What would be the Holy Grail of all steel guitars?

[Ricky Davis]

More from this amazing one of a kind September 1973 Sho~Bud; that Dick Miller made into a "The Pro~II Custom" With the first endplates for square front made and he put in Triple/Double all pull fingers with RARE 6061 aluminum Finger tops(the best sounding finger tops sho-bud ever made from start to later 1974. Murph LOVED this Sho~Bud and played it all through the 70's with Johnny Paycheck and many many others.

[Barry Yasika]

Ricky the more I look at that thing......I mean.....WOW!! Love to own it but I'm not worthy, it'd be such an honor for me just to see it, I'd be in Awe. I didn't know anything about the Murphy Brothers till I saw them both at the Lone Star Café in NYC back in the 70's, I'm not sure about the years exactly. A buddy of mine was a Wally Murphy freak and knew both of them. I can't remember if I saw that guitar or not when Paycheck was at the Lone Star. I just remember the Pot Leaf. I wanna say Murphy also played sax in the band and that made an impression me as well. I even started to wear a black leather vest and grew a beard back in those days because that's what Big Jim was wearing that night. I just thought he looked so cool!! Sadly the vest or beard didn't help me play like him. I was just in the starter stages of steel back then but still can't play like either of the Murphy Bros.

You mentioned Big Jim played with Asleep At the Wheel but when I saw them at the Lone Star, if I remember right, it was Wally Murphy playing with them, although I don't doubt Big Jim could've or would've played with them as well. Either way, it's interesting to know that, at least to me, so much obliged.

So you were his "goto" guitar tech huh? God what's that even like? I've seen so many of your posts but other than those and seeing you in a few video's I guess I don't know much about you either. Anyway thanks for posting all the pictures, I personally really appreciate them. Imagine? A Teal Colored Steel in the 70's - Too Much Compadre.

[Ricky Davis]

You mentioned Big Jim played with Asleep At the Wheel but when I saw them at the Lone Star, if I remember right, it was Wally Murphy playing with them, although I don't doubt Big Jim could've or would''ve played with them as well. Either way, it's interesting to know that, at least to me, so much obliged.
So you were his "goto" guitar tech huh? God what's that even like? I've seen so many of your posts but other than those and seeing you in a few video's I guess I don't know much about you either. Anyway thanks for posting all the pictures, I personally really appreciate them. Imagine? A Teal Colored Steel in the 70's - Too Much Compadre.

Big Jim only sat in with Wheel here and there; but actually joined the band when he moved right here to Texas last 5 years of his life(RIP 2005); and I met him cause I was playing with Redd Volkaert at the time and they go Waaaaay back; and Redd suggested to Murph cause I worked on pedal steels for my side job..and our relationship was born....He loved what I did to all his pedal steels when he would play a different one every week. Oh and the Pro~II Custom was RE-Finished by Dick Miller, I believe right around '78; and that is the Teal Blue Finish with abalone inlay.
Oh and that was me that restored the Lloyd Green Lightening bolt Fingertip; and Lloyd wanted it in the display at Country Music Hall of Fame museum in Nashville; for history purpose and folks can learn a lot more about it there; then sitting at his house...but he can take it out to record. My history is I started playing with singer/songwriters in Texas '88 with Gary P Nunn and others; then Toured the world with Dale Watson '96 to 2002--ish(I played on Grand Ole Opry 5 times)...then Redd Volkaert until my Ex-Miss Leslie in 2006 till 2012; then Weldon Henson till Current. I've been working on pedal steels(Mainly Sho~Bud) since 1990...so 35 years; and I recorded on over 100 CD's and Live records with Gary p. Dale Watson and Miss Leslie and Weldon Henson and most Texas singer songwriter Cd's here and there and bands in France; Brazil...etc.

[Craig Stock]

And Ricky, don't forget to mention the Linklater movies that you have played on.

