Acoustic Guitar Care - Transporting Your Guitar - What to Watch Out For
Transporting your guitar from one place to another can be tricky.
You want to always make sure that your guitar is safe and secure.
But it is not just theft that you need to think about, or even something falling on your guitar.
There are some things that, particularly new owners, should know! Guitars are very sensitive to cold Just this week, I spent some time, explaining to some new students about the potential danger of "cold" upon their guitar.
If you don't live in a cold climate, then you don't need to worry about this one, but many of us do.
I have found many new students, just not thinking at all about their guitar.
Results can be disastrous In a winter climate, you cannot leave your guitar in the car, without the heat on! For instance, you cannot put the guitar in the trunk, stop at the local mall, go shopping and then proceed to your guitar lesson.
I would never do that to my guitar! I would go home and get my guitar.
I have taken my guitar into a restaurant, rather than leave it in a cold car.
Strings contract with extreme cold and extreme cold can cause some very serious damage to your guitar.
Guitars are very sensitive to heat If you live in a warm climate, you're not off the hook.
You cannot leave your guitar in a warm car, or trunk.
Left in a trunk, that might be in the sun, you might as well put your guitar in the oven! In my climate, I have to deal with both extremes.
My simple rule of thumb is to never leave my guitar alone in the car.
Never.
It always goes with me.
You'll never run into trouble with that rule.
Trains, planes and buses Gig bags, those handy light nylon, zipper bags are wonderful things to have.
They are particularly handy for children because they are so light.
I would always consider a gig bag, a second case for convenience.
For traveling, you want a hard shell case.
They are more expensive and well worth the investment.
Gig bags, are however, better than the "soft shell" case.
The soft shell case is merely cardboard and does not even stand up to water that well.
But, if you are serious about your guitar, protect it with a hard shell case.
Be a bit of a pest, when it comes to baggage handling and always supervise the handling of your guitar whenever you can.
Don't allow it come down the luggage chute.
Luggage handlers should bring it out by hand.
And for planes, it might be an idea to insure it, depending on the value.
Now you can travel with your guitar and know how to better care for your acoustic guitar.
Your guitar can last a lifetime, but they are sensitive and need special care when transporting them.
You want to always make sure that your guitar is safe and secure.
But it is not just theft that you need to think about, or even something falling on your guitar.
There are some things that, particularly new owners, should know! Guitars are very sensitive to cold Just this week, I spent some time, explaining to some new students about the potential danger of "cold" upon their guitar.
If you don't live in a cold climate, then you don't need to worry about this one, but many of us do.
I have found many new students, just not thinking at all about their guitar.
Results can be disastrous In a winter climate, you cannot leave your guitar in the car, without the heat on! For instance, you cannot put the guitar in the trunk, stop at the local mall, go shopping and then proceed to your guitar lesson.
I would never do that to my guitar! I would go home and get my guitar.
I have taken my guitar into a restaurant, rather than leave it in a cold car.
Strings contract with extreme cold and extreme cold can cause some very serious damage to your guitar.
Guitars are very sensitive to heat If you live in a warm climate, you're not off the hook.
You cannot leave your guitar in a warm car, or trunk.
Left in a trunk, that might be in the sun, you might as well put your guitar in the oven! In my climate, I have to deal with both extremes.
My simple rule of thumb is to never leave my guitar alone in the car.
Never.
It always goes with me.
You'll never run into trouble with that rule.
Trains, planes and buses Gig bags, those handy light nylon, zipper bags are wonderful things to have.
They are particularly handy for children because they are so light.
I would always consider a gig bag, a second case for convenience.
For traveling, you want a hard shell case.
They are more expensive and well worth the investment.
Gig bags, are however, better than the "soft shell" case.
The soft shell case is merely cardboard and does not even stand up to water that well.
But, if you are serious about your guitar, protect it with a hard shell case.
Be a bit of a pest, when it comes to baggage handling and always supervise the handling of your guitar whenever you can.
Don't allow it come down the luggage chute.
Luggage handlers should bring it out by hand.
And for planes, it might be an idea to insure it, depending on the value.
Now you can travel with your guitar and know how to better care for your acoustic guitar.
Your guitar can last a lifetime, but they are sensitive and need special care when transporting them.
