View Full Version : instruments on the trail
I have been planning to hike the trail for a few years now and I think I have most everything figured out as far as gear goes. There is one problem though, I am a bass player and i have had no luck finding a lighweight acoustic bass. Just wondering if any of you have any suggestions or info.
Thanks.
Pacific Tortuga
11-11-2006, 21:33
Try Harmony Central/escape bass guitar released in 2004 .. ?
If "tuba man" can hike the AT with a 30 pound tuba, you should be able to work something out.
Panzer
SGT Rock
11-12-2006, 02:49
Learn the Harmonica. It is lighter and easier to carry :D
But good luck with the bass. If you are good, it might be fun to camp with you next year.
I'll give a hand with the drum set
RockyTrail
11-12-2006, 14:35
Here's yer Acoustic Bass!
Everybody on the truck!
Maybe use a camping guitar. You could even leave off the extra strings....
sum41punk91
11-12-2006, 15:49
Here is what you do, make replica neck and carry that and even if your no good noone will know because your just fingering not playing (an idea i had for guitar)
1075
multi purpose
bass, wash tub and hiking stick on a string
I'm gonna thru hike with a Bass Drum from a marching band.
Paul Bunyan
11-12-2006, 23:16
I have been planning to hike the trail for a few years now and I think I have most everything figured out as far as gear goes. There is one problem though, I am a bass player and i have had no luck finding a lighweight acoustic bass. Just wondering if any of you have any suggestions or info.
Thanks.
I considered hiking with my alto saxaphone, but why play music when you can listen.:) I prefer my mp3 player with my speaker/headphones. Those things can crank out the tunes.:D
sum41punk91
11-13-2006, 02:21
...I prefer my mp3 player with my speaker/headphones...
Ya, lets see you recharge it everyday:confused: besides i love playing guitar:D i was also wondering a way to carry a guitar other than a cheap kiddie guitar
Nightwalker
11-13-2006, 07:50
If "tuba man" can hike the AT with a 30 pound tuba, you should be able to work something out.
Panzer
It was just an Eb (Euphonium). I'd like to see him do it with a BBb! Maybe a Sousaphone, so's he could "wear" it. There's a reason that we play the double bass sitting down, whenever possible...
LIhikers
11-13-2006, 08:08
My wife has me trying to figure out how to replace the casters on her piano with all terrain wheels. :) Until I get that done she carries a tin whistle on which to make music.
................... I am a bass player and i have had no luck finding a lighweight acoustic bass. Just wondering if any of you have any suggestions or info. Thanks.
why not get a Martin Backpacker guitar & string it with bass strings?
http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-MAT-11GBPC--m-02_15.html#
good luck!:D
My wife has me trying to figure out how to replace the casters on her piano with all terrain wheels. :) Until I get that done she carries a tin whistle on which to make music.
I have a PVC flute, (sort of in "G") about the same fingering as the tin whistle, but a bunch sturdier. Fall on the tin whistle, SQUISH. Fall on my PVC flute, Oh Well.
Doctari
Paul Bunyan
11-13-2006, 14:20
Ya, lets see you recharge it everyday:confused: besides i love playing guitar:D i was also wondering a way to carry a guitar other than a cheap kiddie guitar
It has a 20 hour battery life. I also use rechargeable AAA batteries.:) Still looking for a solar battery charger, so that i can i charge my battereis while i hike.
I like your style haha... thanks for the suggestions everyone. Im sure I will figure out something thank you.
starvingmusician
11-28-2006, 20:24
During my travels I came across someone playing a homemade bass, which could easily be disassembled. It was basically a fingerboard/pegbox attached to a very large bodhran (bridge set up on the bodhran), and tailpiece assembly.
Why not hike with two coconut halves...You can clop them together rythmicaly...It would be like hiking the AT on Horseback.
saimyoji
11-28-2006, 20:41
Why not hike with two coconut halves...You can clop them together rythmicaly...It would be like hiking the AT on Horseback.
Right. "He is brave Sir Nutlub, brave Sir Nutlub, brave Sir Nutlub...." :D
saimyoji
11-28-2006, 20:44
Right. "He is brave Sir Nutlub, brave Sir Nutlub, brave Sir Nutlub...." :D
http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_pictures/grail/large/HolyGrail000.jpg
Sorry, don't know how to put a pic in here. :o
Playing music is one of my favorite pastimes, and I think it would be great to bring an instrument for my 08 thru hike. My boyfriend, bless his heart, plays the harmonica. :p I play guitar, but those backpacker guitars are $Texas and don't sound very good IMO.
A friend recommended a ukulele. Supposedly they're easy to play and can be in the $50 range, but other than that I'm having trouble finding out anything about them. Anybody here play? About how much do they weigh? Can you play the blues on it? I like to play folk & blues with my bf on the harmonica. Can a harmonica play along with a ukulele? help!!!! :-?
Crazy Horse (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/displayimage.php?album=13&pos=89) (AT 2005, PCT 2006) performing at Priest Shelter.
