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

Related Posts

• How Acoustic Bass Guitars Work The acoustic bass guitar can be viewed as a deeper brother of the standard western style guitar. The acoustic bass guitar is definitely related to the guitarrons that Mexican mariachi bands use, but they are also different in their own right. They are different in a number of ways that......
• Shopping for a Child Size Guitar - What You Need to Know When it comes to purchasing acoustic musical instruments for children, choosing the right size is absolutely vital for the best results. When it comes to shopping for a child size guitar for example, it can not be over emphasized how important it is to consider neck size and the overall......
• Buying a First Guitar pt 1 Learning how to play the guitar is a hobby that is fun and can last a lifetime. It can be used as an entry into a band, or perhaps even becoming a singer. When you first feel the interest in playing guitar, it is best to get a beginner's guitar......
• Manufacturers: Gibson Orville Gibson started the Gibson Guitar Corporation by making specialized mandolins in 1894. From the beginning, Gibson established himself as a quality instrument builder who added his own innovations. His mandolins were modified in such a way that they had a richer sound. Eventually, Gibson mandolins became the instrument of......
• Stringing a Violin Violin strings will age as well as wear out regardless if they are made of metal or gut. The doctor's orders? - Preventative medicine. Transplant them before they can give out on you mid performance. Here is a guide to how you can string or restring a violin instrument. Steps:......

Related Websites

• How to Fix Kitchen Cabinets In the kitchen, one of the biggest points for decor in the kitchen are the kitchen cabinets. The cabinets in a home are meant to last for the life of your home. However, there are things that are unexpected which can cause damage to your cabinets, their doors, hinges, drawer......
• Rising Health Care Costs and Medical Billing Despite recent changes to the national health care system, health care costs are rising. Thousands of American’s will find that their costs for both preventative and continuous health care will continue to get higher. The bills are going to keep piling up and keep adding on one another. It can......
• The Decline and Potential Rise of the Bass Saxophone Bass instruments are typically the largest of instruments, and the bass saxophone is not exception. This sometimes forgotten instrument can be awkward to move about, and it suffers from little love in the music department in terms of songs and pieces written for the instrument. It is frequently replaced by......
• Review of Bass Guitars In regards to instruments, the bass guitar is the new kid on the block as it hasn't even celebrated its 100 year mark yet. An interesting fact is that although it is called a bass guitar it is not even derived from the guitar. Acoustic guitars brought forth the electric......
• How to Pass Down Your Coin Collection While you may have a close connection with your own coin collection, you may want to think about passing that collection down to a younger generation. This is a great way for you to connect with someone young in your family and is a great way to leave a legacy......

Online Stores

• 1 2 Cello String Acoustic Musical Instruments
• Pickup Bouzouki/ Mandola String Acoustic Musical Instruments
• Gibson H5 Bouzouki/ Mandola String Acoustic Musical Instruments
• Chromatic Harmonica Acoustic Musical Instruments
• Schilke 30 Mellophone Brass Acoustic Musical Instruments

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Guitars, Instrument Care

Tags:

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