Madison

The Madison brings traditional Sho-Bud styling into a more accessible package: figured maple soundboard and neck with lacquer finish, classic Sho-Bud “Gumby” keyhead, and Grover Rotomatics tuners. It sits between the Maverick II and the Pro Series. Slightly warmer tone and the traditional Sho-Bud look compared to the Maverick, with a simpler mechanism and fixed configuration compared to the Pro V or Pro VI. If you want the classic Sho-Bud appearance without stepping up to the Pro Series, the Madison is the one.

We’re currently running approximately 4 months on Madison builds. We use UPS Ground, fully insured, for all guitar shipments, unless other arrangements are made in advance. Once your guitar is completed, you’ll receive the UPS tracking number.

Yes! We use Affirm as a financing option, which is a simple click away at checkout. 0% interest available!

Both share the same aluminum frame with matte black mica or drum wrap finishes on the front and rear panels, the Sho-Bud “Permanent” Pull-Release changer system with single-piece string pullers. Same four knee levers and three foot pedals, no custom pedal setups. The Maverick II uses an aluminum CNC-cut thinline neck and the Sho-Bud “ashtray” keyhead with Kluson tuners. It’s the lightest pedal steel we build at 24 lbs. The Madison adds a figured maple soundboard and wood neck with lacquer finish, the classic Sho-Bud “Gumby” keyhead, and Grover Rotomatics tuners for traditional Sho-Bud aesthetics and a slightly warmer voice, and weighs 28 lbs.

The Madison features an aluminum cabinet with maple top; the Pro-Series models have all wood cabinets. The Madison has a Pull-Release changer system with our single-piece “Permanent” string pullers, and has a fixed E9 pedal setup, which is not customizable. The Pro-Series line features our All-Pull changer system, with three-piece string pullers and accommodates a custom pedal setup. It’s built for players who need customization, such as extra foot pedals and knee levers, or want an all-wood cabinet. 

The Madison features our Sho-Bud single-piece “Permanent” string-pulling design, the same mechanism on the Maverick II. It’s a simple Pull-Release system built for outstanding tone and reliability, with a fixed setup.

The Madison weighs 28 lbs on its own. The standard hard shell case adds 26 lbs, for a total of roughly 54 lbs packed.

Our standard cases are made by Red Dirt Case Company. They’re protective for everyday transport and shipping, but we don’t recommend flying with them. Air travel is hard on instruments, and standard cases aren’t built for those impacts. For flying, we recommend an ATA-approved case. Red Dirt and other case makers offer them, and you can add one to your build.

The Madison ships with its standard E9 setup. Custom pedal setups are available on the Pro V and Pro VI.

Not on this model. The Madison comes built with four knee levers and three foot pedals. If you need additional KL/FP or a fully custom configuration, the Pro VI or Pro V is the move.

The Madison has two appearance options that can be configured independently: the body finish and the soundboard.

Body finish: Standard is Black Laminate. Eleven upgrade finishes are available for $75 each: Champagne Sparkle, plus glass glitter in Black, Silver, Red, Green, Blue, White, Pink, Turquoise, Tangerine, and Gold.

Soundboard: Standard is Figured Maple soundboard, with three finishing options: Natural (showing the wood grain), Solid finish (your choice of color), or Fade finish (your color in a graduated fade). Exotic woods are also available; contact us for pricing.

Custom artwork is available regardless of which body finish or soundboard you choose. Email us your design or reference for a quote.

• Hard shell case
• Tuning wrench (used on nylon tuners, to tune Raises and Lowers)
• Leg Pouch (for legs and pedal rods)
• Lifetime warranty on craftsmanship (same owner only)