Sho Bud Serial #'s

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Does anyone know if they are any use in dating a guitar ?

I have either a Pro 1 or 6139 with wide pedals and round front. It used to have the rack and barrel system.

The serial # stamped on the end plate is 2646

Thanks alot,

Tim

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Sho-Bud's serial numbering system...if you could even call it a system...didn't really have any rhyme or reason. Pretty much worthelss for dating a gtr.
Pictures of specific parts of the gtr will do the trick much better.

FWIW, I have a 6139, serial #2752, that I bought new in 1972.

Antolina · From: Dunkirk NY

My favorite guitar is the 6139 you see in my avatar and Skip nailed it. No one knows how where or even when the serial numbers fell. It's one of those unanswered mysteries.
_________________
The only thing better than doing what you love is having someone that loves you enough to let you do it.

Sho~Bud 6139 3+3
Marrs 3+4

RC Antolina

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Thanks Gents ! Are there any differences between the 6139 and the Pro 1 or was it just a name change ?

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Yeah, there were a couple differences.
The biggest was the switch from rack and barrel to barrels and 2-hole pullers. It operated basically the same way, but now there was an individual string puller for each string. The rod setup was the same, though...with that shared rod business.
The first-gen Pro I's were round-front, and they usually had rope inlay. Basically it was a 6139 with the new pullers and a decal that said "Pro I".

For a couple years after the introduction of the Pro I (1974), Sho-Bud made 2 single 10 gtrs. They made the Pro I, and they also continued to make the 6139. The only difference between the two were the decal (6139 didn't have one), and the ProI came stock with 2 KL's, while the 6139 came with only one.

As if to muddy the waters,, this new 6139 was called the Sho-Bud Professional.
At least it was in the 1975 catalog...but I don't think the name caught on.

The big change here was the switch to nylon hex tuners at the changer, with the rods attaching firmly to the pullers...with no more rod sharing.
Also by this time, they had gone to the square-front bodies,diamond inlay and the "dustcatcher" fretboard. The tone and volume pots, as well as the coil tap switch on the back shelf went away, as well.
The coil tap got moved to the endplate, and the pots went away altogether.
Sho-Bud made changes piecemeal...some gtrs had features that others didn't. Transitional models, so to speak. More likely they just kept using older parts until they ran out.

I'm not sure when the 6139 was discontinued, but it wasn't too long before Sho-Bud figured out that they didn't need 2 S10's in their line-up.

From the '75 catalog....

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Thanks Skip for the info - very helpful.

Which parts should I photograph to help identify the year ?

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Let's see.... you said it's a round-front/wide pedals, and it used to be rack and barrel.
What is it now, and who did the conversion?
Anyway, where are the pedals? Or where were they, if they've been moved?
On earlier 6139's, the 3 pedals were located closer to the center of the gtr, and on later models - from '72 on - the pedals were moved further to the end, closer to the keyhead.
How about the inlay? Most 6139's had the rope inlay, but alot of the early ones had a zig-zag inlay.
The changer surround? Is it metal, or does the wood neck wrap around the changer?
Are there tone and volume pots on the back shelf? How about a coil tap switch?
It would be interesting to see the conversion... is the changer original?
As far as pics, the stuff mentioned above would be helpful, as well as underneath...even though it's been converted. Same thing goes for the changer.

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Hi Skip, Here are some pics. 3 holes have been plugged on the back shelf. The conversion (and I think refinish) was done by Ron Bennett in Liverpool, England. It is now a 3+5. There has been a metal strip added to eliminate cabinet drop (it's very effective). You will see from the pic that the pickup screws seem to be the other way round to all other Pro 1's that i've seen - with the 2 screws being closest to the body. I find this uncomfortable -do you think it would be an easy fix to reverse this ?
Thanks again, Tim

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

BTW. The changer is single raise/single lower.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Very nice... It's a 6139. It almost looks like a Marrs conversion. The finish looks original, but the underside has been painted black.
Although your changer is sgl raise/sgl lower, the 4th and 5th strings look like they've had alterations done to accomodate the multiple raises and lowers.
Judging by the pics I'd say yours was a '72, since mine is, and the serial #'s are very close....even though they're not an accurate guideline of anything.

Sho-Bud didn't start using p/u's with those type of mounting screws until around '74...maybe late '73. Maybe the p/u's not original? I have seen one or two before that had the p/u reversed. The p/u screws on mine don't extend up through the top of the p/u. I wouldn't know if it's an easy fix or not... I'd defer to someone like John Coop or Ricky Davis about something like that.

What's that beside the jack? Is it a pot?

Very cool... I'll bet it sounds and plays really nice.
Thanks for showing it...

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Many thanks Skip for all the info - I really appreciate it. It was a refin apparently though a very good one - that was a reason I wasn't sure about the model as I thought they may have left off the Pro 1 decal.
Yep, it plays great and sounds fantastic.
Cheers, Tim

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