i appeal to your greater knowledge here. i am at present homeless, i am hopping from sofa to caravan to most frequently a tent and occasionally my car. now most of my various instruments and bits of kit are stored in a loft so are safe and sound. but in view of the weather lately i have forgone taking an instrument with me to stay in the tent for a week (barr my harmonica which lives in my spare boots, dont ask). this does not sit well with me, i have been playing one thing or another for at least a few hours everyday for about 7 years, i feel naked without an instrument. while my guitar seems to be bombproof (it must be one of those 1 in 1000 that went together perfect) even though its cheap and with the right strings does not get bothered by temperature and the like. but i want to be taking my fiddle, i am not progressing much because i cant get to it a lot of the time. but everything i have heard from people is in these sorts of conditions they are vulnerable, which scares me, it may be cheap but i love it. does anybody know of any ways to protect them from the elements better? surely people have been travelling with them for hundreds of years. there must be a way. bearing in mind that i am obviously very broke at the moment.
and on a lighter note: the difference between a violin and a fiddle? best answer i have heard-
£10,000
Has it got a case? 'Cos if it has, I'd take it with me, whatever. I'd be cuddling it next to me at night. If it hasn't got a case, that's another problem ... but I'll wait for the answer to the first one first ...
It depends on what sort of fiddle it is. If it's a good one, leave it where it is and buy a whistle. But if it's a cheapy, take it with you. Cheap fiddles are made with synthetic glue and cellulose varnish, and the wood is normally a lot thicker than it should be, so they withstand a lot more abuse than better instruments.
yes it has got a case but it does still concern me because i had a hard case for a guitar a couple of years ago and every now and then i would find condensation in there. which bent the neck of my first guitar. and how much can a case protect from temperature drops when it hits -17'C
It may not fill the felt gap if you're a fiddler, but a D Generation whistle is probably as invulnerable as an instrument can be, takes up precious little room and quite likely still costs under a fiver. But good luck, anyway.
yeah i get that but it does mean that i would need to stay in bed all the time (how i wish that could be). i need to find a more permanent solution, as i still need to work which mean leaving it in the car.
as much as i would like to i cant get into whistles. i have tried before but i am a string man. wind instruments seem to hate me or i aint got enough puff to sustain a tune. thats why the harmonica lives in my boot, i only comes out when i have absolutely no option and even then it goes back pretty quick.
australia!? i can barely afford to run my car, i dont think i could afford to emmigrate. and i cant take heat, gimme 70 below anyday.
i know i sound like i'm nitpicking but this is why i am stuck i cant see a way out of this so i need to be as practical as possible.
Again, depends what your work is. Can you take the fiddle to work with you? If you're in an office, then I don't see why not, if you're a driver, then you could take it in the cab with you, and if you're a factory worker, isn't there a locker or at least a secure place behind reception?
And I wouldn't worry about nitpicking. This sounds like a real problem that I really hope will be helped, if not resolved, by sharing it. So carry on, list your worries and let's see if we can knock them down one by one.
those who didn't nitpick...emigrated. there are ways; mate. (it isn't always hot, brother, just the times when you need to drink more cold beer! that's always a sure indicator it's getting a bit warm!)
unfortunately i work as a woodsman and tree surgeon. i have got to say as i read that i had some fantastic images of fiddle case stuck to my chainsaw or hanging from my ropes, still laughing now. no it has to stay in the car its the safest option luckily it is secure enough because of my dog and the fact that usually close to me. but it tends to get hot in the day then freeze in the tent so i have taken to taking it out of the car while i have my lunch to let it breathe.
and at least if i emigrate somewhere cold the fire would always be burning and would be fairly steady temp. knowing the way i work i would spend more time cleanin sweat off the fiddle than playing in australia. that and i have a bit of a thing about spiders.
maaate...!! I know the cold weather has that sort of allure...open turf fires, with a touch of whisky or such attached...but. You actually sound like you like it. I envy that actually; I'm sittin' here at 5 in the morning, it's too hot too sleep, so I have to sit in shorts and just tinker away on the mando to tunes, watch session.org and wait for dawn, when it starts to get hotter. That's my idea of heaven; it takes a bit of getting used to, but I was born to it...thanks to my forebears who survived the Irish bloody famine and got the hell out of there. Here's cheers to them. They won't be forgotten. seriously though. your call.
i do like the cold always have. even the english summer kills me! australia is on my list of places to go but i have to get to, in order. norway, sweden, iceland, siberia, canada and alaska. so might take a while.
any ideas on extra insulation within the case walls?
