Speaker Seat

Skip Ellis · Post by **Skip Ellis** » 14 Jul 2013 11:06 am

I'm thinking of building a combination steel seat/speaker cabinet. Using pine and a lightweight moly speaker, it shouldn't be too heavy.

Has anyone tried something like this?

Mike Wheeler · Post by **Mike Wheeler** » 14 Jul 2013 12:25 pm

If someone has, I haven't heard of it. I would think it might be hard to hear yourself, but it would give new meaning to the phrase "feeling the music".

It would definitely make load-in and load-out a bit easier!

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 14 Jul 2013 1:54 pm

When I was a kid in Lubbock in the 50s there some amps around Texas, I think some guy in Ft. Worth built them called Toby Amps. I only saw two of them,,,both were about 18"-20" round,,one was about 24" high,,,the other was about 3' high. The taller one was being used by a great jazz guitarist of the day (forget his name). The taller one was a black vinyl,,,the short one was orange. Both just looked like regular stools for the most part. I've often thought something like that for steel guitar would be cool. Try a google search for Toby amps.

Bill L. Wilson · Post by **Bill L. Wilson** » 14 Jul 2013 2:10 pm

My Sho-Bud Pac-a-seat weighs in at 40lbs. My 212 JBL'S in a pine cab is 60lbs. So I'm gonna be carrying the weight one way or another. I like the pac-a-seat with a separate cab where it's easier to hear myself, and a great place to carry all of my stuff. Thanks again, Duane Marrs, and God rest your soul!

Dave Beaty · Post by **Dave Beaty** » 14 Jul 2013 2:12 pm

Actually, there have been quite of few of these built and used in the past.
If you ever see Carco Clave playing in Nashville or at any of the steel shows, he normally sits on his speaker or speaker amp.
Lot's of old timers sat on their amps as well.
Just a matter of preference, it has its good and not so good points. You should give it a try to see how gigging with that arrangement works for you.
It's all fun (and a little work....)
Dave

Skip Ellis · Post by **Skip Ellis** » 14 Jul 2013 2:19 pm

Sonny, I think Ampeg made a thing like that back in the 50's for the jazz guys in Chicago. An old studio player brought one in my shop one day - pretty cool!

I'm rethinking the project, though, as I like my speaker behind me. I'm looking at doing a box with a telescoping handle and wheels that will hold my 16x16x9 speaker cabinet along with my MB200 amp, delay, strings and cords. The box will be 20" tall with a padded top and act as a seat once the cabinet is out.

I'll post a pic if I can figure out how to turn an Autocad drawing into something that will post.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 14 Jul 2013 2:24 pm

I have sat on a Fender Twin or Session 400 when space was tight.
You can stand up in a pinch..

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 14 Jul 2013 5:36 pm

I've considered making a seatframe,minus pad out of 1" angle iron, about the size of a piano bench without the top. It would fit over the amp cover, snugly, and the pad/base would be separate. The downside would be 1. no storage, ( I'd use a shoulder bag ) and 2. The frame would be dependent on one size amp. It wouldn't decrease my footprint, but I could roll into the gig with just 2 items. Maybe I could take it on my motorcycle ! Yeah !!

Steve English · Post by **Steve English** » 14 Jul 2013 8:20 pm

Skip,

I routinely play at a club that the "stage" is 32 inches deep

. During the week, this is the riser for a large projection tv. The drummer sits up on the floor at the end, almost in a dining booth. It's a challenge, to say the least, but a fun little club to play.

I made a cushion that is the same size as the top of my speaker cabinet that attaches with Velcro to keep it from sliding. I made the sides out of 1x2s that provide the recess for the amp handle, 3/8" rectangle board with the appropriate amount of foam, and the whole deal's covered with the same material as the amp. It looks like it's all one piece.

Works great! Takes a few songs to get used to the stage mix, but then it's off to the races. Simple to use when I need it, and simple to stash when I don't.

I don't have a pic of the seat handy, but my cabs are pretty small:

Steve English · Post by **Steve English** » 14 Jul 2013 8:27 pm

P.S.

I did think at one time that if I ever made a cabinet with a permanent seat, I'd include side ports that would open so to help the stage mix. Doesn't take much on really small stages.

