The Steel Guitar Forum

Greetings Everyone.
I have been skulking around the forums for a week or so trying to find some basic information.
Here is my situation. I had a Maverick back in the late 70's that I played (I was a rank amateur). I haven't touched a pedal steel since then but have always wanted to really learn. The other day I found an old sho bud (I believe it is a professional) at a local music store. It has been sitting in a foam case for who knows how long and all the foam has disintegrated and is stuck to the guitar/in the guitar. I am working on cleaning it up.
I can't post pic right now but it is a single neck, round head, has 3 pedals (about an inch or so wide) and 4 levers.
Is there a place on the forum that has info on the basic set up of the undercarriage? I don't remember my maverick having levers and if it did, I didn't use them.
I am trying to locate some musicians in my area(Rochester Ny) but they seem to be few and far between. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Mike

Michael Mathieson wrote:
I am trying to locate some musicians in my area(Rochester Ny) but they seem to be few and far between. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Mike

Dave Borissoff, the owner of Hipshot products is located in the Finger Lakes Area. Dave is a fine steel guitarist, and he plays a Sho-bud. He could probably help you.

I have the next generation shobud..referred to as brass barrels behind two hole pullers.

The Professional model is referred to as rack and barrel..

On the two hole puller setup...I had to learn that endplate tuning is done with the change engaged so the spring end will hook on the puller and force the barrel cap to rotate. i bet you need to do the same.

Id suggest a forum search on .'rack and barrel'.

Welcome, Michael.

A few photos would do a world of good towards identifying the guitar and advising on how to proceed.
Your 'inch-wide' pedals are in conflict with this being as old as a The Professional. Narrow pedals came in later. (Any guitar could conceivably have had parts swapped and wide-for-narrow pedal swaps are not at all unheard of).
Like I said--pictures, if you can, will turn this from general talk to very specific knowledge.

Welcome Michael! I'm in your area (Chili Center to be exact) but am a relative newcomer at 3 years in, and have had zero experience with Sho-Buds. Let the experts here provide the advice on your instrument, and if you would like a get-together sometime maybe I can provide some learning help as someone who is not all that far ahead of you.

Hi Mike,

Welcome to our obesession (a.k.a. "nice little hobby").

Photo shows a "Professional" rack-and-barrel mechanism (bracket with stop-screw is removed for work). The right end-plate (when you're sitting behind the guitar) has one upper and one lower row with adjustments made with a hex-head allen wrench. Great guitars!



Excellent summary of Sho-Bud models here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... ca60c249a4

Keep in mind that there are lots of "Franken-Buds" out there. By no means is mix-n-match of parts confined to Sho-Buds, but the subject does come up.

Regardless what model it is chances are you can get it working and enjoy the heck out of it.

Meeting with other steel players is a great idea. They will show you how their guitars work, help you get your's dialed in, and things will start making sense.

I finally have some pics to post. Any help identifying just what I have would be appreciated. As one of the posters above said, It might be a "Franken Bud" I never heard that term before, but I like it! LOL. I posted a pic of the case it was in too so you can see what condition it was in before I started to clean it up. Thanks, Mike

Tom Gorr wrote:
On the two hole puller setup...I had to learn that endplate tuning is done with the change engaged so the spring end will hook on the puller and force the barrel cap to rotate. i bet you need to do the same.

Id suggest a forum search on .'rack and barrel'.

why would you assume that when he didn't mention anything about it?

turns out it's not rack/barrel or two-hole puller.
it's a previous model.

The suggestion of looking for rack and barrel was in relation to the following information:

Michael Mathieson wrote: The other day I found an old sho bud (I believe it is a professional) at a local music store.

....
Is there a place on the forum that has info on the basic set up of the undercarriage?

AS IT TURNS OUT...I'm having a rather hard time reconciling what I see in the pics with what I understand about the professional model.

It looks like a pro I for the most part. But it also looks like knee levers from a pro III or super pro.