I am "homeless" (I call it a camping trip, though) every summer, sometimes for two or three months at a time; I wouldn't think of not bringing my fiddle along. My rule of thumb is, if I'm uncomfortably hot, I'd better start worrying about the fiddle. It does take a lot of planning ahead when considering the heat of summer, especially when in the car, but it sounds like you are mostly worried about cold and wet conditions. When I'm travelling in cold weather, all I do is make sure the fiddle is wrapped up at least as warm as I am, whether in the car or in a tent. This isn't really that difficult to do. Maybe you are more worried about it that you need to be? Hope this is helpful.
patricia, i take your point but my main concern is that if its wrapped up externally then the wrapping would draw moisture and create problems. i could wax the case to waterproof it but its the temperature which is the biggie. that and the way things are looking i am going to be homeless for some time to come which brings changing conditions. dont mean to sound bad but i am actually homeless, no base camp where i can put everything, and like i said it really gets to me when i cant play of an evening. i have been living in caravans and cabins for a couple of years now but i always had somewhere to store kit. now i dont.
skull, how do you mean? i am on the internet at my mums at the moment. i just float around and when i can make use of the net i do. luckily i have a few friends who dont mind me hijacking their computer for a while.
yeah there is people looking out for me but they can only offer so much. its like you said earlier it would be fine if this place wasnt run by complete ............ers, according to them i am illegal in nearly everything i do. kinda backwards for somebody scraping the bottom of the barrel. thats why nobody can put me up for long, because the government would take any money they had to pay for me! its a joke, i dont even come close to earning enough for tax or i wouldnt be homeless but according to them i must be earning around £300 a week to live! how little they know.
so you know these countries are run by the rich and their government servants eh? old countries, old money. ditch it, dude.
I thank God I live in a country where ordinary people can still stand up full height without being hammered. the music sounds so much more joyful then; even in the heat!
yeah i know it only too well, but its more like run by the government and their rich servants, conservative rule again here man. keep the rich, rich and hammer the poor. but thats ok, i have an escape plan and i wouldnt have to go anywhere. i just need a few years to accumulate the necessary info and i can be a "free man of the land", turn my back on society and all the useless chains and in return ask nothing from it. there is nothing they can do, i would be my own king. but anyway this is all getting a bit revolutionary, i should save it for my book.
just been looking at the case, i think it could be insulated. it wouldnt look pretty but thats the least of my concerns. and i can use the proofing they use on barbour jackets to waterproof it. just not sure on what material to look at because it would idealy need to be removable in the summer to stop it baking the fiddle. any suggestions?
My aunt sewed a bag of light-weight waterproof material for her fiddle. She used it in addition to her fiddle case In winter, for long hikes through the snow to where there was music. It had more than enough fabric to scrunch up into multiple thicknesses in important places so to be somewhat shock absorbent. She may have had something similar for the bow. Hope your situation improves.
When she started this practice, the waterproof fabric she had at hand was more like oilcloth. These days, when I visit the Salvation Army store to look for possible candidates for pipe cases, every so often I'll find swatches of ripstop nylon. Never having sewn the stuff, I couldn't say how watertight seams are achived.
hmmnnn thats a different approach, i quite like that. could maybe stitch a layer of fleece in between 2 layers of waterproof to provide protection from cold and wet. and good in summer. i really like that idea! thanks atahualpa.
and as far as watertight stitching goes. stitch it once evenly, fold it twice stitch it again, proof it, then fold once and stitch it then proof it again. i learned that from an old woman who very kindly repaired my rucksack on one of my missions in scotland.
I wouldn't use waterproof material at all unless it is to keep the rain off. Condensation is caused by warm air touching a cold surface. Wrap your fiddle case in a blanket to prevent sudden changes in temperature and as long as you keep it out of direct sunlight (shouldn't be too difficult!) it will be OK in the car, especially if you are going to be playing it regularly.
yeah but a blanket would be as bad if not worse than waterproofing because it would pull moisture from the air directly into the case. if its 2 layers of waterproof and a layer of proper fleece then the wool wouldnt let any moisture through (think of the swandry jackets). i take your point but i spend most of my time in a tent in the woods, even my clothes draw moisture inside the tent, i have to dry them each morning over the fire.
