Sho-Bud Maverick

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Hello Friends,

I am waiting on the delivery of a Sho-Bud Maverick just purchased via eBay.
I have been searching for information regarding setting up and maintenance.
Can anyone help please.
Regards
Eric

Bill Napier · From: Niceville, Florida, USA

Go down this page 33 items and you will find several answers. Good Luck.

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Thank you Bill,

I have looked in the area you advised and have sent an email to Mr. Herman Visser to see if he can send to me a copy of the booklet on Maverick E9th tuning.

I expect the steel to arrive in about 10 to 14 days and I know that it has one string missing. Needless to say I shall be replacing the strings with a new set. I have already ordered sets from "Scotty's" and these should arrive at the same time as the steel.
Regards
Eric

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Eric - you can also use the search function on the forum and find probably hundreds of threads with information on Mavericks. They are not very complicated, being a very basic student steel lacking many of the features needed for modern "normal" steel playing. You will find most books and tab use knee levers you don't have, and that can only be added with some difficulty and custom work by a qualified steel tech - most players would upgrade rather than modify a Maverick, as you'd never recoup the cost reselling it.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Thank you Jim,

I am slowly working my way around. Unfortunately for me I seem to be finding all the information a little too late in the day.
I am committed now and will have to make the best of things.
I was just taken by the looks and finish of this particular Maverick. Solid Maple without any blemishes. When it arrives I will put up some pictures.
At the moment my only experience with "Steel " has been via my Dobro and my Fender Stringmaster D8.
I am hoping that what I have learnt so far will help me with the Maverick.
As you can see I am a complete novice but smitten with the sound of Steel.

Thanks for the search tip, I will put it into practice
Best regards
Eric

Greg Gefell · From: Upstate NY

Eric - if you do decide to modify this and add on, John Coop is your man. He converted a maverick I have into a 3 and 4 set-up for a very reasonable price. good luck.

Ron Mawn · From: United Kingdom

Eric, Check your Mail. Ron

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Eric
A number of Forumites live in Hampshire. Ron Mawn is vastly experienced in the setting up of pedal steels, particularly ShoBuds. There are a number of regular players that you can go to gigs to watch. A group of steel players play regularly at the Bluebird Club at Longham, near Poole. It would be worthwhile popping down there and seeing the instrument played close up.

KB

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Thank you Greg, Ron and Ken,

Greg I now have the contact information for John Coop so that when the time is right I will make contact, this particular Maverick is so nice looking and easy to assemble that when I have learnt to play it to a decent standard I will have the upgrade fitted. I have fitted a set of new strings and the tone through the amp is impressive.

Ron I have replied to your email and look forward to meeting up with you.

Ken, your suggestion of attending some local gigs is a good one and I will be doing that in the future.
Best wishes
Eric Dunlop

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

I've got a small manual on the Maverick-I can email it to you if you still need one. email me if you need it. Duane Becker

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Duane, Hello, thank you for the contact.

Yes please, I could do with some official information on my Maverick.
I have managed to fit a new set of strings but setting up the pedals is proving to be not as straight forward as I was expecting.

My email address is e.d.services@btinternet.com
please do not be put off by this address, I am not a dealer. I supply an architectural service to the local domestic and building trades.
Regards
Eric

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

Do a Forum search for "Hot Rod Maverick", check it out, then send me an email if you're inclined to do so. I just used the Maverick in the pics to record three demo album cuts for Winifred Hoffman recently and it never sounded better. It has BTW a G-L 12-5 pickup...yes a '12'-5, not a 10-5. You may be relatively new to this game, but don't feel for a minute that you've made a grave mistake by purchasing a Maverick. Yes, John Coop is the man to see if you really get serious about making this little guy a viable 'player'. He's got some great ideas and some great components. AND the Maverick is a fine little guitar when nurtured properly. AND it won't tear your arm out of the socket dragging it around from gig to gig. Don't fret over the 'cheap' aluminum legs. Press in aluminum 'plugs' so the tubing doesn't collapse on you, throw out those wing screws, and replace them with socket heads. Yes, you'll have to carry a wrench to snug them up in their pockets. That wrench is a lot lighter than the alternative options. While I opted to swap pickups for my favorite hand-wound G-L p/u, the single-coil p/u that came from the S-B factory is a fine p/u and retains the traditional S-B sound....a bit thin IMO, but fine just the same. Enjoy that little Bud, my friend!!
PRR

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Thank you Paul.
I have checked out the "Hot Rod Maverick" article and I am very impressed. It has given me a boost. I intend to enjoy the little Bud.
I have accepted an offer of help from Ron Mawn who is close by so that things are beginning to look up.
I intend later to upgrade the Maverick when I have reached the stage where my ability can make use of the knee pedals but that is some time off.
Eric

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

As promised I am keeping you informed of my progress and have attempted to upload a picture of my Maverick and Stringmaster.