[Ricky Davis]

And Ricky, don't forget to mention the Linklater movies that you have played on

OH that's right Craig; I forgot all the "Graham Reynolds" Commercials; Episode Background; and Movie Soundtracks(most Richard Linklater in the last 15 years)...And huge 14 piece Theme Shows like this one we did in Marfa, Tx...Here's one of the 2 hours of songs we did and fitting the topic of "Holy Grail of All Steel Guitars" Yes Lloyd Green's LDG is one for sure; but nothing wrong with the second LDG made and first one to be shipped out of Nashville; is the one I play here>
https://youtu.be/cxNq13AHSyg?si=lfMtJajz1DmZyj-l
Yeeee haaaa......
Ricky

[Ben Thomas]

Randy Reinhard’s hands on his Emmons PP “Horn of Plenty”. Evidence:

https://youtu.be/-MCCj-7HbVk?si=-1E4p8qTkBJAR18G

[Brett Day]

Tom Brumley's ZB steel, which he played in Buck Owens' band, The Buckaroos, the Clark steel guitar played by Sonny Curtis with George Jones, Ralph Mooney's Sho-Bud Super Pro that Ralph played on tour with Waylon Jennings, Norm Hamlet's Rustler steel, which is heard on Merle Haggard's "Big City", Pete Drake's Sho-Bud, "Old Goldie", which had been played on several records, and also the MCI or EMCI steel Buddy Emmons used to record his "Christmas Sounds Of The Steel Guitar" record, as well as the Emmons steel Ben Keith played in Neil Young's band

[Craig Stock]

That was a great video Ricky, nice to see Redd in the band as well!

[Barry Yasika]

• Big Jim Murphy's Sho~Bud Pro~II Custom - In Custody of Ricky Davis ATT TBD
  Lloyd Green's Sho-Bud "Fiingertip" Owned by Lloyd Greed but In the Country Music Hall of Fame. $??
  Hal Rugg’s late 60’s Sho Bud "Permanent" Custodian is Brett Lanier $
  Sneaky Pete's Fender Rock and Roll Hall of Fame $10K
  David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) 1974 6-string Jedson lap steel $300K
  Weldon Myrick's 1965 Emmons D-10 Owner Emmons Guitar Co. Current Custodian Silas Hamilton $?

Ricky, impressive resume. Sounds like you're a been that done that seasoned Pro!! I've always been more of a weekend warrior. I was a field service engineer in the Aerospace and Defense industry and was always on the road somewhere throughout most days of the weeks.

Mainly since your a Sho-bud enthusiast, I wanted to tell ya my first (real) steel guitar was a Sho-Bud, Pro III. It was made of birds eye maple, the finish was clear coat, it had the Bill Lawrence 705's on both all aluminum necks. The only problem with that guitar was the pot metal parts. I broke a knee lever at a gig and had to work around that all night long. I managed to get a knee lever from an old friend of mine and after replacing it I sold that guitar. I gotta say it had the warmest sound of any steel I've had since. Then again I've only owned 5 or 6 in my steel guitar career. I've heard someone say all the pot metal parts can retrofitted with aluminum parts. It was a great axe but is long gone and would not be Holy Grail material.

Another Holy Grail qualifier is Weldon Myrick's Emmons. I did a little digging around and was able to find out a bit more about where it is, who owns and even who's using it (on loan).

[Ricky Davis]

Ricky, impressive resume. Sounds like you're a been that done that seasoned Pro!!

Well I was an Elite Gymnastic coach through the 80's; till I had a gymnast make the '88 Olympic Team to Korea; then I decided I've done all I can to reach my Goals with that through coaching; so became a FULL-TIME musician end of '88 till NOW....so yes I'm going to get to do it all and go where it all is and "Been there-Done that" for sure( I got lucky that I always played with Singer/Songwriters; that I had to CREATE my Music to fit their brand new song...and that really exceled me to many Resume Filling items.....ha...LOL....yeeehaaaa.
Sounds like you had a nice start with Shobud; but yes, anything after about 1975; pot metal took over with Yukky parts...ha.
Continue on Bro.
Ricky