The old, wandering musicians like Tom Billy Murphy -- who had no choice but carry their fiddles with them (I think that was so in his situation) for long donkey rides, in whatever weather -- overcame your same predicament too. Big help, I know. I would agree though, that the waterproof cover is only for transit out of doors, in rough weather.
Yeah, it's a tricky one. In the tent you are giving off moisture that has to go somewhere. If there's any wet stuff in the car the moisture will condense on any exposed metal during the night. Maybe you could wrap a blanket or something similar round your case then put the whole thing in a bin-liner. As long as it is dry to start with it will stay that way.
"I thank God I live in a country where ordinary people can still stand up full height without being hammered. the music sounds so much more joyful then; even in the heat!"
I spent about a year voluntarily 'homeless', walking from London to Portugal, then staying in Portugal for a few months. After much deliberation, I decided to take my fiddle (I had been playing it for just 18 months at the time and didn't want to forget all I had learned). Over that year, it spent many days on my back, come rain or shine, and many nights alongside me in my tent, in woodsheds, barns, under the stars, even, on occasion, in cheap hotels.
Whilst I didn't come upon any extreme cold, I did experience some fairly intense heat in parts of Spain in September - and rain I've never seen the like of (and I live in Wales!) in Galicia and northern Portugal in October and November. But the fiddle survived.
The only problems I had with the fiddle were:
1. a peg which jammed and snapped - this was a very cheap and soft peg, which was already ill-fitting.
2. a bent bridge - which happens over time, anyway.
Both of these were no doubt accelerated by the damp. But bear in mind that it was, for much of the time, just me and a rucksack (fiddle strapped to the back), so the fiddle, albeit in a case, was exposed to a lot of rain. If you have a car, you can at least keep the rain off. Incidentally, my fiddle is not worth a lot, but it's an old one, held together with hide glue, and varnished in the traditional way - but it doesn't seem to have suffered and sounds better than ever.
Christofloffer - Although it was my own choice to be homeless, and my situation was very different from yours (I was still technically based at my parents' house and only had to take with me as much as I needed for the journey), I remember well the difficulties of finding shelter and keeping my belongings safe. I hope you soon come upon easier times.
Have you considered putting a moisture absorbing pack into the case? Like the little silicone ("do not eat this") packets, or to be cheap, a disposable diaper? I've used the larger containers of these to keep damp from a basement closet. Might give you an extra few percentages. Good luck to you.
Chris, hope you get things sorted soon. My advice regarding the fiddle, although not a fiddler myself, would be to take it with you as others have suggested.
Over the new year I was tickled by one pal who opened his fiddle case to reveal a black bin bag (trash bag) inside which was his fiddle. This guy lives in the south west of Skye which is wet with high humidity (but not the heat). He reckoned that if caught out in a down pour the plastic bag stopped the rain should things get realy bad. As you have a car that shouldn't be a problem.
In the car keep your fiddle in it's case wrapped in a blanket -17ºC to +25ºC is no problem for your fiddle, provided the temperature change is gradual. So a case wrapped in a thick blanket will manage that for you. You just have to be careful when taking the fiddle out. If taking it out in a house keep the fiddle in it's case for a few hours before opening the case, so an hour in an unheated porch and then inside for an couple of hours. That should avoid cracking the finish and prevent condensation from forming.
The blanket works the same way with heat. Heat is the killer especially in a car or combined with humidity, so best not leave it in the car in the summer and be mindful about humid conditions. Have a playing chum who's fiddle broke into component parts whilst playing a tune in such conditions in the south pacific whilst traveling, it glued back together fine and thats the fiddle he used for his album.
Is it just me, or does anyone else get a bit dismayed about the thought of putting a fiddle into a trash bag? Even so, a trash bag has got to be the cheapest and easiest way to keep a fiddle dry when you're taking it out in the elements.
yeah it hurts to put them in bin liners but its common practice for me with everything lately. the only problem is that if you get one tiny tear in it then condensation floods through. that mistake cost me about 20 books. its ok if you keep them new though, which does add up money wise. i have just been given a military dry sack made for canoe trips. it has a tear in it but plenty of good material to work with. got to be worth a shot because it would last a lot longer.
