ShoBro pickups, tunings

John McNicholas · From: California, USA

Anybody know anything about installing pickups in a ShoBro 7710? What setup do you like, and why? It'd be great to hear from anyone who knows this model -- I'm also wondering about possible structural and tonal consequences of various tunings. (Using a G6 now.) Thanks--

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Is this a seven string model? I don't know of any resophonic pickups designed for seven string guitars.

G6 would be a good choice, as would any tuning with a sixth note in it. What type(s) of music do you want to play?
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John McNicholas · From: California, USA

Brad --
Thanks for the reply, Yup; seven strings, G6, tuned to pitch (440). I'm playing hillbilly music -- bluegrass, country, traditional, mostly acoustic -- whatever plays well early-country style, starting with Don Helms.
I sold this thing 10 years ago, dissatisfied with mellow, looking for pucker. Found if for sale again a couple months back and snapped it back up. Be nice to be able to increase the twang, as needed, or use its richness and depth.
I also wonder if an E or C would put less stress on the instrument; what I might gain or lose tonally; or if I have to worry about it. Just learning to navigate G6; haven't used C or E yet, and don't want to be torquing and de-torquing the instrument beyond what it can handle.

Mark Eaton · Posted 23 Jul 2015 10:14 am

As far as strain on the instrument, I don't think a ShoBro with it's square neck and tailpiece design, similar to a Dobro or any number of makes of squareneck resonator guitars is going to be bothered by G tuning, which in my opinion still sounds the best because of the way the cone "loads" under high tension.

From what I have encountered in resonator pickups:

1. The first choice is the Fishman Nashville used in conjunction with the Fishman Aura Jerry Douglas pedal with its 16 microphone images - but since this Shobro is a 7 string it won't work.

2. Schertler Basik - this was the state of the art for several years until the Fishman Nashville came along, and at its time of introduction in approx. 2005 it left all other p'ups for spider bridge resonator guitars in the dust.

3. Everything else - or all those left in the dust. There are some that work decently but make your guitar sound more like a lap steel, so I assume you want a pickup so that it will sound pretty much like a ShoBro when plugged in.

Check out the Schertler Basik:

https://secure.schertler.com/en_IT/shop/pickups/basik-reso
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Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

This may not help you much, but I'll throw it out there anyway, just in case. I have a 75 model 6 string. The person, who owned it before, always used Open E tuning, and steel/nickel strings. When I brought it home, I tried bronze strings, and the open G tuning. It just didn't work for me. IMO, the tone just wasnt right. I went back to nickel, and E tuning. I'm much happier. It sounds like what I am used to hearing a Sho Bro sound like.
The E tuning has not hurt it at all, as far as I can tell. This is a six string so, I don't know if a 7 string would be different, but I believe when Shot Jackson started building these, He may not have had bluegrass in mind? I could be, completely, wrong, but I believe I was told that Shot used the E tuning on his 7 string. Again, don't take my word for it.
Mine does have a pick up, but it is not installed correctly, or the kind of pic up you would want to use, so can't help you there. Good luck. Sorry if this is of no help.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Shot Jackson, who designed the Sho-Bro, used a 7-string E Major tuning: E G# B E G# B E. If you're playing G6 as G B D E G B D, the stresses on the instrument are roughly equivalent. Both tunings have E as their center.

G6 is a great tuning for 7-string resonator guitars. It adds the element of swing without losing any of the standard bluegrass open string tricks.
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Mark Eaton · Posted 24 Jul 2015 7:58 am

I concur with Jana and b0b as they pointed out, Shot tuned to E and there is a lot of tension on the guitar so it shouldn't be an issue.

I don't have an opinion as to what sounds the best in terms of strings, I really haven't heard Sho-Bros played much with the exception of a few old Shot Jackson recordings. I have been able to test drive a few in guitar shops in the past and they really haven't been my cup of tea. It's not "the sound I hear in my head" when I think resonator.

Also as b0b pointed out, if you are intending to play a fair amount of bluegrass and "hillbilly" stuff - as far as using any learning materials of which there is a large amount of out there these days - the overwhelming majority is in G tuning. You could tune the guitar to E and put a capo on the 3rd fret so it becomes a G tuning and you can get a bunch of open string licks, but it ain't the same.

