Sho Bud Pro 3 questions

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 27 Sep 2004 5:58 pm

Hey folks,
I "obtained" a Pro 3 Custom a few months ago. The only possible serial # I can find is on the keyhead side underneath. It's #1-A-3 which is stamped onto the endplate. I'm wondering when it was manufactured, and was it originally a double-raise/double-lower or triple-raise/double-lower?(I just noticed that one of the changer fingers is triple/double and all of the others are double/double. Also, were the foot pedals the wider style like my old Professional? I noticed that the blue one on another thread that belonged to Bobbe had the thin pedals similar to the Super Pro Models. Thanks for any help.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 27 Sep 2004 6:26 pm

Martin; there were many many differences between all the Sho~bud models almost from year to year(I've been researching this mechanical history of Sho~bud for almost 10 years now). You would have to be more specific to your model; to tell when it was made because serial numbers don't mean squat and the stamped model number just tells that it's a Pro III or Pro III Custom.
All Pro III Customs had narrow pedals....>but the earlier "Pro~III" had wide pedals. But does yours have the "no tread" on the pedals or "Treads" on the pedals? I would assume yours has the "no tread" on the pedals since you said that most all the fingers are double raise/double lower with LONG nylon tuners as that was the first series Pro~III Custom and sounds like someone swapped a double/double with a triple/double finger for more pull on a particular string...hummmm(probably a compensator or split.)
So does yours have round crossbars or hex cross bars??
Ok that's a few questions I would have to ballpark the date of your Pro~III Custom; but if you wanted to get the exact year....>there would be close to 20 very specific questions you would have to answer; as again, Sho~bud did many many changes throughout all the years.
Ricky

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 28 Sep 2004 1:51 pm

Ricky, thanks for the reply. Mine says ProIII Custom. It has Round crossbars. It also has the small holes on the on the end-plate on the changer side of the guitar. I think I remember those being for tone toggle switches for each neck..??? A thought--the triple/double finger that was added fits nicely. Are they available to retrofit the entire guitar, or is it necessary to do this if I want to lower and/or raise strings a whole tone? (examples: The ability to lower strings #2& 6 on E9th a whole tone and raise strings 1&2 a whole tone on E9th) These are standard changes I have on my playing guitar. Thanks for any help.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 28 Sep 2004 9:19 pm

Ok cool; well if you have round crossbars than you got a GOOD ONE man...and that would put it in the 1978 area.
No it's not nessessary to have more lower holes to lower a particular string a whole tone....>heck I've made single raise/single lower fingers lower a whole tone and half tone with a split and raise other strings on that same lever...so nope; not nessessary.
I'd have to see it to tell you why someone may of put a more holed finger on a a certain string. But if you want more of those fingers you can get them from Duane Marrs as I'm sure that's where that extra finger came from in the first place..ha. www.duanemarrs.com
Ricky

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 28 Sep 2004 9:35 pm

Thanks again for the reply. Do you know where I could find a double/double changer finger? That way it would probably be all original.Thanks,Marty

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 28 Sep 2004 9:41 pm

Aha....the last Sho-Bud I had, I bought new in '82 and it had hex crossbars...and it was NOT a good one, like Ricky says....I didn't know about the round being good and hex being not so good. Thanks for the info, Ricky. My experience backs it up.

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 29 Sep 2004 6:25 am

OK guys,i just picked a beauty pro3custom,with hex shafts.what all i gotta change to make it a keeper? cabinet looks same,pullers looks same serial#12937 model#6164 tell me the troubles!!???

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 29 Sep 2004 7:12 am

Martin you can find ANYTHING and ALLTHINGS Sho~bud at the Duane marrs link I posted above pal.

Well Farris; it's not so much the actual hex cross bars as those were made out of good aluminum, it is all the pullers and mounting brackets that were made in cast molds with a mixture of inferior metal and then chrome plated. So in a nut shell; The pedal rods will waller out the holes in the pedal rod pullers and the set screws in the cross bar pullers would strip the threaded part of those casted pullers and eventhough the pullers seems snug on the cross bar; it would detune. The knee lever mounting brackets have been known to break quite often> and well I can go on. But Duane Marrs has replacement parts for all pedal rod pullers and all cross bar pullers(bell cranks) and knee lever mounting brackets and he makes them out of Aircraft Aluminum and they are "MACHINED" ah...ha.
Machined metal will always win over die cast parts in stability and overall sound of the instrument.
Don't get me started on my opinion of when Sho~bud sounded like a Sho~bud and when it stopped sounding like a Sho~bud; becasue I hate putting down any Sho~bud and many folks love the sound of the later model Sho~bud.
Ricky<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 29 September 2004 at 08:14 AM.]</p></FONT>

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 29 Sep 2004 7:19 am

THANK YOU RICKY,I am a machinist,so just as well go to cranking on old bridges port mill
huh! this is kindda what i thought,between Duanne and myself,we'll get this thing to honking!! THANKS A BUNCH RICKY
farris