seattleboatguy
Senior Member
For those of you who bring along your 6 string while you voyage, would you recommend a soft case or a hard case to protect your instrument from all the moisture and boat motion?
onboard guitar storage
- Thread starter seattleboatguy
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
seattleboatguy
Senior Member
Good advice, except for those of us whose home and boat are one in the same.
GoneFarrell
Guru
I went with a soft case. Hard case was always in the way.
But if you have a spare bunk, stay with the hard case and put a DriZair baggy in there if you leave it on the boat through damp/dewpoint conditions. And I condition the strings with light oil to reduce rusting. That has worked for me.
But I'm a banjo picker, what do I know!
But if you have a spare bunk, stay with the hard case and put a DriZair baggy in there if you leave it on the boat through damp/dewpoint conditions. And I condition the strings with light oil to reduce rusting. That has worked for me.
But I'm a banjo picker, what do I know!
I would keep it in a hard case and put some silica gel inside to absorb moisture. You can buy this stuff at marine stores. Damprid is one brand. Put a handful in a zippy and punch some holes in the top to let air in and out. Obviously make sure it is positioned so it won't spill all over your guitar.
Roughly once a month, throw it out and replace with new silica gel.
David
Roughly once a month, throw it out and replace with new silica gel.
David
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Ukulele.
Ukulele.
Last edited:
Montenido
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
- Messages
- 380
- Location
- Mexico
- Vessel Name
- Ansedonia
- Vessel Make
- Californian/Carver 52CPMY
Rufus,
Thanks, that is spellbinding. I'm sure George is smiling down every time that Jake plays that song. I bought a cheapy guitar and just leave it out of a case. Need to re-tune every time I head back to the boat.
Cheers, Bill
Thanks, that is spellbinding. I'm sure George is smiling down every time that Jake plays that song. I bought a cheapy guitar and just leave it out of a case. Need to re-tune every time I head back to the boat.
Cheers, Bill
BruceK
Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2011
- Messages
- 13,347
- Vessel Name
- Sojourn
- Vessel Make
- Integrity 386
Wow,good music,he makes that ukulele sound like a harp crossed with a guitar.
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
My apologies to Mr. sbg. but NO case will protect any instrument from moisture. IF your guitar is of any quality, don't bring it aboard IMO. Either buy a lesser quality guitar OR as I suggested, a ukulele. Small and as demonstrated, quite versatile. My ukulele skills are akin to Tiny Tim as opposed to Mr. JS.
My apologies to Mr. sbg. but NO case will protect any instrument from moisture. IF your guitar is of any quality, don't bring it aboard IMO. Either buy a lesser quality guitar OR as I suggested, a ukulele. Small and as demonstrated, quite versatile. My ukulele skills are akin to Tiny Tim as opposed to Mr. JS.
markpierce
Master and Commander
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2010
- Messages
- 12,557
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Carquinez Coot
- Vessel Make
- penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
My dog has fleas!
TimButterfield
Veteran Member
It may be worth investigating a carbon fiber instrument. The moisture and temperature have very much less effect on them. The current instruments sound much better than those of the prior generations. They may not be collectibles, but they're not all cheapies either. My acoustic is a Rainsong. I like it. I just wish I got to play it more often. The acoustic guitar forum has a carbon fiber section if you want to ask the experts about them.
ranger58sb
Guru
I'm experimenting with a guitar on board for this trip. Soft case, so I can mush it out of the way when the guitar is on its stand. We usually have decent humidity control with reverse cycle, fans, exhaust fans, etc. So far, OK.
This guitar, semi-thinline acoustic-electric, was sorta-kinda selected for being on board. Looked at carbon fiber options, couldn't spare the extra arm and leg. Also looked at the Yamaha silent guitar, which still might be my next choice if this one doesn't work out (space being the more difficult issue).
-Chris
This guitar, semi-thinline acoustic-electric, was sorta-kinda selected for being on board. Looked at carbon fiber options, couldn't spare the extra arm and leg. Also looked at the Yamaha silent guitar, which still might be my next choice if this one doesn't work out (space being the more difficult issue).
