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Topic: Sho Bud Professional Advice |
John Lestock
From:
Baltimore, MD
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Posted 6 Aug 2021 2:01 pm |
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Hi, Folks -
I could use a bit of advice on my rack and barrel Sho Bud Professional. The serial number is 2248 which puts it around 1972. This is my first steel that I've been learning to play on and love it dearly. I bought this from a guitar collector a few years ago. They had purchased it from the original owner’s widow who had stored in her basement for a number of years. Unfortunately, in doing so it received moisture damage that caused a crack between the neck and body. I brought it to Williams soon after purchasing it to have Bill take a quick look. He mentioned that the wood likely had warped. Since it didn't seem to want to be clamped back down.
"You're gonna learn a whole lot about old pedal steel mechanics." - Sage advice from Bill Rudolph
Over the past few years I've learned that this Professional has some unique characteristics. The original owner replaced the E9 pickup with an Emmons (Held in place by a piece of foam - No screws). Additionally, they machined a number of parts for the undercarriage. Some additions make sense... others not so much. I've recently pulled the guitar apart to give a good clean. Removing the changer was not as frightening as I thought it would be and nearly all mechanics make sense now. I'm starting to reassemble the guitar after cleaning and could use some advice.
- What advice can anyone give me about adjusting the return springs? I'm not very clear on how to set those up.
- Are there replacement springs for the barrels out there? A number have the end pieces broken off.
- Thoughts on how and if the crack is worth repairing?
- Any other words of advice regarding setting the steel back up?
Appreciate the help!
Sho Bud Professional
Crack above the Sho Bud logo
Undercarriage
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John "Marty" Lestock |
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Andy Vance
From:
Graham, Washington, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2021 2:11 pm
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John,
When I had that issue with my 6139, I was able to get new barrels from Michael Yahl
https://www.psgparts.com/Barrel-Adjuster-Tuning-100-101-005.htm
Looks like they are currently out of stock per the website but you may want to contact him and ask if he knows when he may have availability.
That's probably all I can help you with for the questions you had.
Andy |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2021 3:08 pm
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As for the spring in the barrels; yes you want the tip sticking out to catch the rack and stop that front end so the back end turns with the rod. I just unscrew the barrel and bend a new straight end and bend it sticking up and still have coils and thread it back through hole in top piece and coils on the treads and screw back together; and wire snip if too much wire sticking up> you're good to go.
That looks like a TrueTone pickup on the E9 neck; my friend Jerry Wallace; who passed away, got together with me years ago and together we made the best TrueTone Ohm for the Sho~bud sound. It will have what it's wound to; underneath.
The return springs are very important and Raise springs are important to have or not have; in Timing pulls. But basically you want the return spring tight enough that the lower comes back. If there is NOT a lower and only a Raise; you want the finger to raise and the lower to NOT MOVE at all inward...if does; tighten till it does not. On Raises that really need to raise fast and it's the only pull on that finger; I usually tighten that return spring ALL the way and that secures the lower section even more and lets the raise section move even better and faster.
Here's a small tutorial I wrote about Sho-Bud Springs>
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Yes all those lower springs serve a purpose…..not just in the lowering.
They are there also to stabilize the lower section when you raise a string.
Take for instance.
If you raise your 1st string say a whole tone on E9th…..>if you tighten the lower spring almost all the way…..>you will find that that raise with happen much easier and sooner; as making that lower section more tight….>the raise section will move more freely.
AS for the strings that lower…..Yes you want the lower springs just tight enough so that the lower will come back to pitch….> and maybe a couple turns just tighter….so that it will not have to be adjusted again.
Also take for instance the 3rd and 6th string raise on the B pedal…..>you’ll notice that they don’t particularly move together; as it takes more travel and throw to pull the 3rd string up to pitch than the 6th string.
So to make them pull more even…..Loosen the lower spring on the 6th string half way….and tighten the lower spring on the 3rd string almost all the way and leave the raise spring on….>so with that what you are doing is stabilizing that 3rd string lower section very tight…so that the raise on the 3rd will happen more quickly and then it might move with the now lazier 6th string more so and taking the raise spring off the 6th string helps almost perfectly....but for sure if you use a .012p for the 3rd and .022w for the 6th; then they become dead perfect…..>make sense???
Also another trick……on those little Raise springs that are next to the body and attach to the raise portion of the finger and onto a bracket on the body of the guitar.
Those help strings raise…..so have them on the ones that raise…….and if you don’t have them on the ones that lower….>than of course the lower will happen more freely and moreso……>so here’s another trick I have with them.
Take the 4th string and 8th string lowers…>well you’ll notice that they don’t particularly move together also…..cause the 4th string needs more throw/distance than the 8th. So to get them to move together better…..I like to take off the raise spring of the 4th…..and leave it on the 8th…..>so now the 4th will lower quicker and the 8th will drag behind a little cause the raise spring is on 8th and not on the 4th and the 8th will drag behind because of the raise spring inhibiting the lower……so now they will move better together….
Ok there’s your little “Spring†lesson for the day…
Have fun.
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Ricky
(I have a million more tips cause this is what I do for the last 25 years on over 100 shobud's; but I'll wait for the questions; you can't really learn without trying it a few ways first; then YOU LEARN>>>>good luck)
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Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
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