Zumsteel vs. Emmons vs. Sho~Bud 'Tone Comparison of these 3 Pedal Steel Guitars'

I thought a nice tone comparison of some of the most desired pedals steels, all played with the exact amp settings on the same song, would be interesting and helpful for players and future players .

Here is the list -

1) Zumsteel D-10 1996
2) Emmons D-10 P/P 1981
3) Sho~Bud LDG 1975

All steels were played thru a Telonics TCA500 combo (15" speaker) with a g-Harmonics rack that has the Telonics presets programmed in. The preset used was #36 Lloyd Verb.

Let's have some fun, and if you would like to vote on your favorite tone, please enter your choice in the comment section.

Thanks for checking out the video, and keep on picking. 😁

#pedalsteelguitar #Emmons #Sho~Bud #steelguitar #Zumsteel #pedalsteelguitarlesson

[risby]

It's all in the hands, but my old man was a Nashville Pro and he always had lot's of different brands around the house, that the manufacturers would loan him or give him to play. However, it was always a Sho-Bud he stayed with, usually rigged by Dwayne Mars. His last rigg was a Super Pro and usually a Session 400 amp, not a bad combination. Enjoy your channel.

[davidkellymitchell]

All gonna sound real close with the single coil pickups. Sound will change a lot with double coil humbuckers. An E-66 can sound pretty close to a single coil. I've owned and played them all and the biggest difference for me is how they feel and respond to input when I am playing them. The hardest playing steel I ever had was an old 69 ZB custom. Like driving a 1949 diesel truck but the tone was incredible. String spacing changes the feel more than anything.

[Sluggo]

Emmons mid range is hard to Bruce has don a great job building the Zum...its full through band, and of course the ShoBud looks identical to the Loyd Greene favorite, always liked his play....wish they would throw in a Mullens...try it with these

[louislamonte]

Both beautiful guitars!! Outstanding tone! And excellent playing by the way! Have a great day my friend and I hope you're doing well and everything is good in the Buckeye State!

[francescoporcumusic]

Hello beautiful I play all 3 steel. What type of cable do you use? It has a nice sound apart from the white color. Thanks Francesco

[dwightwilliams]

Emmons for me. Such a good mellow tone

[MichaelJohnson-egbj]

Sho-Bud for me just because that is what Dad used, my opinion and his they have a more mellow sound all 3 are in a class of there own

[rockumk]

I think it is a matter of taste, but to my own preference the Emmons by far.

[TheNCGardener]

Zum sounds a little bright for my taste. It's a hard toss between the Emmons and Sho-Bud. I have owned 2 Sho-Buds and never played an Emmons. I would love to play one though!

[steelarama]

I know this post is a year old, but, one thing that I find when you’re doing comparisons, is to try to compare apples to apples. Just my evaluation, but a couple of things, first thing, you’re not going to get any all pull, that’s going to best the sound of a good push pull guitar, but, pedal steel has advanced so much over the years, many all pull guitars have come extremely close, to capturing many characteristics, and bell tone quality, in all pulls, that has brought much satisfactory results, plus, in some ways, mechanically better, but at the same time, I’m not saying push pull guitars aren’t mechanically sound, but all pull guitars were definitely built to make some things easier. I’m also of the opinion, that it’s hard to beat an Emmons single coil pickup, even over a TrueTone, but that’s just me. I would’ve rather heard a comparison between the Zum and a good LeGrande. The ShoBud LDG is without a doubt, a great sounding guitar, however, and I’ve heard this from other players, that there’s a slight difference in the fullness of a D10, as opposed to an SD10, enough to where some players end up getting a D10, whether they play C6 or not. Another factor is the ShoBud with a wooden neck, which is going to make somewhat of a noticeable difference. One of the things I like about ShoBuds, with wooden necks, is it seems to produce a little more of a woodier characteristic. I would’ve preferred to hear a D10 Professional, or a Super Pro as a comparison. So, some things that you have to consider when doing comparisons, in order to get a fair assessment. It was nice to hear these guitars, with single coil pickups.

[DonHenryJr]

Interesting comparison but to me it doesn’t really prove anything. Too many variables other than the guitars…amp settings, pick ups, player’s technique, etc. All three sounded good but I think the ShoBud better suited the song.

[philhernandez]

I guess it's how you set them up. Buddy could play any steel and you couldn't tell the difference

[charlesarnold]

All make beautiful music but I will take the Emmons any day!!!

[petepete]

Emmons sounded the best to me. The zum sounded like it had a bit of a resonant peak in the upper mids. The bud sounded a little dull/quiet on the bass strings. Very subtle differences overall--I think the amp, speaker, and impedance matching the pickup to the amp has a greater effect on tone than the guitar itself (and of course the player). Have always loved Emmons tone but Emmons pedals are too short for me. I have long feet and need at least 3+3/4" usable length on pedals so that I'm not just playing with my toes. GFI, Mullen, and Sho-pro are the only brands Ive found with long enough pedals.

[nealyeagley]

ZumSteel hands down and I own a Sho-Bus

[danielstein]

zum is kinda emmon-sy with a hint of bud growl!

[steveperry]

The Zum seems brighter, the emmons seems more vintage, couldn’t tell with showbud, volume seemed weak. Liked emmons best

[derbyd]

The Emmons sounded more balanced and more of that midrange.

[larrydering]

Hard to tell much difference. They all sound sweet. No big advantage to any one of them. Big price difference for sure. The pedal action would play a role in my decision. Of course the pickups may be different too. Thanks for sharing this comparison. Please play another more active tune and and post it.

[marc]

Steel guitar, and a dim lit bar, I always say.