The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello Everyone,

I have a copy of the original production card for my 1973 Sho~Bud Pro~II; serial number 3606. It was a custom order and was built by Paul Franklin Sr. with 5 knee levers. The card says it was shipped to Sho~Bud in Nashville on 7/5/73 for a (Gene Schibell). Does anyone know anything about this man? I figured he must have been a professional steeler ordering a Pro~II with more than 4 knee levers. I would enjoy knowing the history if anyone has some.

Respectfully,
Cody Stewart

Cody,

Gene was from the New Jersey area. I first saw him play in the 1970's. He was the man for Steel in that area for all us up and coming players. We all tried to play like him.

Very good players. He has since past.

I knew Gene Schibel very well. His name was usually misspelled. He lived in New Jersey and got me, Jack Stanton and some other N.J. and Pa. guys started on steel. He never lived in Nashville but he played full time around central Jersey and Pa. Gene passed away on Nov. 26 2011, he was 69.
He and I went to Nashville to pick up a black Sho Bud on a
Thanksgiving weekend but I don't remember what year it was. After his passing I helped his widow sell about half of his equipment. One steel was a green Show bud that Johnny Cox bought.
He never played the black "Bud" out for some reason and I don't recall him playing the green one out either. He had nine steels and 17 amps. I believe all of his steels were eight pedal five knee lever instruments. He usually played Emmons P/P guitars when I saw him.
Gene was a dear friend to most everyone he knew and was always there to help us learn what these 20 string cheese cutters were for!

Ben, do you remember this Sho~Bud at all? I got it from Winston May near Lexington Kentucky this past spring. I totally refurbished it. Would have never guessed it was an east coast guitar. Now it’s with me in Northern Michigan. If it could talk it would tell some stories I’m sure.

Cody I've never seen that steel. Gene had been playing for years before I met him so I haven't been aware of all the steels he's owned. Gene was very particular about his steels and he would buy one and sell it almost overnight.
Here's a pic of Gene on the black Emmons and me on the rosewood one. Pic was taken around 2010 at the "Landslide" in Asbury N.J.

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Ben Lawson wrote:Cody I've never seen that steel. Gene had been playing for years before I met him so I haven't been aware of all the steels he's owned. Gene was very particular about his steels and he would buy one and sell it almost overnight.
Here's a pic of Gene on the black Emmons and me on the rosewood one. Pic was taken around 2010 at the "Landslide" in Asbury N.J.

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Great info Ben. Didn't know Gene was 69 when he passed. I believe I was just 17 or 18 when I first saw Gene play at the 4 Acres in Hightstown, NJ. When I was 22 I moved to Nashville and lost track of everybody.

What happened to Gene's push pull?

Ron

Ron,
I had one of Gene's old push pulls. It was a matte finish rosewood fat back with black wood necks. Brown badge, wide pedals and a red "pray it don't rain" case. I bought it probably an 82 and put original bill Lawrence 705's on it. Sold it way too cheap because I wanted guitar with metal necks. I still have the original pick ups, they're wound around 16.5 ohms.
For some reason I remember the black Emmons in the picture as being a Legrand, but Ben would know better than me.
Gene was quite a character and a really great guy.

Ron, Gene's steel in the picture seems to have vanished. After I helped Fran sell some of the equipment she kept only that one. She told me she wanted to keep it while she she was still with us then it was mine. Fran had terminal cancer so she knew she didn't have long. I offered to buy it but she said I could have it for helping her. It was in the basement of a relative after her passing, but I was told it was hard to get at and I would be called when they could get it out. I never got that call and my calls were never returned. End of story! I assume someone sold it rather than give it away. The sticker on the front of the steel says "Sage". That's the name of a band Gene played in.

Jack, Gene did have a Le Grande but the one in the pic was a P/P. The LG was sold in a package deal Fran made to a collector I believe. It's been a few years and I was not involved in that sale.