On the stage I mentioned above, my back and the amp back is right up against the back wall....just enough room for speaker cables to pass behind

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 14 Jul 2013 8:47 pm

When I ordered my BIGSBY quad back in the early 1950's........

PAUL A. BIGSBY mentioned that most of the steel players of that day, were using their guitar cases as their 'seats'; triple neck guitars, I'm sure.

I wonder how long the player could this before his entire body would go numb?

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 15 Jul 2013 3:25 am

The idea is the amp "head" in the seat isn't a bad one.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 15 Jul 2013 5:32 am

Highs are easily absorbed by people and fabric. Putting your legs (and, presumably, your pants) in front of the speakers sounds suboptimal.

Skip Ellis · Post by **Skip Ellis** » 15 Jul 2013 5:47 am

You're right, Lane, plus after 40 odd years with the speaker behind me, it would hard to re-adjust. I'm going to go with a seat that will carry the cabinet and other stuff.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 15 Jul 2013 7:19 am

Many years ago, I played a place that the stage was so small, I had to sit on top of my Twin Reverb. Miserable gig. Uncomfortable and couldn't hear doo doo. I would pack up, go home, and not play the gig if I had to do something like that again.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 15 Jul 2013 8:43 am

I can remember several experienced players telling me "Never,ever sit on your amp"

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 15 Jul 2013 10:11 am

You could do the seat as a small woofer, and have a satellite mid / high range speaker...

Steve English · Post by **Steve English** » 15 Jul 2013 2:29 pm

I would NEVER try anything like this........that's what I meant to say

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 15 Jul 2013 3:27 pm

I think G.D. Walker has a stereo steel and rack mount effects unit in a seat. It does make a bit of sense to have your controls at your fingertips, without increasing your footprint as a separate rack would.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 15 Jul 2013 5:07 pm

Have you ever had a fellow band member walk between you and your amp while you were playing your steel during a song.
It's just like someone turned hyour treble control to zero.
This isn'at an argument for not putting a speaker in you seat. On the contrary, if you could some how gurantee not blocking the sound with your legs, the crowd may be able to hear you better as your body may be blocking your sound. This is why I almost always mic my amp even in a small venue - better disperion.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 15 Jul 2013 7:14 pm

Dave Beaty wrote:Actually, there have been quite of few of these built and used in the past.
If you ever see Carco Clave playing in Nashville or at any of the steel shows, he normally sits on his speaker or speaker amp.
Lot's of old timers sat on their amps as well.
Just a matter of preference, it has its good and not so good points. You should give it a try to see how gigging with that arrangement works for you.
It's all fun (and a little work....)
Dave

When I first met Carco (he was Carlos in those days) at Cowtown in San Jose, he was using a riser that he put his Push/Pull on and sat behind it on the stage floor on a tall bar type stool. I asked him about it and his answer was that he had a speaker mounted in the riser that faced up to the bottom of the guitar. He said it added more sustain or affected the tone somehow (don't remember exactly). He also said (and I love this idea), it got him high enough that people couldn't talk to him and request songs (I know I hate when people do that to me).

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 16 Jul 2013 8:26 am

I had one of those for years, it was covered with tweed fabric and said "Fender Bassman" on the front....

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 16 Jul 2013 8:53 am

i sat on my super reverb for a couple years.
in switzerland gurf morelix sat on his steel case...probably to cut down on junk on the plane. i could never get over his dumb phony name. he was with jim lauderdale

one of the happiest days of my life was when i got my sho-bud pakaseat 35 yrs ago. still my favorite seat.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 16 Jul 2013 10:00 am

A speaker seat would seem heavy to me and I like that my seat height is adjustable.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 17 Jul 2013 7:41 am

I have toyed with the idea but been too busy to build one.

Like Swivels, adjustable height, adjustable back rests, wheels and many more of the options I offer - if I get someone really interested it is doable.

I will not state which option but for a while it was all over the forum that EVERYONE would love a certain option. After I figured it out I sold one in two years and it was not anyone on the forum - it was a guitar player that saw my proto type model that played guitar.

contact me with your ideas and I can work on it - and the heavy part can be solved too.

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

The Steel Guitar Forum

Speaker Seat

Speaker Seat

No.

Not a new concept

Seat/amp

Slightly off-course.............

Amp head seat

Re: Not a new concept

I have toyed with the idea mainly for bedroom players