travel with accordion

[avocado]

any of y'all currently doing this? do you just throw the heavy delicate instrument in your pack or carry its case separately? obviously its a pain in the ass, but its fairly important for me to have my instrument with me while travelling longterm, for general enjoyment and also for generating income. im thinking of sewing my pack and my accordion case together and making a monster pack...maybe adding some sort of padding around where the accordion would be to keep it a little safer from the roughness that is travelling for free. any tips would be appreciated.

 

[maus]

good luck! ive seen people rock this with a pack on and accordion case in front

 

[avocado]

word! thanks!

 

[wartomods]

if money is not an issue (ahahah) get a concertina

 

[katiehabits]

if you've got a big enough pack you could just put it inside with your sleeping bag around it or something....

 

[avocado]

if money is not an issue (ahahah) get a concertina

hah money is always an issue, but my accordions a half-size, so its smaller and lighter than most. ive considered buying a tiny student accordion off ebay but it doesnt really seem worth it. a concertinas related but also a whole different instrument to learn.

 

[wartomods]

not much different from button accordion

 

[Arapala]

Man that would suck! Those things are so heavy, i couldnt imagine wearing one inside a pack. Possibly invest in steroids?

 

[sprout]

Have friends who have done it for a bit. Ultimately decided it wasn't worth it. I do think they were carrying around 120 button accordions though. I would never take mine, too heavy, too delicate for the road.
Best bet is to get the smallest you are comfortable with.
Seen people with either of these, they are tiny and easy to play:

 

[ghostsymposium]

I've traveled with an accordion before... It got completely trashed. I'm doing it again soon though, and I've got a better plan this time. I use a 48-bass accordion with 4 columns instead of 6. 48-bass accordions are way lighter than the 120-bass versions, and the 4 column version gives you a fuller range than the 6 column. All I use for bass buttons are major and minor chords so I don't need the extra 2 columns.

The first accordion trip I made was last summer traveling around the north east. I have this pack:

I would pack my bag as lightly as possible and pack it flat. The accordion fits beneath the strap in the middle, and when tightened, the strap alone surprisingly kept it firmly in place. Only problem with that... the strap crushed the already worn to shit grill on the treble side! When it was raining, I'd wrap two trash bags around the accordion. My whole pack, accordion included was able to fit under the cat-walk part of a mini-well. After traveling with it for a little while, all of a sudden I'd hear a something clunking around inside the accordion... whoops, looks like one of the reed plates just fell out. This happened more and more and now my accordion just sounds like a pathetic ghost, which is kind of cool but not the sound I'm going for.

Accordions don't do well with extreme temperatures. Being constantly outside kills an accordion. I think busking a bunch in the fall last year also contributed to the death of that accordion. Cold fucks up the wax that holds the reeds in place causing it to crack and reeds to fall out. You're supposed to wait for your accordion to warm up for an hour if you go into a warm room before playing. this site has more information on that.

I'm really interested in getting one of these hohner 48-bass backpack cases and sewing a bunch of side bags onto it.

I want to find a good material to waterproof it with and use some of that seam sealant stuff that REI likes to give away.

Traveling with an accordion is totally worth it for me. I've only ever paid $100 for an accordion, and I definitely make way more than $100 from busking. It's also sweet to have your instrument with you all the time.

 

[DavieJones]

Im currently doing this, and yea it blows. I can fit mine (smaller one 12 bass piano) into the bottom of my pack, but i usually just sling it over my shoulder. I ALWAYS have ponchos and trashbags in my pockets for when god decides to piss on me.

Those 90 dollar backpack cases, in the experience of so many of my friends, usually eat shit real quick, but theyre a great idea, a perfect model. Ive been wanting to make a nice case for mine, with a compartment for my sleeping bag and a few extra pockets. Id line it with foam and sew intertube on the outside to make it water resistant. Maybe Ill cut up an Alice pack and mod the fuck outta it, and just put my sleeping bag under the flap on top, cuz both I and my blankie can handle getting wet, the accordion not so much.



My ex-old lady had one of those schling button accordions, and theyre fun as fuck and a hell of a lot more durable than say a scandelini, suprisingly enough. Plus theyre 2 pounds and fit into a cargo pocket, hell yea.