My lovely '84 Sho-Bud S/D12 Pro II Custom looked like this
I won't even show you the picture of the undercarriage -- you owners of later Sho-Buds know what zinc alloy 'pot metal' levers and brackets look like. It was an accident waiting to happen.

John totally stripped the undercarriage and replaced almost EVERYTHING. New changer, new levers and brackets, bellcranks, rods, pedal stops -- everything.
This is what it looks like today

Here are a few more
top view

back -- showing the chromed teardrop levers

undercarriage view 1 undercarriage view 2

This illustrates the fact that John Coop is more than a master machinist / toolmaker. He is an artist. He appreciates what makes a guitar look classy and just makes it look like that. It was a beautiful hunk of birdseye and an attractive axe before. But the addition of just a little bit of color -- replacing the two tone brown & white fretboard and adding the decal in the middle made a big difference. Pedal bar polished out real nice too. He just took care of all the details.

And, perhaps needless to say, it plays like a champ and sounds like a Bud should -- even with me playing it.

John -- thanks my friend. Shot is smiling down on you.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 24 September 2005 at 11:48 AM.]

Wow, bee-oo-ti-ful axe!

How about some sound files of yer Bud?

Got a tuning chart for it?

cheers,
Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden D-10 8/8, Fessenden SD-12 5/5 (Ext E9), Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3

All seriousness aside, John's pull train is made from high quality, solid materials -- not stuff better suited for cap pistols. He has seen some changer fingers and axles with grooves so deep that it's a wonder they could pull at all. He also eliminated the clips that secure the pull rods to the bellcrank on the SuperPro undercarriage (I HATE them). All in all, he has eliminated all that's bad about (particularly the newer) Sho-Buds.

I've only had the guitar for a day and haven't played it out yet, but, from what I can tell (with new strings on it) it tunes up fine, plays very smoothly, and stays in tune very well. Cabinet drop is about 4 cents; there's a little hysteresis as with any guitar with tuning keys. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

EB -- was there something in particular you were fishing for?

Drew -- tuning is on my website -- not very different from my other guitars; I did split the Franklin pedal so I'll see how I like that.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 25 September 2005 at 07:00 AM.]

For example, I raise my middle B string (would be 10 on E9) to D on a lever and to C# on a pedal. If you raise to D and then let off to C# it's perfectly in tune, then to B and it is likewise in tune. My other guitars tend to return a bit sharp. Not the Coop changer / mechanics.

Another example in the same vein: I lower 8 from E to D and also from E to D#. It returns perfectly as you raise it back from D to D# and E. I just checked it to be sure.

Works for me

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

quote:

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If you raise to D and then let off to C# it's perfectly in tune

---

Everything I've tested returns fine. I haven't spent a lot of time looking -- and probably won't. If I can't hear it, it's not a problem for me, but I'm usually the first one to know when I'm out of tune.

My Zum, Fessy, and to a lesser extent, my push-pull have more return problems than the Bud.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Thanks for the pics. I can't wait to get my Bud from John.

My Bud is nearly a copy of Larry's with Larry's awesome E9B6 setup. For you folks that play the U12, Larry knows his guitars, and he is a wonderful artist. He has an ear that could detect a tuning problem with a cricket!

John is a sincere man who loves these guitars, and he has spent countless hours talking to Larry and myself learning the player and our needs.

Long live the rebuilt Bud.

My Bud was a disaster when I received it. On the my Bud's first gig, the D knee lever (LTB RKL) broke. Pot metal from Hell is being replaced at this very moment.

Steelin' Scott

Mullen U12 4 sale $1800.00 awesome guit
ShoBud U12 with a pad
Tele / Bigsby
Gibby Br6
Session 400
A few twins eh!