There is such a story behind this rig and I want to share it with you.
Starting with the guitar.
This 1968 Sho-Bud Permanent was originally built by Shot and Harry Jackson on the third floor of Sho-Bud in what is now known as Roberts Western World at 416 Broadway in Nashville. It was built for my friend Cecil Johnson who was playing with Little Jimmy Dickens at the time. Later Cecil went on to play with Tammy Wynette. I met Cecil in 1970 at the Opry and we became instant and lifetime friends. Cecil moved back to Texas at some point playing this guitar at The Stagecoach in Ft. Worth for over 10 years.
I fell in love with this guitar the first time I saw it. For years I tried to buy it. Even though Cecil had gone on to play an Emmons he wouldn't sell It. One year at the TSGA Jamboree Cecil brought the guitar. He told me "I have told you for years that I would not sell this guitar. I never said I wouldn't give it to you" And with that he gifted it to me. It was in terrible condition, needed refinishing, had some missing parts etc. I pledged to get it restored and did. David and Harry Jackson completely restored and put a more modern undercarriage in the guitar. Unfortunately Cecil didn't live to see it done. When I play it I can feel Cecil's friendship and masterful playing in it.
The two amps were built for Curly Chalker in 1969 or 70. Two of the first Sho-Bud Single Channel Amps. Curly was a dear friend to me and he gifted them to me when he moved back to Nashville from Vegas in the 90s. These are also never leaving my family. The volume pedal is one that I've had since I got my first pedal steel in 1969. The seat is also an old Sho-Bud pac-a-seat designed by Duane Marrs. This one is a 2nd generation design. I'm not sure when I got it but it's been around a long time.
I'm truly thankful for the opportunity to have known and become friends with the majority of my steel guitar heros. And especially thankful to have and continue to use these pieces of steel guitar history.
P.S. the amp to the left, covered is one of two Peavey LTD 400s that Curly gave me just before he passed. A couple years later I gave it to Leon Rhodes and he split into two cabinets and used it until he stopped playing. His precious wife Judi allowed me to have it back earlier this year.
#blessedandgrateful
