Guitars on a boat

capta · Sep 13, 2018

The day I bought my first big boat I sold my 1932 Martin 00-18. I've never brought a quality instrument aboard since.

CaptKimble · Sep 13, 2018

I'm looking for a way to take an electronic keyboard/piano on board. I need to find a way to store it out of the way but convenient enough to pull out when the mood strikes.

Ron20324 · Sep 13, 2018

I used to take an Ovation on just about every raftup cruise my club did. in the fober case, in the aft cabin up agains the wall, the people who slept there didn't even know it was there. Fun signalongs, we even put together the SOS Songbook. The fingers have had surgery, so I gave up the 6-string, now just play bass. I guess I could/should sell off the Ovation and all the other band equipment and buy boat stuff....

Justin_NSA · Sep 13, 2018

What does Jimmy Buffett play?

Boomer54 · Sep 13, 2018

I have a Martin HPL I leave on board. The changes in temperature and humidity do not affect it. It is slightly smaller. On the downside, it doesn’t have the rich tone of a Martin, ie the sound isn’t that great. A buddy just told me about McPherson guitars in Wisconsin. They make carbon fiber guitars that are supposedly top of the line. According to my friend, they play great and sound terrific. Google them for more info.

Daveinet · Sep 13, 2018

The only thing about the HPL is they are not puncture resistant, and shatter when hit. They are not as repairable as a wood instrument. I just listened to a blind test between a Rainsong, Martin HPL and Stonebridge. Interestingly, the Rainsong was both thicker and cleaner in the low end. The Martin HPL sounded thin, and very un-Martin like (almost sounded like a Taylor). The Stonebridge seemed dirty. So, in a recorded environment, I didn't mind the Rainsong, although I think in real life, I would still prefer a real wood Martin over anything else. I'm not really a guitar player, but I am a sound guy, so most of what I hear is either mic'd or with a pickup and usually in a whole mix with the rest of the band.

Boomer54 · Sep 13, 2018

Daveinet said:
The only thing about the HPL is they are not puncture resistant, and shatter when hit. They are not as repairable as a wood instrument. I just listened to a blind test between a Rainsong, Martin HPL and Stonebridge. Interestingly, the Rainsong was both thicker and cleaner in the low end. The Martin HPL sounded thin, and very un-Martin like (almost sounded like a Taylor). The Stonebridge seemed dirty. So, in a recorded environment, I didn't mind the Rainsong, although I think in real life, I would still prefer a real wood Martin over anything else. I'm not really a guitar player, but I am a sound guy, so most of what I hear is either mic'd or with a pickup and usually in a whole mix with the rest of the band.

Your analysis of tone/sound jibes with my post. In fact, I almost said it sounded like a Taylor rather than a Martin! Having said that, I agree to preferring wood, particularly a Martin. BUT, a wood guitar will not do well on a boat long term. Temperature changes cause warping and unwarping of the wood which besides affect sound, can cause the wood to crack. Humidity changes the wood to swell or shrink the send result being the possibility of wood cracking.

Justin_NSA · Sep 13, 2018

Can you stow it in a bag with desiccant when not in use? I know nothing about guitars, but I do let wood acclimate to where it will reside before I do my woodworking.

Boomer54 · Sep 13, 2018

Justin_NSA said:
Can you stow it in a bag with desiccant when not in use? I know nothing about guitars, but I do let wood acclimate to where it will reside before I do my woodworking.

Good question. Generally the problem is too little humidity so they make various humidty enhancers to put in a case or the sound hole. You can vary the humidity then by adding more or less water to the “sponge”. It’d Be a little difficult to know how much “humidity “ to remove with a desiccant. You’d still have a temperature issue though.

Jackdaw · Sep 13, 2018

Designer Bob Perry is a HUGE guitar player. Has dozens, but usually plays a Martin (an Orchestra model IIRC).

He says 'Life is too short to play crappy guitars'.

Will Gilmore · Sep 13, 2018

Allowishish said:
Would an all solid wood be a bad choice give the constant high humidity levels?

It's that word 'constant' that's the most salient issue. Traditional wooden boats would often leak after being taken out of the water for maintenance. If the yard put off getting the job done and the boat back in the water quickly, the planks dried out and gaps opened up between them.

Keep your guitar on the boat. Don't take it on and off. You might look into composite guitars, some of them have incredible sound.

