Re: large instrument transportation

[Alex J. Lubet <lubet001...>]

Responding to the message of <v04220802b76fbe770762 (at) 
[140(dot)186(dot)102(dot)8]>
from jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org:
> 
> At 10:51 PM -0500 7/8/01, Alex J. Lubet wrote:
> >Whoa!  I'm not saying it's fine to show up at a gig with no axe, but it's a
> >whole lot worse to lose an axe and not have the insurance money with which =
> to
> >replace it.
> 
> Didn't mean to imply that you did.  Just a question that I thought=20
> traveling musicians might want to consider before they travel.  In=20
> fact, anything can happen.  You can get in an accident and not get=20
> there at all.  Our contracts always make exceptions for events beyond=20
> our control, but we try to not let events get beyond our control.=20
> Haven't ever had to cancel a gig yet.
> 
> Once arrived at a gig to find that the tail gut on my fiddle had=20
> snapped.  The sponsors of the gig sent me to a local violin maker who=20
> repaired it on the spot in time for sound check.
> 
> At 12:14 AM -0400 7/9/01, AGREENBA (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
> >Pardon my ignorance, but what could have gone wrong with renting a guitar?
> >Seriously, I would have thought a certain brand guitar is what it is. What
> >happened? Curious - so I can apply any of this info in the future if it=92s=
>  of
> >a generic nature.
> 
> I'm not sure. All I know is that our accordianist/guitarist said it=20
> was unplayable.  As for the bass, our bass player said her hands hurt=20
> after playing it.  Action must have been too high, I guess.  That's=20
> why we took the the bass on the train to Iowa.
> 
> 
When I taught in Poland, I asked to be provided with a guitar and a mandolin 
(having had to shlep clothes, amenities, a computer, and all my teaching 
materials on the plane).  The guitar wasn't much (probably Soviet-era), but the 
mandolin was absolutely unplayable and I just did without for the whole term.

Another major hassle is amplification.  Safest to bring your own, but a major 
shlep and practically precludes any mode of transport other than driving.  Like 
all liberal SUV owners, we needed an excuse, and shlepping our gear was it (my 
wife is a drummer).



Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
Adjunct Professor of American and Jewish Studies
University of Minnesota
2106 4th St. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)

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