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Post by MartinS on Mar 18, 2018 12:42:34 GMT
What do you guys do if you have to travel to play a gig, and it's inconvenient (or you just consider it too plain risky) so take your own instruments?
We seem to be getting enquiries to play in the south of England for functions, which is not exactly close if you live in Glasgow. The latest is in darkest Didcot. (Although it may be very bright there, I have no knowledge :-D)
Have you found it easy to hire instruments, or do you just end up networking and borrowing?
The PA is not a problem of course, as there are plenty of places who will do a wet hire. And it seems there are people that exist who seem to be happy to pay for that, travel and hotel costs.
Me and the missus are also playing a wedding in California in the Autumn, but we're trying to borrow instruments from the pool of musician attendees.
Any suggestions/good stories?
m.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Mar 18, 2018 13:36:35 GMT
Think that you were right first time about Didcot I don’t gig, not sure I could persuade anyone to willing pay money to hear me play but I could have earned a small fortune from the incentives I’ve been offered to stop. Not sure where you’d hire from in Didcot? The nearest music shops I know of in the area (I live a few miles West of Didcot) are in Oxford or Newbury, each about 15 miles from Didcot so that may replace one logistical challenge with another.
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Post by jackorion on Mar 18, 2018 16:57:56 GMT
What do you guys do if you have to travel to play a gig, and it's inconvenient (or you just consider it too plain risky) so take your own instruments? We seem to be getting enquiries to play in the south of England for functions, which is not exactly close if you live in Glasgow. The latest is in darkest Didcot. (Although it may be very bright there, I have no knowledge :-D) Have you found it easy to hire instruments, or do you just end up networking and borrowing? The PA is not a problem of course, as there are plenty of places who will do a wet hire. And it seems there are people that exist who seem to be happy to pay for that, travel and hotel costs. Me and the missus are also playing a wedding in California in the Autumn, but we're trying to borrow instruments from the pool of musician attendees. Any suggestions/good stories? m. Why can't you bring your guitar down from Glasgow? Are you flying? Although I haven't encountered this issue yet, I have got some festival gigs booked for the summer where I might not take my main guitar and I bought a Yamaha LL11 specifically for this situation back in the summer - I'd been after one because of the Bert Jansch link anyway, but I figured it's a guitar I could take to those gigs where I wouldn't want to take my more fancy guitars... Although, to be honest, I'm slowly coming round to the fact that I pretty much only play my Martin and should just use that for everything and flog the rest!
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Post by MartinS on Mar 18, 2018 20:15:13 GMT
Why can't you bring your guitar down from Glasgow? Are you flying? Although I haven't encountered this issue yet, I have got some festival gigs booked for the summer where I might not take my main guitar and I bought a Yamaha LL11 specifically for this situation back in the summer - I'd been after one because of the Bert Jansch link anyway, but I figured it's a guitar I could take to those gigs where I wouldn't want to take my more fancy guitars... Although, to be honest, I'm slowly coming round to the fact that I pretty much only play my Martin and should just use that for everything and flog the rest! Yes, I'd be thinking of flying, but see the disaster stories of folk's instruments in pieces after baggage handling treatment and it puts me off slightly! And it's not that my gigging guitar was like super-expensive, but we have bonded nicely. Alternatively a long drive (driving for 6 or 7 hours in not my bag), or train (put off by carrying a guitar for most of a day on public transport) is possible, but not exactly an attractive prospect... I guess those musicians who are constantly touring have got it all sorted in their minds about risks to instruments and take a pragmatic view or else they would never leave the house. I think I'm just a wuss! Anyone here travel much by plane with their instruments? m.
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Post by dreadnought28 on Mar 18, 2018 21:54:06 GMT
Yes I do with ££££ guitars several times a year. Mostly I try to carry on but recently I’ve checked my guitar in on flights to Houston from Manchester. The aircraft on that route, Airbus A350-900, has drop down bins too small for a full size guitar. My guitars are well insured and well packed in their cases. I don’t worry but am glad when they reappear on the carousel.
If I had the option of a 7/8 hour drive I’d do that, if only because I’d be free to take a lot more instruments and equipment.
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Post by scorpiodog on Mar 21, 2018 11:51:31 GMT
Maybe this is an opportunity for something to be done on the forum. I have some guitars I'd be quite happy to lend (one or two, not so much). I'm not much good for the Didcot gig. I'm about an hour and a bit away. But we have members from all over the country (and farther). I wonder whether we could. There's a massive amount of generosity and goodwill among the members here.
Or am I completely out of my tree?
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Post by dreadnought28 on Mar 21, 2018 22:25:46 GMT
Or am I completely out of my tree? I’m sure I am! 😳
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Post by MartinS on Mar 22, 2018 19:43:52 GMT
My technique of dealing with the stress of carrying instruments long distance was to put an outrageously high quote in.
Money soothes!
(Not expecting to get the gig, though!)
:-)
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