Although not surprising, the guitar is probably the musical instrument that travels the most around the world. If you are taking an acoustic guitar on the road or on a plane with you, you need to keep in mind that your instrument is not just another piece of luggage or baggage, and yes, it is going to take some effort on your part to make sure that your acoustic guitar stays safe during its travels.

If you are traveling by way of car, then you do not want to put your acoustic guitar in the trunk. It is going to be much safer if you put it in the back seat, because most vehicle trucks are not ventilated or heated, and so the temperatures are going to fluctuate quite wildly as a result. Freezing your guitar or overheating it is an invitation for you to find a crack or a warp, which you definitely do not want. Your guitar is assembled with the use of glues that are capable of being negatively affected by heat, which causes a breakdown and the glue adhesion will become loosened. The most commonly affected part of your acoustic guitar is the bridge, which can become destroyed at the hands of too much heat exposure.

The most popular method of commercial transportation is air travel, but flying with your acoustic guitar means taking certain precautions. While airplane companies may not intentionally set out to hurt your instrument, a conveyor system in an airport cannot easily discern a guitar from any other type of baggage. Some airlines may consider an acoustic guitar to be too fragile for them to handle and so they may require you to sign a waiver that removes their liability should something happen to your guitar. Never sign this document if you can possibly avoid it. Even a hard case is not going to perfectly protect your guitar from the damage that can be incurred by mishandling by an airline company.

You may be able to hand carry your guitar onto the plane with you. Upon your arrival, you should notify the flight attendant that your guitar is on the plane to see if it can be retrieved at the gate, but know that this option is not always available.

When it comes to carry-on luggage, there are size restrictions that make acoustic guitars an unlikely candidate for carry on. Some flight attendants may accommodate you while others may not be willing to. If you want to make sure that your guitar survives as checked baggage, make sure that you loosen the strings before hand, and use a soft packing material made from cotton to make sure that the guitar does not get jumbled around in its case. Choosing a Martin's hard case will not guarantee a damage free experience, but it will certainly help.

Photo Credits: pasotraspaso

Originally posted 2009-09-08 03:51:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Acoustic Musical Instruments, Guitars, Instrument Care

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acoustic guitar, air travel, airline company, airlines, airplane, back seat, bridge, commercial transportation, conveyor system, crack, flight attendant, glue, glues, hard case, heat exposure, invitation, luggage, musical instrument, temperatures, warp