Wednesday 25 September 2013

Travel can be hard on musical instruments. Whether by air or by car, there are a lot of hazards that can destroy any instrument, no matter how hardy.

Although an accordion may seem indestructible because of its size and the hard case, it is just as vulnerable as any other instrument, if not more so. The following tips should help keep your accordion safe in the car, on an airplane or during a cross-country move. These tips also apply to any free-reed squeezebox: accordion, button accordion (melodeon), bandoneon or concertina.

Instructions

    1

    Watch for temperature extremes. If you're taking your accordion on a long car trip, treat it as you would a beloved pet. Leave the windows down on a warm day. Because of the wax used to affix the reeds of some instruments, you need to stop and think before you get out of the car--if the car interior is likely to get too hot or too cold for a pet's comfort and health, then it will be too hot or too cold for your squeezebox. When you get out of the car, take the accordion in with you or leave the windows as open as you can without them being open enough to steal your instrument.

    2

    Find a soft spot for a cross-country move. If at all possible, do not put your accordion in the moving truck. Loads shift en route, and an household appliance could crush your baby when it's dislodged after a particularly mighty bump. Pack your squeezebox and case in the car, being mindful of the temperatures you're likely to drive through on the way to your new home--and, if possible, put a blanket or pillow under the case. Two or three days of constant jostling just isn't good, no matter how snug a fit your instrument case is.

    3

    Take your squeezebox on the airplane with you. Even if it costs extra to take it as carry-on luggage, do not let your accordion go into the cargo hold of the airplane. First of all, the cargo area is not climate controlled and it can get very hot or very cold--or both, during the same flight--and, as mentioned above, temperature extremes are not good for an accordion's health.

    Second, a quick glance at the utter lack of care the luggage loaders have when tossing bags about should convince you to keep your fragile instrument where it belongs -- with you.

    4

    Be prepared for extra scrutiny at security checkpoints. Accordions look rather odd when rolling through airport X-ray machines. Expect to have to explain what it is (see the concertina warning, below), and to take it out of the case and play a few bars of music to prove that it is a working instrument, not a bomb. More and more squeezebox players have reported being required to do this since September 11. Be nice to the security personnel and serenade them with a smile.

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