Need inexpensive GJ guitar to take to Festival Django Reinhardt de Samois 2015

bohemewarbler

I need an inexpensive GJ guitar to take to Festival Django Reinhardt de Samois. Anyone willing to part with one? I don't want to take my Craig Bumbarner and risk damage to it. From posts I've read, my impression is that an inexpensive GJ guitar could be difficult to come by while there. I'll be flying Canada Air. Also- anyone have experience with their guitars on this airline?

dennis

Air canada is one of the worst airlines for air travel... But they do seem better whem it comes to boarding a plane w soft case.. But it s still risky if they refuse to let u take it on board

jonpowl

Take a look at the Cigano line. I've seen some that were very good, but some that weren't so good. I also would hesitate to buy one that needs a set up out of the box. But for under $500, they have to be the best guitar going. I will say that my Paris Swing GG-39 sounds and plays very well for $600 new, although I bought mine used for half that.

bohemewarbler

I should choose my words closer to my meaning: I'm looking for an "el cheapo" GJ guitar- used and battered but can produce a decent GJ sound.

Thanks Denis for the tip on Air Canada. I plan on getting to the gate desk early. I heard that helps. I was just in Toronto, Canada, and stopped and asked a couple of folks who were carrying soft guitar cases in the airport. Both said they had no problems carrying them on their airlines.

dennis

The problem w canada and air travel is that air canada pretty much has the monopoly here... The employees thems lves are not sure of the policies themselves with regards to air travel.. Officially instruments such as guitars are allowed provided it s in a soft case and that there s enough space in the aircraft...

The truth is , it s very rare that there s no space for a guitar. in all my flighs, i ve always seen a possibilty to fit a guitar in one way or another... Unfortunately that decision is left to the descretion of the employees... And it can be a nightmare.. The worst airport has consistently been vancouver, where their policy apparently does not allow u to bring a guitar on board... For international flights , i ve never had problems.

Ultimately u are taking a risk, the odds are low that they would refuse u entry with a soft case but the possibility is still there (and it has consistently happened in vancouver)...

If u travel w a hard case, chances are that it will be safe checking it in but ur odds of boarding a plane w it are drastically Reduced.. As someone who travels frequnlently w guitars, hard shell cases are a drag if ur trips involve lots of walking and carrying other things///

Btw if u fly in from toronto , we ll most likely be on the same flight to samois

Lango-Django

I took my el cheapo GJ guitar to Paris with me in January 2013 via Air Canada and checked it with their 'special baggage' counter.

No problem except when we landed in Paris, the guitar got taken off the plane and separated from all the other luggage and left in a separate place... and naturally nobody told me about this fact.

So I wasted about 45 minutes waiting beside the luggage carrousel and then frantically looking for it thinking it was lost.

When I finally found somebody to tell me where to find it, it was just sitting out in a place where anybody walking by could have taken it.

"Stupid French!" I thought to myself.

But then the exact same thing happened again when we landed in Toronto!

("Stupid Canadians!")

So at least you know what to expect.

Will

PS Hope to see you at Samois, I'll be staying at the Country Club Hotel.

I'm hoping to have access a Castellucia or similar guitar on behalf of another djangobooks.com member who may want me to bring it back from Europe for him.

But if that doesn't pan out, I may just send my airline-proof Asian metal resonator guitar to the hotel via USPS, since my wife and I will be travelling around Europe prior to Samois.

(Yes, I'd rather just take the guitar with us wherever we go, but for some strange reason, my wife thinks it ain't really a vacation if I am still able to practise guitar!)

Buco

If you're thinking $100-150 el cheapo there ain't no such thing in this world. Unless you get lucky locally from Craig's list or similar.
There is one on eBay that's currently just under $300.

For some strange reason my wife thinks when I take vacations I should take a break from guitar too?! I made a compromise by taking a uke.

jonpowl

@Buco Some may think that when you take a vacation, you should take a break from the wife.....

AndrewUlle

I played with one of these travel guitars at a music shop the other day; you could throw on some Argentines and you're good to go. Check it out - maybe it's an option.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/washburn-rover-travel-guitar/511819000091000?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=CLrtzu_X5MQCFQkPaQodKhkA6g&kwid=productads-plaid^94171332282-sku^511819000091000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^t-adid^56775563547

Buco

jonpowl wrote: »

@Buco Some may think that when you take a vacation, you should take a break from the wife.....

Yeah but I would've never started playing ukulele if she didn't complain about extra clutter when traveling. Compromise is golden my friend.

bohemewarbler

I'll be flying from Chicago to London, and from there taking the train to Paris for a week before heading to Samois. I'll be with my wife and daughters. They'll be plenty occupied. And very fortunate for us, the trips to Paris and London happen frequently enough that my dallying with Gypsy Jazz should be easily tolerated. On our last trip, my daughters liked going to some of the clubs where GJ can be heard in Paris.

Just need to get that "el cheapo" GJ guitar before June. I'm looking for something under $300. There used to be some off brands on ebay for around $200, but I haven't seen those for a while.