Flying with your guitar is always a risky proposition. Before September 11th I was always able to carry my guitar on board in either a gig bag or a regular hardshell case. Then after the airlines got stricter i started reading on internet forums about more traveling musicians having to check their guitars as luggage. This conjures up all sorts of mental images like smashed or stolen guitars, and cases torn apart by the baggage conveyor belts. While these things do happen, i think flying with your guitar is definitely possible if you prepare and take the proper precautions.
For starters I always assume I will check my guitar as luggage. I know some folks that these days still manage to carry it aboard the plane, but i would hate to have to end up checking my guitar and all its in is a regular hardshell case. All it takes is one gate attendant who feels like enforcing the rules. In the past I have heard of people who “gate check” their guitars, which means you carry it through security, then hand it to a baggage handler right before you get on the plane, and receive it right when you step off the plane. While this sounds like a great idea, some of the X-Ray security chutes are not wide enough accommodate a guitar case, which means they will make you go back and check it. In addition, if you do make it through security and they gate check the guitar, it is still subject to be smashed in the cargo hold by other luggage sliding around. So I don’t even consider the option of trying to carry it on, and it removes a lot of mental stress of trying to get on the plane.
So that narrows down our options to having to check the guitar as luggage. Lets first talk about how to prepare the guitar itself, then what sort of case to put it .
There are two main types of damage that can occur to a guitar during the luggage handling process. The first is crushing weight from other baggage, which a good case should protect against; the second is whiplash damage to the neck/headstock area. This happens when a guitar case falls over, but the guitar inside still has a little bit of wiggle room around the neck area. The case hits the ground, and the guitar, having room to move and falling slower than the case, slams into the padded area where the neck rests. The result of this is a broken or cracked headstock. But you can protect against this. First loosen all your guitar strings so they are nice and slack. Next you want to make sure the neck of the guitar has absolutely no room to move vertically once the case is shut. This is accomplished by stuffing sheets of wadded newspaper in the space between the underside of the headstock and the bottom of the case. The guitar neck should still rest on the padded part of the case. Then you stuff more newspaper on top of the headstock/neck joint area. When you close the case you should have to smash the newspaper to get it shut, and now the headstock is safely suspended with no room to move. So if the case is standing on its end and gets knocked over, the neck should not be able to whip lash back and forth.
That brings us to the case itself. I feel by far the easiest way to check your guitar is in a specially designed flight case like a Calton, Accord, or Karura. They are light, reasonably sized, and bomb proof. But they are also expensive; an entry level Calton will cost you $700. Some people may not be able to or want to spend that much. Fortunately there are cheaper solutions. One that has worked well for me is the Case Extreme. It is basically a case for your case, and made out of thick, heavy plastic. Your case sits inside it, and the Case Extreme protects it from being crushed and smashed. I can stand on top of it and walk around with no visible deformation to the Case Extreme. At $235 it is much cheaper than a regular flight case. I have one and it has served me well over a number of flights. It is pretty big though, and may not fit in some car trunks, which is the one downside. So if someone is picking you up from the airport make sure they have a decent size car, or be prepared to put it in the back seat. If using one of these I would still protect my guitar’s headstock as mentioned above.
So there you have it, some good solutions to take your guitar with you on your next relaxing vacation. Take the proper precautions, pack your guitar securely, and it should be fine.
Posts Tagged ‘acoustic guitar lesson’
Flying With Your Guitar
Thursday, October 15th, 2009Guitar Practice Routine
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
photo by [KristenWall]
Hi Everyone,
I have been having some thoughts on guitar practicing routines, and how to the get most out of one. I remember once reading something that fingerpicking guitarist Pat Donahue said, something to effect of, “Once you learn to enjoy the daily mundane aspects of practicing its only a matter of time before you get good.” I think this is very true. If you want to reach a certain level of musicianship you have to put in the hard, lonely work that is not necessarily fun. I would rather rip through some easy guitar songs and my cool licks, than sit and practice right hand technique and tone production. But in reality i will get more out of working on my technique and tone than playing through songs and riffs that i already know and can play well. A certain amount of practice needs to be a bit challenging and difficult enough so you work on it and reach that next level of playing ability. That might be learning a new chord or two each practice session, working up some variations for bluegrass fiddle tune, or learning to strum and sing that new song.
