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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
 Posted - 09/25/2007 : 6:29:24 PM
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Well it looks like it is going to be one heck of a camp. I have already signed up and i plan to escape the cloudy skies of the PNW for at least a month. Got to visit friends on O'ahu visit my daughter on Hawai'i and go to camp too. Wanda too bad the timing is not conducive to coming my spouse is going to be there too and she plans a mule ride too Kalaupapa and stuff.
I only going bring my guitar and it is still a scary thing pack on baggage. Most of my instruments are hand made or real expensive stuff so it is spooky for me to move /em. The finishes are already crackled a little bit from temperature differences. Lucky it doesn't affect the playability or tone.
It'll be good to see you again Mark. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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NANI
Lokahi
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2007 : 03:16:56 AM
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Oh I wish I were staying on the Island longer I loved the Mule ride. I do not know if Richard is still giving Tours but he was wonderful.We had a great time both on the ride and learing so much about Father Damien and Kalaupapa if you are interested you can previev it or at least get a laugh at us on our mule ride. We spent a few weeks on Moloka'i back in 2004 it was wonderful. Very quiet and relaxaing. Funny that I am going back for totally different type of trip.
http://picasaweb.google.com/photodreamer53/MolokaiMuleRideToKalaupapa
http://picasaweb.google.com/photodreamer53/Molokai
I am only bringing my Ukulele and camera oh yea and a few clothes and I am nervous I can only imagine what it must be like trying to pack a Guitar. Wow I just realized I will be coming home with two Ukuleles how am I gonna manage that . HMM new stuff to figure out . guess I can take empty case or someting?
I guess you guys on the Islands must get used to it since flying is the only way to go?
139 days not that I am counting or anything.
Looking forwaard to meeting everyone. |
"A hui hou kakou, malama pono".
Nancy |
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NANI
Lokahi
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2007 : 08:35:25 AM
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| Just booked my airefare Delta has PHL to HNL $440.00 Yippeee Best I have done in years. |
"A hui hou kakou, malama pono".
Nancy |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2007 : 1:54:51 PM
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Kind of like Noeau, I have a couple of nice guitars that I'm reluctant to submit to the rigors of air travel. I also will have a space problem, since we will have five people and all their gear in one car. My solution was to buy a travel guitar. I'm happy with my choice, so I thought I'd pass on my experience.
I did some on-line research and talked to some friends who own travel guitars. I went with the Taylor Baby Mahogany - not the spruce top; I didn't care for its sound so much. It's only 3/4 size, so it should be easy to either gate-check or store in a cabin closet on the plane, plus free up precious cargo space when we're in the car. The down side of course is that it doesn't have the full rich sound of my Martin or Ovation. But then it doesn't sound like a toy, either. I found rave reviews from both serious hobbyists and professionals.
I got mine through Sweetwater Sound and I am very happy with them. It cost just at $280, came with a padded gig bag, had free shipping, and was ground delivered in only three days. They even called the day after I ordered it to let me know that it had shipped and to offer assistance if I needed it. Their website is sweetwater.com.
I don't know if this helps anyone, but there it is.
Ben |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2007 : 07:04:05 AM
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I don't want to discourage you, Ben, but I took a mahogany Baby Taylor to the only camp I've been to. In retrospect, I'm sorry I didn't take a bigger guitar, even if it was a basic Chinese-made junker, because my little guitar could barely be heard over all the spruce-top dreadnoughts (D-28s and the like) during jam sessions. I learned a lot and participated, but I should have bought a $100-$200 import with a basic hard case and just left it there when I was done, or bought a cheap guitar in Kahului (no case needed) and just abandoned it there.
That's my 2 cents,
Jesse Tinsley |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2007 : 12:48:17 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by hapakid
... my little guitar could barely be heard over all the spruce-top dreadnoughts ... during jam sessions.
Hmm, I didn't think about volume. It's a good point. Could you at least hear yourself okay when you were in the group? |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2007 : 08:26:47 AM
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Hey Ben (et al) -
I seens tons of Baby Tailors and other travel guitars at various camps, including the Aloha Camp. In fact, I've traveled and even performed with a Baby Taylor a few years back-- trust me, volume was not an issue, even in a western swing session in Texas.
But Jesse has had a different experience, so it would be interesting to take a poll. Anyone who's brought a travel guitar to one of the camps care to chime in?
