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"No, I would not sound the same.... Something is inherent in that old Sho-Bud friend of mine that just touches my soul. I may use my talent goosing the sound out, but that sound and tone is indigenous to that steel. Maybe it has to do with the wood and /or it's age. We certainly complement each other.

This was, as you know, the very first LDG, delivered to me on May 9, 1973. We don't know the age of the birds-eye maple at that time. Then I played it on recording sessions for the next 15 years (more than 5,000). At that time I laid it in it's case for the next 14 years before I resurrected it. Then, when I started playing it again last year (2002), the sound grabbed me like never before. I'm simply inspired when I play that steel equivalent of a Stradivarius violin. Nothing I've ever played sounded quite so sweet and I suspect part of the magic lies in the age of the wood."

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""Sure, most people who know anything about the steel guitar are going to recognize me regardless of which steel I use. My central point is with my Sho-Bud it more closely approximates the sound I hear in my brain. Now this can be from long ago happy memories of all those singers and records with whom I recorded this steel, the indigenous sound of Sho-Bud (which I had used in the studios for 25 years) or the fact it is mostly old wood. Maybe all of the above. In any event, that old Sho-Bud fits me like a worn glove and I certainly sound better and can achieve the nuances of playing far better than with any other steel I've played because the sound and near perfect feel of the steel allow me the freedom to play without being aware of the instrument, just letting the ideas and music flow. Any fair minded person who was at St. Louis this year and listened would give a far different assessment than those who comment but were not in attendance.
In essence, with this Sho-Bud, the knowledge, the subtleties that only experience, maturity and a profound understanding of the E9th tuning with the exact pedal set-up I've used for 37 years all come together, and I can fluidly play the music I hear in my head.
That's all an instrument is supposed to do. It's merely a tool...albeit this being the best tool I have found.
I speak for no one other than myself in these matters. I long ago found my voice playing this tough instrument, and there are other roads one can choose in order to be comfortable playing. I long ago found mine and I don't obsess on the mechanics. Those become distractions to playing real music. The best players simply........play."

- Lloyd Green Sept. 18, 2003

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