It sounds like you'd be able to take care of it in the cold and damp, by wrapping it well and playing it regularly, so I think the main threat would be heat, as in getting too close to a heater in the winter time, which you wouldn't do, or leaving it in your car during the day when the car can heat up.
So if you have to leave it in the car on a hot day, might I suggest you slip it under the car rather than in the car? Done discreetly, this would keep the fiddle as cool as possible. Just don't forget it's there...
I have seen and heard of many instruments being killed by the heat and cold and direct sun beating on the instrument or case. Worst the heat---for me in Alabama, usa Yrs ago I had white or natural canvas bags mande for my mando cases. Direct sun light and or being in a car- truck 120 temp inside -- suprisingly never hurt any. When I would leave windows up or leave my vehicle for some reason over night, come back and find it in direct sun. I'd open my case with in a bag , touch my mando and it would be cool to the touch. Plastic or dry bags over the bag for wet. Cold -- well heck I don't need to tell you about the cold.
homelessness and instruments?
homelessness and instruments?
i appeal to your greater knowledge here. i am at present homeless, i am hopping from sofa to caravan to most frequently a tent and occasionally my car. now most of my various instruments and bits of kit are stored in a loft so are safe and sound. but in view of the weather lately i have forgone taking an instrument with me to stay in the tent for a week (barr my harmonica which lives in my spare boots, dont ask). this does not sit well with me, i have been playing one thing or another for at least a few hours everyday for about 7 years, i feel naked without an instrument. while my guitar seems to be bombproof (it must be one of those 1 in 1000 that went together perfect) even though its cheap and with the right strings does not get bothered by temperature and the like. but i want to be taking my fiddle, i am not progressing much because i cant get to it a lot of the time. but everything i have heard from people is in these sorts of conditions they are vulnerable, which scares me, it may be cheap but i love it. does anybody know of any ways to protect them from the elements better? surely people have been travelling with them for hundreds of years. there must be a way. bearing in mind that i am obviously very broke at the moment.
and on a lighter note: the difference between a violin and a fiddle? best answer i have heard-
£10,000
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
a fiddle is a violin with attitude
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by I ♥ Dow
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Has it got a case? 'Cos if it has, I'd take it with me, whatever. I'd be cuddling it next to me at night. If it hasn't got a case, that's another problem ... but I'll wait for the answer to the first one first ...
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: homelessness and instruments?
It depends on what sort of fiddle it is. If it's a good one, leave it where it is and buy a whistle. But if it's a cheapy, take it with you. Cheap fiddles are made with synthetic glue and cellulose varnish, and the wood is normally a lot thicker than it should be, so they withstand a lot more abuse than better instruments.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by skreech
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yes it has got a case but it does still concern me because i had a hard case for a guitar a couple of years ago and every now and then i would find condensation in there. which bent the neck of my first guitar. and how much can a case protect from temperature drops when it hits -17'C
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
and it is most definately a cheap one it cost £50 but i cant afford to replace it.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Yes, but if it's with you in the sleepping bag - or however you sleep - your body heat will protect it, won't it?
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: homelessness and instruments?
It may not fill the felt gap if you're a fiddler, but a D Generation whistle is probably as invulnerable as an instrument can be, takes up precious little room and quite likely still costs under a fiver. But good luck, anyway.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by nicholas
Re: homelessness and instruments?
get to Australia ... any way you can. and stay there. seriously.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
get to a place where ordinary people still (at this stage) run the country; and some semblance of sanity prevails. thoughts with you, brother.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yeah i get that but it does mean that i would need to stay in bed all the time (how i wish that could be). i need to find a more permanent solution, as i still need to work which mean leaving it in the car.
as much as i would like to i cant get into whistles. i have tried before but i am a string man. wind instruments seem to hate me or i aint got enough puff to sustain a tune. thats why the harmonica lives in my boot, i only comes out when i have absolutely no option and even then it goes back pretty quick.
australia!? i can barely afford to run my car, i dont think i could afford to emmigrate. and i cant take heat, gimme 70 below anyday.
i know i sound like i'm nitpicking but this is why i am stuck i cant see a way out of this so i need to be as practical as possible.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Again, depends what your work is. Can you take the fiddle to work with you? If you're in an office, then I don't see why not, if you're a driver, then you could take it in the cab with you, and if you're a factory worker, isn't there a locker or at least a secure place behind reception?
