Some pictures of the Sho-Bud factory 1977

John Palumbo · Post by **John Palumbo** » 1 Jul 2016 4:23 pm

Great Pictures, I was there with a Jeff Newman Class about that time, I took this picture. Sure brings back good memories. Jeff was playing an acoustic guitar, I believe the other gentleman (sitting and playing steel) was someone that worked at Sho-Bud. The other picture is the class I was with.

William Polka · Post by **William Polka** » 1 Jul 2016 7:51 pm

All the old photos are absolutely incredible. Would love to see more. I guess the older we get the more we have to reminisce about.
Seems like forumite Robert Kramer (OP of thread linked to in my last post) was trying to collect some history on those old addresses back in 2012.

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 2 Jul 2016 6:57 am

I recall in about Jan 72 going upstairs to that room and steels were laying in a pile in the middle of the floor. I could not believe my eyes. I asked what one of those would cost and they told me about $1500. I did not ask what a nice new one would cost.

They might have been joking with me, but I was taken back by the pig pile of steels. Some may have been rejects etc, maybe they were going to salvage parts.

Gene Haugh · Post by **Gene Haugh** » 2 Jul 2016 7:50 pm

Yes the man sitting at the steel is the same one who made Canopus steels in TOKYO. His name is Yasuhira Kamiya or better known as "YASU". The story as told to me by Shot Jackson was, Yasu came over on a two week Visa not long after leaving school, landed in L.A. CA. and he and two buddies bought an old car and took off for Nashville. According to Shot, Yasu came into the shop on Broadway and told them he had come to go to work and Shot put him to work. He couldn't speak very good English at the time. Don't know what year that was because I didn't meet Yasu until Sept. or Oct. of 1979. He was the only employee from SHO~BUD who moved to Conway AR. with the operation. I took over the Operation November 2nd 1979 and Yasu taught me everything I know about Steel Guitars. In Oct.1981 the operation sold to Charlie Roy of Kustom and moved to DeQueen AR. where with Yasu's help we again set up the operation and he was there about 6 months to a year and he received word that his father was very sick and not expected to live and he went back to Japan. I got to see him one time on a trip to Japan and I will say not a better man have I had the privilege to know, and no-one loved SHO~BUD more than YASU. I miss him.
Gene Haugh

John Palumbo · Post by **John Palumbo** » 3 Jul 2016 4:59 am

Great story & information Gene.
Thank you

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 3 Jul 2016 8:53 am

I want another Sho~Bud.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 3 Jul 2016 11:04 am

They must have made 10 zillion of those Mavericks, lol.
Great pics and very interesting.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 3 Jul 2016 3:24 pm

I remember Jeff Newman taking us up to that shop in 82 when I was attending his class ...I think the shop had shut by then but was still open for tours etc .. there wasn't a heap of guitars sitting there thats for sure, but some of the plant was.

Dennis Johnson · Post by **Dennis Johnson** » 4 Jul 2016 9:00 am

Loved your pictures Bas, brought back memories. I also took a Newman class in August of 1978 and we did the ShoBud tour but I didn't take pictures. Seems like there were 3 floors and we road an elevator? Also went back in October of 1983 for a speed picking class. Jeff would tell us were to go a night to see some good pickers. I went to some old bar and set at the table in front of the steel player, it was Doug Jernigan. Fun time.