 2008 12:35 pm

For some reason Eric doesn't communicate with people regarding steel guitar anymore. A great shame as was indicated earlier, he put the instrument on the map in the UK.

Ray Kedge · Post by **Ray Kedge** » 7 Jan 2008 3:00 pm

Frank,
I believe that I was playing the Black LDG on the Welsh video,the one that was purchased from Johns shop,and I done a straight swap for Slims D10 Sho Bud at Pontins that week.
It was strange, a complete Welsh Speaking country show we couldn't sing anything so we got to do two instumentals,Mansion on the Hill, and a medley of things with me, Slim and Graham Walker. Ah those were the days.

Ray

Paul Frank Bloomfield · Post by **Paul Frank Bloomfield** » 8 Jan 2008 1:13 am

Hallo John
For me to upload the footage of Ray onto YouTube
would be a feat of engineering for me so if you
send me your address I'll send you a DVD for free
and anybody else who wants one.
Larry
If you want the details of how to contact Eric,
E-mail me.
This was me with Eric four years ago in his shop
in Maidstone before we drove back to Corfu.

All the best
Frank. Corfu.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 8 Jan 2008 1:32 am

Frank I emailed you my UK address

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 9 Jan 2008 2:01 pm

Frank
Eric looks fit there. He is quite a character and you have to know how to take him.

Here's a picture of my 7 string ShoBro hanging on the wall in the ShoBud shop. I wish I still had it. I sold it in a moment of weakness to Bernard Neilson from Swansea in the early 80's. I used it on quite a few recording sessions.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 9 Jan 2008 3:31 pm

Ken, I can't be 100% sure, but that ShoBro may still belong to Alan Cook in Manchester. I saw it there a year or so ago when I went up to buy his Nashville 400, which I needed to replace my Vegas 400 that got destroyed in the house fire.He may have had it up for sale since,as he's often selling gear on the BSGA but I can't remember. There couldn't have been too many of those imported to these shores.I think we all live and learn, and as we start to age we realise that good gear is for keeps

Micky Byrne

Paul Frank Bloomfield · Post by **Paul Frank Bloomfield** » 10 Jan 2008 3:27 am

Hallo Micky and Ken.
Believe it not,I bought the Sho-Bro from Bernie with
the grand idea of mastering it but when I tried the
seven strings threw me so I sold it, but for the life
of me I cannot remember who to at the moment. I recall paying about 250 quid for it ! Hold it ! I remember now,it was a guy called Dave Painter who had
a blues band in Swansea,can't remember how much I got
for it.
All the best
Frank. Corfu

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 10 Jan 2008 4:50 am

Gerry Hogan has one of these 7-string Sho-Buds. If my memory isn't failing me, his is identical.

RR

Ron Mawn · Post by **Ron Mawn** » 10 Jan 2008 12:42 pm

Here is a brief history of the shop.
We moved to Tin Pan Alley in the mid seventies from Norbury in south london as this was more central for everybody, we started out with Sho-Bud guitar's and then added MSA guitar's to the range. Around 1978 the agents for Fender asked if we would take their stock of Sho-Bud /Fender psg on Commission which included A new double 8 1000, and a new D10 2000 and several
double and single neck lap steels. After the demise of Sho-Bud we started to get used guitar's for stock from visits I made to the USA and from Scotty's Music. At this period of time the vintage 6 string guitar was booming so psg stocks were not as large as before, In the early ninetes we started to get stock from Sierra in Portland and also some single 10's from Bennett guitars in the UK which we carried on selling untill 1997 when Les desided to call it a day.and as they say "that's history".

Ron Mawn · Post by **Ron Mawn** » 10 Jan 2008 12:49 pm

I forgot to mention that after early 1980's the shop changed it's name to Boogie Music.

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