Sho-bud Playing card decals: Yeah? or Nay?

Bill McCloskey · Posted 12 Feb 2023 1:48 pm

I love my 75 Sho-bud pro 3. But it wasn't until recently that I realized that the playing card decoration is not an inlay but a decal.

I've seen some with the decal, some without.

Sometimes I think I like it, sometimes I think it would look better without the decal. Has anyone ever removed the "card suit" decals? And does having on or not affect resale?

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I don't know what's the 'proper' adornment but I think they look great.

Long before I even knew what a steel guitar was (I knew 'Sleepwalk', but only from the radio), somebody showed me a steel guitar LP which I believe was a compendium of tracks from different players. I don't know - I just remember the sleeve-photo.

There was a gentleman dressed to the nines in high-end western regalia and sitting behind a very similar guitar. It certainly had the card-symbols on the front apron.

For years, that was my mental picture of what a PSG looked like.

Does anybody know what the LP might have been? Very early-1960s, I would think.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I always liked the card symbols! Tied in with the fret markers, it added some style and class to an otherwise pretty plain and boxy instrument.

Roger, maybe this was the (1962) album you saw?

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I apologize - I was completely wrong!

I just Googled it and found the image I thought I had remembered.

Donny: your picture is closer to what I described but here's the one I saw back then.

There are no card-suite symbols on the guitar. BUT, it is a Sho-Bud and that's the fancy outfit I recall. It's also got different players on it and the date, I see, was 1961.

Despite that, I still think the decals - or inlays - look nice on the blond finish.

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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Leave 'em on... they're Sho-Bud mojo.
It would be like taking the Flying Lady off a Rolls-Royce.
JMHO...

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

What Skip said

If you don't like the look get a different guitar, that's history looking at you.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 12 Feb 2023 6:06 pm

No worries Dave. I'm keeping both the decals and the sho-bud. I also like the way they look. Smile

But I was surprised it wasn't an inlay. Thanks everyone, that is exactly the responses I was looking for.

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

Removed decals or stickers of any kind seem to almost always leave their shadow where the wood underneath hadn't been exposed to sunlight/UV where the wood around it had been.

Dave

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

A Sho-Bud potential buyer, it would depreciate the asking price/value.
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Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

My first Sho~Bud had the card symbols on the fret board.
I played mostly in church and I covered them up.
I didn't think they were appropriate.
Erv

Bill McCloskey · Posted 13 Feb 2023 9:31 am

Hadn't even thought of that angle Erv.

To anyone concerned, fear not: I'm not touching this sho-bud. It was a passing thought.

Mark Shuda · From: Wisconsin, USA

By no means depreciates value!!!! Adds mojo, and at least $15 value to the guitar!!!
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Mark Twang

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Yea on the playing card decals, big-time! I never really understood why they didn't all have them. De gustibus non est disputandum, I guess.

I know what Erv says is true for some people - they associate cards with gambling, vice, and so on. That is definitely one use of cards. But millions of people play many different kinds of card games purely for enjoyment. There is nothing inherently evil about cards. One can say that about a lot of stuff.

As far as affecting resale value - I know pedal steel players/collectors are not, on average, as fussy about originality as, let's say, vintage guitar players/collectors. But I think removing them is much more likely to hurt, not help, the value. Once the decals are removed, there's no way to make it original again. And the decals are likely to leave a 'ghost' in the finish. And I think examples with the card decals are less common, especially by the time your guitar was made. I see tons of Buds without 'em on the front, and not so many with 'em. I'm glad you have decided not to remove them. That guitar is too cool for school as-is.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 13 Feb 2023 12:37 pm

Yeah, it is too cool for school. Not only cool looking, John Widgren, who set it up for me last week, told me it was one of the nicest sounding Sho-buds he had heard. I'll be glad when I get my Hatton split case, though. Good to know that makes it bit more rare.

Kenny Davis · From: Great State of Oklahoma

I'm a Sho~Bud fan through & through but I've never been a big fan of the card suits on the front apron. My first guitar was a Crossover, and it had them.

Bill - I was going to recommend not removing them if they were original due to having lacquer over them. That would involve a refinish job for sure.

Glad you decided to keep them.
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Best lyric in a country song: "...One more, Moon..."

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

David Ball's comment above is the first thought that came to my mind. Leave the decal.

Here is a photo of the inlaid card suit cluster that I had on my old Al Udeen 1957. I think the cluster may have been added in 1959 when the guitar ws converted to a 24" scale D9 from its original 25" scale D8. The shortened scale was not to keep strings from breaking, but to allow the longer keyhead to fit on the cabinet.

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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

I like those inlaid clusters. My cabinet end Madison has the decal instead, but I like it too. My rosewood Madison doesn't have it, but I really wish it did...

Dave

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

When my mom was growing up, she and her sisters would have to play cards in the bed under the covers to keep from being discovered. Their grandmother was a super conservative Swede who firmly believed that cards were of the devil. But mom and her sisters are all good people, so I don't think the cards hurt them a bit. Don't think they ever got caught either. All is well.

I like the card clusters on Sho Buds a lot myself. Merle Travis used them as inlays on his first Bigsbys too.

Dave

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Well the Sho~Bud company; built Pedal Steels in what's called "The Bible Belt". At that time in late 50's and through 60's; Religion in that era and area; was very abundant to the effect that Shot Jackson and company had designed different from the card suits Fretboard; to accommodate those that really wanted a Sho~Bud but not with any card suits on it. Since Sho~Bud was "TRULY" a Custom shop; those wishes were granted.
Ricky
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Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com

Kenny Davis · From: Great State of Oklahoma

Wow Ricky! I don't think I've ever seen a Sho~Bud built guitar with different position markers. Do you have any pictures? Probably just a scant few that never saw the light of day!
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Best lyric in a country song: "...One more, Moon..."

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

If I recall, they were black and red split diamonds
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Brian LeBlanc · From: Falls Church, Virginia, USA

send those Devil Buds to me...

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'Frenchy' LeBlanc...
ShoBud & Twins

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