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Topic: Sho Bud Rack/Barrel single/raise lower changer questions.. |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 14 Feb 2010 9:13 pm |
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So my basket case 6140 that I WAY overpaid for, is in 2,000 pieces on my workbench, bristling with clamps on the body.  .. I'll get into what construction horrors I found at a later date.. Sho Bud should have hung thier heads in disgrace letting this one out the door,,,
anyway, The changer looks ok, just heavily caked with filthy old grease that has morphed into a substance that most closely resembles hard set tile grout. Its a wonder I could even press the pedals..
The changer finger for each string consists of 3 main parts excluding the springs,.. The pull finger, and what Sho Bud calls the rise bar and lower bar, which are riveted to the pull finger.. The raise/lower bars are ok in the back where the pull rods pull against them, but the front of them is actually "opened up".. This is an elongated hole that the pull rods, slide through, no real pressure on it. Looks like just a guide really.
This elongated hole on several of the raise or lower bars, looks worn through,although I have NO idea how aluminum pull rods could wear through steel raise and lower bars... Do these need replacing??.. It looks like a good welder might be able to bridge over the tiny gap, and it could be filed into shape, but I am not sure.. also, there is a small amount of play on the riveted pivot points for these raise and lower bars.. There would seem to have to be some play for ease of movement, and to allow lubrication in, but I could use an idea of how much is too much. There are no elongated holes or extreme looseness, just a bit of what looks to me like normal wear.. The axle looks ok too.. Just some minor "rub mark"wear, but not loose at all
I do not want to buy new changer parts for this thing if I can help it, but am open to spending what I need to to get it to play in tune.. any thoughts on these "opened up" elongated holes in the front of these changer raise and lower bars?..
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Rob van Duuren
From:
The Netherlands
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 12:29 am
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Hi Bob,
from what i can tell from your description, i'd say you don't have to replace anything. I would however clean the grease out, that helps the sound, tuning and playability a lot(obvious). Those elongated holes are on all the changers i have seen on ShoBuds, and my guess is, they are there only for 'guidance', keeping them aligned somewhat, just as you mentioned. I don't believe the rods wore them out, it's just sloppy manufacturing. BTW, they are the best ShoBud changers, imho. Rob |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 4:14 am
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You know Rob, thats what I was wondering.. If they actually came that way from the factory. Maybe others have seen this problem and can weigh in with some thoughts.
There just doesn't seem to that much wear in other areas of the mechanism, and as I stated, with aluminum and steel parts rubbing together ,the aluminun should lose every single time.
What absolutely horrid quality control I have found on this old Bud... and yes that grease is a trip .
Only grease I have ever found that turns to stone.
I got the changer clean and bright as new-[gasoline], and lightly polished the sides of the fingers where they contact the frame of the changer. Our friend James Morehead has been a great help while I have been working on this guitar, and gave me a lot of good tips... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 7:58 am
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Hey Bob, Glad it's working out ok(so far). I have a ton of respect for Shobud back in the day. They were "state of the art" for that era. Were there improvements that could be made?? of course. But for their time, They created the coolest guitar with tons of karisma at that time, and by some's ideas, even now. Yes, it's a learning curve as the pedal steel developed with some trial by fire, and my hat is off to Shot, David and Harry. I love my 'buds, especially the roundfronts of the Professional to Pro II era.
Bob, Don't worry about a little slack in those fingers, and yes, the elongated holes are part of the equation which allows a little "radius in the travel of the pull. Your guitar will be worth far more than when you bout it, with the TLC that you are doing now. Of course, selling it will not be an option, because you will fall in love with the tone and the feel that is hidden under that co-agulated grease.  |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 8:41 am
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James I know you know these guitars very well, and I appreciate the help.. I know we discussed sending the guitar down to you, but before I took that step, I decided to disassemble the steel so I could see first hand what was happening.. The changer was exactly as you said it would be.
I have 3 days off and am going to try and get this steel playable on my own,if possible. Its going well thus far... Sho Bud did a crap job at glueing the wood together. Looks like they were trying to save money on glue. I saw none, and the body was seperating in several places.. I clamped and reglued, and used a few wood screws and covered the holes in the apron with wood putty, which I have seen several times on other Buds.
All looks nice and tight now.. There was also 2 hairline cracks in the body in back of the changer going from the changer to the endplate.. I was expecting that piece to come out when I took the changer and endplate off.. Lo and behold, I found what looked like a factory repair..
There was a splint.. A rectangle routed into the end of the deck under the changer and endplate, and a very nice tight fitting piece of rectangular maple glued in.. The splint looked original.. It was the same aged color as the surrounding wood. IMHO, while this guitar was being assembled, someone dropped the deck, or cracked
it while installing the changer.. Rather than using what amounts more or less to a new body, they repaired the old one using a commone luthiers repair, sanded the cracks, and just finished over it.. The repair is stable, and causes no issues, but thats NOT good QC IMHO...
I will let you know what happens.. It may still be coming down in the time frame we discussed, if you can get to it, but I want to see if my own hard work will be rewarded first..
bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 8:50 am
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Hey Bob, I have seen that "biscuit" at the changer end in quite a few guitars that had no cracks ever. It was factory to strengthen that end, as it was a normal split out flaw.
Yes, you will get that baby back together, and not need to send it. Your well on your way. |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 15 Feb 2010 11:07 pm
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Patience me lad, she's a sweetheart!! 
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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