Sho-Bud is a brand name for a manufacturer of pedal steel guitars that was founded by

Shot Jackson Harold Bradley "Shot" Jackson (September 4, 1920 ; January 24, 1991) was an American country guitarist best known for playing Dobro and pedal steel guitar. He also designed and manufactured guitars under the name Sho-Bud. Biography Jackson mo ...

and Buddy Emmons in 1955 in

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

, Tennessee.

History

In the early 1950s Shot installed string pullers with pedals on Fender,

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a rang ...

, and other steel guitars. Shot approached steel guitarist

Bud Isaacs Forrest "Bud" Isaacs (1928–2016) was an American steel guitarist who made country music history in 1954 as the first person to play pedal steel guitar on a hit record. He is known for his playing his innovative technique on Webb Pierce's 1954 re ...

to start the Sho-Bud company together, using the terms "Sho" named after Shot Jackson and "Bud" after Bud Isaacs. Bud Isaacs was an early partner in the endeavor, and was involved in designing the guitars but later left, after which Shot approached steel guitarist Buddy Emmons. In 1955 Buddy Emmons joined Shot and the two continued the endeavor to create the brand and company. The brand was founded in a small garage in 1955 in

, Tennessee by

and Buddy Emmons, both active steel players in the 1950s. The company later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 1963. In 1963 Emmons left the company, and Shot's sons, David and Harry, accompanied Shot in building Sho-Bud Steel Guitars. Duane Marrs then joined the company. David Shot was involved in designing the first "all pull" mechanics of the company's steel pedal guitars, which allowed for more musical flexibility. Later in 1963, Buddy Emmons left Sho-Bud to start his Emmons Guitar Company with Ron Lashley. In the 1970s they also expanded their line and offered acoustic guitars. They also made a line of dobro-style

resonator guitar A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting string vibrations through the bridge to one or more spun metal cones (resonators), instead of to the guitar's sounding board (top). Resonator guit ...

s in conjunction with

Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch ...

under the name Sho-Bro, a play on the word " dobro". The name is currently owned by Gretsch, which purchased the company in 1979, and there are no models in production.

Pedal steel models

Models produced include the Permanent, Fingertip, Crossover, Maverick, Professional, Pro I, Pro II, Pro III, Super Pro and LDG (Lloyd Green).

Notes

References

External links

* {{official, http://www.sho-bud.com
Jacksonsteelguitars.com
*https://web.archive.org/web/20161026193248/http://www.locobox.com/shobudacoustic/
Pete Drake Member of the Musician's Hall of Fame for Steel Guitar and player of Sho-bud guitars.
Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States Steel guitar