That being said, there are extensive posts about traveling with guitars here on Taropatch, as well some some helpful hints on the Aloha Camp FAQs page. If you want to bring a full sized beast, it can be done safely.
Cheers,
Mark |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2007 : 6:20:51 PM
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I went to George K's camp on Maui, which is more jam-oriented and less class-oriented than AMC. There were informal jams between sessions (and sometimes instead of sessions) and into the night, plus the formal evening jams. The guitar wasn't useless by any means because I learned a lot and played a lot. But I wished I had gotten the spruce top for more volume. I bought my guitar used so I didn't have a choice of top, but it came with a hardshell Baby case which helped protect it on the trip. If you meet some sympatico players and want to record something or perform together, it is nice to have guitars with comparable volumes. As a learnig tool, the Baby Taylor is great. I put on medium strings to get more volume, but paid for it with some neck warp over the last few years, when it's been tucked away in its case.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Daryl
Aloha
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2007 : 05:37:53 AM
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Take a read at the reviews of this case: http://www.casextreme.com/reviews.htm
I'm thinking about getting one for my Taylor 814 when we go in February, and the thing I like about it is that the owner of casextreme suggests using a gig bag. Much, much lighter to handle. But I'm sure I'll still be a nervous wreck worrying about it.
Daryl
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2007 : 05:59:20 AM
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| I'd recommend getting a Hiscox case. They're light but very strong. I've taken my guitars to various countries, including Molokai last year, (which from the UK is a loooong way, believe me). I think they're the best guitar cases you can get. Calton cases are also very good (I might have mentioned before that I crashed my motorcycle whilst wearing a Calton mandolin case on my back - I broke my shoulder, but the mandolin wasn't even out of tune) but are much heavier for the carrying. |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2007 : 06:15:50 AM
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Just a couple comments: I have travelled to all the workshops and camps with my guitar in a soft case and have had NO trouble carrying it on all the planes. It fit just fine in the overhead bin on the small commuter plane to Molokai.
Jesse, George's weeklong workshop on Maui is evolving with more instrument classes, song classes, playing sessions. Most of these are quite small until the kanikapila in the evening. I found only that choosing a seat away from an ukulele grouping made it easier to hear. Lawrence has done a remarkable job with the electronics set-up for the evenings. There are many instruments then - including washtub base, Kona Walking Stick, and of course, Kapila Kane's sweet violin.
So, there are lots of ways of making something work. Heck, if you noticed, there are instruments to Borrow at Keoki's camp in December on a first-come, first choice basis.
It's all so much fun!!!
n |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2007 : 7:06:30 PM
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Just a note about soft bags. You don't need to even get on an airplane to have your instrument damaged. I was at a party with my Dennis Lake cigar box ukulele in a soft case, and some big drunk lost his balance and landed on the case and smushed my poor cigar box, cracked and unrepairable now. I wish I had used a hard case that time...
Thinking of hard casing all my instruments.
Julie |
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Claudia
Lokahi
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 02:39:26 AM
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Hey Daryl and everyone,
I got the Clam case from Bruce Lamb at casextreme.com and it's fantastic. I have flown my Taylor and Larrivee from New York City to California, Seattle, and AMC on Molokai and every time the guitar arrived in perfect condition and I was calm. The case itself is very light, but for the extra protection I do leave the guitar in the original hard case and pack it inside the Clam.
Claudia |
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slackpup
Aloha
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 04:17:24 AM
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Cynthia and I have both used the Clam cases on our last two trips to AMC and have had no problems whatsoever. We do have our guitars in their hard cases in the Clam but I believe a soft case would also be fine. Those babies are tough--Mark Nelson tells of seeing a huge guy jump up and down on one while Bruce's expensive Taylor was inside! I highly recommend them.
Don |
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mahimahi
Aloha
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 07:53:14 AM
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| I'm ready to sign up for my first Aloha Music Camp Feb 2008 as an ultimate beginner...books and DVDs just doesn't cut it for me. I would like to know if any airlines would allow anyone to hand check their guitars at the gate as we board. I have a Taylor in a hardshell case and that's what I'll bring.. and I don't really want to buy an another case like the casextreme for I just have any place to store anything else...less is more so to speak....James |
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2008 Winter Aloha Camp
