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Topic: Shobud rack and barrel fantastic! |
Paul Smith
From:
Ma
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 2:56 pm |
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Hello Everyone,
I recently purchased a ShoBud 6139 3x1 with the old rack and barrel system underneath, and I have to tell you I absolutely love this system! I only have 1 knee lever which I setup myself to Lower both Es to Eb, well I wanted an E to F lever as well but my guitar needs all the parts to add a knee lever, which is going to take some time.. so...
I just modified my knee lever (RKL) to lower my 8th string from E to Eb and also raise my 4 string E to F, all on one lever!! Now I can use 1 knee lever for double duty until i actually get another knee lever installed. It literally took 5 minutes to make the change to the knee lever... All this after having the guitar for less than a week. I am a rack and barrel fan for sure! Easy to work on, and this plays and stays in tune EXTREMELY well... And the sound, my goodness its got a coil tap switch, and when I tap the coil, through my 1967 Ampeg rerverberocket II with a 1957 Jensen P12N.. Nice! only an 20 watt amp, but sounds great just mic it for gigs.. wooohoooo
Just wanted to share in the goodness
Smitty
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 3:56 pm
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Welcome to the 6139 Club...
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 4:01 pm
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The two-hole pullers are almost as easy, and a bit lighter.
Congrats on the rig.
BTW, Michael Yahl at www.psgparts.com has kits to add levers.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 4:27 pm
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| i've shared that rack n barrel joy myself. they are so logical. you can figure them out at a glance. |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 5:32 pm
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Love my R&B!
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 5:34 pm
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I still have a fondness for the rack and barrel system. Kind of like an old girlfriend.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 5:52 pm
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I had a 3+3 R&B round-front '72 or '73 with the lower-wound split-coil pickup for quite a while. Tone heaven. Only reason it's gone is that I'm just too tall for narrow S-10 pedal steels. I finally decided it's SD-10, D-10, or at least a 1.5-wide S-12 for me.
But I have a mid-60s D-10 Fingertip that I need to tear down this summer when I get some time. The undercarriage parts are soaked in dried-up nicotine right now - it came out of a Nashville pawn shop, and obviously has been around the block. But these old Sho Buds just sound great, to my tastes. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 9:54 pm
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Yeah, love mine. That's my guitar in my avatar. It is 3+2, and adding 3 more knees with parts from James.
I recently wanted to try a tuning compensator, which was amazingly easy to implement with the rack and barrel system.
When adding new pulls, you can leave the rods at their full length (trimmed so the far end won't contact the opposite side end-plate). That keeps options open for moving things around later by simply adding barrels where you need them. For experimenting with pulls I don't see how you can beat this system.
The original pickup has a coil tap, wired to a 3-way switch. It sounds luscious through my Fender Deluxe. |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 28 Apr 2015 10:28 pm
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Leave the rods at full length... absolutely.
Case in point... on my E raise lever (LL) I added a barrel on my 6th string to true up that string in the A pedal/F lever position. It only moves slightly, and right at the end of the KL's travel, so you can't feel it a bit... but it trues up that string just perfectly. And all you have to do is add a barrel to an already existing rod.
You gotta love the versatility and simplicity of the rack & barrel system. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 5:59 am
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| Exactly, Skip.... tuning compensator. |
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Tom Quinn
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 6:32 am
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A great system that has held together for almost half a century.
_________________
I need an Emmons! |
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Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 11:27 am rack and barrel system
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I'm still lovin' mine...just love the tone thru my Fender Super!I think it's a '73.
_________________
Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
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Mitch Ellis
From:
Collins, Mississippi USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 8:16 pm
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How about some undercarriage photos? Those are some beautiful steels! 
Mitch |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 29 Apr 2015 8:55 pm
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Serial #2752.
Complete with a couple extra barrels & stops, just hanging around, doing nothing.
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Don Blood
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2015 12:04 am 72 6140 4 pedals and 4 knee levers
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2015 5:20 am
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Don,
What is the chain-drive linkage on that knee-lever?
Dan |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 30 Apr 2015 5:26 am
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That's the reverser. Notice it's over on one side and under on the other. Clever. And on a Rack and Barrel, it's not like you'd notice the extra weight...
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Don Blood
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2015 11:27 am
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| Yes, it's the reverser. I didn't want to remove the pots and switch, but they were kind of in the way to put the lever where I wanted it. |
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Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
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Posted 30 Apr 2015 4:09 pm
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Love this guitar...
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Dana Erlandson
From:
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2015 8:20 pm
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Where is the best place for either video or diagram description for the adjusting, tuning, general maintaining of the Rack and Barrel system. I have a 6139 3X1
Also I've been wanting to add knee levers ever since I got this guitar. Best place to order parts??
The names Jeff Surrat and John Coop came up last time I looked into it. Still the place to go and how can I contact them?
Thanks!!! |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2015 9:38 pm
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I sent you a PM with some info. I'm sure others will chime in. Some of our members are pretty good making our Buds work better.
We lost John Coop in 2011. |
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Ron Pruter
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2015 4:30 pm
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Don,
Now you've got to use Tri-flow lube. It's made for bike chains. RP
_________________
Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2015 9:49 pm
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My favorite system. Wanna change something? 10 minutes. Infinite possibilities.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 26 Jul 2015 3:55 am
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| Ron Pruter wrote: |
Don,
Now you've got to use Tri-flow lube. It's made for bike chains. RP |
The one for chains has a paraffin (wax for you Brits, because you call something else paraffin, divided by a common language again) base. That's not the stuff.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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