-Will (Dragonfly)

DaveJ · Sep 13, 2018

I have a 56 Gibson ES125 that I used to take on cruises. My son found out and bought me a $150 Denver guitar for my birthday...he wasn't taking any chances with 'his' future guitar. The Denver actually has a pretty good sound, it's me that doesn't sound that good..... It's a smaller 3/4 version, blue, I really like it. And I really don't care about the humidity or if it gets banged around a bit.
Cheers

rardiH36 · Sep 13, 2018

I think that so much depends on what we want to do with the guitar on board. Play/practice for one's self? To entertain guests? Or provide the rythm/chords for wine/beer/tequila inhibition inhibitor sing-along. ("Sloop Jon B" comes to mind!) And also whether you have dock neighbors that may (or possibly may not) like the music choice (or the ability of the player/singers to effect it!) For boat duty, can you do without the sound you might demand from a high-end acoustic guitar?

I've gone the private route. Here's what I have done for a boat guitar:

- Buy a flea market or garage sale type solid body electric guitar. (But I also have the experience and tools to level and dress the frets and then adjust the setup the action to make just about any guitar very playable.) Being a solid body, it doesn't mind the variations of temperature/humid as much as an acoustic. And if it does: 1) Electrics are much more adjustable than acoustics. So likely able to correct for minor warping or swelling. 2) Only $50 for the guitar so what the heck.

- Buy a pocket size effects processor that also does a headphone amp duty. They have many percussion/base patterns to play along with. The can connect to the boat's 3.5mm radio/stereo in jack for amplification for friends to hear or sing along with. Here are some links to some examples of miniature effects processors. They can go quite a few hours with rechargeable NiMh batteries. The first, a Boss Micro BR-80, also serves as a pocket size recording studio. Sing into the unit's stereo microphones and play the guitar at the same time. Dial in some chorus effect and reverb. Sort of like a kareoki machine. The second is "only" an effects processor +headphone amp.

https://www.boss.info/us/products/micro_br_br-80/
https://line6.com/pocket-pod/

Attached is a picture of one of my flea market electric guitars. This one I use at home as a silent couch guitar. I can play in the same room my wife is simultaneously watching TV. (Me also with one ear for the guitar and the other one for the TV.) I mounted the effects processor to the guitar with Velcro. So it can be pulled of to change the batteries. To connect it to my computer. Or transfer on to another guitar. The effect processor is a Boss Micro BR which the predecessor to the current improved BR-80 model.

berner73 · Sep 13, 2018

This is an interesting concept for both durability and storage. Doesn't sound like an HD-28, but pretty good for it's size/construction...

http://www.journeyinstruments.com/product-category/overhead_carbon_guitar/

rgranger · Sep 13, 2018

I have a very old Tackamine .... I've had it for over 40 years. No problems.

Ben4195 · Sep 13, 2018

To save space on my boat, I play a Little Martin HPL that I play just for myself, rather than a full-size Martin. I torment my wife and my cat I suppose, but they have to put up with me. Since I'm not playing as an entertainer, I don't mind the compromise on sound. Interestingly though, I think it sounds okay, better than my Taylor GS-Mini, but not even in the same universe as my Martin D41. I have not had any issues, going on four years-ish now, regarding heat or humidity.

pateco · Sep 13, 2018

I don't play "Yet", but I have several regular guest that play professionally. I can never get them to bring their guitars aboard for the reasons stated above, so I broke down and bought a boat guitar last weekend. It's a Gibson Maestro 41" found in a pawnshop for $30.

I am cleaning and restringing it this weekend (it needed a tuner replaced). I wish I had noticed the bad tuner in the pawnshop. LOL I could have bought a new one. for less than I will have in the used one. Maestro by Gibson MA41BKCH 41" Full Size Acoustic Guitar Kit $51.60 However, all new machine tuners are now coming from E-bay. I am planning on keeping it on the boat. full time. We have a lot of both heat, and humidity, but I keep a dehumidifier running aboard when the boat is at the dock.

If I kill this one, it is no great loss, but any suggestion on how to better maintain a standard guitar aboard?[/URL]

Ken Cross · Sep 13, 2018

Daveinet said:
I am a sound guy, so most of what I hear is either mic'd or with a pickup and usually in a whole mix with the rest of the band.

Interesting, retired avionics/Flight Analyst now a volunteer helping churches with sound system issues.