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Topic: Please help identify Sho-Bud |
Todd Chambeau
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2008 9:00 pm |
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I am trying to identify the year and model of an old Sho-Bud that I purchased.
The finish was stripped and it has an unusual set-up of 3 knee-levers and 4 peddles. The stamped serial number is 2673. The steel sounds great and I am also wondering if this is the orginal pick-up.
I am a guitar player that is just starting to learn the peddle steel so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Todd
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 27 Jan 2008 9:39 pm
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It's a 6140, circa 1971-73.
6140 was the designation for a S10 rack and barrel that came from the factory with 6 pedals. You can see that the last two pedals have been removed. They were listed in the catalog as having 0 KL's, but anything could and did happen at the factory, and who knows when the KL's were added.
As far as the p/u, it's probably original. I thought the p/u's with the screws (two on one side, one on the other) didn't show up until '74 or '75, after they went to two-hole pullers, but who knows...
With a little TLC, this could be a swingin' gtr. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 27 Jan 2008 9:46 pm
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Great-looking Sho~Bud! Nice road machine, if you ask me. No lacquer to worry about!
Best of luck in your endeavours with the pedal steel guitar!
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 27 Jan 2008 10:39 pm
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| The two missing pedals could be put back fairly easily, since all the linkage is still there. |
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Jon Hyde
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2008 10:56 pm
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| I bet that's a cool sounding steel! A lot of folks consider the old rack and barrel Sho Buds to be one of the best sounding steels out there. I think they sound great. Spend some time searching the forum (search the old forum too) for Sho Buds and rack and barrel and professionals. There is a ton of great info there and I know I've learned a lot! The guitars that I've seen from this era typically have pickups with screws that only hit the bottom part of the pickup - they don't go through the top... |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 12:08 am
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looks cool - i would never do that to the finish of a Sho-bud, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one that looks like that, a bit like Rory Gallagher's Strat.
you've got the unparallel pedal rods thing happening though, I see - at the pedal connection etc ...
...that could be cool, too |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 4:36 am Nice Bud
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You do need to move that 4th pedal rod to the right side of the pedal to even the spaceing up.
_________________
Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 9:12 am
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Actually, the fourth pedal rod is the only one that's on the correct side! Just unscrew the ball, and re-install them on the other side of the first three pedals.
There are a couple of unused baskets that could probably be rigged for two more knee levers. |
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Todd Chambeau
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 7:01 pm
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Thanks for all of the replies. Is a 6140 considered "The Professional" or is it a ProI or Pro ll model? Believe it or not a retired guy who I did tree work for sold it to me for $50 with a small Peavey amp to boot, he told me later he was about to throw them both out to the curb!! I've been due for some good luck. I've been playing guitar, mando and some banjo for over 25 years so I am picking the steel up probably a little better than a complete beginner.
Anyway, I just got the Bruce Bouton dvd and Dewitt's Mel Bay book, it seems that my B and C pedals are what they teach as A and B pedals on the DVD.
Here is my complete set-up in E 9 tuning.
Pedal 1: changes my 6th string from a G# to a G
Pedal 2: changes both my 10th and 5 th strings from B to C#
Pedal 3: changes both my 6 th and 3rd strings from G# to A
Pedal 4: changes my 4th string from E to F
Knee Lever 1: changes both my 4th and 8th strings from E to F
Knee Lever 2: changes both my 4th and 8th strings from E to D#
Knee Lever 3: changes 2nd string from D# to D
I am sure there is no one way to set-up a steel, but I sure would appreciate any opinions about this set-up. I would also like to get the additional pedals and levers since it is set-up for it. Any advice on where to go for that?
Someone mentioned that this a " rack and barrel setup"? Is that the type of linkage in the undercarriage? The pedals and linkage do seem a little noisy, but I have not heard any other steels in person. The steel itself has been blowing me and my friends away, sound quality wise.
Sorry for so many questions, I am just trying to take this all in.
Thanks again for all of your help
Todd |
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James Collett
From:
San Dimas, CA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 7:22 pm
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Lucky dog! 
My understanding is that R/B Bud's take a bit of adjustment to get into shape, but once they're properly set up are amazing instruments. You also might want to revise setup to something like this:
| Tab: |
LKL A B C LKR RKL RKR
F# G
D# D
G# A
E F F#D#
B C# C#
G# A
F# G
E F D#
D
B C# |
_________________
James Collett
Last edited by James Collett on 28 Jan 2008 7:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 7:44 pm
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Your pedals 2,3,4 are the standard E9 pedals...almost. Your first pedal is doing something that a KL would usually do. Note that the 3rd pedal (your 4th pedal), should be pulling the 4th string to F#, and should also pull the 5th string to C#.
