| Author |
Topic: Interesting Sho Bud Fingers |
Mike Preuss
From:
Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 10:26 am |
|
Can anybody tell me anything about these fingers? From a Pro III Custom. Double raise on each finger, but no pot metal anywhere... I've never seen any like this.
 |
|
|
 |
Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 2:19 pm
|
|
Based on the style of the rivets I would speculate that those are aftermarket fingers. The shape of the raise helper nub is different, the rivet recess appears larger, but they look well-crafted.
The transition from aluminum fingers to pot metal happened at the same time as the introduction of the 2 over 1 scissor, ~'73-'74. The finger geometry is the same so it's likely there are a few original Sho-Buds with the older aluminum fingers and the 2/1 scissor, I've never seen one but I've heard they exist. All later design 2/2 and 3/2 fingers with the two-piece steel scissor were pot metal. Original Sho-Bud fingers also used rounded nickel plated truss head rivets, not the flat head style like in your pics.
_________________
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 2:48 pm
|
|
Well there is a slim transition time between the horizontal moving single/single aluminum top with Pin; to the new nylon tuner system vertical moving double/single with newly made casted pot metal top with groove you put string in.
Those transitions consisted of; welding a extra raise hole on original single/single fingers. Then making double raise/Single lower horizontal moving(paul franklin sr.) to keep the 6061 aluminum best sounding shobud finger top EVER!! with pin to hook string on; which is what you pictured. But the Jackson's and Marrs come up with a new Casted pot metal finger top with Groove and chrome plated they were able to make a TON of them as more were needed to build more steels as mechanics and models were going to change soon to the new SuperPro in '78. and This new pot metal top was then linked to a vertical moving to change to bracket system behind the fingers and then on from there. This finger you pictured only was made and existed not even one year. Most Shobud customers didn't even know that mechanics changed almost Monthly from ideas to ideas...etc.....when you have 4 incredible inventors of mechanical ideas all working same time; there was something different around every corner. (David Jackson; Duane Marrs; Harry Jackson and all the custom work and the most brilliant parts from Paul Franklin Senior).
Ricky
p.s. sorry for all the nerdy mechanical talk; but how else can one explain the HECKTIC amount of stuff going on back on those Shobud Building days. I was NOT there; but I was fortunate to learn most that history through long conversations with Shot; Duane and Paul F. Senior) and some others that slung parts back then.
oh P.S.S....all that I just explained happened between Late 1974 early '75 to 1977
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
|
|
|
Mike Preuss
From:
Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 3:27 pm
|
|
| Dang! That's so cool. Opening the box expecting pot metal 2 over 1 and seeing this blew my mind. What a find! Thanks for the information 🙂. Very excited to make those fingers sing again. |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 4:27 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| Opening the box expecting pot metal 2 over 1 |
Mike; What Box?? from where did you get these fingers?
Ian; made some great mechanical statements, that coincide with my era statements.
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
|
|
|
Mike Preuss
From:
Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 5:59 pm
|
|
I bought them through the forum, they arrived via USPS in a box yesterday.
Last edited by Mike Preuss on 15 Apr 2023 8:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 6:19 pm
|
|
Well Mike; I have restored OVER 100 Shobud's through the last over 25 years...every model. And I have only Seen This finger one time in a "SHO~BUD PRO~II CUSTOM".
Not just Pro~II and not "THE"PRO~II CUSTOM... and heard there was a few Pro III's made with this very rare finger that Paul Franklin Sr. made; and so yes; for my historical purpose; I was wanting more info from did those fingers come out of a PRO~III just one neck and he kept the other neck??? Wondering if that Pro~III said JUST PRO~III on the front or the word CUSTOM under it and not the word "THE" anywhere?? Paul Franklin Sr. made this finger in-between the Single/Single and Double/Double; only to keep the aluminum top with Pin..and of course Paul ONLY did their Custom work and new mechanical features and I have ONLY SEEN ONE...just trying to confirm some more info in my head
--------------------------------
P.S.; thanks for the info below Mike....You'da man. I got rid of some of my rambling in this post...but left the real history info of course.
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com
Last edited by Ricky Davis on 16 Apr 2023 7:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Mike Preuss
From:
Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
|
Posted 15 Apr 2023 7:11 pm
|
|
These pics are the extent of my knowledge about the guitars history.
 |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 16 Apr 2023 7:16 am
|
|
OK thanks Mike for the pics and more discussion with me in PM.
That "The Pro~III Custom" was made September 1974. At that time later '74 is when Sho-Bud started welding on a extra Raise hole to only the strings that raised twice; to start the getting away from single/single barrel tuning and fixing rod at puller and doing nylon tuning. Paul franklin Sr. (as I said) did a lot of their Custom work for clients wanting something more particular then the stock right off showroom floor builds. So this is RARE something Paul Sr. did he just made those double horizontal moving raise arm on the original 6061 aluminum finger top with pin and built this Pro III with them...and I've only seen one other like it. Sho-Bud did go into the nylon tuning market by making a double raise/single lower but with the newly high quantity made finger top with groove casted with potmetal and chrome plated. So probably the Best "SOUNDING"nylon tuning fingers Made EVER, was never produced in quantity; and we'll probably never see them again as probably just a handful of Sho-bud's got them put on by the great PAUL FRANKLIN SENIOR...!!!
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
|
|
|
Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
|
Posted 16 Apr 2023 8:55 am
|
|
I don't believe that the fingers in Michael's pics are original Sho-Bud, or at least they were not built using stock production parts for both the finger or the scissor assembly. They are well crafted, but there are a number of differences. The guitar those came out of had been modified pretty significantly so anything is possible, it was definitely 'rode hard and put away wet'. There was a discussion about it here: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=3102057#3102057
Here are the some pics of an earlier 1/1 assembly with the aluminum finger, and a 2/1 with the pot metal finger, both original Sho-Bud. In addition to the
added hole in the raise arm, the other primary difference in the 2/1 scissor assembly was the removal of the inner guide hole tab, which was necessary with the newer system with the clamping swivels, it required some flexibility in the rod angle vs the barrel tuning system where all the rods were necessarily parallel. The functional geometry of the two scissor assemblies is otherwise identical. You can see the subtle differences between these and those in Michael's pics in both finger and in the scissor assembly, which is a bit more refined than the mass produced stock Bud scissor.
_________________
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon |
|
|
|
Mike Preuss
From:
Mount Vernon, Washington, USA
|
Posted 16 Apr 2023 9:57 am
|
|
Fascinating! More pics of the finger alone:
 |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 16 Apr 2023 2:56 pm
|
|
Yeah Ian; I'm with ya on that after looking further...that Aluminum finger top on Mikes; does have a little diff; on the head, then the original shobud aluminum fingertop.
So Paul did custom work; MEANING, he made his own parts to customize someones steel at Shobud; so he could of still made those Fingers that's in Mikes post; but also maybe NOT...ah...ha....But someone that is very very talented did.
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
|
|
|
