The Steel Guitar Forum

Dear Forumites ! Somehow I got the dreadful urge being a ShoBud owner someday...I learned at the forum that from a certain year on ,the undercarriage was made out of lesser quality metal and read stories about knee levers breaking in the middle of the best solo ever played by mankind:) I'm living in Germany and have no way to compare different models, there are only a couple of Buds spread all over the country. So maybe you can give me your judgment about those "pot metal" guitars. Are they really that bad and to be avoided or can't that be generalized ?
I'm thankful about any of your opinions. Have a great weekend,
Stefan

The Sho-Bud guitars from the "Super Pro" era (late 70's until company ceased production) were the models with the pot metal versus aluminum parts. These can be readily identified due to having a smaller cabinet, straight versus curved keyhead, and straight knee levers. The brackets holding the knee levers are the parts which have been known to fail, but quality aluminum replacements, (as well as most other parts), can be obtained from Forum member James Morehead.

Stefan,

I have both types. They are all great sounding and looking guitars. IMHO the older Buds look cooler but they're also bigger, heavier and more expensive too.

I agree with David... James Morehead is the man for parts. He can sell you the parts to make it into a solid reliable guitar or transform it into a cybermonster. He's a great guy with a real passion for the classic Sho-Bud sound. BTW, Don't tell him I said all this sweet stuff... It may give him a cavity.

I bought a new Super-Pro in '79 and played it for about twenty years. After about 18 years, I broke one knee lever bracket. Otherwise, I had no problems with it. Played through my Session 500, that Bud was the best sounding guitar I've had in nearly 50 years.

Actually, some of the early ones do have the curved keyhead. I had an LDG like this. On this forum they have been over-generalized as being inferior instruments, but I don't that is true. They are not like their earlier brethren, but they are very nice, and they have a more advanced changer (3+/2-), and play very nice and easy. I did have a knee lever bracket break on mine after many years of daily playing, so I can see why people complain about the inferior metal, but I have had parts break on other guitars as well. It's easy to replace some or all of the parts if you're worried about it.

What Danny said. I have two "Super Pro" era guitars with replacement aluminum knee lever brackets (only), and I love them. They play great and sound just as good as my earlier model Buds, IMO.

I went from a 2004 Mullen to a 98 Emmons LL II to an 84 Sho Bud Pro II. None of the other steels I've owned,(around 10-12 steels) had the tone this Pro II has. It also plays as good as the Mullen I had, and ain't broke nuttin on this Bud. I also have a 78 model Pro II, you have to look extremly hard to find a bar ding, or scratch on the cabinet. It also plays as good as the newer steels. And looks like a new guitar uderneath. Can't beat these ole Buds.

terry

The Pro-II "Customs" were made w/ pot-metal (white metal) changer and undercarriage. I have one and broke 2 knee lever brackets. I finally rebuilt it w/ all "Coop" parts. Although it still sounds and plays great, I can now take it to gigs w/o the fear of breaking a knee lever circulating in the back of my mind.


Here's a breakdown of Sho-Bud models:

http://www.planet.eon.net/~gsimmons/shobud/models.html

This was the 3rd Super Pro off the line, which I didn't know until recently. I got it around 1978. At the time I had an Emmons S-10, my 1st guitar, that sounded noticeably better and that's when I discovered that the Bud had a lot of pot metal parts. I was also working in a welding/machine shop. This guitar has had a lot of changes and the 1st was new knee levers, after I broke one. The neck is welded to the changer housing and I installed Kline keyless tuners. The fingers and nut rollers are brass/bronze on the E9 and aluminum on the C6. The changer housings were machined to accept MIDI pickups, that I've since taken off and it had EMG pickups, to cut through a rack of effects, as well as Emmons pickups to "warm up" the sound. (At one time it had pickups on both ends of the necks, for sound effects)
I've since put on Tonealigners and this is a very nice sounding guitar.

