Travelling With Concertina To A Hot Climate.

[Sandy2v]

Hello there,

 

I am new to forum having recently aquired a lachenal 30 button anglo which I have fallen in love with.

 

I don't get much time to play so would love to take it on holiday with me to Majorca.

 

Please can you advise on the following if possible ;

 

Is it okay to take as hand luggage on plane or will the air pressure changes affect the reeds ?

 

It will be staying in an air conditioned house and I'll be travelling there in an air conditioned car so hopefully that's ok?

 

Any advice gratefully received wrt travelling with Concertina and packing etc.

 

Thank you

Sandy from the darkside

 

 

P.S. I can't believe what lovely instruments these are and how much capability they have. I'll try and introduce the box on an old tune of the month as I've finally learnt two tunes. Very pleased with the tone.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Sandy2v

[Wolf Molkentin]

Hello there,

 

I am new to forum having recently aquired a lachenal 30 button anglo which I have fallen in love with.

 

I don't get much time to play so would love to take it on holiday with me to Majorca.

 

Please can you advise on the following if possible ;

 

Is it okay to take as hand luggage on plane or will the air pressure changes affect the reeds ?

 

It will be staying in an air conditioned house and I'll be travelling there in an air conditioned car so hopefully that's ok?

 

Any advice gratefully received wrt travelling with Concertina and packing etc.

 

Thank you

Sandy from the darkside

 

 

P.S. I can't believe what lovely instruments these are and how much capability they have. I'll try and introduce the box on an old tune of the month as I've finally learnt two tunes. Very pleased with the tone.

Hi Sandy,

 

can't give any advice on that, but wanted to say: great to have you here, and having watched some of your great videos I'm eagerly anticipaiting your first posting a 'tina tune...

 

Best wishes - Wolf (who's been crossing over to the dark side for some melodeon adventures quite recently)

[Tradewinds Ted]

I took my Lachenal on as hand luggage on a flight from England to USA in December when I moved to Wisconsin. The air pressure changes aren't a problem for the reeds at all in the cabin where the people are. After all, the pressure changes within the bellows while playing are much larger, and more sudden.

 

That trip doesn't directly address your concern about a hot climate since we have very cold dry air in winter (humidifier required!)

 

But in summer it is quite the opposite! Recent high temperatures around 30 deg C, with dew point around 22 deg C, so it gets pretty uncomfortable at times, although not as warm as Marjorca. We do run the air conditioning a bit in the late afternoon to take the peaks off the discomfort, but I'm guessing you will do the same.

 

With reasonable precautions to avoid the heat you should be fine.

 

Certainly avoid leaving it in a hot parked car, or in the hot sun. But you know that. The next real concern would be sudden changes in humidity and temperature, so avoid playing the instrument until is has had a chance to equilibrate with the surroundings. Particularly avoid playing it in a humid environment if it is still cold from being stored in air conditioning. At least theoretically, condensation could form on the cold reeds when the warm humid air is drawn in and hits them, and could cause the reeds to rust. (Of course if you play for a while, that should shift it.)

 

I've seen other people suggest avoiding playing too close to the shoreline, particularly where there are crashing waves, and spray, due to the salt air. Some disagreement about how important that is and where, but I thought I should mention it. Not an issue where I am unfortunately, as I enjoy the sea!

 

I would be more concerned with theft, as it is easy to be distracted on holiday. Also, some concern about crossing borders due to regulations on rare wood species, and the possibility that bone buttons may be mistaken for ivory. I don't know how real that concern is either. I had no problems when I moved to the USA (where the most problems with the import rules interpretation have been discussed) but on the other hand I felt pretty lucky that nobody showed an interest in the instrument either, even though I did have with me a written valuation and assessment of age to demonstrate that my instrument is over 100 years old, so should be exempt from any regulations.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Tradewinds Ted

[JimLucas]

I am new to forum having recently aquired a lachenal 30 button anglo which I have fallen in love with.

 

I don't get much time to play so would love to take it on holiday with me to Majorca.

 

...

Is it okay to take as hand luggage on plane or will the air pressure changes affect the reeds ?

 

It will be staying in an air conditioned house and I'll be travelling there in an air conditioned car so hopefully that's ok?

A concertina in/as carry on is absolutely OK. To insure against loss, I never take mine any other way. Any pressure change that won't kill you shouldn't cause the concertina any trouble even if the bellows is full of air, and it should be virtually empty (fully compressed) in transit.

 

You ask about air conditioning. Air conditioned iteself is fine, but moving between air conditioned and non-air conditioned is potentially hazardous to your concertina's health. If you do take your concertina out of the house, you should let the concertina equilibrate to the external temperature while it's still in its case, and don't take it out until it has done so. Ditto for returning to the AC'd car or house. Condensation on the reeds is one possibility, but even more risky is the effect of rapid changes of temperature or humidity on the wooden parts. (And extreme humidity can cause trouble even without sudden changes, but I think the heat on Majorca is dry, yes? So there's not that problem, which would be encountered in tropical rain forests.)

[Loikroh]

I would say you must take the concertina as hand luggage - there's no problem with pressure changes and I certainly wouldn't trust putting it in checked-in luggage!! I regularly take my Wheatstone TT to South Africa and the only interesting occurrences have been when going through security. I've had to open the carry-on case in several airports - I guess the internal workings look quite odd when going through the X-Ray machine. The security personnel in Dubai even insisted on me playing it on one occasion to prove it was operational - hilarious at 2.00 in the morning!

cheers

Mart

[Kurt Braun]

The low last night was 80 and relative humidity 89 percent here in Baton Rouge. That said, I travel in air conditioned cars and do not leave instruments in them when parked during the heat of the day. In the summer, I pretty much stay inside with the air conditioner on. I never check my concertina when flying.

[Lakeman]

Hi - I've just returned from the Dordogne in France where it was clipping 40 degrees - I played my concertina in the shade...and made sure it was snugly in its case and tucked away in our camper van between sessions when not in use.It coped OK -if anything, in Cornwall/Devon, where I live, the sometimes damp and colder climate can make the action every so slow and clunky - so I think it en joyed Belle France.

[Sandy2v]

Thank you all. I'm really happy with that. Just need to make sure i let 'Bertie' settle when we get there.

I doubt we'll leave the house or garden shade when playing.

Just need to buy a hard case now.

Cheers,

 

Sandy

[Rod]

Sandy, A good strong well-fitting, well-padded, rigid case is essential kit for a wandering minstrel. Don't embark without one.

[Andy Rhodes]

Dry bags as used by canoeists and yachters are ideal and cheap if you are avoiding humidity and condensation. They also work well when camping or trudging round Whitby.