| Author |
Topic: Sho-Bud; Tear Drop versus Straight Knee Levers? |
Michael Pierce
From:
Madison, CT
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 6:58 am |
|
Historical accuracy aside, and other than looking way cooler, do folks have a preference for the Tear Drop Knee Levers versus straight knee levers on a Sho-Bud? Is there a comfort difference, or is it merely an esthetic choice? thanks, Michael Pierce
Last edited by Michael Pierce on 14 Nov 2009 1:40 pm; edited 2 times in total |
|
|
 |
Ryan Barwin
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 7:35 am
|
|
I find teardrop levers to be much more comfortable than straight levers, (though the only guitar with straight levers I've had was an Emmons, which someone had put Sho-Bud levers on.)
_________________
www.pedalsteel.ca |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 1:12 pm
|
|
Kind of a toss-up, really. I have some ShoBuds, but my main workin' guitar is a Kline. The teardrop levers are pretty comfortable, but they're narrow. The straight levers on the Kline are much wider, so the contact area is wider, and they're quite comfortable also.
 |
|
|
|
Geoff Marshall
From:
North Lincolnshire U,K.
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 1:42 pm
|
|
| The straight knee levers ushered in the era of the pot metal sho buds, a totally inferior product that and is is prone to many problems. Back in the eighties I was most surprised to have two knee lever brackets break on what I believed to be a bespoke instrument an L.D.G. The shabbiness of the the material used can cause a well used changer to lock up due to the abraision on the chrome plated pot metal changer being damaged by the steel scissor finger underneath. There are people who provide upgrade services to rectify this unfortunate marketing folly. Also some these great looking and sounding guitars just truck on forever. |
|
|
|
Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 2:06 pm
|
|
| Geoff Marshall wrote: |
| pot metal sho buds, a totally inferior product that and is is prone to many problems. Back in the eighties I was most surprised to have two knee lever brackets break on what I believed to be a bespoke instrument an L.D.G. |
Bobbe Seymour has cast aluminum replacements for the SHO~BUD knee lever holders. As you said, those original ones did gradually break by cracking at the joint. I went ahead and replaced them on all 3 of my SHO~BUDs. An easy chore... and no problems since.
John,
What would be cool would be a cross between your two photos... that being a wider tear drop. I do like the tear drop as I feel it distributes the (feeling) tention on a greater surface of my leg, as compared to feeling like something is poking a smaller area of my leg. OTOH: Smoothness and travel also play a hand in this. |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 2:32 pm
|
|
Jeff,
"it distributes the (feeling) tention on a greater surface of my leg,"
They both feel about equal to me. Curved=more contact. Wider = more contact.
Now,,, you wanna talk about "teardrop" levers? Check out this Fingertip's LKR! 9 1/2" long!
 |
|
|
|
Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 2:47 pm
|
|
| John Billings wrote: |
| Check out this Fingertip's LKR! 9 1/2" long! |
Now we're getting somewhere. Make it about 20 inches longer and turn it into the new and improved John Billings pedal rod  |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 2:52 pm
|
|
| It's not a knee lever, it's an ankle lever! |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 3:18 pm
|
|
I'm really amazed by the number of builders that still use plain ol' extruded aluminum bar for levers. Even when it's 1" wide, the small radius on the (as purchased) bar edge certainly isn't condusive to comfort. I'd like to introduce all these "builders" (who supposedly take so much pride in their product) to something called a radius cutter.  These days, anything less than a 1/4" radius on the edge of knee levers should be called "a short-cut to make it cheap and easy", because that's exactly what it is.
It just bugs the livin' spit outta me when little touches like this (that are so quick and easy to do) are ignored by so many of the...(ahem)..."first class builders".
'Nuff said?  |
|
|
|
Gary Preston
From:
Columbus, Ohio, USA
|
Posted 14 Nov 2009 5:55 pm
|
|
I have never owned a guitar with the old style knee levers with the curved edges . They look very nice but i would think that if they didn't rest in the right place on your legs they would be very uncomfortable . Again they do look nice .  |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 15 Nov 2009 7:19 am
|
|
Bill Rudolph, the builder of the Williams Steel, makes an outstanding "paddle" style extruded knee lever.
On the guitar he built for me, I found the knee levers to be a little too short. They ended right at my knee cap and after a while, it began to hurt. Bill furnished me with a set of levers two inches longer, much more comfortable. |
|
|
|
Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
|
Posted 15 Nov 2009 6:28 pm Curved levers..
|
|
| I use and have added wide custom Maple paddles to several Sho-Buds and they are way more comfortable than the beautiful curved ones.You can also get more length if you need it. The curved ones are classic and Coop's are adjustable, but the paddles are easier to play.....Larry |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 16 Nov 2009 11:16 am
|
|
That's definitely a very long knee lever, but even so, it still looks like that cat won't be able to reach it very well.
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 16 Nov 2009 11:23 am
|
|
Fred, they both regard steel guitars as "the high ground!"
 |
|
|
|
Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
|
Posted 16 Nov 2009 8:02 pm
|
|
Straight/curved, makes no difference, just pick brother, pick!!
_________________
A.K.A Chappy. |
|
|
|
Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
|
Posted 17 Nov 2009 7:52 am
|
|
| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| I'm really amazed by the number of builders that still use plain ol' extruded aluminum bar for levers. |
Amen! It's so obvious that rounding the edges enhances comfort. How any builder could fail to do this, decades after knee levers became standard, I can't understand. But there seems to be a welcome trend toward addressing this nowadays--Williams and GFI come to mind.
On the teardrop vs. straight question: With my short legs, teardrop levers are actually less comfortable, because I wind up pressing on the bulge at the bottom, so the pressure is less distributed than on a straight lever. One size doesn't fit all. |
|
|
|
