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Topic: Shobud Restorations pics---James Morehead's comeback |
James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 2:05 pm |
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My comeback is gaining momentum. I am gaining ground concerning my accident back in November. I lost a lot of my first knuckel on my middle finger, and lost 1/2" of tendon on the middle and index finger of my left hand. Chainsaws can get real ugly on you real quick!! http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=197238&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
My Dr. said I would be able to maybe hold a pop can with my left hand, if I was lucky. I have gritted my teeth and done physical therapy until my eyes are about crossed. But the pay-off is I can now make a tight fist, I can play my 5 string bass, I am slowly retraining my hand to make chords on my acoustic guitar, and am just starting to play a little mandolin again. Surprisingly, the injury did not hamper sliding my bar for playing steel.
The last couple of weeks, I have been easing back into my shobud refurb work. But holding small parts, sanding and polishing, my left hand swells up to the point of pinching nerves, thus making it very difficult to make much headway. But I seem to be moving past that hurdle now. Thankfully, my wife has been handling the small orders for parts.
So I said all of that to say this to my customers who have been patient enough to endure this hardship with me. I thankyou from the bottom of my heart. We are trying our best to recover and catch up on some serious back order. I will post some pictures of some of our most recent work.
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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John Castelletti
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 2:13 pm
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Hang in there James. I know how therapy can be, and while I didnt have a chainsaw accident I did sustain some nerve damage to my right arm. Time eventually heals and the pain subsides.
Best wishes on a speedy recovery! |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 2:37 pm
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Here's some before and after pics---labor of love:
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 2:41 pm
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That's great news James!
As one of those customers awaiting a "big" job, it's more important to know that you're on the mend and getting the use of your hand back for your own sake. I know that Bud will be worth the wait when you feel like you're ready to tackle it.
Be well,
Dan |
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Tom Jordan
From:
Wichita, KS
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 2:46 pm
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James,
I see you're working on Fire on the Mountain  that's a fine steel song. Hopefully by the time your guitar is back together, you'll be picking it!
Good luck with your recovery,
Tom |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 3:17 pm
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Here's to you, James. My hat's off to ya. If I messed up one of my hands with a chainsaw, I'd probably freak out and keel over right then and there.
You're a better man than me... |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 3:18 pm
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Thankyou Dan.
Yes Tom, Our band decided to bring that cool Marshal Tucker tune into the set list. Love it!
Just to Clarify, the above pictures are of some of our customers parts--ongoing projects delayed by my accident.
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 3:21 pm
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| Skip Edwards wrote: |
Here's to you, James. My hat's off to ya. If I messed up one of my hands with a chainsaw, I'd probably freak out and keel over right then and there.
You're a better man than me... |
Well, I WAS about to keel over, Skip, until I realised it WASN'T my pickin' hand!! 
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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Frank Freniere
From:
The First Coast
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 3:43 pm
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| Glad it's getting better, James: nobody does Sho-Bud better. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 5:48 pm
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James,I'm glad that you are getting better,There is a young guy "Connor" who plays upright bass in a western swing/rockabilly band with me,I went over to his house to check out a Sho-Bud that he bought,it is a blonde birdseye D-10 and it is the best one I've ever played,He said that you sold it to him...Now I understand why everyone worships the ground that you walk on! 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Storm Rosson
From:
Silver City, NM. USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 6:54 pm
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 Good news James, I still can't quite bend my left index finger all the way in so you're ahead of me buddy.....good to hear your progress is goin great!!Rock on dawg.....Stormy. |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 7:05 pm
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Great news James! Great to see shiny Sho~Bud parts on the forum again.
On another note, do you have fretboards at this time? |
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Mitch Ellis
From:
Collins, Mississippi USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 8:19 pm
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That is some beautiful work, James! You must really know your way around on a Sho-Bud. I hope that your condition continues to improve. A few years ago, I cut off the end of my middle finger on my left hand. I cut it off at the first knuckle behind the fingernail. Here's the bright side. As you know, the frets get pretty close together up in "Hughey Land". Now, it's a little easer for me to play up there and hold pitch. Since I no longer have the end of my middle finger on my left hand, I can now see the fret directly behind the bar! Usually, something good can come from a bad situation. You may have to sometimes look long and hard to find it, but it's usually there. What's the old saying...When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Keep on getting better!
Mitch |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 9:55 pm
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| James, you need to call me. I have something for you. |
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Danny Bates
From:
Fresno, CA. USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2011 9:57 pm
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It's pretty obvious how much passion James puts into his restoration work.
I also know that you can't keep a guy (with that much passion) away for too long.
James, it's sure great to see that you're "Back in the Saddle Again"
PS. I stole that line from an old western song... and I can hear you singin' it now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6dx8AfTmQk  |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 21 Apr 2011 6:48 am nice keyheads - but don't kill your hands doing it
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Having just done a full polish job on my two Shobud keyheads, I can appreciate what James is showing in those before and after photos. This is taxing work on the hands. Very detailed stuff that really works the small motor skills. Now that I've done this, I really have a new appreciation for what James is doing to these old guitars. Don't push yourself too hard, James. You don't want to re-injure your hand.
Thanks for all the advice on how to do it, too. You are a very valuable resource to the steel guitar community. Not just for Shobuds, either. The stuff you taught me - applies to all sorts of PSGs.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Apr 2011 4:58 pm
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Thanx for the kind words. It keeps me going, keeps me trying.
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 21 Apr 2011 8:00 pm
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Thats great news, James
good on you and that angel of a wife of yours! recovery is always longer than one thinks it should be and so very trying I am sure! So good to hear you are making progress! and thank you for the e-mail updadte a while back! All good things are worth waiting for! and its good to see some pics of your wonderful Sho~ Bud parts again!! Thanks for the update!
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Twang to the bone! |
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Bob Muller
From:
Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2011 8:54 am
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James:
Good to see you have your hands back into the shiny parts again. Keep up the good work, and stay away from the chain saw. |
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Larry Tracy
From:
Nevada City, CA, USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2011 12:38 pm
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| Great news James, Finding out you could still play must have been a great feeling. Hang in there and don't over do it. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 22 Apr 2011 1:30 pm
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James, you make 'em shinier than the day they were born!
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Paul Norman
From:
Washington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2011 3:43 pm
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| I am glad you are better. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Apr 2011 7:43 am
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Thanx for the kind words--it's a steep slippery slope to crawl back up. We are sure trying.
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2011 9:16 am
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Regarding that swelling, are you using Voltaren gel? It's a prescription NSAID (anti-inflammatory) that you rub right on the area of pain. It won't do much for a disc-powered backache or already-existing nerve damage, but it's great on swelling in your hands. The big danger of too much NSAIDs is they eat up your stomach lining, and the gel bypasses that problem completely. Ask your doctor, if you're not already using it.
I find it's best used before you even get the swelling - I put it on, then vinyl gloves and light cloth gloves over that. Leave that on for an hour once every day and it may really help. Plus the gloves in the daytime exude a nice Hannibal Lector vibe if you're out and about.  |
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Casey Lowmiller
From:
Kansas
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Posted 25 Apr 2011 10:30 pm
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Awww heck James, you're tough & stubborn...you can overcome this!!! I have faith in ya'!!!
You do some mighty fine work! Good thing that you have a wife that not only puts up with you, but is willing to help you out with all this work
If you ever need help, I'm a phone call & a few hours away!!!
Best of luck & I'll call you sometime this week.
Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan" |
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