The Steel Guitar Forum

.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

Garth..You have mail. If I were you, I would send David Jackson a card of thanks for that brilliant piece of engineering!! A 2nd week, blind, deaf apprentice toolmaker would have seen that this bracket design would'nt hold up!! Coop

.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

I've Never Broke One On Any Of My SHO_BUDS I've had 8 or 9 I don't hit Them At 90 miles an hour don't have to. No Kidding I've Never broke One. SONNY.

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Garth, your levers are very simple to replicate. Any welder/machine shop could do this at a reasonble price. I've made several crossbar brackets from steel, they work like a charm. My next project is replacing the fingers on my Sup-Pro. had'm ordered for over two months and still waiting.....guess they will eventually arrive ??? Question: Have you replaced the fingers on your SP?...if so, what did you go back with?<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Delbert Aldredge on 23 October 2005 at 03:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

Delbert you said:

<SMALL>My next project is replacing the fingers on my Sup-Pro. had'm ordered for over two months and still waiting.....guess they will eventually arrive ???</SMALL>

If you ordered them from John Coop; your going to have to practice your patience a little longer. The person that does the Chroming for John; had a leak in the tank and had to order new lining and that takes time. Also the person doing his Chroming does this as a side project to the mass amount of regular work he does; so you can imagine the backlog of work he has. Sure John can go to a regualar/other chroming company; but then that would be 50 dollars a finger please.....>is that what you want?? or console to the fact that many many factors are involved in doing this kind of work John does; and having to depend on many factors and other folks??
If it were me; and I ordered something from "the master toolmaker" John Coop and he said: "Oh I should have them done in a week or two"; and then something happens to put that off> I would not care one bit and tell him: "John; I don't care how long it takes; you are the best at what you do and there is no other person in the world that can make the parts like you do with perfection". But that's just me; cause I know the parts he does and I know the Man.
Sure; you can replicate the parts with hunks of steel; slapped together and sure it may work; but will NEVER be in the class of the extreme precision and perfection of anything John Coop makes.
When you inquire from John Coop's shop; you are inquiring and ordering "Rolls Royce" parts; that take time and precision; and if anything goes wrong in that line of attack; you'll have to know it is WEEEEEEEEELLLLL worth the wait. Or you can inquire to hundreds of Volkswagon shops and that's what you get....cheap and fast.
Garth; you would do well to inquire to John Coop about anything he has for you SuperPro to replace.
Ricky

Garth,
I am acting pre-emptively and have already ordered teardrop levers and replacement brackets for my Bud from John Coop....
He has been great to deal with, and when I get them, come on over and check them out!

I owned a Super Pro, and I believe every single KL pot-metal bracket broke on it sooner or later; had to have them all replaced.

I second Ricky. I guess that means I third John? <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by James Morehead on 23 October 2005 at 08:22 PM.]</p></FONT>

My Statement/discussion above, isn't particularly pointed directly at Delbert; eventhough it seems it's at his expense. It is trying to relay a very important messege to all(including myself) that wants to receive the great rewards of what John Coop Does.
I come across so many mogals in my restoration work. Just when things look like they're smooth sailing and in timely fassion....>BAM!!!...>something comes up. Everyone I take on; knows my schedule and what it takes to do this work and they are always sooooo patient with me. So all I want is for folks to be patient with the Person "John R. Coop Sr"> As he is a huge asset to me and all of us; and if we loose him, we WILL NOT get to keep and make our Sho-buds' be what they are SUPPOSED to be.
Sorry for the rant.
Ricky<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 23 October 2005 at 08:59 PM.]</p></FONT>

Could the changer fingers be made out of stainless steel?

No need for chroming.

Or would it affect the tone?

Richard..I tried stainless. Made the tone way to "Tinney". Tried 308 & 316 grades of stainless. The 1018 mild steel works! Not to hard, not too soft. Ask anyone who has put a set on thier Sho~Bud!! Remember, you HAVE to transfer the string vibrations to the cabinet in the most effecient way. If stainless or aluminum parts was better for the pull train, I assure you Shot would have used it!! Coop

I'm with Ricky. John can't help a breakdown/equipment failure. Crap happens. John is doing his best to get us our goods, but hurdles must be jumped, and obstacles must be overcome. John is leaping through firey hoops for us Shobud fenatics. Most of us who decide to buy something want it NOW. We are all used to running down to Walmart, ect. Few of us have dealt with a true CRAFTSMAN, like John. A true craftsman will make sure his product is utmost quality, or he will not sell it. And thats WHY John has my guitar, because I what it done RIGHT. Beings I want it right, it means I want the QUALITY that John is trying to do, not how fast he get my project out and in the mail. Hang tough John, things will smoothe out! I don't know how you do what you do anyways! <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by James Morehead on 24 October 2005 at 06:01 AM.]</p></FONT>

John C., what kind of chrome do you use? How does the chrome affect the tone? Isn't there a danger of the chrome chipping off of working parts? I understand the use of chrome on parts that show, like knee levers and pedal bars. But what is the point of chrome on unseen working parts of the changer and undercarriage? Just curious.

I ain't John, but I would imagine chrome takes care of corrosion problems, as well as adds beauty.

I'll jump in here for a moment

First, I don't understand why anyone would want to replace a clearly bad design with the same design. The channel stock construction is a mistake in itself and making it out of pot metal just adds insult to injury.

John Coop is not only a master toolmaker with a long career and vast experience, but he worked for Shot Jackson and learned what works and what doesn't for making a stable pedal steel guitar. When Shot lost control of the business the problems began. Fred Gretsch insisted on cutting any corner that would save a few bucks. Hence, the cheap metal and 'tearaway knee lever brackets'. As many have testified, they are an accident waiting to happen. When Coop makes parts, first and foremost in his mind is 'WWSD' (What Would Shot Do).

I'm sure there are others who do a good job of remanufacturing parts and retrofitting old Buds with different parts, but I can tell you that it only took one phone conversation with John to hear the reverence he has for the Sho-Bud sound and the physical design that achieves that sound -- and to deliver my guitar to him for a complete refit. I couldn't be happier with the results, and many others have had the same experience.

John Coop is the keeper of the flame.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps