The Steel Guitar Forum

Last night after a rehearsal, one guy from the band asked how/when the Pac-a-seat tradition got started. I lamely answered that I had no idea, but that I would ask my wise Forum colleagues. Anybody know when the first Pac-a-Seat-type seat was built, by whom, where, how much they cost, how fast they became such a standard accessory? Thanks for taking time to read my post and for any answers.

Gerald

Funny you should ask. I just discussed this with Smiley Roberts at the Columbus Steel show. While Duane Mars worked for Sho-Bud but he got the brilliant idea from his wife's sewing box. He built the first one and sold it to Smiley for $35.00. Smiley still owns this seat to this very day. Sho-Bud retained all rights to this stroke of genious because of an innovation agreement between them and there employees. I am sure Smiley can enlighten us with more details.

Well thank you Mr. Perry. When was that that Duane worked for Sho-bud? I think that may be a little before my time. Do other companies who make similar seats GFI, Elite Seat, etc. pay a licensing fee for each one they build or what? Thanks for responding. I for one am grateful for this innovation, as I couldn't deal with carrying one more thing, I'll tell you that.

Patent rights are only good for 17 years and cannot be renewed.
Erv

Finally broke down and got one this past year after swearing by a drum throne. I liked being able to put the throne in a duffle with all my accessories and carry it on a shoulder strap. But I'm totally sold on the Pac-a-Seat thing. And funny you should raise this question--I too was chatting with the guitarist about it this week. I told him it was my belief that it was a Sho~Bud thing (I said it like he ought'a be impressed or something--how easy it is to forget how much this stuff means to us....how little to anyone else.

Well! Don't tell me I've finally outdone Smiley! (only in one instance) Shot sold me my one and only Sho-Bud Pac-A-Seat back when they first began for $20, and I still use mine today also! They sold at that time for $40. I think Smiley will probably be asking for a Rebate! If Shot had handled all the sales, I guess they would have gone out of business long before they did! Shot was one of the finest, and never will be forgotten by me! I ordered a new style seat from someone else last Dec., and haven't heard from them since! I think I'll just keep using what I got! It's been through the 'mill' and still doing fine anyway! If my back starts hurting, I'll just take a 'break'!

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‘Til L8R, “Uh~” ƒƒ< “Big John” wknsg® http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels

Phil,
You,pretty much,covered it. Duane asked me,"Do you think steelers would go for something like this?" I said,"I don't know if they would,but I sure want one!" Then he said,"Well,I gotta have,at least,what I've got in it.....$35." I thought this was a little "pricey" at the time,but I "splurged" & got one. I was using it up until this past March,when Stu Basore bought a new "Steeler's Choice" seat,& was generous enough to GIVE me his "old" one,which is in better condition than mine. I keep it (the old one) at home now,& use it for my "practice" steel. (when I DO practice.)
Thank you,Duane,for coming up with this WONDERFUL idea,& thank you Stu,for your "old" seat. BTW,they didn't call them "Pac-A-Seats" back then. They were just "Steel Stools". Who came up w/ the name,"Pac-A-Seat"??

Duanne STILL makes 'em believe it or not! 615-868-5344. [URL=http://www.duanemarrs.com.Two historic figures, Duanne and Smiley.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 12 June 2003 at 02:55 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 12 June 2003 at 02:56 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 12 June 2003 at 02:57 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 12 June 2003 at 02:57 PM.]</p></FONT>

Smiley when did all this take place??? Steel Stools..Yeouch...Sound painful!!!!!!!

I just repaired mine for the fourth or fifth time.

This time I got a fancy piece of blue tweed upholstry, some dense foam rubber from a couple of computer wrist pads and some Peavey amp cover material for the bottom where it's worn thru to the plywood.

For awhile it a nifty home-made back with an adjustable strap to set the angle but the damn thing got too heavy and cumbersome. If you've heard me rant about the bulk of the gear we have to haul around, you'd understand.

It's a brilliant idea but I have some suggestions. How about making it slightly bigger, set up vertically so it doesn't need legs, a couple of skate wheels and a telescoping handle like a roll-on suitcase.

I bet I'm not the only one who has to haul ANOTHER case, box or bag of some sort to get everything that won't fit it the pac-a-seat. On the other hand the size of the pac-a-seat is just about perfect, I ought to learn to get by with less. --JR

Smiley -

My earliest recollection of the term "Pac-A-Seat" is when the ACE company was making them. I believe they were located in New York.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

I got my first one, a Sho-Bud, in 1972 when I came through Nashville with the Michael Murphey band. Prior to that I used a drum throne. I believe that by 1972 the term was "pack-a-seat," since they've always been called that in my recollection.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

I just spoke w/ Duane Marrs,& he said it had to have been around '69 when he built mine.

BTW,Duane still has legs for these things,so if you need to order any,contact him.

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My wife ordered a seat off of Zane Beck for me back in 1968 and paid $50.00 for it
Billy.......

..and i nominate the pac-a-seat for one of the all time best steel accessory innovations
to ever come along. before them, things were never quite right!

Thanks to all for the responses!! Regarding John Russell's salient comment, since I can't deal with carrying any more than I already have to up three flights of stairs, if it doesn't fit in Dan Sliter's fine Elite Seat, it doesn't get to come along, I don't care how good it may sound. I'd love to use one of those rad Leslie simulators by Hughes and Kettner, but no dice. That thing won't fit in the pac-a-seat no how, (with all the other stuff that's already in there) Forces one to find other means, which for one or two songs, probably isn't the end of the world. So prior to 1969, what did players use? Funny, I thought the idea was older than I am, guess not.

Thanks again for reading and replying!

Since I wasn't planning on spending 2 - $300 for something to park my steel playing rump on, I thought I might save a penny or two and build one myself.

What I will tell you is that considerable thought has gone into the ones on the marketplace. Mine is still 3/4 plywood box, with two hinges on the back, two clasps on the front, etc, and since I couldn't find any collapsable legs, I used plumbing flanges and 6" nipples with rubber feet.

Now, I still have to cover it, and pad the lid, plus put some protective edges on it.

That $200 is starting to look pretty cheap, considering how nice they look and how comfortable they are...

Well, I HAD to know... so now I know... it is a lot of work, planning, and material sourcing...if they are out there making them, they are definitely worth it...especially if you don't have the materials or skills.

Maybe if I am a good boy, Santa will remember me.
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Bill Fulbright
Mullen D-10 8x7; Gibson ES-165; Peavey Vegas 400;
ICQ# 2251620 My Music Site


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill Fulbright on 23 June 2003 at 09:27 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bill,
Just get your name on the list and Kenny Rollans will whip you up a dandy!
Erv

Well, I've come this far, and so far it is a perfect fit. I guess I will finish it. Then, get a real one!

Kinda like reading the manual after you glued the model together....

I could very well be the first, I first used folding chairs but kept leaving them at gigs.
I took over my wife's sewing machine stool and used it for many years. about three years I got one from Ken, Wouldnt take for it. Used the sewing machine stool sence about 1958

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Wade N
Carter D-10 5x8, Emmons D-10 8x8, Tfx & DPC1000, Nashville 400's, Fender Bassman (4 10's)

My first seat was a Sho-Bud, the second was a Rollans Easy Rider, the third one I built myself. I figured I'd get out cheaper building one. Wrong! and as usual, I over engineered the whole thing. It's solid as a rock but HEAVY! That and I probably spent more than I could have bought another Rollans seat for. Oh well. You guys wanna guess where my next seat will come from? (hint, I won't be building it!)