How nice a guitar would you travel with under these conditions?
 

I'm currently planning a trip to visit some friends about a time zone away. (20ish hours by car). While I'm there, I'm going to do a show, and spend a day recording in my friend's studio. So it would be great to have one or more of my guitars with me.

It's supposed to be in the 50s and 60s along my route. I'll put the guitar(s) in the back seat, or possibly in the trunk with one back seat down for circulation. I won't park in the sun, or leave the car for more than 30 minutes. At night, obviously, the guitars will come with me in the motel.

My nicest guitar is a brand new Martin D-21 Special. After that, there's my 2002 D-17 all mahogany), and rounding out the series is a 2012 Guild GAD F-130R. They all have their strengths, but the D-21 really shines, and I'm tempted to bring it to record with.

Plan B is just to fly, and bring the Guild, or rely on whatever guitars I can borrow. I have a ticket, but flying with a guitar is just a drag, above and beyond the normal stress of air travel. I'd prefer the road trip.

If you could bring two guitars (or similar), which would they be?

You have guitars to play not leave home.
I don't know about 2 guitars on a plane though.
Drive and bring your best guitars.

I've taken many lengthy road trips and took my best guitars, including a D-28, HD-28, and D-18GE. No issues whatsoever. Way back when, I traveled in a black Mitsubishi Eclipse and the D-28 I had road in the passenger compartment area. Most trips, however, have been in an extended cab truck (red or black), and again I always had the guitars with me in the passenger compartment. I was more concerned with theft at stops than temps. I always covered the cases with blankets or coats so no one knew what I had.

I agree. If you're recording and driving there, take what you want to record with.

For the last five years I’ve made a 15 hour road trip in the middle of summer with my best guitar (Martin CEO-7) with no problems. It also went with me on a Nebraska - California - Oregon round trip.

I almost never fly anymore but I flew far too much for business for too many years. I used a Voyage Air VAOM-04 for those trips by air. It still serves as my backup guitar for my yearly car trips.

Crisps, I think you'll get the best of both worlds (good guitar tone plus relative security for the instruments brought) if you drive and take the D-21 alone. If you're stopping for anything longer than filling up your tank and taking a quick bathroom break, take the guitar in with you. Virtually everyone I've ever know who's had an instrument or PA equipment stolen has had it stolen from their unattended vehicles.

This also helps protect the guitar from any heat buildup in the car while it's parked.

Those are the two reasons to bring the guitar into the restaurant when you go in to eat; not only will it be safer, but you might be surprised at how many pretty young women will smile at you and perhaps initiate conversions. I'm not suggesting you try to hit on these women, but there's nothing like the spontaneous, radiant smile of an attractive young person to brighten your day.

Plus your guitar will be safer, which is the most important thing.

To bring more than one guitar in with you anywhere, which I've done when necessary, is considerably more awkward. It also increases the chances of you hitting the backs of other people's chairs as you thread your way through the tables, and more difficult to stash the instruments once you sit down to eat.

So just take one, and from how you've described them, the D-21 sounds like the worthiest candidate, or at least the most versatile of the three.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

It's a thought. The D-21 has no electronics, so if I used it for the live evening, I'd have to play miked. Not the end of the world, of course, but I am a notorious mic bumper. :halo:

Thanks to everyone else for supporting the "bring the axe" argument!

Ah, when I skimmed your opening post I caught the recording session mention but missed the live gig aspect. If your buddy has a suitable guitar with a pickup that can use for the performance, that might be the way to go. But if not and if you decide to bring two guitars when you drive, make sure that when you sit down to eat a meal on the trip you can keep an eye on your car.

I've done that, too, when needed. It's workable.

One more thought: do you have time between now and the trip to get a pickup installed in the D-21? That might just be the best all-around solution, so long as the pickup you choose doesn't have an impact on the acoustic tone of the guitar.

Hey, no problem - we live to serve!


whm

Drive and what Wade said. No way your getting two guitars on a plane. Plus the stress of worrying whether they will check it. I know what I speak of by experience.

I don't think guitars are all that fragile. I always keep my guitar in the environment that I am comfortable in. Meaning in the car covered up from the sun and in the hotel room with me. If it's good enough for my wife and myself the guitar should be just fine. They always have been.

If I fly, I only take a good guitar if it is a direct flight and I know I can board early. On multi-leg flights, you never know if u arrive late and all the overhead space is taken, they gate check your guitar. That's an invitation for guitar football.

For this reason I dropped $1500 for a decent Voyageair.

Good luck and have fun
hans

I'll go along with the prevailing wisdom and suggest you take the guitar you're most comfortable with; IME I'd also strongly recommend a CF acoustic-electric guitar as your next purchase if you anticipate a lot of road time - lightweight, projective, virtually impervious to temperature/humidity changes, and with a set of Martin Monels my Rainsongs take on a clear-yet-full "uber-Taylor" character that isn't steely or synthetic-sounding...

This is the correct answer.

Normally if I were visiting friends I would take one of my Carbon Fiber instruments (probably a Rainsong). If I were planning on recording, I'd put fresh strings on the Larrivee and Guild.

I'd take the D-21 and the Guild.

Of all the things ive dragged my guild D-55 threw when i was a kid ,
it handled in just fine -thou if i was on the side of caution Id say a great case makes a difference
in regard to hot and cold and bumps and bruises along lifes high way -Recently i bought a Hiscox case for
my Mike Franks Dread ( the Artist model ) thou technically its not a flight case - i would feel comfortable using it as such -

I'd take the nicest guitar I own under those conditions... but I'd take the "right" guitar for the show, if I were only taking one.

I typically travel with both my 6 and 12 string "stage" guitars; both hand built by Mark Angus, and both over 35 years old.... I'd sooner travel without money as leave them behind....