Practicing away from home

tovo
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:10 pm

Right now I am holed up in a hotel room in our National Capital, winner of the "City without a soul" award 5 years running.

Anyway, I have with me my silent guitar so I can practice in the downtime.

Which led me to wonder, what does everyone else do? I can't go a day without playing but there is no way I would take the risk of putting my Taylor in the cargo hold of a plane.

What do people do? Do you go without practice while traveling, borrow a guitar in the city you are staying, take something with you, buy a cheapie, what?

We have had several threads regarding good travel guitars, but that is not really my question, how do people overcome the problem of travel for work and keep playing?


willem
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:18 pm

I hum and say first business,then girl..lol,,,i think the silent would do it,,

oke i work,,but not so far away from home,,after a drive(you know i drive a cab),,i come home and practice,,,it goes like this,,drive-practice-drive-practice,,,and i'm lucky,,the girl is not home..and no nabers,,,


Chasplaya
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:55 pm

Hmmm....When I travel, I almost always bring my guitar and keep it with me against the window or something, no much legspace left though..sometimes I'm lucky and I can put it above in the ....how do you call it, where you put your handluggage. Sometimes I bring an old guitar, not that I like it when it gets damaged, but you gotta do something.

I used to go to L.A. (when my sister lived there), one time I brought my guitar, they put it in a little closet for me (in the plane itself of course) and all the other times I just went to the Guitar Center on Sunset blvd (I was lucky that it was closeby) and here and there I just spend the whole afternoon playing whatever I wanted to play, that was really nice!

When I can't bring my guitar, I just get it out of my head...what can you do?! :unsure:


tovo wrote:
Right now I am holed up in a hotel room in our National Capital, winner of the "City without a soul" award 5 years running.

Anyway, I have with me my silent guitar so I can practice in the downtime.

Which led me to wonder, what does everyone else do? I can't go a day without playing but there is no way I would take the risk of putting my Taylor in the cargo hold of a plane.

What do people do? Do you go without practice while traveling, borrow a guitar in the city you are staying, take something with you, buy a cheapie, what?

We have had several threads regarding good travel guitars, but that is not really my question, how do people overcome the problem of travel for work and keep playing?


dennisg
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:57 pm

Tony,

I'm not clear on what you're asking. Do you want to know how we fit guitar playing into a busy work schedule when we have job-related travel...or do you want to know if we travel with a guitar?

In my case, I don't have job-related travel. But for all other types of travel, I take my Yamaha Silent Guitar with me. The thing is a godsend.


tovo
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:05 pm

dennisg wrote:
Tony,

I'm not clear on what you're asking. Do you want to know how we fit guitar playing into a busy work schedule when we have job-related travel...or do you want to know if we travel with a guitar?

In my case, I don't have job-related travel. But for all other types of travel, I take my Yamaha Silent Guitar with me. The thing is a godsend.
Den all I'm saying is I will go to any lengths to ensure that I can play everyday. I doubt there are many people who are SO busy that they can't fit it into their day.

I'm asking how people solve the problem. You and I (and Al) have solved it with the silent guitar but I wanted to know if people find solutions or just accept that they can't play for the duration of their trip.


tovo
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:13 pm

It isn't necessarily just a problem for those with jobs that involved travel. What do people do when they go on holiday?


michelew
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:19 pm

I'm in Queanbeyen (next door to Canberra - oops!) for work. Got here yesterday. I'll be home this evening. I don't have a travel guitar and wouldn't risk my precious ones. If I was staying for a long time I'd be looking for a solution. But, being away for a day or 2 is not long enough for me to warrant carrying even more luggage. I find traveling tires me out anyway so long practice session 'ain't gunna happen.

But, that's just me.


jayswett
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:24 pm

I purchased a small, second hand Alvarez folk guitar for $110 US dollars. It's a good, but not great guitar, that will fit in the overhead space on an airplane. Suddenly, you guys have me thinking of that Yamaha silent thing...


sbutler
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:26 pm

When I take a trip like I did in August, a backpack trip into the Brooks Range, I couldn't and wouldn't take an instrument with me.
But, I found that when I got back home, I somehow played better for having taken a break.
That doesn't mean that I didn't miss it , I did. But it seems as though, a few days away to allow all that I've learned, to find a place in the hairless computer between me ears is a good thing.

I do take my old Signa when we have the camper somewhere, but I don't fly with it.


Scott


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daryl
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 4:31 pm

Hi Tony,
In my job with the railroad I am away from home every other day. My situation isn't so much like travel as having an alternate second home away from home when I get to the other end. I too don't want to do without guitar practice. I don't need to carry the guitar as I travel, I just need to have a guitar to play when I get to my hotel for my rest period. I have a small clothes locker in the changing room at the railroad yard where I am able to cram a Fender Stratocaster, and now also an inexpensive acoustic guitar ($70 US at a pawn shop). With the electric guitar I play thru my laptop (Garage Band) and listen with headphones. Keeps the sound of playing down so as not to disturb guests in adjacent rooms. The acoustic guitar I try to play during the day when not as likely to disturb others.

Packing a guitar on airlines is a hassle, and usually an extra expense. This past spring I traveled by air from the west coast to the east coast to get together with some blues enthusiasts to jam in Maine, in New England. I did not take a guitar on the airline trip. Fortunately for me there were ample guitars for me to play when I arrived.

I saw a custom made, indestructible guitar case meant to transport a guitar by checked airline luggage. It was almost the size of a cello case, but a sledgehammer blow wouldn't put a dent in it. It retails for $850 US. You can buy a pretty good guitar for that much money.

Wally


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