Jackson Steel Guitar

Jackson Steel is the next generation of Sho-Bud, which set the standard in pedal steel guitars. Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons started building Sho-Buds in the 50's, as the sound of steel guitars (originating in Hawaii) began catching on in the country music world. Shot's sons, David and Harry, joined him in his venture while Buddy soon went on to build his own line of pedal steels. Harry worked with Shot at the Sho-Bud shop on Broadway, building custom guitars, while David became heavily involved in new designs and manufacturing.The Sho-Bud dynasty lasted thirty years until they sold the company to Gretsch/Baldwin in the mid-eighties. Shot continued a repair shop on Broadway for several years until he suffered a stroke and was no longer able to work. He passed away several years later. Harry went to work in production at the then-new Nissan plant in Smyrna, TN. David's company, Music City Manufacturing, customized touring buses for entertainers in the film and music industry for a period of time then he began pursuing other inventive ventures that are still in progress today...one of them being the obvious...others we could tell you about but then this page would have to self-destruct in 5 seconds and we'd have to kill you.Meanwhile, David's daughter, Dawn, graduated Mercer University in Macon, GA and moved to the west coast. She worked in sales and marketing in the health care technology industry, while pursuing the unavoidable combination of music and creativity. She learned to play guitar on an old beat-up acoustic Sho-Bud that Shot built and started writing songs and performing with San Diego-based band Hatfield Rain. She started the indie label and publishing company, Sho-Bud Music.After relocating to Los Angeles, she got a call from her dad and he began to tell her about some of his new ideas he'd been working on in the all-familiar world of pedal steels. Following a lengthy discussion, he asked if she would like to be involved...obvious answer...and together they began laying the infrastructure for Jackson Steel Guitar Company. Harry quickly jumped back in and now the three of them have once again captured the hearts and ears of the steel guitar community, with one goal in mind: to increase the popularity and insure the longevity of the musical instrument the Jackson family helped make famous.