Red Sho-Bud LDG Questions Please Help

Jasmyn Kelley · From: Oklahoma,USA

I’ve just acquired this Red Sho-Bud LDG Model 6150. Information and advice would be greatly appreciated. I am completely new to PSG. (NFS)

Paper attached says: Music City MFG. INC. Nashville, TN 37201. Model No. 6150 Serial No. 9711 Inspected By D. Marrs.

The front says Sho-Bud Nashville Tennessee on one side and LDG Model on the other. (This is underneath the clear coat.)
•Why do some of these say SP and some say Model underneath the LDG?

•Can someone post a picture of what the underside is supposed to look like, how it should be set up? (I was told something is missing.) I was also told the mechanics are the same as another model?

•Are there any part schematics out there that could teach me about the mechanisms of this guitar?

•Where can I find a case and leg bag?

•How should I properly clean it?

So far, I haven’t found any Sho-Bud Experts around Colcord, Oklahoma.
I can’t take a trip to get it refurbished right now.
If I’m going to own and play this PSG, I want to know how to work on it and maintain it. I’m determined to start playing. Surely, with good instruction I won’t do anything worse to it than has already been done. It’s a mess.

Thank you!

(I did not haul it in the back of my truck bed.)

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

You should get a hold of fellow forum member Ricky Davis. He is quite knowledgeable when it come to Sho-bud Steel guitars. He would be your best bet to restore your Sho-bud. And From the looks of that changer it really could use it. As for case and leg bags etc. You have a few options here on the forum. including us here at outwest music.
outwestcountry.ca
thanks
wayne
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Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I'll second Wayne's recommendation of Ricky Davis.

At a glance I don't see many missing parts, maybe a rod puller or two. One rod is seriously bent and would need to be replaced, as might the pickup. Other than that it needs a good cleaning and setup, but no obvious surgery from those pics (although other things could be lurking as on any old pedal steel). Not clear whether that is rust or gunk in the changer "window" (where the rod nylon tuners come out. That could be an issue.

The "SP" stands for "special Paint." The stock LDG was green (after its namesake, Lloyd Green). But one could order this model in any available color, hence "special paint."

This is a really pretty steel and should be well worth a restoration.

David Rattray · From: Ontario, Canada

If Ricky gets a hold of this then you will have the best Sho-Bud around anywhere looks sound play ability ...no body can compare to his expertise do not count the cost as it will well more than worth it...a Wallace pick up ...

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Well it was born October 1975; so double Raise/single lower fingers.
EVERY SINGLE PIECE has to come off this Steel and be scrubbed/cleaned/polished/fixed.
Every moving part is crudded up and will reduce the movement. Pickup needs replacing.
Under "LDG" there is either "MODEL" or "SP"; this should be "SP"(special Paint) as the endorsement of LDG should be "Emerald Green" and would be "MODEL" for that endorsement; as "SP" is a custom job; usually a different color and were usually done by Paul Franklin Sr. But this one could have been done by someone that forgot to put "SP" ; that did happen from time to time.
Yes it is not standard set up knee lever wise and yes rods are missing and 3rd pedal ain't even correct...just 1 and 2. But again for every part to come off and be worked on; You're looking at easily 600 to a 1,000 dollars maybe more if parts have to be made.
Ricky
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Nicholas Cox · From: CA

Quite an ambitious task to refurb this yourself but if you’re confident go for it. Here’s a video by Mickey Adams that describes pedal steel guitar mechanics:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6GcFVpTzY0I

You can find replacement parts if needed here:
https://www.psgparts.com/

Do a forum search for cleaning parts. There is a lot of information here on the forum. There are several case makers you can find too including Hatton and Red Dirt and I build custom road cases as well. You should be able to find a leg bag by searching in the “Amps and Accessories” classified section.

There are lots of good options for a new pickup. Do some research and see what tonality you might like.

Good luck!
Nick

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

You have a nice LDG there……in need of a rebuild. I’m all for doing things by one’s self but dont kid or flatter yourself. I’m sorry for being so blunt but if you know little to nothing about pedal steels then this is out of your league. Rebuilding a steel isn’t a weekend project. If you take it all apart, which should be done, then you’re going to end up with hundreds of parts lying in front of you, hopefully catalogued. And when you see all of them lying there you have to remember they all have to be serviced and reassembled. It’s not for the faint of heart.

I’ve had a couple of Sho-Buds rebuilt by Ricky, one of which was an LDG. He does great work.

Jasmyn Kelley · From: Oklahoma,USA

Ricky, unfortunately it’s not an option for me at the moment but I would love to bring it to you in the future.

Thank you all.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Dan Kelly · From: Boston, MA

You might be feeling a little overwhelmed / discouraged at this point. My advice would be to look past it. Envision the day you start playing your "New to You" instrument. Many of us started our journey just the way you are. I did. We got our hands on a good quality steel that needed work. That is a much better starting place than buying a low quality beginners steel that is hard to play and has serious limitations.

There are a couple of advantages of pursuing the PSG the way you are. 1) You will gain invaluable knowledge about the mechanics of a PSG... knowing how the dang thing works will give you confidence. 2) You will have a good quality instrument that is worth some good money after the re-hab. I really hate to disagree with Ricky on his estimate of what your steel will be worth after it is brought back, but my estimate would be $2,300 to $2,500+.