-Chris
newbernbuck
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
- Messages
- 70
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Finale
- Vessel Make
- Rosborough RF246 Custom Pilothouse 2000
We luckily live in a time where there are good well built guitars that are pretty cheap in price. I have a low end Yamaha that lives in a soft case onboard and use a Taylor when I do paying gigs. I'm a big believer in Elixir coated strings, they last a long time in harsh conditions.
artfulltune
Senior Member
FWIW I've experimented with D'Addario Humiditrak Bluetooth sensors (I bought 2 after satisfaction with the 1st) and their product called Humidipak. The paks and the traks reside in hard cases (not soft as those leak ambient air in/out). As stated my Taylors seem happy with the result.
Datenight
Guru
Not sure the worry about moisture is worth it. I have lived on the water for well over 30 years and see no difference between living on the waterfront or on a boat. Have often argued this about wood flooring, the family business.
As a musician (woodwind) I have flutes, saxophones and a top of the line Buffet R-13 wood clarinet. The most sensitive is the clarinet and I found that most of the year I had to keep a humidifier in the case.
My uke (on the boat) doesn't seem to care.
Rob
As a musician (woodwind) I have flutes, saxophones and a top of the line Buffet R-13 wood clarinet. The most sensitive is the clarinet and I found that most of the year I had to keep a humidifier in the case.
My uke (on the boat) doesn't seem to care.
Rob
TimButterfield
Veteran Member
I find this viewpoint slightly hilarious given we commonly talk here in BOAT dollar amounts. My Rainsong is in the two to three BOAT dollar range. An Emerald might be three to four. A Leviora maybe five or so. You need to start getting fancy to get above five. But, after spending those BOAT dollars, you have an asset you can resell in future to get some of it back after you have enjoyed it for a while. By comparison, consider the equivalent slip rental where the same BOAT dollars may be spent for a period of time without any asset remaining once spent. I find it amusing that one is just normal boat ownership costs and the other is an arm and leg. Both are for activities many would consider optional. But, maybe that's just me. Thanks for the laugh and the exposure to another viewpoint.
ranger58sb
Guru
I find this viewpoint slightly hilarious given we commonly talk here in BOAT dollar amounts. My Rainsong is in the two to three BOAT dollar range. An Emerald might be three to four. A Leviora maybe five or so. You need to start getting fancy to get above five. But, after spending those BOAT dollars, you have an asset you can resell in future to get some of it back after you have enjoyed it for a while. By comparison, consider the equivalent slip rental where the same BOAT dollars may be spent for a period of time without any asset remaining once spent. I find it amusing that one is just normal boat ownership costs and the other is an arm and leg. Both are for activities many would consider optional. But, maybe that's just me. Thanks for the laugh and the exposure to another viewpoint.
I don't usually mind spending the money on toys (and have high-end Ric, Gibson, Ovation guitars too), but the pesky BOAT keeps demanding those darned BOAT dollars... faster than I can spare up some for better musical instruments.
And this new PRS sorta attracted me, even if not quite as "thinline" as some of the other options I shopped on at the time.
On topic, at least a little bit more, I just tuned the thing yesterday, for the first time since mid-January.... and discovered it was almost two semi-tones sharp, even though all strings were still pretty much relationally (well tempered) OK. Still thinking about that...
-Chris
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2014
- Messages
- 4,177
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- N/A
- Vessel Make
- 1999 Mainship 350 Trawler
I use a Taylor Mini GS (7/8th scale). It has a soft case. I only boat on weekends a few weeks during the summer. The guitar doesn't live on the boat. It's laminate and wood mix, but after a few weeks, I can still feel the action getting lower as the guitar gets 'wet'.
For long term usage I'd get a carbon fiber guitar. A hard case won't hermetically seal the guitar, but it is significantly better than a soft case, or NO case. I fight severe dryness over New England winters. My guitars live in their cases and get humidified constantly. Those in the hard cases do much better than those is soft cases. Silica gel packets would be a good idea for long term storage in humid climates.
If you go with a cheap guitar, I'd make sure to buy a truss tool and know how to 'setup' the neck properly.
For long term usage I'd get a carbon fiber guitar. A hard case won't hermetically seal the guitar, but it is significantly better than a soft case, or NO case. I fight severe dryness over New England winters. My guitars live in their cases and get humidified constantly. Those in the hard cases do much better than those is soft cases. Silica gel packets would be a good idea for long term storage in humid climates.
If you go with a cheap guitar, I'd make sure to buy a truss tool and know how to 'setup' the neck properly.
Similar threads