All is progressing well and I am deeply indebted to Ron Mawn who with great skill reset my Maverick back to standard and instructed me on tuning.
It would seem that a previus owner had set it up for C6th tuning when the Maverick was designed for E9th. The extra loading had pulled the mechanism out of alligment which was causing the tuning problem.
Ron dimanteled and rebuilt the string pulling mechanism and all is now perfect.

If you are reading this Ron, I am very grateful for your time and trouble in putting me on the right road.
Well it is now all up to me. I find at the moment my biggest problem is controlling my fingers with the picks to make proper contact with the correct strings.
On the Stringmaster I have been spoilt because a great many of the chords can be played directly across the strings but with the Maverick tuned to E9th I have to select the strings and pluck them to play the correct chords. A different technique and a new challenge.
I am working my way into "Pedal Steel Guitar Method" by DeWitt Scott. I am still at "Exercise #1" and training my fingers to find the strings without looking too much.
I am estimating that this will probably take me a couple of weeks based on the time that it took me to get to grips with fingerstyle on the spanish guitar.

Well onward and upwards.

Don Brown, Sr. · From: New Jersey

Hi Eric, enjoy your new buy. It may take you a bit more than a couple of weeks, to get use to the different string grips, but you will with time and practice. Basics are the:

3,4,5,,,,,4,5,6,,,,,,5,6,8,,,,,6,8,10 strings, quite naturally there are many others, but those are your basic major grips.

I know you'll have many good hours enjoying it. It has hidden potential and from what I've seen, you've been steered in the right directions for when that time comes for an upgrade.

Don

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

Eric - You stumbled onto a rare beauty there. Most Maverick's just had the plastic fretboard screwed to the top of the deck and a sunken Fender-type tuning pan. Yours has an actual cast tuning head and a legitimate added neck. My guess would be that it's a very early model. As others have added in this thread, the Maverick is a bear to add changes to as the strings that are to be both raised and lowered must be 'suspended' in neutral to allow for this. If you go the extra mile with it, you should wind up with a very fine guitar. Yours appears to be in primo condition. Nice find!!!
PRR

Eric Dunlop · From: Hampshire, UK

Don, Paul,
Thank you for the encouragement.
I am like a dog with two tails at present because I read all of the other posts relating to the "Maverick" and concluded that I had possibly bought a pig in a poke as my first PSG.
Then Ron Mawn came to my rescue and within two days I have a playable instrument.

I am posting just a few more pics to show this little lady off.

With hind-sight, I should have scanned through the "Forum" for information before I took the decision to buy but, as it has turned out I have been looked after very well.
Well it is now time that I returned to practice my "Grips" and just drift in the mellow tone that now fills my lounge.

On a more down to earth subject, my family are very pleased with the support that I have received from members of the "Forum" as the PSG has taken me away from practicing the Bagpipes. I was just learning the scales but have now passed them onto a more worthy piper.

Yes you could say that this is a win win situation.
Thank you all
regards
Eric

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Eric,
That is one of the first generation (best looking)Mavericks.I don't know about the tone, but I had one of the shelf paper mavericks that had the Sho-Bud tone to die for, hope your's sounds as good as it looks....Nice.

BF
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

My first steel guitar was a Maverick, exactly like that one. I bought it used in about 74' or 75'. I added 1 knee lever from a kit from Sho Bud. I learned a lot of steel playing on that steel. I sold it two years later for a steel with more changes, because, the Maverick was limited ( if not impossible, at the time ) in updating. I thought that steel sounded great and played exceptionally well. I can't speak for the later models, though.
Good luck and have many hours of fun playing youe Maverick.

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

John - My 1st guitar was the one posted on the Forum under "Hot Rod Maverick". Ironically I still play it. It had that shelf paper/vinyl covering on it with black painted endplates. You can see on that thread that I had to do quite a bit of work on it to even get it to look like it does now. It has the later model pedal rack with the narrow Fender-type pedals. But as you can see, it doesn't look nearly as fine as this one. This one doesn't look like it's ever been played.
PRR

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Paul Redmond · From: Illinois, USA

C'mon, b0b, where's that Celtic pride??
PRR

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Eric,
I also started out and learned to play on a Sho-Bud Maverick much like the one you've purchased. True, at the time it was a very limited Steel with only 1 knee lever. It was also not designed to be upgraded.
Now 25 years later I must say that my Maverick was one of the best sounding Sho-Bud's I ever played. . . .it had a terrific tone! The more advanced I got through the years, the more I can easily see where a steel player could make due with the one knee lever. I think if Shot Jackson could have made the knee lever lower 4 & 8 rather than 2 & 8 more people would have kept their Mavererick's. Have fun, it's looks real nice! Nick

Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

What a great find, that is the best looking Mavrick I ever did see. I had one here for a while, I liked the tone and weight so much I almost kept it.I know you will have a great time learning all about steel guitar on this little jewel. The book you have is a very good way to start learning I have the same book, he also has an upgrage to that same book. Jeff Newman has a good learning course called A and B pedal that will help you a lot. It is on DVD and you can keep going thru it till you get it right. What a great find and is so pretty.

ernie

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

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