I called it the 3rd pedal because that's what that change is usually referred as - 3rd, or "C" pedal.
This model is called a single neck Professional. It came out before the ProI, but it's pretty much the same thing.
Rack and barrel... you bet. It's a cool system. A little clunky, but totally versatile, fast and accurate when set up right. |
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James Collett
From:
San Dimas, CA
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Posted 28 Jan 2008 7:47 pm
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Also, 4th pedal redundant w/ 1st KL- no need for both
_________________
James Collett |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 29 Jan 2008 1:06 am
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the first three pedal rods are perpendicular to the body. the last one isn't. maybe pedals 1-3 will need to be shifted to the right if their ball joints are switched over. probly best just to switch over the 4th one and have them all wrong.
Great buy |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2008 11:04 am
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here's the corrct position for the pedal rods.
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Brian LeBlanc
From:
Falls Church, Virginia, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2008 1:47 pm Distress'd
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$50 !!!
I just spent $2k for a Pro 2 
...& I thought my 6139 would win most "distressed" finish...(or lack of finish)...until now
_________________
'Frenchy' LeBlanc...
ShoBud & Twins |
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Todd Chambeau
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 6:41 pm
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Thanks for all of your responses. The screw in barrel type connectors on the steel's rods are a little screwed up. I will try to WD-40 them this weekend to set them up correctly. Does anyone have a place for the extra pedals or knee levers that I want to add?
Thanks |
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Ken Mizell
From:
Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 7:37 pm
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At the price you got that for, you could consider a restoration job by someone like Mike Cass or Ricky Davis. You would be surprised to see what it would be when finished (like the one pictured above). My first steel was a rack and barrel Sho-Bud with 3 & 2. Nice guitars.
_________________
Steeless. |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 8:32 pm
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I wouldn't use WD-40 if I was you... It collects dust and wreaks havoc with the changer. There's better stuff out there...teflon lube, sewing machine or gun oil, etc.
Do a forum search and you'll find more info about it.
Also, you don't want those barrels to screw in and out too easily. You want some resistance there...Since they're tuning devices, you kinda want them to stay where you set them. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 8:36 pm
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I am officially pressing the "stop watching this thread" button now. I am getting increasingly nauseated at the knowledge that you got this guitar for $50.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 8:38 pm
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| Todd, you can leave the guitar lookin' like it does, but you still should make it as mechanically the best it can be. Rack and barrel Shobuds are some of the best sounding guitars ever. |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 30 Jan 2008 9:02 pm
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50 BUCKS!?! 
That is just incredible. Congratulations on
a great guitar. I agree that a restoration would give you a great looking steel. Wow.
Or if you get tired of it, I will......
Uh, give you $200 for it. Yeah, thats the ticket..$200, yeah. 
Enjoy that axe. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 31 Jan 2008 12:15 am
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That guitar needs to be refinished. I hate seeing a nice horn in that kind of condition. But at $50 starting price, you could put $600 into it and still have a bargain priced showroom guitar.
Don't use WD-40 on the undercarriage for lubrication, but if the pedal nipples are frozen in the wrong holes, you could use it to unstick them safely. But don't use it for lubrication, as was correctly stated above.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2008 4:50 am
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| Tri-Flow. Bike or Gun Shop. |
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Todd Chambeau
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2008 5:10 pm
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Ah, where do I begin to thank all of you for the tips. I'll use any old excuse to let the WD rip, but i'll use sewing machine oil instead. As far as the finish to this old dog goes, she's stayin' raw boys. I tend to beat, bleed and punish all of my instruments into submission. I am currently working diligently on wearing a 3 inch "Willie" hole on my Martin D-42. Besides, now that I take the legs off old Shoey every night and place her between my wife and I, it would be inconceivable to be without her for the weeks or months that it would take to have her restored. I do hope to have the mechanicals made right. Not too many places in Southern New Jersey for that type of operation, so I'll probably have to take a day trip down to Virginia, unless someone knows of a place closer?
Oh, to the couple of you that emailed me and offered to generously take her "off my hands" if "the practicing doesn't work out" I appreciate the offers but you'd have to pry my cold dead hands off this steel.
Thanks Again,
Todd |
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