Musical Instruments on a Sailboat

[Duckwheat]

I have always wanted to learn how to play the Mandolin. Ifigure I have time before I sail away over the next few years.

Has anyone had a stringed instrument on a sailboat for an extended period of time? How did it hold up? Problems? Tune?

DW in Idaho

[smackdaddy]

Nope. Just a tuba and a drum kit for me and my wife. She rocks.

[mikereed100]

I had a banjo that disintegrated but I have had guitars and fiddles on board for decades with no ill effects. Keep it dry and a mandolin should do fine.

[MarkJ]

The worst problem is being contantly seranaded by dopy chics when I am trying to relax and have fun.

She has electrified it into the stereo system and the VHF so Ch 16 is now Gangsta Rap/Hillbilly Fusion. I keep pushing the Distress button.


I can't take it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smackdaddy]

Heh-heh. Get her a gold "grill" and a corncob pipe and you'll have an act!

[Bash]

I keep a 36-year-old Guild D-25 on board. And a dehumidifier.

[Tempest245]

Too Funny...Mark!

Now ....I understand the 10 cases of beer!!...

[Chief Engineer]

Bagpipes and cowbells

[Bash]

...Hey Mark, is that a mosquito net protecting your elf? Did you have it custom built, or....?

[Squeaks]

Cute response mark.

I needed something smaller than a guitar; Tiny Tim already ruined the image of a ukulele so I started learning the mandolin. I have a quite small but great-sounding wood "Sweet Pea" made by Webber. Seems fine stored in it's soft case. Then I had built a brass-bodied, resophonic mandolin. I kind of keep it on display and the strings don't hold up as well as the Weber (but it looks too cool). It's tough enough to do double duty as a weapon in a bar fight :-).

[osirissail]

I have a concert grand piano onboard my sailboat. Thing takes up the whole main salon but my wife is a concert pianist and I love to hear her play. Many, many cruisers have all sorts of musical instruments onboard and it is common to have cruiser jam sessions in many ports and harbors.

[sabray]

had a neighbor back a few who played only green sleeves on the pipe. worse yet rehearsal was ohh my its @%$&&^ on a sunday morning, bagpipes are good in the afternoon on tuesday only.
just an opinion

[FSMike]

Gangsta rap/hillbilly fusion? The mind boggles. Nichole, don't pay any attention to your live aboard critic. I want a copy of the first cd.

Mark - I read in one of the mags about a big regatta coming up soon in Langkawi. Are you guys going to attend?

Whoops, back to the thread. I've kept a wooden 6 string on board for years.
It lives in a hardshell case most of the time, no problems. Elixir coated strings (or similar) help immensely with the rusty strings problem.

If I were looking for a new boat guitar I would probably get a carbon fiber type such as a Rainsong or perhaps one of the fiberglass backed Ovations.
Twang!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Bash

...Hey Mark, is that a mosquito net protecting your elf? Did you have it custom built, or....?

yes it is a thread shift, soory about that OP, but it's just a quicky.

Its Chiffon(?) from the fabirc store. Its meant to just cut out a bit of the sun while allowing the light/air to come through.
Its just pegged with clothes pegs so that it can be moved and it will blow off before it rips.
Adds privacy at night wiithout looking like a privacy screen.

[Marksman]

I guess it depends on your location. Here in the PNW the humidity and temp swings can play havoc on a wooden instrament. I kept a guitar on board for a while on my last boat but it suffered warpage and delamination though a liveaboard situation may be diferent. I am saveing my sheckles for a graphite model as my wife and I like to play music and such while underway and the composite construction should be impervious to enviromental concerns but I wouldn't keep an expensive wooden instrament on board. I've never seen a composite mandolin but you never know.