Instruments on the Playa

[Rian Jackson]

[techno, if you can find any previous thread on this topic, feel free to merge. 'search' isn't working for me]

The last two years i've brought instruments to the playa. Here's what happened:

2003: brought the beater fiddle and the cheap-o bow. everything went fine with the fiddle (though it needed a good cleaning after) but the bow got a nasty grease spot from somewhere and was out of commission for the second half of the event. The biggest challenge was keeping it in tune. You'll want to make sure your pegs aren't ill-fitting before you leave; it makes things that much more difficult.

2004: Fiddle was fine, again. The bow had snapped at the head when i took it out of the case. This could have been a temperature issue or it could have been humidity - i haven't yet gotten around to making mini-humidifiers for the case, which may be more effective than a dampit when it comes to the bow.

The beater guitar survived without major incident. I do know someone who brought a decent guitar in a good case and kept it in a car most of the time. I haven't heard of any adverse effects.

Bring extra strings for any stringed instrument. I'd bring a vial of alcohol for any bowed instrument. Bring whatever you need to clean the dust off the strings. And for godsakes, keep it in the case and in the shade when you aren't playing it.

Anyone else have tips for what did and didn't work, or answers for the inevitable questions?

[unjonharley]

to clean the inside of your git or fiddel. mix 1\2 cup of rice w\enough mineral spirits to dampen the rice. pour into the fiddel. shake gently so the rice stricks all inter surfaces. shake until the rice is dry. shake out soiled rice.

[4caminos]

to clean the inside of your git or fiddel. mix 1\2 cup of rice w\enough mineral spirits to dampen the rice. pour into the fiddel. shake gently so the rice stricks all inter surfaces. shake until the rice is dry. shake out soiled rice.

that is brilliant.

last year, all was well with the banjo and electric gits. Yes, put them away when not in use.
The big obsession was keeping the Fender amp clean: a plastic bag over a vinyl cover and only brought out when needed. But it still got some playa on the outside.

4caminos