I do think that music making should be fun, sitting there and playing your guitar should not feel difficult and laborious. But i feel that some of the fun and satisfaction comes from a job well done, and the feeling that you worked through a new aspect of technique or a new piece till you got it right.
I definitely make time in my music practice for purely fun stuff, like playing a bunch of tunes i know well. But lately i have been making sure that i put in adequate time improving my right hand technique, both fingerstyle and with a flatpick. I am hoping it will pay off later on down the line.
Insurance Policies for Guitar
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to post about something a little different today, insurance policies for guitars, and instruments in general. An insurance policy for your instrument is probably not the first thing on the mind of young teenager just starting out, but there are probably some of us who are older adults, have professional jobs, and can afford to buy a nice instrument right from the start. I would have to have my nice new D-28 stolen, stepped on, smashed, or other wise damaged. For the price of a major repair you can probably insure your instrument, and even add multiple instruments to that same policy. Lets take a look.
When i was first looking at instrument insurance i went to my car/renters insurance agent. If you own a home it may be home owners insurance. Some folks had told me about getting their instruments tacked onto their renters or home owners insurance policy, and it was quick and easy. After talking to my agent it seemed ok, but there were a few things that bugged me. First was that such a policy was did not apply to professional musicians. I am not a pro, but i have a website, promote my playing, and am working on a cd. If something happened in the insurance company’s eyes that might be enough to label me a professional and deny my claim, so i did not want to take that risk. Second was determining the value of my instrument, which they did by comparing to other equivalent instruments on the market. Well i own a handmade guitar, the builder only makes a handful a year, and they seem to maintain their value. So we can’t just open a Musicians Friend catalog and figure out the price of my instrument, and how are they going to figure in depreciation if it gets damaged later on down the road? If i have to replace my guitar it may cost me the same or more. It may work for some people, but i did not want to just tack my instruments onto my renters insurance.
After looking around and asking fellow musicians i called up Heritage Insurance. I have no afilliation with them, and dont get any sort of kickback from this post. After a phone call with the rep i faxed in my list of instruments which included my guitar, fiddle, and flute. A few days later i got a call saying i was covered. And i had not even paid my premium yet, he said i would get a bill soon, but that i was covered starting now. Hows that for service. So for $250 a year i can insure as many instruments as i want for up to $10,000, i believe. I have to list the value of my instruments, and that is their replacement value if they are damaged beyond repair. My instruments are covered for almost anything, except i think acts of God or terrorism. Also if they are stolen out of the car i have to show signs of forced entry, so dont leave the car unlocked.
If you have a certain level of musical instrument to me $250 is not much to pay for peace of mind and knowing you can get your instrument fixed or replaced if its damaged. I fly with my guitar often, and would not do so without insurance.
If you own some expensive instruments something like this might be worth it.
Simple Home Recording for Guitar
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009Hi Everyone,
Not to long ago i picked up a Zoom H4. This thing is great. If you are looking for a simple way to record acoustic guitar and vocals this is a very good option. I wish something like this had been around when i first started playing guitar. Once i reached the point where i could play a few easy guitar songs, i was wanting to record them, if for no other reason than to just listen myself.
Lets take a look at the Zoom H4. It is a unit about the size of a TV remote control, though a bit thicker. On one end there are two microphone capsules permanently affixed to the unit, mounted in an X-Y stereo pattern. On the other end are combo XLR/1/4″ inputs. This means you can either plug in an external microphone, or something like an electric guitar with a 1/4″ cable. The H4 only takes two inputs at once, so you can’t use the onboard mics and inputs at the same time. It records to a SD memory card that inserts in a slot under the mics. This is convenient because it is very easy to transfer your recorded files to a computer for editing or additional processing
The controls on the H4 are on the top of the unit. They consist of a small LCD screen and a multi function button. I have heard folks complain about the size of the screen, that it is to small, but personally i have not had a problem. If you like a big easy to read display definitely try to check out a unit in the store before you buy.
