The Steel Guitar Forum

I always carry my steel in its case. I live in a climate that's cold and damp for about 8 months of the year. There's no way you'll catch me exposing my Sho~Bud to the elements!

Chris , did you know that cars now come with Heaters and Air Conditioners ?

see ya

tp

Tony, I assume your joking. But lest anyone try anything foolish. One trip from a heated home out into subzero temps and back into a heated car, and youcan probably play checkers on the lacquer surface of a steel.

Once in Philly I had to play a Sunday a.m. church service on classical guitar. I had to wait outside in 0 degree temps for the bus which was way late, so I arrived just as the service began and had to take my guitar out right away. From that day forward the finish on my multi-thousand dollar guitar was forever checked.


Dan

Tony,

In Newfoundland, we still get around by horse-drawn carriage and snowmobile.

I've only done it once, and that's because the top half of a case I was building wasn't finished yet so, I just set the guitar in the bottom half of the case (upside down) and went to the gig. I still feel safer packing my guitar up. It doesn't take that long to put it back together......

uhhmm..Snowmobile .Now theres a new concept to going back and forth to a gig...

Good God, sub zero..

We don't have sub zero in NC, at least not yet...

generally I transport from room temp house to room temp car. I never leave any instruments in cars overnight, pretty much take them into the house immediatley. From the gig, the Steel is the last item to go into the warm car ( or AC in summer) parked right outside the door.

But I can certainly see where Sub Zero and Snowmobiles may be cause for concern.

Chris, does your Snowmobile have a CD player ?

I always pack it up before I transport. The roads around here are not that smooth. I'd be a nervous wreck watching that thing clang around through the rearview mirror as I go through the speedbumps and potholes. My father-in-law used to carry his steel set up upside down in the case. I've watched him on more than occasion, with a couple of drinks in him, at the end of the night, kinda stumble those last few feet on unlevel ground in the dark and bang that MSA into the case he had in the back of his van.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking anyone that carries it set up. If it works great for you, I'm glad. I just wouldn't feel comforable with it. I've been playing the same brand of steel for decades so it doesn't take but a few minutes to break it down or set it up. Plus it's got a handle or will fit on a dolly.

But, as scarce as gigs are around here anymore, I really don't have to worry about either method.

Ken

Pete Drake used to carry "Goldie" set up in an open pickup bed, rain or shine...

" Pete Drake used to carry "Goldie" set up in an open pickup bed, rain or shine"
Shame on 'im! I play a D10 and pack it in the case EVERY gig, EVERY time, no exceptions! I can set it up, or take it down, in less than 60 seconds so there's not much time for me to save anyway. especially when you weigh it against what all can happen when it's out of the case.
Mitch

I was told by one pro that he wouldn't take his steel from his bedroom to the living room without casing it. Another guy said if I'm too lazy to case it, I shouldn't own it Finally one guy smoking a cigarette while waiting for a music concert, saw Buddy Emmons arrive in a p/u truck & unload his already setup steel. Strange enough, no more comments on my subject got posted after that comment.

Then there's the (as told to me) Mooney reply to the kid that said something about his cigarette starting to burn into the guitar...

"Kid, some of us play 'em. Some of us polish 'em."

Wrap it in a modified sleeping bag...velcro straps...lie it down, or bungie it upright.

I tear my guitars down and case them.

I used to travel with them set up, like many here have posted. The result? Cabinet damage due to the endplates moving the fastening screws wallowing out the holes on the aprons. Which leads to wobbly guitars on the bandstand.

I NEVER carry the guitar anymore set up on its legs. If you're a committed slacker, it's best to put the guitar upside down in an open case and carry it that way. The center of gravity then becomes lower and there's less mass/force moving the legs and endplates, and less damage to the screw holes on the aprons.

Some time back, there was a post and link to a big case that fit around your steel fully set up. Anybody remember it?

Mr. Little,

Re the "Big Case"...

3 summers back, much to the chagrin of the ushers, I hung around at the end Jimmy Buffett's show here in Toronto hoping to catch a word with Doyle Grisham, assuming he might come back to break down his steel himself.
Instead, a couple roadies just packed the sucker up as-is in a large anvil-type case and wheeled it off in seconds.

Give him a holler at www.gulfsteelmusic.ws... he'll know who made it.

Dean

I wonder if any of the guitar builders might have any input on this?

Picolo players have a real advantage. I noticed that when I played in the band back in my school days.

I don't know why somebody couldn't put card-table legs on these things so they just fold up. Put a nice little handle on the top and you're ready to go. My case weighs so much I have trouble carrying it by itself w/o the guitar in it. I've noticed for other instruments they've made some real sturdy but lightweight hard cases. That'd be nice.

Then you've got the Amps to carry too. Last time I took my stuff out, I took my Micro-Cube for an Amp. It worked great, honest, it sounded good. Mind you - the Cube sounded good, not me.

Mine goes back in the case after every gig. I have never transported a PSG without the case.

I am waiting on a cover for the back of the pickup.
I will install wooden and foam jig back hear the tailgate,
and bungie it upright on a slide board.
And one good rope for the back leg in case of fender benders.
I foresee no problems.

I prefer to pack mine in the case each time I travel somewhere to play. This gives me a chance to take a quick look at the undercarriage mainly for a security check to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be and also prevents accidents that can easily damage a 3000.00 guitar.

When I lived in Vegas, I had a hatch back Toyoyo. A friend of mine, Barney Horn suggested that since I was traveling from casino to casino (3 blocks), just lay the body on foam for equializing the viberation shock and haul it that way. It worked. I went back to the case when I moved to Texas but lately, I lay it in the back of the Matrix (Toyoyo). It does save on set up time.

What Herb says is a fact and common sense as far as stress on the body. What I would do when I had to move the guitar when it's set up is have someone grab the legs on one side and I grab the other side and move it that way. The guitar builders input would be appreciated here.

Randy Reinhardt takes the back legs off his old P/P and throws it in the trunk of his car. He claims if it was going to hurt it it would have years ago.

put wheels on the legs and just roll it out.