In the meantime, while you are waiting for all this to come together, listen to as much steel as you can. There is plenty on YouTube. Just search under the players' names and if you want to learn about players you have never heard of, just ask here on the forum. You will soon know about the most popular to the most obscure.

The pursuit of playing the PSG is not for the faint of heart but it is well, well worth the effort. Keep it up! You are on your way.
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Dave Campbell · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

there's not much wrong with it, and it is a super cool guitar.

you need to clean every piece of it is the bad news. the good news is that there is no easier guitar to work on than that particular model. it's easy, and you have some awesome folks here to walk you through it.

it'll be a weekend project, but you will have a fantastic (and rare) guitar on the other end.

take lots of pictures.

take the rods out one at a time (just loosen the set screw on the bell crank and they pull right out.

clean the rod and label it's position with masking tape.

once you've done that, take the shafts with bell cranks attached out and clean them, one at a time. you could even put them back in before moving to the next one.

when all that is done, you'll move on to the changer. it's all easy and logical, and you will be the master of your own fate!

there really isn't anything there that you can permanently mess up, so you might as well dive in.

Brian Hollands · From: Geneva, FL USA

I completely agree with Dan and Dave, the idea that you can't rebuild it is BS. I rebuilt my LDG, which was missing its entire undercarriage, having never even sat in front of a pedal steel before. The question is how mechanically inclined are you? If the answer is not very, you'll get yourself in trouble. If you are somewhat mechanically inclined you'll be okay.

Take a good look at the bellcranks, rods and changer fingers and make sure you understand how the linkage works. It's not that complicated but you need to see how changing how a rod is attached to a bellcrank or changer finger (which hole its in) alters how much the string is pulled sharp or slackened flat.
You'll also want to make a rodding chart before taking anything apart. Document which bell crank and finger hole each Rod goes through. They may not be correct right now but at least it's a starting point. I'm sure someone can provide a factory rodding chart as well - I have one for the later superpro shobuds but that won't help you.
Learning how to work on these guitars is a valuable skill in keeping the pedal steel going for years to come. We've sadly been losing a lot of the old guard lately. I just saw last week that Lynn Stafford passed.
Thankfully, the old 'Buds aren't as hard to work on as push-pulls are. Those beasts are a whole different ballgame.
There are plenty of resources on this forum to help. Search for a few shobud restoration or troubleshooting posts, read the "overtuning" sticky, and post when you can't figure something out and you'll have a very cool pedal steel in a couple of weeks.
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'81 Sho-bud LDG, 2 EMCI's

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Hi Jasmyn. Welcome in.

What kind of playable shape is it in right now? Does it tune up and stay in tune? Can you tune the pedals and knees to do the same thing?

The pickup looks warped, but does it still pass sound?

What other issues are there that keep you from playing it?

If it tunes and plays, perhaps you can start playing it and work on the cleaning, parts replacement/adds etc. as you go.

I notice the rubber feet are missing off the legs. If you'll PM me an address I'll send you a free quartet to help you out there.

I also have a Sho-Bud pickup that has a broken lead wire but the bobbins etc. are in good shape. You can have it rewound. You can have it also if you want it. Just contact my PM and if there are any other small items you need to get you started, I might be able to help you out there too.

Good luck. I believe the guitar can be saved...it's just going to take some effort to get it all sorted out.

Oklahoma is a big state, but it's full of steel guitar players...perhaps there's someone near you that can give you some advice and/or a hand with this.

Rick Kornacker · From: Dixon Springs, Tennessee, USA

Hey Jasmyn! A couple more issues to consider: 1. How much $ do you have in it as it sits? 2. It's all there, won't need a lot of additional parts. 3. Nice color/finish. You would benefit from having someone like Ricky D. do his magic if and when possible. Turning your guitar into a veritable "cream puff" would be well worth it, like a meticulously restored '57 Chevy, you get the drift. Only potential downside...the future price/value of used guitars. Overall, I believe you should "make it so"! Guitar will be wonderfully valuable to you for as long as you may keep it...or a real " prize" to a subsequent owner. Think seriously about all the good advice from us Forum members...it should be a good hint on what you've got there. Best of luck...need to get pickin'!😉
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Larry Baker · From: Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.

there is a Steel Guitar show near Tulsa, Ok. Jenks, Ok. next week end with a lot of steel players there, a 2 day event. it would be a good place to visit. several players there are from Oklahoma. Look here on forum under Event anouncements for details. good luck, Larry

PM sent
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Jeffery Mercer · Posted 13 Jun 2024 3:16 pm **Question please…**

Hi Jasmyn, that’s a beautiful name, my question If your New (like me) to pedal steel, why did you purchase a Pedal Steel that obviously needs work…right out the gate, your putting alot of pressure on yourself? I mean this wonderful Instrument is difficult enough just with the basics, without having to build it too? Good luck Friend! There are a ton of good dedicated people both men & women who will help you I’m sure…so at least there’s that.
Just Curious…
Jeff in Cleveland
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