Thank you all for your input and opinions !!! Good to hear that in most cases the "pot metal" Buds are good for years and years of playing and delivering that great sound. I'll keep my eyes open for a Pro I - the one that was sold off the forum last week was a beauty

Maybe I was the one you read about,I had an LDG 1000 I got it brand new in late 1983/84..I could not get any bottom out of it so I replced the pick up with a Bill Lawerence STILL NO BOTTOMJust the typical Sho Bud Whine,I was on stage in the MIDDLE of my ride Spot light right on me that JUNK POT METAL LEVER FELL OFF RIGHT in the MIDDLE OF MY %$#@!$% RIDE!.I sold it the NEXT DAY!,Done without a Steel until I got my Franklin I will never EVER own another SHO BUD EVER!! I got rid of that one and I hope whoever put those^%$#@ Pot Metal Knee levers on Sho BUDS gets embarrassed as I did , Cheap &^%$#.
I'm just as Angry about this to THIS DAY as I was the Night it happened!,No sense in JUNK like that being made!,4 knee levers I bet they saved 10.00 compared to putting good ones on it. Totally STUPID!

My pot metal Sho-Bud had so little sustain it sounded like a banjo or like a good steel sounds when you play it with a plastic bar. Maybe the sound has to do with which parts of the guitar were built with pot metal. Mine had a pot metal nut and changer fingers that were not very dense. They felt and sounded like plastic when you tapped on them. Of course this guitar had the pot metal knee levers also. Horrible guitar.. I bought it sight unseen. At least it was properly setup by Terry Bethel who signed the undercarriage.

Greg

I will never EVER own another SHO BUD EVER!!

Two of the top sounding guitars are the Professional and the Pro II (with the birdcage changer) and if you spend some money, or time, to set them up right, they can be bullet-proof. This is one that I rebuilt in 1993, from a basket case and even the top was split in half. It now has a lot of mileage on it.

My one and only PSG is a 1976 Pro III and it must be pre - pot metal. The changer fingers look like they are made of aluminum, it's got the old style wide pedals, and it has chrome plated teardrop style knee levers that feel a little heavier than the later models.

I would think that perhaps the "pros" who ordered guitars in the pot metal era, didn't get the pot metal ones. If that's the case, there could be some great guitars from that era. Gotta believe the factory had all vintages of part lying around during changeovers. I do know that the "Jim Vest" pro-II custom that ended up in my possession had bell cranks and other areas of the guitar that were welded together. That guitar was build like a tank underneath.

Greg

I play one of those pot metal guitars every weekend . Broke ONE knee lever bracket after several years . It has great tone and sustain . Also have a '74 model . It has awesome tone and sustain too . They are well made guitars . NO MICA . I have other brands of guitars too but the old Buds are hard to beat .

never had a problem with mine

I have a 77 LDG, and I bought it new. It has the skinny pedals, and the tear drop knees. I have never considered buying another steel. Maybe I don't have any pot metal parts, but if I do, I will continue to play it. I would rate it as excellent. When I was ready to buy one, after I diddled around with a Fender 400, I went to Nashville, right to the Sho~Bud store, (the pictures bring back memories). And tried both Sho~Bud, and Emmons, and I was sold on the Bud. Plays better now than when new. After I adjusted it to fit "ME".

The Fender/Bud I have sounds great. Yes It broke knee levers, but after replacing them I never had another minutes problem. I just whis I could play it like it deserves to be played. All Wood No Mica. I had the changer apat. No plastic. I do warn anyine taking the changer isn't for the faint of heart. It is difficult to put back together when it all falls into the couch, but i was able to eventually put it togegether again.

Pot metal guitars can be made alot better, and reliable with a little help. Some have tried my new knee lever kits and really like them. We make them out of 6061 aluminum--you won't be breaking THESE babies! We are making many replacement parts, to overcome the potmetal. Those guitars of the potmetal era really can be fine guitars, with great tone, with a little TLC.

I am a happy satisified customer. His work is first class

James, I promise you - you'll be first I gonna contact if I get the chance to get a Pro 1 ! This lever looks simply beautiful.