No, not the electric chair..........
The story-
So, back in the mid 60's when I was learning to play the guitar my Pap took me to a furniture store to get a decent chair for me to sit on since the one I had been using was somewhat worn out. This was kind of a big deal since at that time Pap and me weren't exactly seeing eye to eye, as I was a rebellious contrarian (as early teens are sometimes wont to be)
So at the store Pap says to the salesman "he plays the guitar" (pointing to me, and strumming the air) and tells him I need a good chair in which to practice. So we go off and I sit in a few chairs and finally decide on a nice and comfortable one without arms. Don't remember what it cost but this store was kind of upscale and I remember being impressed that Pap would go there, as he was always very frugal.
So that chair and I bonded from that point. It saw me through my development starting as a bassist for several years, through learning 6-string and developing into a budding lead guitarist.
After I left the nest I took that chair with me, from my first marriage through divorce and moving again and again. Always took refuge in the fact that Pap got it for me even when I wasn't certain that he liked me, or me him. Yet he supported my musical side, even though I knew full well he wanted me to follow in his footsteps as an all around athlete.
That chair became my companion through the years. It started to become frayed around the edges, and the fabric started to split exposing the stuffing. There also were several large stains on the seat which to this day I have no memory of. And it remained my favourite chair to sit and play guitar.
When I relocated to the Pac NW during a career move in the early 90's it accompanied me. By now it was so ugly that my second (now ex) wife made a cover for it, which disguised the abuse it had taken over the years. It was still comfortable and like an old friend, but by now some of the padding was starting to bulge out on the seat. And still I refused to give it up.
And it came to pass that about a year ago the seat padding was starting to get uncomfortable. I hasten to add that I used this chair literally daily for guitar playing. It was a connection to Pap, you see. What to do, what to do....
So I started to look around at upholstery places. Of course they all wanted me to bring in the chair for an estimate. After I described the chair to them they called it a "slipper chair" (I had no idea what kind it was). Several estimates over the phone came it at a low of $450 to a high of $600!!! :shock:
Frankly I cant believe this chair cost more than $100 back in the day, in fact it very probably was more like half that. But that was like 1965 or so. So what do I know....
In any case I observed that the wooden frame was very solid with no compromise to the components. And the springs were also in great shape. So it had the potential to be re-upholstered. If......I could find someone to do this at a price point I could afford.
Yes, I did price out brand new slipper chairs (or accent chairs as some describe them). Target and Fred Meyer had them at around the $200 mark. I even went down to Target to check one of them out, and while they were OK I didn't know how the construction/integrity would compare to my 51 year old chair. Know what I'm saying?
I'm very pleased to say that I found a local upholstery guy to do this for $300. It was a bit of a negotiation but he did a great job. He had a fabric remnant that had a South Western theme (kind of like a mosaic with plenty of reds/beige/grey/blue. And he did a fantastic job of matching the pattern from the back to the seat and sides.
In addition, he replaced the seat padding which is now back to what I remember it being originally! Plus all the beading (not sure if this is the right term) around the sides and back. The fabric is kind of "nubby" as I call it as opposed to being too smooth. Just like Goldilocks porridge it's just right. This guy really put in the time!
Call me crazy for paying that much when I could have gone to the local second hand store and gotten a padded folding chair for like $5. And I don't piss money if you're wondering!
Equally, the chair my late Pap got for me back when we weren't necessarily getting along has great sentimental value to me. Including and especially all the development I had coming up as well as the songs I've written on it. How can one put a price on that?!
Folks, I surely wish I could post a pic here of "the chair". It's fine in all regards, and should serve me well for the next 51 years. Hope I live that long. I think Pap would approve.
Thanks for making it to the end of this story..........
:cat:
Cheers,
RR
The story-
So, back in the mid 60's when I was learning to play the guitar my Pap took me to a furniture store to get a decent chair for me to sit on since the one I had been using was somewhat worn out. This was kind of a big deal since at that time Pap and me weren't exactly seeing eye to eye, as I was a rebellious contrarian (as early teens are sometimes wont to be)
So at the store Pap says to the salesman "he plays the guitar" (pointing to me, and strumming the air) and tells him I need a good chair in which to practice. So we go off and I sit in a few chairs and finally decide on a nice and comfortable one without arms. Don't remember what it cost but this store was kind of upscale and I remember being impressed that Pap would go there, as he was always very frugal.
So that chair and I bonded from that point. It saw me through my development starting as a bassist for several years, through learning 6-string and developing into a budding lead guitarist.
After I left the nest I took that chair with me, from my first marriage through divorce and moving again and again. Always took refuge in the fact that Pap got it for me even when I wasn't certain that he liked me, or me him. Yet he supported my musical side, even though I knew full well he wanted me to follow in his footsteps as an all around athlete.
That chair became my companion through the years. It started to become frayed around the edges, and the fabric started to split exposing the stuffing. There also were several large stains on the seat which to this day I have no memory of. And it remained my favourite chair to sit and play guitar.
When I relocated to the Pac NW during a career move in the early 90's it accompanied me. By now it was so ugly that my second (now ex) wife made a cover for it, which disguised the abuse it had taken over the years. It was still comfortable and like an old friend, but by now some of the padding was starting to bulge out on the seat. And still I refused to give it up.
And it came to pass that about a year ago the seat padding was starting to get uncomfortable. I hasten to add that I used this chair literally daily for guitar playing. It was a connection to Pap, you see. What to do, what to do....
So I started to look around at upholstery places. Of course they all wanted me to bring in the chair for an estimate. After I described the chair to them they called it a "slipper chair" (I had no idea what kind it was). Several estimates over the phone came it at a low of $450 to a high of $600!!! :shock:
Frankly I cant believe this chair cost more than $100 back in the day, in fact it very probably was more like half that. But that was like 1965 or so. So what do I know....
In any case I observed that the wooden frame was very solid with no compromise to the components. And the springs were also in great shape. So it had the potential to be re-upholstered. If......I could find someone to do this at a price point I could afford.
Yes, I did price out brand new slipper chairs (or accent chairs as some describe them). Target and Fred Meyer had them at around the $200 mark. I even went down to Target to check one of them out, and while they were OK I didn't know how the construction/integrity would compare to my 51 year old chair. Know what I'm saying?
I'm very pleased to say that I found a local upholstery guy to do this for $300. It was a bit of a negotiation but he did a great job. He had a fabric remnant that had a South Western theme (kind of like a mosaic with plenty of reds/beige/grey/blue. And he did a fantastic job of matching the pattern from the back to the seat and sides.
In addition, he replaced the seat padding which is now back to what I remember it being originally! Plus all the beading (not sure if this is the right term) around the sides and back. The fabric is kind of "nubby" as I call it as opposed to being too smooth. Just like Goldilocks porridge it's just right. This guy really put in the time!
Call me crazy for paying that much when I could have gone to the local second hand store and gotten a padded folding chair for like $5. And I don't piss money if you're wondering!
Equally, the chair my late Pap got for me back when we weren't necessarily getting along has great sentimental value to me. Including and especially all the development I had coming up as well as the songs I've written on it. How can one put a price on that?!
Folks, I surely wish I could post a pic here of "the chair". It's fine in all regards, and should serve me well for the next 51 years. Hope I live that long. I think Pap would approve.
Thanks for making it to the end of this story..........
:cat:
Cheers,
RR