If you are playing more Don Helms flavored stuff, it could still be tuned to G, and you'll be alright because you wouldn't need as many open strings anyway, you would likely be playing in more closed positions than as one does in bluegrass with all the hammer ons, pulls, and open "drone" string licks.
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John McNicholas · From: California, USA

Thanks, you guys. This is the info I was looking for -- and I'd love to hear anything else anyone has to say. It's not a widely known ax, so anyone who's used one, pitch in.
I like the sound of bronze strings and the cone response from the G tuning. Anyone tried a different-brand cone? And I like the swing element of the G6; suspect I need a 9th to get a similar note above the third. ?? I'm learning to use a lot of slants to chase the intervals. (I want to explore G6 further before opening another can of worms.)
The pickup info, especially, is unavailable anyplace else -- especially from the sellers. Again, as Ernest says, "Thanks -- thanks a lot." -- JMack

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

After posting, I remembered that the, previous, owner of my Sho Bro used much lighter string gauges than is normally used for reso. The string gauges he used were the same as you would, more likely, use on a lap steel. I believe his lightest string was a .13. The fourth was a .30, and fifth was a .40. I can't remember the rest.
I don't know if any of that matters. I use standard reso gauges at the moment. I believe I stated I had it tuned to E, but I misspoke. I have it tuned to G, now that I think about it. I'm not sure if the string gauges would make any difference.
Does anyone know what string gauges Shot Jackson used on his 7 string? I'm curious as to how much difference it might make in tone, and tension?

Mark, the Sho Bro doesn't even come close to comparing to my other dobros. It sounds good, but is lacking in volume, among other things. It's, definitely, not the kind of reso that you are used to hearing. I think it was designed more with country, and steel players, in mind. I don't play it out much. It worked much better for the country I play, but not for the bluegrass, which is kind of funny, considering that bluegrass here is really just old country. Go figure? I don't know, might just be my ears. It's still a cool guitar.

John McNicholas · From: California, USA

Jana -- Here's what I think: ShoBros don't use a sound well -- at least those I've seen -- so they don't focus the sound through the cone. It reflects off and around the entire, big wood body. And the large area of spruce top must drain and employ some energy. So -- less brightness, edge, pucker, volume; more mellow, more bass and middles, richer tones -- I missed it after I sold it. Wish it had another second or two of sustain, though. Volume falls off pretty quick. I'm looking for a decent seven-string with the more familiar reso sound -- Sold off my resos, and a nice late-'30s National elec. lap 7, too. Dang.

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

John, you described it perfectly. The Sho Bros have, imo, a sound all their own, which I am, I suppose, a little partial too. I'm a little sentimental about my Sho bro. It is the reso I began learning on. The tone of this reso is what I fell in love with, and part of what made me really want to play reso. This, particular, guitar is very special to me, as was it's prior owner. When I got it, I was going to have it cleaned up, set up, etc., but with some expert advice from a friend, decided to leave it as is, untouched. It would have been interesting for all of us, to take it apart. WE were all curious. I suppose some things are just better left alone. lol If it aint broke?
It's a shame you don't see, and hear more of them out. I've never been sure if they were just that rare, or what? Maybe I should play it out more? Oh, and I remembered, the prior owner, tuned it to C6 a few times, as well as, C#m, but never left it that way. again, he used lap steel string gauges. I thought you might find that interesting. The tone in those tunings, in the hands of the prior owner, oh, so pretty. Sadly, didn't quite sound that good in my hands. (smile) If I had ever run across one for sale, in the past, I would have bought it.

John McNicholas · From: California, USA

Jana -- I found just one other 7710 for sale over several years, and the fretboard was thrashed -- they just aren't available, or sought out, I guess. It's not what folks want to hear.
I'm using bronze, medium-guage reso strings -- they seem to offer the best response. And I just like that response. Another obsession with obsolescence.

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

I think the bronze strings sounded fine, when I had them on mine. I'm just more accustomed to the nickle sound. The bronze, also, did not work well with the pick up on mine, something about magnetics? I don't know. Like I said, the pick up is one that would not, normally, be on a reso. It's not a big deal, since this isn't my main ax.
I've never seen a 7 string, and only one or, maybe, two other square neck 6 strings, neither of which were for sale. I did find a Sho Bro 6 string round neck for sale in a little music shop in new Braunfels, TX. It was in great condition. I should have bought it, but it wasn't a square neck. I still should have bought it. It's the only round neck Sho Bro I've ever seen. I didn't even know they made round necks. Still kicking myself over walking away from that one.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Jana, you asked about Shot's string gauges. Here is an excerpt from the Sho-Bud 1975 catalogue.

Sho-Bud pure nickel Dobro strings: are used by "Shot" Jackson and Oswald of Grand Ole Opry fame and considered by each to give the ultimate in the professional Dobro sound.

360 set, Dobro E7 tuning, price $4.50 per set.

E 1st Plain 0.015
B 2nd Plain 0.018
G# 3rd Plain 0.024
E 4th Wound 0.032
B 5th Wound 0.038
G# 6th Wound 0.044
E 7th Wound 0.056

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Wow, so cool! Thanks Bryan.

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