What's In Your Gear-Bag (or Pack-A-Seat)?!

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

This arose out of the last Aussie Steelers Get-Together (there'll be a thread on it in the "Steel Players" section)

I've seen several threads recommending what to take on a gig, and the debate about bags versus seats has not so much raged as meandered along over the years with lots of good suggestions.

The thought occurred to me at the get-together to lay out what each steeler was carrying on a table and photograph it, plus the bag/seat it was stored in. Tomi Graso, Nick O'Neill, Damien Odell and Mike Tyne, plus myself, all "bared their soul" for the camera. Here's what we found:-

Tomi Graso travels light!

Everything was visible in the pack-a-seat so we didn't even lay it out on the table. Spare strings, a string-winder and spare leads was about all he had.

Mike Tyne also travels with only just what he really needs:-

Mike's "double-delay" pedals are stored in the plastic box, note the aluminium shielding on the underside of the Emmons volume-pedal, and a few leads - that's all Mike is carrying.

Nick O'Neill is well-prepared for most situations, as the photo below shows:-

Note the "spare" volume pedal is a Telonics, the usual spare strings and leads, a small torch (flashlight for those in the US), a pair of clothes-pegs for holding charts on the music-stand in windy conditions, and some genuine real cash money (those funny-coloured thingies on the mesh-bag are Australian bank-notes, for those who haven't seen them before. They're different colours and sizes to assist the vision-impaired). It all fits in the pack-a-seat below.

Next, Damien Odell's survival-kit:-

Note the usual leads, strings etc, also note the twin Strobo-Flip tuners, mints, a tuner, tools and Simichrome polish, plus a highlighter for marking passages of interest on charts etc. It too fits into a pack-a-seat, pictured below.

By comparison with these guys, I seem to be carrying a hardware shop!

The usual strings of course, a tool-roll, brush for removing accumulated dust from the steel, spare bars, picks, batteries, leads, a second-hand TC Electronics phaser (which I hardly ever use), spare power-supply for the phaser/tuner, Mothers metal polish and cloths, cotton-buds for cleaning around changer-fingers, a couple of spare lengths of volume-pedal cord, some home-made Carter pull-pins (just to the right of the batteries), an earpiece and belt-clip earpiece-amplifier for a simple in-ear-monitor system and a can of "Tropical Strength" insecticide (top left) which contains oils and kerosene and therefore also doubles as an emergency lube! I also carry a spare multi-outlet power-board for 240VAC (real power, none of that wimpy 110V used in the CONUS) and with all that "Ned's Hardware Shop" is pretty much open for business! Believe it or not, it all fits in an Irwin builder's bag, pictured below:-

You'll note one thing none of us are carrying is any sort of firearm or weapon. That's strictly prohibited by law in Australia! Nick was the only one carrying any cash in the kit, and maybe a secret stash of fifty or so dollars isn't a bad idea "in case of need".

Okay, that's what we found in our bags or seats. So how about it, steel-players of the world? Open it up, lay it out on something, photograph it and tell us what you're carrying. We might get some very useful ideas on what's really useful and what isn't. If nothing else it will help those just getting started.
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Chris Sattler · From: Hunter Valley, Australia

If I ever can make it to one of these get togethers then I know who to bite for a quick hundred or two. keep your seats locked

Larry Allen · From: Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii

Ned here's the Alaska Pak seat...the bar gigs are usually 7-8 hours, 9 pm-5am! Larry Laughing

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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

Larry, does that Alaska pack-a-seat have built-in refrigeration - or do you just leave the doors open at the gig and let the cold from outside come in and cool the beers on the inside? Laughing

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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Pit Lenz · From: Cologne, Germany

Spaten Optimator, strong stuff!
I guess by 5am you don't miss the tuner (that you couldn't pack for lack of space at 8pm) anymore Laughing

Anyway, good taste, Sir....

Nick ONeill · From: New South Wales, Australia

Thanks again Ned for the report and all the photos on our ninth get together and a note to everyone ( don't forget to have a look in "Steel Players" to see whats in some of our seats and bags.
It was great to see you all there. I always enjoy the company and always come away with lots of new ideas to try out. Thanks guys. Its very easy for me as it is just a couple of minutes from my home but for a lot of you it is quite drive (up to 560 miles or 900km for the Ansteads).
Allen. That pet Croc of yours sure is getting big. You'll soon have to get a bigger truck to take him down to the river for his daily swim!! No Dingos around your way???? I think I know whats eating them. Really looking forward to hearing you play again at the Brisbane Steel festival in June.
Till we meet again, keep steelin.
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Mullen SD10G2 4x5 (Black), Carter S-10 3x5, Peavey Session 400, Peavey Nashville 112, Fender MS80, Boss DD3, Goodrich and Telonics volume pedals, Alesis QuadraVerb, Fender Strats x2, Fender Nashville Power Tele, Takamine NP-15C, Boss TU-12, Peterson VS-11, Strobo-flip and strobo-clip tuners, D2Fcovers,seat,legs, amps,guitars.

Joe Naylor · From: Avondale, Arizona, USA

Since I started building steelseats I have had lots of requests for styrafoam lined in the SideKar mainly.

I have found they need to be cleaned out at least once a year. I have had guys with the Original model (very deep one) have enough tools in ther to overhaul a Buick. I actually saw a 12" Cresent (adjustable spanner for anyone outside the US) That must have been for protection - another had 2 pistols and a box of shells - would that be a consealed weapon ???

I am sure no mater the size of a steel seat it will be full.

Oh yes, just got a photo of a bottle of Jack in a SideKar and the caption under the photo was "Perfect fit" - in the email he said he could not be happier - No I am not sure if that was before he and Jack got together or after Very Happy

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP

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