And I wouldn't worry about nitpicking. This sounds like a real problem that I really hope will be helped, if not resolved, by sharing it. So carry on, list your worries and let's see if we can knock them down one by one.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: homelessness and instruments?
those who didn't nitpick...emigrated. there are ways; mate. (it isn't always hot, brother, just the times when you need to drink more cold beer! that's always a sure indicator it's getting a bit warm!)
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
there is an incredible network here, brother.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
unfortunately i work as a woodsman and tree surgeon. i have got to say as i read that i had some fantastic images of fiddle case stuck to my chainsaw or hanging from my ropes, still laughing now. no it has to stay in the car its the safest option luckily it is secure enough because of my dog and the fact that usually close to me. but it tends to get hot in the day then freeze in the tent so i have taken to taking it out of the car while i have my lunch to let it breathe.
and at least if i emigrate somewhere cold the fire would always be burning and would be fairly steady temp. knowing the way i work i would spend more time cleanin sweat off the fiddle than playing in australia. that and i have a bit of a thing about spiders.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
maaate...!! I know the cold weather has that sort of allure...open turf fires, with a touch of whisky or such attached...but. You actually sound like you like it. I envy that actually; I'm sittin' here at 5 in the morning, it's too hot too sleep, so I have to sit in shorts and just tinker away on the mando to tunes, watch session.org and wait for dawn, when it starts to get hotter. That's my idea of heaven; it takes a bit of getting used to, but I was born to it...thanks to my forebears who survived the Irish bloody famine and got the hell out of there. Here's cheers to them. They won't be forgotten. seriously though. your call.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
i do like the cold always have. even the english summer kills me! australia is on my list of places to go but i have to get to, in order. norway, sweden, iceland, siberia, canada and alaska. so might take a while.
any ideas on extra insulation within the case walls?
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
i like the cold too, mate. goes with the music.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
then, there're ye:
some cold weather music which lets you see forever.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI4olK0Fd1U
lovely
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
I am "homeless" (I call it a camping trip, though) every summer, sometimes for two or three months at a time; I wouldn't think of not bringing my fiddle along. My rule of thumb is, if I'm uncomfortably hot, I'd better start worrying about the fiddle. It does take a lot of planning ahead when considering the heat of summer, especially when in the car, but it sounds like you are mostly worried about cold and wet conditions. When I'm travelling in cold weather, all I do is make sure the fiddle is wrapped up at least as warm as I am, whether in the car or in a tent. This isn't really that difficult to do. Maybe you are more worried about it that you need to be? Hope this is helpful.
Patricia
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by pkerns
Re: homelessness and instruments?
dude, how are you connected to the internet? chrisst
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
patricia, i take your point but my main concern is that if its wrapped up externally then the wrapping would draw moisture and create problems. i could wax the case to waterproof it but its the temperature which is the biggie. that and the way things are looking i am going to be homeless for some time to come which brings changing conditions. dont mean to sound bad but i am actually homeless, no base camp where i can put everything, and like i said it really gets to me when i cant play of an evening. i have been living in caravans and cabins for a couple of years now but i always had somewhere to store kit. now i dont.
skull, how do you mean? i am on the internet at my mums at the moment. i just float around and when i can make use of the net i do. luckily i have a few friends who dont mind me hijacking their computer for a while.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
no problem, chrst. You have a mum, that is a good situation...and friends of whom you can use the computer. keep it. even if you don't emigrate.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yeah there is people looking out for me but they can only offer so much. its like you said earlier it would be fine if this place wasnt run by complete ............ers, according to them i am illegal in nearly everything i do. kinda backwards for somebody scraping the bottom of the barrel. thats why nobody can put me up for long, because the government would take any money they had to pay for me! its a joke, i dont even come close to earning enough for tax or i wouldnt be homeless but according to them i must be earning around £300 a week to live! how little they know.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
so you know these countries are run by the rich and their government servants eh? old countries, old money. ditch it, dude.
