Author Topic: Travelling to Canary Islands with Guitar (Read 182 times)

jazzyvee · « **on:** October 31, 2004, 01:56:49 AM »

Hey I'm playing Womad in Gran Canaria next Friday.
I'll be taking and playing both electric and acoustic guitars there, specifically my Fender Strat Ultra & Yamaha Electro Acoustic I have a good strong flight case for it but my main concern is about change in humidity and temperature and possible movement of the neck intonation etc. I'm hoping the baggage handlers are careful too.

Currently in England where I live it's starting to get cold and where i'm going is hot in comparrison.

I plan to use lemon oil on the ebony fingerboard of the strat this week and give it a bit of a service, clean, intonation and new strings etc.

But any advice you can give me will be most welcome.
Cheers
Jazzyvee

lbpesq · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2004, 08:47:14 AM »

Jazzyvee:

I'm hoping the baggage handlers are careful too.

Yea, and I'm hoping I win the lottery! I think you have to prepare for the worst case when it comes to baggage handlers. (Of course one way to prepare for the worst case is with the best case!) Just to be extra careful and provide your axe with extra support, it is always helful to wrap the peghead in a towel or bubble wrap so that it is not just sitting in the case, unsupported. From what I've read, most broken pegheads are the result of the case being thrown around and the peghead breaking off inside the case from the force - kind if like whiplash. The towel/bubble wrap acts kind of like the extended head restraint on a car seat that prevents your head from going back when rear-ended.

I've heard differing opinions on whether to loosen the strings. Some say it makes no difference, others claim it relieves tension on the neck and makes it less likely it will be damaged. I would think that relieving the pressure might also help avoid the situation where the guitar is exposed to very cold conditions causing the strings to contract and put more tension on the neck. I'd be interested in others' thoughts on the loosening strings tactic.

Speaking of strings, when I fly, I always wait to get where I'm going before changing the strings. Have fun in Spain. We'll be on the lookout for a report.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2004, 02:04:23 PM »

Thanks for the adviceI know the peg head is not touching either the bottom or top of the flight case and I have some bubble wrap so I'll wrap it before i pack it for transit.

I wonder what Alembic do when they send basses or guitars across the planet to customers?

Do then send them strung and tuned to pitch or with the strings loosened?

Cheers

lbpesq · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2004, 04:51:15 PM »

Jazzyvee:

I also know people who pack the guitar with their dirty laundry at the end of the trip for the flight home. Helps protect your guitar AND the added bonus of more room in your luggage for those gifts and souvenirs you pick up on the way. Another concern, I don't know about airport security on the other side of the pond, but, at least in the states, make sure that you don't lock the case. Security is likely to break it open - they now have the right to do so.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2004, 11:19:36 PM »

Yeah I heard about security breaking open the cases.
Especially if you have batteries in any of your cases or equipment.

Fortunately all my guitars are passive and i will keep all leads, effects etc in another case so hopefully they won't even open the guitar case to see what's there.

Jazzyvee