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Topic: Show Pro as a touring guitar? |
Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 17 Jul 2019 11:12 pm |
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I’m toying with the idea of buying a modern steel, as my 6139 Sho~Bud seems to freak out when I travel. It’s not fun do deal with when there is only 10 minutes to set up, tune, and then troubleshoot on a festival stage!
A local guy has a Show Pro S10 he might part with. Nice that I can try it out, as there’s not much around here for steels. Folks with experience with these - are they solid for travelling?
Thanks!
Last edited by Marc Jenkins on 18 Jul 2019 1:10 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 12:27 am
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I faced the same problem - a growing reluctance to take my Sho-bud Pro 1 out anymore. It never ever gave me any trouble whatsoever, but I thought I was pushing my luck, as it was getting a bit 'rickety'.
I bought a new single neck Williams in 2016 and I have been driven that guitar all over Australia since then.
I love my Pro-1, but the Williams is the guitar for constant travelling - modern, solid, not going to break or fail. I expect a new (or near new) Sho-Pro would fall into the same category
I'd do it
_________________
Luke Drifter on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ralwaybell
https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.j.threlfall
http://ralwaybell.bandcamp.com/ |
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Sandy Inglis
From:
Christchurch New Zealand
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 1:20 am
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My old Sho-Bud D10 was heavy and needed constant tuning. I now have a more modern Zum which is lighter and far more stable. I very often set it up and start playing without having time to tune it, but it is usually OK. The old Sho-Bud is now my practice Steel and doesn't move (except for a recent house move).
I think most modern PSG's are a lot more stable and better for touring / giging.
Sandy
_________________
01'Zumsteel D10 9+9; Sho Bud D10 SuperPro; 6 String Lap Steel (Homemade); Peavey Nashville 1000; Fender Deluxe 85;
1968 Gibson SG; Taylor 710 CE; Encore Tele Copy; Peterson Tuner; HIWATT T40 C 40W/20W Combo |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 2:12 am
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For a few years in the '90s a Pro-111 was my only guitar. I was constantly on the road with it and it was nothing but trouble. Many were the times I wished I had my old ZB back.
I haven't played one but Show-Pros seem to me to be works of art, visually and, I'm sure, mechanically. My only fear would be the risk of damage to that beautiful finish. My 'mica Emmons is indestructible in that regard.
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 6:28 am
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I have a D10 Show Pro, and as long as they are in a decent road case they are as good on the road as any pedal steel guitar. A pedal steel is a precision instrument and as such needs to be handled with care regardless of the manufacturer. Roadies who throw the instruments in and out of the bus should be avoided at any cost.
I had my Pro 111 on the road for 30 years and apart from a stripped leg thread, which was repaired with a helicoil, I didn't have a minute's problem with it. It did start to shows signs of wear and tear in the end and I had a guy in the UK give it a complete refurb, which was the least the old gal deserved. Now that I no longer tour, I use my SUV to transport my guitars, and am ultra careful how I load and unload them.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,
Last edited by Ken Byng on 18 Jul 2019 7:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 6:39 am
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| I believe that Roger touched on the one drawback to touring with a Show-Pro and that being the risk of damaging the beautiful finish. I am the proud owner of a 'Lloyd Green II' (Grape Jelly #1) and it has only left my studio on one occasion for a non smoking venue at a Country Club. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 7:12 am
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I believe one of the reasons Buddy came up with the Emmons guitar is to have a guitar that was more road friendly. 
Erv |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 11:42 am
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mine traveled across the ocean, and I play around here quite a bit, and so far works like a Swiss clock ... I ordered a brand new one just because I didn’t want to deal with mechanical issues used guitars sometimes have , and there is virtually nobody here close to me who works on steel guitars , so I figured , better safe then sorry ...
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 11:53 am
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Thanks everyone! Seeing this local steel next week.
Would a vintage Sho~Bud single coil fit in a Show Pro?
Last edited by Marc Jenkins on 18 Jul 2019 12:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 12:08 pm
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Damir - your photos are nothing short of spectacular my friend. You have made an incredible guitar look even more amazing. I love photography, but you have it down to a fine art!
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 12:17 pm
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Thanks Ken my friend, as you said it already, this guitar is spectacular , Jeff makes unbelievable instruments , they are beautiful, play great, and have tone to the bone, I made good decision by ordering a guitar from him, it exceeded my expectations... no surprise you can find a Show Pro in just about every major recording studio in Nashville...
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 12:29 pm
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Yep - a Show Pro with 710's fitted sounds as good as it gets. The tone is just huge. Jeff has done you proud with that guitar. Every time I look at my guitar I just feel so honoured to own it.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E, |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 12:44 pm
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yup, I’m not a big fan of 710’s but they really sound awesome in his guitars , I love Sho Bud tone, and this is it , it is a Sho Bud on steroids lol
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 4:44 pm
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Damir I see you have 710's in your Franklin as well -- and of course Lloyd Green has used 710's forever ! As has one Mr Paul Franklin Jnr -- I think the BL 710 is one of the best humbuckers out there and have been well and truly proven over the decades...
