[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 05 September 2006 at 05:53 PM.]

And, on second glance, it might be an in-between, just after the Crossover and before the Professional. Some of the parts seem like they're from a Crossover, and some seem Prof-like. Maybe they were using up the old parts, and using some of the newer as well.

Whatever it is, it's cool...

[This message was edited by Skip Edwards on 05 September 2006 at 05:59 PM.]

By the way, the pure yellow permenant Sho-Bud I have been looking for for years is still up front in the memory banks of Harry Jackson. Harry was the builder. This guitar was built for Jimmy Day, and delivered to him. It had a Black Widow spider painted on the front. Neither David , Harry Jackson nor myself know where this guitar is today. Help anyone?
Now, back to this wonderful guitar here, guard it with you life, its a unique piece of history.

quote:

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Mine was the same weight as my car in the case.

---

You had a case for your car, Bobbe?

Bobbe, you just made my day. I think I'll gig with it Friday night.

Then call me if you ever sell it, it needs to be in the Sho-Bud museum.

Bobbster

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 05 September 2006 at 08:43 PM.]

Glad to here from you Lee, your new pickup is on the way, according to your personal antaganizer, Jill Bensen! Ha!
She just called from the store and told me,
What a total nut she is, but pretty and funny! She seems to like you and "Aubrey" of Rockport TX.
What is it with you Texans?

If it ever goes up for sale, I'll have a C-130 or a Flying Fortress deliver it to Nashville airport with your name on it. You're right about the weight, but that doesn't bother me. There's a lot of tone in that weight.

Bobbe, what is the year on this guitar? There's a pic of Curly Chalker from 1969 on Tommy White's website. He's playing a Sho~Bud. Is this the one like mine?

www.tommywhite.net

Click on "Photos". It's the first pic.

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 05 September 2006 at 10:12 PM.]

About 6 years ago this guitar showed up on consignment in a local music store. I was just getting my feet wet on pedal steel and as a favour I went down and tuned the steel for the store owner. I had read on the forum and elsewhere to stay away from old Sho~Buds because they were troublesome and heavy, so I passed on buying it. It sat there for about a year, and the owner finally came and picked it up. He put it in storage and ended up trading it with a friend of mine for some studio time about 2 years ago. My friend called me up when he got it, and I went out and tuned it again for him. This time I was a bit more knowledgeable about what it was. He wasn't interested in selling it, so I left it alone. A few times in the last year I called him up to check in and see how he was coming along on the 'Bud. He put a high price on it, and I refused to even go near it seeing that it wasn't exactly gig-ready.

Last weekend I was drooling over James Morehead's "Cooped up" Professional in St. Louis, and really got to thinking I should just get this 'Bud and possibly restore it. The price, like I said, was a bit much. (It had been about 6 months since my friend and I had talked about the 'Bud.) The last night of the convention, I went and checked my email in the lobby and there was an email from the 'Bud owner back home. Coincidence or what. He needed some cash and was selling the guitar at a good price. When I got home, I immediately went out to look at the guitar. I hadn't noticed the model before, so when I saw the Baldwin name my hopes were dashed. I thought it was a Professional. Nevertheless, I bought it because the levers and pedals worked fine and it certainly wasn't a crossover set up underneath. (I figured someone just modified it.) There was no way that guitar was continuing on this trek of misuse and mishandling. An old guy who was a non-player was fixing to buy it as a piece of furniture, and I was having none of that.

This was yesterday, and today I'm happy I bought it. Besides being a bit dirty, she's in great condition. It also came with an old Fulawka bar and Sho~Bud pedal.

Thanks for asking, Bill.

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 09 September 2006 at 06:51 AM.]

A man probably won't forget the tools he made a living with. Nor a man who also sells those tools. Lloyd has the mind/memory, like a steel trap. That was nice of him to give you the skinny on this. And Bobbe speaking up to comment on his knowledge from back in the day of this transition period. We all have much to learn here.

But one thing that is for real, right now, Chris, you STILL scored a phenominal vintage Shobud guitar, and scored it very "right". You came out smelling like a rose, my friend!! Again, Congrats!!!

[This message was edited by James Morehead on 07 September 2006 at 06:33 AM.]

"Hi Chris,
I'm going to give you my professional opinion, but in exchange I want you to post the attached picture on the steel forum of exactly what a "non-doctored" Baldwin Sho-Bud looked like when it was new, and before the
counterfeits surfaced. Post the picture alongside your steel and the inconsistencies I point out will become immediately obvious.
The photo of me playing my brand new (less than 7 months old) Baldwin Sho-Bud was snapped in RCA Studio "B" during a session on Wednesday, May 27, 1970. The artist was Charley Pride.

Now for the differences between the steel you have and an authentic Baldwin:

(1) Compare the wooden insert length difference. Mine stops just above the Sho-Bud logo, whereas yours continues on. I've seen these "fake" wooden inserts many times in the last 20 years.

(2) The entire top of the finger-head area is different.

(3) There are metal plates of some sort attached to the fingertip end of yours. You'll notice no such thing exists on the real one.

(4) There were no switches on the back apron of my Baldwin. It looks like three have been added to yours.

(5) The undercarriage looks suspect on your steel. Ricky Davis has worked on many of these type steels and could be more informative than I about this area. But it sure doesn't look quite right.

(6) The knee levers on yours must have been added at a later date. Note the authentic and original ones on mine are curved, as I think most, if not all Sho-Bud knee levers were, at least in those days.

There are more mistakes, if you assume one was trying to duplicate a real Baldwin Sho-Bud. Had the "builder" simply got a picture of one like mine he/she might have been able to construct a pretty good copy. There's no need
for me to continue on with the not too intelligent copy you have, but I will say they did a good job with color and neatness. It is a pretty steel and if it plays and sounds good.....then rock on! But in my judgment it ain't the
real thing.

Regards,
Lloyd Green"

Seems fitting, seeing that I'm always trying to fake Lloyd in my playing.

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 06 September 2006 at 02:34 PM.]

But do you like my pose? I was hoping that would distract from the the fact I'm string-less. (I've been cleaning all day.) If I still had my Fender SF Twin, the pic would have been complete.

Bobbe

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 06 September 2006 at 10:35 PM.]

"What jury is still out"?

If you wish, I'll delete all my posts here.

Bobbe

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 06 September 2006 at 10:36 PM.]

Going on your original information, along with support from another esteemed Nashville player who concurrs with your completely accurate description, I will finally state MY ever so humble position that this guitar is exactly what Bobbe Seymour says it is. The jury is no longer out. The final word, as per Bobbe's original description:

"I remember this very guitar being made. It was a thinking project in progress. One of the last Dickerson road guitars, it ended up being finished at the 12th ave.plant. Three were made. Mine was all birdseye maple. Curly Chalker had a similar one to this one pictured here (maple and rosewood).
This guitar in question here is a true collector guitar and one of only three.
The daddy of the "Professionals", this guitar sounded the death knell of the Baldwin crossover.
This guitar should NOT ever be called a "Baldwin", it was not ever owned or shipped to Baldwin."

There you have it. That description matches the description given to me via email from another high-profile Sho~Bud lover who knows his business as well.

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 06 September 2006 at 11:30 PM.]

Whew........it's been an interesting few days. Thanks to all who have showed their passion for Sho~Bud by weighing in on this guitar's story. It will be up and running shorty, and I will post my first pics gigging with this guitar later in the month.

[This message was edited by Chris LeDrew on 07 September 2006 at 06:36 AM.]

Now send me the guitar! (Ha! Ha!)

Bobbe

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 07 September 2006 at 08:06 AM.]