The greatest advantage of something like the Zoom H4 is its simplicity. Turn it on, point the mics at the guitar, hit record, and play. If you get a take you like plug it into your computer via USB, grab the file, and send it to friends. It works with both PC and Mac. You can also edit tracks directly on the H4, do multitracking, and add effects. Thats pretty amazing for something that fits into the palm of your hand.
The H4 basically records in two modes, stereo and multi track. In stereo it records with either the built mics or external ones to mp3 or wave format. In multi track mode you can record in stereo or mono, and overdub up to four separate tracks in mono mode I tried this out, recording two guitar parts and then a flute. It worked out pretty well, and only took a few minutes of consulting the instruction manual. In this way it would be easy to record a guitar part, then listen to it through the headphones while overdubbing a vocal part.
As far as quality the H4 sounds pretty good. The mics are sensitive, and have a low, medium, and high gain setting. No its not going to sound like you are in a professional studio, but that’s not what this is aimed at. Its great for making simple recordings at home, capturing some audio out in the field, or making a simple cd of songs for family and bandmates.
At about $250 i think the Zoom H4 is a great deal. Its amazing how far technology has come in the past few years, and that you can now basically have a mulitrack recorder that fits in your pocket. If you are thinking about an effective recording device that does not break the bank definitely check this one out.
Playing Guitar Standing Up
Thursday, September 17th, 2009I wanted to talk about an aspect of guitar playing that may be a big deal to some, not so much to others. And that is playing guitar standing up. I think for electric guitar players its less of an issue, but i know alot of us acoustic players tend to play sitting down. However, if you ever plan to perform i would say spend some of your practice time playing standing up. There are a few things that are a bit different and will take some getting used to.
For starters you cant really hunch over the guitar and look at your fretting fingers as you are playing. I think this is probably better for ones posture, but it also forces you play more by feel than by sight. You can kind of look down at the top of the neck and reference your finger position from the fret markers on the side. So that takes some getting used to, and playing your usual tunes will be different at first, especially if they involve any hot solos.
I find it easiest to play standing up if my guitar is up high, pretty much where it would against my chest if i was playing sitting down. This may look a bit odd compared to alot of rockers who bang out songs with their guitar slung low, but its what works for me. Experiment and see what works for you.
Personally i like it when performers stand up to play. I feel it lends more energy to a show. Coming mostly for an acoustic/traditional music background, alot of performers will sit down to play. This can work ok, especially if the stage is elevated enough. But for high energy music i enjoy it more if the performers are standing. But thats just me.
photo by envisionpublicdads
If you play acoustic guitar there are two main ways to attach a strap so you can play standing up. First off you will need a strap button installed on the butt of the guitar. Its recommended to a competent repair person do this, drilling the hole wrong can split the heel block on the inside of the guitar.
Next you will need affix the strap to the other of the guitar. Some musicians will do this by just tying the other end of the strap to the peghead. I feel this works ok, but i prefer to have a stap button installed on the heel of the neck.
This lets me have more control over the angle of my guitar in relation to my body. If you get a strap button installed be sure to get it on the treble side of the neck or the bottom of the heel. Again, have a qualified repair person do it, drilling out the hole wrong can split the heel of the neck, which is no good.
I think playing standing up is something worth experimenting with, even if you only do it some of the time. Plus its easier to jump off stage and start crowd surfing if you are standing.
Playing Guitar, Simple vs Complex
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009I was surfing Youtube the other day and came across this Gillian Welch video.
This song, Caleb Meyer, is one of my favorites. I love the rhythm, Gillian Welche’s and David Rawling’s vocals, and how David’s second guitar complements the rhythm guitar part. I think its a great example of how simple guitar playing that carries alot of emotion and feeling can be just as or more effective as something fancy, loud, and turned up to ten. Granted, the second guitar part that David plays is fairly complex at times, but i think that part is just icing on the cake of what is a pretty easy guitar song. It uses a handful of chords and a simple bass note-brush rhythm.
I think that is indicative of alot of great guitar songs of the past and present. A piece of music does not have to be fancy or contain alot of pyrotechnics to grab a listener. It just has to be honest, played from the heart, and delivered with feeling.
