Instruments on tour
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Instruments on tour
Other than guitars, harmonica and mouth harps, what musical instruments do folks here bring with them on tour?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Maine, USA
Posts: 1,612
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 435 Times
in
227 Posts
Ukulele. In theory… got the carrier figured out and did daytrips with it but not multiday tour yet. Would need another mysician to go with to make it work well
#3
QR-disc must die!!!
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia.
Posts: 703
Bikes: '99 Trek 520, '20 Kona Sutra (FOR SALE 48cm), '21 Simon-Bikes mini-velo and a chromoly-framed folding bicycle with drop-bars and V-brakes, that rolls even while folded.
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 397 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 199 Times
in
147 Posts
Flute and tinwhistle. I also play fiddle and mandola but have yet to try to bring either of them. I saw someone offering a banjo carrier but got no response when I inquired about it for the mandola.
#4
Full Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 309
Bikes: nothing to brag about
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 206 Times
in
116 Posts
For the hardcore..
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
Likes For mdarnton:
#5
bicycle tourist
For the hardcore..
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
#6
Senior Member
For the hardcore..
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
Been toying with taking up the mandolin and had been wondering how I might haul it around, and this looks like a definite contender
#7
Full Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 309
Bikes: nothing to brag about
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 206 Times
in
116 Posts
FWIW, I carry around violins, and I have a cheap and thin backpack that compresses into one of its own pockets that works, as well as sometimes in a pannier. Mandolin cases are smaller, so either would work fine. In both cases I use a strap to make sure the violin won't jump out on the way.
#8
Senior Member
Too bulky unfortunately, even compact instruments. The only ones that can work are harmonica and the flute variants. Water and crash damage are also issues.
#9
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1669 Post(s)
Liked 1,823 Times
in
1,061 Posts
#10
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1669 Post(s)
Liked 1,823 Times
in
1,061 Posts
Somewhere I ran across a tongue-in-cheek bike touring rule list that included a prohibition on bringing an instrument you were not proficient on.
#11
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,627
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1669 Post(s)
Liked 1,823 Times
in
1,061 Posts
(image credit Bonnie Wong)
Harmonicas have been by far the #1 instrument in discussions past. Sure: simple system flutes, fifes, folk flutes, recorders, pennywhistles, Native American plains-style flutes, ocarinas, pan flutes, etc. Jaw harps. Perhaps melodions (hmm...bulky) for the keyboard player. Something you can sing along with as you play? Kalimbas, concertinas.
June Siple, Hemistour (from National Geographic May '73)
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,806
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1944 Post(s)
Liked 2,164 Times
in
1,323 Posts
I haven’t toured with a uke, but I’ve ridden with one. Both Outdoor and Enya make polycarbonate carbon ukuleles in soprano (21”) and concert (23”). They are pretty impervious to weather.
I don’t own either of those brands, but I do have a carbon fiber tenor.
John
Likes For 70sSanO:
Likes For dgodave:
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Maine, USA
Posts: 1,612
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 435 Times
in
227 Posts
yeah. I have a a CF Blackbird tenor
About 15 years ago I transitioned from guitar to ukulele and never looked back. Apart from missing the low end strings on a guitar, there is hardly anything I can’t play on a uke. The chord shapes are the same as a guitar and the fret stretches are insane.
I haven’t toured with a uke, but I’ve ridden with one. Both Outdoor and Enya make polycarbonate carbon ukuleles in soprano (21”) and concert (23”). They are pretty impervious to weather.
I don’t own either of those brands, but I do have a carbon fiber tenor.
John
I haven’t toured with a uke, but I’ve ridden with one. Both Outdoor and Enya make polycarbonate carbon ukuleles in soprano (21”) and concert (23”). They are pretty impervious to weather.
I don’t own either of those brands, but I do have a carbon fiber tenor.
John
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,806
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1944 Post(s)
Liked 2,164 Times
in
1,323 Posts
#16
QR-disc must die!!!
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia.
Posts: 703
Bikes: '99 Trek 520, '20 Kona Sutra (FOR SALE 48cm), '21 Simon-Bikes mini-velo and a chromoly-framed folding bicycle with drop-bars and V-brakes, that rolls even while folded.
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 397 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 199 Times
in
147 Posts
This carrier would probably be the best way to carry a well-protected stringed instrument that's at least as small as a banjo:
https://theradavist.com/rambler-bags...-banjo-packin/
If anyone gets a response from the maker, please post about it here.
https://theradavist.com/rambler-bags...-banjo-packin/
If anyone gets a response from the maker, please post about it here.
#17
Senior Member
Also a bit oddly I the founder of this particular incarnation of the instrument never took one on my tours or backpacking other than in the car for the coast to coast drive a couple times. If you should look up my facebook page for the instruments, please don't comment or post on it always generates a flurry of interest and I have a hard time saying no (but I will). I leave it up and open mostly to service past customers.
Last edited by staehpj1; 09-26-22 at 05:18 AM.
#18
Member
For the hardcore..
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier
https://www.mundomusicgear.co.uk/products/airpannier