I thank God I live in a country where ordinary people can still stand up full height without being hammered. the music sounds so much more joyful then; even in the heat!
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yeah i know it only too well, but its more like run by the government and their rich servants, conservative rule again here man. keep the rich, rich and hammer the poor. but thats ok, i have an escape plan and i wouldnt have to go anywhere. i just need a few years to accumulate the necessary info and i can be a "free man of the land", turn my back on society and all the useless chains and in return ask nothing from it. there is nothing they can do, i would be my own king. but anyway this is all getting a bit revolutionary, i should save it for my book.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
just been looking at the case, i think it could be insulated. it wouldnt look pretty but thats the least of my concerns. and i can use the proofing they use on barbour jackets to waterproof it. just not sure on what material to look at because it would idealy need to be removable in the summer to stop it baking the fiddle. any suggestions?
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
My aunt sewed a bag of light-weight waterproof material for her fiddle. She used it in addition to her fiddle case In winter, for long hikes through the snow to where there was music. It had more than enough fabric to scrunch up into multiple thicknesses in important places so to be somewhat shock absorbent. She may have had something similar for the bow. Hope your situation improves.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: homelessness and instruments?
When she started this practice, the waterproof fabric she had at hand was more like oilcloth. These days, when I visit the Salvation Army store to look for possible candidates for pipe cases, every so often I'll find swatches of ripstop nylon. Never having sewn the stuff, I couldn't say how watertight seams are achived.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: homelessness and instruments?
hmmnnn thats a different approach, i quite like that. could maybe stitch a layer of fleece in between 2 layers of waterproof to provide protection from cold and wet. and good in summer. i really like that idea! thanks atahualpa.
and as far as watertight stitching goes. stitch it once evenly, fold it twice stitch it again, proof it, then fold once and stitch it then proof it again. i learned that from an old woman who very kindly repaired my rucksack on one of my missions in scotland.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
I wouldn't use waterproof material at all unless it is to keep the rain off. Condensation is caused by warm air touching a cold surface. Wrap your fiddle case in a blanket to prevent sudden changes in temperature and as long as you keep it out of direct sunlight (shouldn't be too difficult!) it will be OK in the car, especially if you are going to be playing it regularly.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by gam
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yeah but a blanket would be as bad if not worse than waterproofing because it would pull moisture from the air directly into the case. if its 2 layers of waterproof and a layer of proper fleece then the wool wouldnt let any moisture through (think of the swandry jackets). i take your point but i spend most of my time in a tent in the woods, even my clothes draw moisture inside the tent, i have to dry them each morning over the fire.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
The old, wandering musicians like Tom Billy Murphy -- who had no choice but carry their fiddles with them (I think that was so in his situation) for long donkey rides, in whatever weather -- overcame your same predicament too. Big help, I know. I would agree though, that the waterproof cover is only for transit out of doors, in rough weather.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Yeah, it's a tricky one. In the tent you are giving off moisture that has to go somewhere. If there's any wet stuff in the car the moisture will condense on any exposed metal during the night. Maybe you could wrap a blanket or something similar round your case then put the whole thing in a bin-liner. As long as it is dry to start with it will stay that way.
# Posted on January 15th 2011 by gam
Re: homelessness and instruments?
"I thank God I live in a country where ordinary people can still stand up full height without being hammered. the music sounds so much more joyful then; even in the heat!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_p0CgPeyA
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by oldstrings
Re: homelessness and instruments?
I spent about a year voluntarily 'homeless', walking from London to Portugal, then staying in Portugal for a few months. After much deliberation, I decided to take my fiddle (I had been playing it for just 18 months at the time and didn't want to forget all I had learned). Over that year, it spent many days on my back, come rain or shine, and many nights alongside me in my tent, in woodsheds, barns, under the stars, even, on occasion, in cheap hotels.
Whilst I didn't come upon any extreme cold, I did experience some fairly intense heat in parts of Spain in September - and rain I've never seen the like of (and I live in Wales!) in Galicia and northern Portugal in October and November. But the fiddle survived.
The only problems I had with the fiddle were:
1. a peg which jammed and snapped - this was a very cheap and soft peg, which was already ill-fitting.
2. a bent bridge - which happens over time, anyway.