A Good Fingerpicking Guitar
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009Hi Everyone,
While most of our lessons here involve easy guitar songs, strumming, and singing, we also have some great lessons on fingerpicking guitar. The other night was reading Acoustic Guitar Magazine and i came across a great guitar for the beginner fingerpicker. Its the Seagull SWS Mini-Jumbo.
In some past blog entries i wrote about good guitars for beginners, as well as some good guitars for fingerpickers. While most any guitar will work for fingerpicking, there are not really any budget minded guitars that are specifically designed for it. Not anymore.
The Seagull SWS stands for “solid wood series”, features solid woods all around. Thats a solid top, back and sides, North American made guitar for $800. I think thats a pretty great feat. It also includes electronics if you want that. Its a mini jumbo size body, so its going to be a bit smaller and curvier than a dreadnought, making it more comfortable to play, yet you wont sacrifice volume or bass response.
The part that makes the Seagull fingerpicking friendly is the wider spacing at the nut. Its 1.8 inches, as opposed to the 1 11/16 found on most cheaper guitars, and even wider than 1 3/4, which is what you will find on most guitar designed for fingerpicking. That little bit of extra room really helps when performing intricate right hand fingerpicking patterns.
I have not played this particular model Seagull, so i encourage you to go find one at your local music store and decide for yourself. But i have always been impressed with Seagull guitars, and here is a reasonably priced all solid wood instrument that will improve in sound and grow with you as a player. Definitely worth considering.
The Three T’s, Tuning, Tone, and Timing
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009I can’t quite remember where i first heard this, but here are three main points i think about before picking up my guitar to practice. These can apply to any guitar player, no matter the style, or any musician on any instrument. They are Tempo, Tone, and Timing.
I think the most important one is obviously Tuning. If you can’t play your instrument in tune it will be difficult for others to play with you. And it won’t sound that great. I remember sitting at coffee shop listening to some guy plunking on an obviously out of tune banjo. Someone commented that it was out of tune, and he replied that he found it more interesting that way. While it may have been true for him, it was certainly not interesting for the listeners. So whenever i take my instrument out of its case i always turn on the guitar tuner and tune up, even if i am just going to play a few easy guitar songs.
Guitar tone is a very subjective one. There are many different tonal varieties possible on the guitar, and who is to say that mine is better than yours? I think the important thing is that are you happy with the tone you are producing, and is your tone consistent throughout a song or series of notes? Think about the ideal guitar tone you are hearing in your head and constantly strive to be moving towards that. This is a process that can take some time. For example, if you strum and sing guitar songs do you want your chords to sound bright and snappy, or perhaps something warmer and darker? Often times strumming with a thinner guitar pick will produce a brighter and crisper sound, whereas a thicker pick will result in a tone that is warmer and darker, without as much projection. Being that i mostly play fingerpicking guitar my ideal tone is something that is warm and full, yet has some added crispness and brightness on top. To work towards this i pick the string with a combination of my fingertip and a bit of nail. The fingertip makes the tone warm and richer, and the string also contacting the nail gives it some brightness and a bit more volume.
The final T is timing. I think after tuning this is the most important, especially when playing with other musicians. Timing is the ability to stay at a consistent speed throughout a song, play notes at the correct moment, and being able to play together with other musicians. This is very important, since music is essentially about the relationship between a series of notes. If you can’t play these notes in correct timing to one another then the musical statement will be changed. A metronome is a great tool to make sure you can stay at a consistent speed throughout a song. Set the metronome to comfortable speed, and play. If the metronome sounds like its speeding up, then you are slowing down at some point, and if sounds like its slowing down then you are actually speeding up. The metronome never lies.
Having a good base of timing by practicing on your own with a metronome will help when playing with other musicians, but to a large degree the best way to develop timing playing with others is just to do it. It takes a different kind of sensitivity going from just listening to your guitar to having to also listen to the other instruments around you.
So keep these three principals in mind next you pick your instrument and get ready to practice. Good Tuning, Tone, and Timing are something that all musicians and listeners will recognize and appreciate.