_________________
14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 6:07 pm
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No reason a well protected Shopro wouldn’t do well on the road.
I’d be worried about any beautiful lacquer finish guitar on the road. Of course, the finish could get messed up on a local bandstand as well. I wish I could say it hasn’t happened to me. A falling mike stand at a local gig hurts as much as one injured on the road.
For those of us who play in bar rooms and honky tonks, things can be a bit unpredictable.most of my work is in bars. I could stay at home, but i like to play.
I try t be the last on the bandstand, and I’m definitely the first to break down. I start to discreetly break down before the last song. My steel is in the case before most of the band is at the bar.
A lot of things can happen to your gear after the gig, most of it bad. It’s not that I’m always looking to leave the gig ASAP, I just want my gear safe and secure. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 6:25 pm
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No reason a well protected Shopro wouldn’t do well on the road.
I’d be worried about any beautiful lacquer finish guitar on the road. Of course, the finish could get messed up on a local bandstand as well. I wish I could say it hasn’t happened to me. A falling mike stand at a local gig hurts as much as one injured on the road.
For those of us who play in bar rooms and honky tonks, things can be a bit unpredictable.most of my work is in bars. I could stay at home, but i like to play.
I try t be the last on the bandstand, and I’m definitely the first to break down. I start to discreetly break down before the last song. My steel is in the case before most of the band is at the bar.
A lot of things can happen to your gear after the gig, most of it bad. It’s not that I’m always looking to leave the gig ASAP, I just want my gear safe and secure. |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 18 Jul 2019 6:37 pm
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| Paddy Long wrote: |
| Damir I see you have 710's in your Franklin as well -- and of course Lloyd Green has used 710's forever ! As has one Mr Paul Franklin Jnr -- I think the BL 710 is one of the best humbuckers out there and have been well and truly proven over the decades... |
lol... right, funny huh? my favorite pick up was always True Tone single coil, and I love those, every Promat I had, I always ordered with Jerry Wallace TT pick ups... however, I also had Pro ll with 705’s , and when I first got it , I thought it was gonna sound too thin and sterile , but that was one of the best sounding Sho Buds I ever had... I don’t care much what somebody else uses, I get what I like , so I always tried to avoid 710’s , but Show Pro sounds great with 710’s and so does my Franklin and I decided to go with those
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 24 Jul 2019 12:12 pm
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| Bought it! |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Jon Hyde
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 11:56 am
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| Brett Robinson (Whitey Morgan and the 78s) tours like crazy with his Show Pro. Looks and sounds fantastic. I see the concern about your guitar getting worn on the road but then again, it's so much cooler to have a beautiful guitar on the bandstand! Plus, in my opinion, a little honest wear on a guitar only makes it cooler. I've toured a fair bit with my 76 LDG (which I consider to be a lacquer beauty) and I wouldn't hesitate to take my Show Pro on my next touring opportunity should one arise. I know Jeff Surratt would rather see his great work on the stages of the world and not just the basements of the world!! |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 12:37 pm
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Show Pro finish is polyurethane not lacquer, so it’s not all that sensitive as you may think, that’s a pretty tough finish, and I don’t see a problem with taking it on the road with you ...
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https://steelguitarsonline.com/ |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 10:37 pm
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Been on two stages so far, flying this coming weekend for some more. Buying this steel is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
Can anyone tell me how to tune the 2nd string half stop (via extra rod on the 9th?) |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 11:41 pm
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| Marc Jenkins wrote: |
Been on two stages so far, flying this coming weekend for some more. Buying this steel is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
Can anyone tell me how to tune the 2nd string half stop (via extra rod on the 9th?) |
The 9th string link on the lever that lowers string 2 will give a decent half stop if set correctly. I'm not sure if Jeff Surratt carries a Sho~Bud type half stop, but Michael Yahl makes a great facsimile of one.
Using the 9th string lower is easy to set up. Lower the 2nd string until it reaches a D note, and then time the 9th string pull rod to start lowering the 9th string D to C#. Simple.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,
Last edited by Ken Byng on 28 Jul 2019 11:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 28 Jul 2019 11:45 pm
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| Ken Byng wrote: |
| Marc Jenkins wrote: |
Been on two stages so far, flying this coming weekend for some more. Buying this steel is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
Can anyone tell me how to tune the 2nd string half stop (via extra rod on the 9th?) |
The 9th string link on the lever that lowers string 2 will give a decent half stop if set correctly. I'm not sure if Jeff Surratt carries a Sho~Bud type half stop, but Michael Yahl makes a great facsimile of one. |
Thanks Ken, looking to figure out how to adjust the tuning of the link ? |
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