Both of these were no doubt accelerated by the damp. But bear in mind that it was, for much of the time, just me and a rucksack (fiddle strapped to the back), so the fiddle, albeit in a case, was exposed to a lot of rain. If you have a car, you can at least keep the rain off. Incidentally, my fiddle is not worth a lot, but it's an old one, held together with hide glue, and varnished in the traditional way - but it doesn't seem to have suffered and sounds better than ever.
Christofloffer - Although it was my own choice to be homeless, and my situation was very different from yours (I was still technically based at my parents' house and only had to take with me as much as I needed for the journey), I remember well the difficulties of finding shelter and keeping my belongings safe. I hope you soon come upon easier times.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Have you considered putting a moisture absorbing pack into the case? Like the little silicone ("do not eat this") packets, or to be cheap, a disposable diaper? I've used the larger containers of these to keep damp from a basement closet. Might give you an extra few percentages. Good luck to you.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by tracywag
Re: homelessness and instruments?
v funny, oldstrings. they all sound English though!
and they aren't wearing tats.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Chris, hope you get things sorted soon. My advice regarding the fiddle, although not a fiddler myself, would be to take it with you as others have suggested.
Over the new year I was tickled by one pal who opened his fiddle case to reveal a black bin bag (trash bag) inside which was his fiddle. This guy lives in the south west of Skye which is wet with high humidity (but not the heat). He reckoned that if caught out in a down pour the plastic bag stopped the rain should things get realy bad. As you have a car that shouldn't be a problem.
In the car keep your fiddle in it's case wrapped in a blanket -17ºC to +25ºC is no problem for your fiddle, provided the temperature change is gradual. So a case wrapped in a thick blanket will manage that for you. You just have to be careful when taking the fiddle out. If taking it out in a house keep the fiddle in it's case for a few hours before opening the case, so an hour in an unheated porch and then inside for an couple of hours. That should avoid cracking the finish and prevent condensation from forming.
The blanket works the same way with heat. Heat is the killer especially in a car or combined with humidity, so best not leave it in the car in the summer and be mindful about humid conditions. Have a playing chum who's fiddle broke into component parts whilst playing a tune in such conditions in the south pacific whilst traveling, it glued back together fine and thats the fiddle he used for his album.
All the best for the future, keep the faith.
SM
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by Solidmahog
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Hey, thinking of you. Hope things get better.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by Mark Harmer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
Is it just me, or does anyone else get a bit dismayed about the thought of putting a fiddle into a trash bag? Even so, a trash bag has got to be the cheapest and easiest way to keep a fiddle dry when you're taking it out in the elements.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: homelessness and instruments?
yeah it hurts to put them in bin liners but its common practice for me with everything lately. the only problem is that if you get one tiny tear in it then condensation floods through. that mistake cost me about 20 books. its ok if you keep them new though, which does add up money wise. i have just been given a military dry sack made for canoe trips. it has a tear in it but plenty of good material to work with. got to be worth a shot because it would last a lot longer.
# Posted on January 16th 2011 by christofloffer
Re: homelessness and instruments?
It sounds like you'd be able to take care of it in the cold and damp, by wrapping it well and playing it regularly, so I think the main threat would be heat, as in getting too close to a heater in the winter time, which you wouldn't do, or leaving it in your car during the day when the car can heat up.
So if you have to leave it in the car on a hot day, might I suggest you slip it under the car rather than in the car? Done discreetly, this would keep the fiddle as cool as possible. Just don't forget it's there...
# Posted on January 17th 2011 by Jmbu
Re: homelessness and instruments?
http://www.takepart.com/news/tag/tyvek-coat-for-homeless
# Posted on January 20th 2011 by Ben Steen
Re: homelessness and instruments?
I have seen and heard of many instruments being killed by the heat and cold and direct sun beating on the instrument or case. Worst the heat---for me in Alabama, usa Yrs ago I had white or natural canvas bags mande for my mando cases. Direct sun light and or being in a car- truck 120 temp inside -- suprisingly never hurt any. When I would leave windows up or leave my vehicle for some reason over night, come back and find it in direct sun. I'd open my case with in a bag , touch my mando and it would be cool to the touch. Plastic or dry bags over the bag for wet. Cold -- well heck I don't need to tell you about the cold.
# Posted on January 20th 2011 by Hollis Sellew