Further looking at the pictures caused me to edit.

I've never seen a sho bud cabinet like that.

If you could track back from the music store it might be possible to find out where it came from. I've got a theory, because I've seen some Franken-Bud work similar to this several years ago.

Probably enough said.

As I started to clean it up, I have found some of the rods are bent, and some parts are missing. I talked to the owner or the shop and he is willing to take it back and swap me for an intact Emmons 10 string that is already set up. I am going to look at it this week. I don't want to have to find someone to re do the entire undercarriage of this guitar. Mike

Unless you really want a big name brand instrument, you might want to look into something newer such as an Encore of Stage One. Those are fine entry lever steels and technology has come a long way from the "student models" of years back. If you are just getting started, something like that will be more than enough steel for you for many many years to come.

You can do a search on here for "first steel" and "what steel should I buy", we have had a great many such threads just in the relatively short time I have been on the board.

a friend had one similar to that many years ago. though i see some differences. who knows..as skip says, there are lots of variations in the sho-bud line.

Tom Gorr wrote: AS IT TURNS OUT...I'm having a rather hard time reconciling what I see in the pics with what I understand about the professional model.

as i said, it's a previous model.
at least that's how it appears to me.
obviously the op didn't know.

Michael Mathieson wrote:I talked to the owner or the shop and he is willing to take it back and swap me for an intact Emmons 10 string that is already set up.

Unless the Emmons is a complete basket case, I would run -- not walk, run -- back to that music store and do that deal.

I don't think that's a Fingertip or Permanent. I think it's a FrankenBud, and I'd jump on a trade out, unless you want to spend a long time learning to work on fifty-year-old guitars before you get around to PLAYING fifty-year-old guitars.

Did this story ever reach a conclusion? Did you trade the Sho-Bud back for the Emmons? We're all still hanging on pins and needles, unable to eat or sleep, until we hear how things turned out!

I just got back from House of Guitars in Rochester yesterday and they swapped me for an Emmons. (or what I believe is an Emmons) I learned from my 1st experience that I don't know beans about these things. 3 Pedals and 1 lever. Anyway, I am going to restring it and tune it this week. I figure I can at least get started with it and see how it goes. I still have to get a volume pedal.
Thanks everyone for helping me out so far. I am sure I'll have tons of questions. If I get annoying, let me know! Mike

Welcome Michael! This is far and away the most comprehensive resource for the steel community. That said- if you THINK your replacement guitar is an Emmons, and the retailer didn't do their homework on the first one, it is possible that regardless of their intent, House of Guitars may be jacking you around just a bit. You may wish to post pics of this new guitar for some feedback on the what you've really got there. I know I'm curious.
Best of luck,
-Pete.

Michael Mathieson wrote:... 3 Pedals and 1 lever.

Winnie Winston's book is written for 3 and 1. It's a good book to get you started.

That Sho-Bud Is a S-10 Fingertip, should be a nice guitar with some work. It will be interesting to see what you traded for.

OK folks here are some pics of my guitar.
And Mike, Thanks for the tip on the book. I already have it. Glad to know that it will serve me well.




I am going to clean it up and restring it today.
Mike

Looks like you traded for the Emmons student model, post some photos of the underside. What did the store want for the Sho-Bud?

I'm being frustrated by the changer pics. But I zoomed in, and it's a Fingertip. It has the squared axle blocks, the "C" clips connecting the pull rods to the changer. The pedals have been cut narrower. The cabinet is the Fingertip style. An S-10 Fingertip is a very rare guitar! Only 4 or 5 that we know about. I'd love to restore it! Get those lame knee levers off, and put on a bunch of the teardrop levers. These guitars sound fantastic! Think Panther Hall!

John several of the fingertips that I have had the narrow pedals. If you look the spacing is closer on the first 3 pedals, most were made that way. The knee levers look like they were from the late model Sho-Buds, they were added later I am sure.