Shobud Permanents history info--Show us Yours!!

[Ian Rae]

Roger, what is the scale length now? Could it originally have been 25"?

[Chris Lucker]

Roger
If for historic purposes you want to restore the original scale length, I have original 25+ inch scale eight string white Sho-Bud fretboards.

[Roger Guyett]

Roger, what is the scale length now? Could it originally have been 25"?

I can't say for sure but it was definitely 25+
When I get a chance I'll do some detective work and figure out the distance from the filled holes (where the keyheads were moved - which you can just see) and the new holes.....
Im away at the moment, so not near guitar, but from memory I think its 24...but I'll double check that. I bet its the same as Todd's guitar though - Todd (or Chris) whats the scale length on the Udeen guitar?

[Roger Guyett]

Roger
If for historic purposes you want to restore the original scale length, I have original 25+ inch scale eight string white Sho-Bud fretboards.

hi Chris - thats an interesting thought - let me think about that. I've got a whole range of parts that Im going to put on the guitar including 2 more original pedals (I think it was maybe a 6 pedal guitar originally??). The tuners are wrong too of course. Besides the reduced scale length modification, I think the roller bridges were added later too. Somebody did a nice job of that if it was done to the original keyheads.
I love the sound of the guitar and its fun to play.
The necks are reversed (E9/C6 : with E9 near the player), and I tune it to the lower 8 strings on E9th (low B D E F# G# B E G# hi)

[Chris Lucker]

It is interesting that there is a zip code in the address of the printer. I wonder if Sho-Bud ordered these 25 1/2 inch scale fretboards after 1963, or if the printer found them in the shop and mailed them to Sho-Bud in 1963 or later?

[Jack Aldrich]

In Buddy's history of ShoBud, he says that, because of the tendency of strings to break, he shortened the string length from 25 to 24 inches on later ShoBuds.

[Chris Lucker]

There is another quote from Shot Jackson saying that when they made the change from 25 1/2 inch scale to 24 they had much less string breakage. This is distinctly different from saying the scale was changed because of string breakage.
Since the longer nine string Sho-Bud keyheads necessitated a shorter scale to fit the same cabinets and pedal racks and cases, i think those elements forced the scale length change more than string breakage. I have never seen an eight string 24 inch scale Sho-Bud that did not have evidence that the keyhead was relocated

[James Morehead]

Very interesting.

[Dave Zirbel]

Is this guy playing a triple neck ShoBud Permanent in this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWjD4dAKH4

[Alan Berdoulay]

I'm seeing a ducktail

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

Yes, Jack "Curly" Evins, he was the guy on the original recording of this.

[Jay Jessup]

OK Here's mine, I believe it's a late one 64 possibly? Originally a D-10 converted to a SD-10 maybe in the early 70's at Sho-Bud? I believe the original owner was a Mr White who's son is rumored to be a pretty good picker

[Jay Jessup]

A couple of the underside. I have had this guitar for about 5 years and other than put strings on it and some very minor tuning tweaks have done nothing to it. It sounds great in either full power or tapped position but the best thing about it is how well it plays, the pedal and knee lever action is is possibly the best of any guitar I have had my hands on so it's previous owners did a fine job of making and keeping it a playable guitar. Original finish and my photos don't do it justice.

[John Billings]

Very sweet!

[Edward Rhea]

Nice axe Jay! I like that inlay.

[John Billings]

[Paul Hutzler]

The photo above of Pete Drake playing his steel. Can someone explain the copedant on the first 3 pedals? I'm trying to understand the reason the 2 pedals are close together. Buddy Emmons was saying the 3rd pedal used to be close enough to the 2nd pedal so that he could play Pedals 1, 2, 3 simultaneously.

[David Wren]

Not a very good picture... this was in early 1970, bought it very used, off a mimeographed sheet of used PSGs at a Nashville music store.

Sold it in later in 1970, for a new MSA... wish I still had it