CoyoteWhips
10-01-2007, 22:24
During my travels I came across someone playing a homemade bass, which could easily be disassembled. It was basically a fingerboard/pegbox attached to a very large bodhran (bridge set up on the bodhran), and tailpiece assembly.
Yeah, I've seen something similar using a cookie tin for resonance box and various diameters of weedwacker line for the strings.
Bluehaus71
10-02-2007, 03:26
I have a Martin & Co. backpackers guitar. They really aren't all that great IMO. The action sucks and the sound is tinny. They are also pretty fragile and difficult to pack. It's also hard to keep postioned right as you play with the slender and slippery body. It's more of a novelty if you ask me. If only I could find a way to pack my Alvarez.
From what I hear, the backpacker guitars are balanced strange. I just started fooling around with the Strumstick www.strumstick.com (http://www.strumstick.com) The suggestion that I've heard Uncle Silly give (the resident hikin' banjo picker) is just to pick up a kids model guitar or something cheap that you can break.
Johnny Swank
10-02-2007, 08:48
I just made a cigar box guitar last weekend (from my old grade-school Frito lunchbox - I call it the FritoCaster)
Kind of light, no frets, and you can make one for about $10. I play mostly old slide stuff, but your can play it like a fretless bass if you want as well. Some guys use wood toothpicks for frets, but that's a little high class for me.
Flush2wice
10-02-2007, 10:22
Playing music is one of my favorite pastimes, and I think it would be great to bring an instrument for my 08 thru hike. My boyfriend, bless his heart, plays the harmonica. :p I play guitar, but those backpacker guitars are $Texas and don't sound very good IMO.
A friend recommended a ukulele. Supposedly they're easy to play and can be in the $50 range, but other than that I'm having trouble finding out anything about them. Anybody here play? About how much do they weigh? Can you play the blues on it? I like to play folk & blues with my bf on the harmonica. Can a harmonica play along with a ukulele? help!!!! :-?
Check out this guy playing a ukelele:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=829401773913198414
allright. so my other obsession is the uke. i play mine every day (when not hiking)! i believe the best backpacking instrument is the "flea" model made by Fluke, a CT uke manufacturer. it is mostly molded plastic -- light and stable. i've spoken with them, and they would be willing to customize the flea model by routing out parts of the wooden neck. oh. and these are really well made, great sounding instruments. go to www.fleamarketmusic.com ... would i carry one? i guess i'm too much of a gram weenie... my guess is they weigh about 2 pounds unmodified, but flea market music would be able to tell you. good luck!!!
Gray Blazer
10-02-2007, 11:33
Besides the harmonica and the juice harp, which are both small, durable and easy to carry in any pocket, the next easiest instrument to carry around is the claves. By carrying them you are ready for any impromptu jam session and/or drum circle by just whipping them out of your backpocket. A soprano recorder would be pretty durable, too.
I found a used Flea for sale in my area. I think I'm gonna buy it!! :banana
can't wait to play!! there are people on youtube who play just about any song you can think of on ukulele
i am so pleased you're going to get a Flea!!! they are wonderful instruments. even better than a hammock! please let us know how you like it.
Overpass
10-02-2007, 13:38
I have been planning to hike the trail ... no luck finding a lighweight acoustic bass.
I wouldn't bother, seriously. You'll be so busy (and tired at first) hiking that you'll probably send it home at Neel's anyway. Plus, not everyone wants to hear it. I've had to move my tent several times to get away from people "entertaining" others on the Trail.
Leave the toys at home. You don't need 'em out there.
Ukulele - the perfect trail companion. I like the tin whistle, flute, and harmonica too. I'd love to take my Cherokee reed flute on the trail, but I need to create a very sturdy case for it. I couldn't stand to have anything happen to that one.
Flush2wice
10-02-2007, 14:30
Just take your hambone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMJeaZtgwng)
Check out this guy playing a ukelele:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=829401773913198414
Jake Shimabukuro .... does some neat stuff.
I'm surprised on that youtube / goodle video, that there isn't a hiker climbing those rocks..... I think I saw where that was recorded in.....NYC Central Park :-?
http://www.jakeshimabukuro.com/
Tennessee Viking
10-02-2007, 14:57
I heard banjos, acoustic guitars, tuba, bagpipes, trumpets on trail
Flush2wice
10-02-2007, 15:00
I heard banjos, acoustic guitars, tuba, bagpipes, trumpets on trail
There was a saxaphone in '91
Gray Blazer
10-03-2007, 07:25
I think I read about that in Sax on the Trail thread. :D
satchownz
10-03-2007, 08:25
This is interesting. I'm a guitar player and I've often pondered getting a travel guitar to bring with me. I think it would be incredible to be able to play some music on the trail. I’ve yet to find one that seems like it would not be a burden.
List of travel guitars:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=travel+guitar
They may not sound great, but it's better than wishing you had one!
Cheers!
well I got the Flea ukulele yesterday, and I've been having a great time playing it! Bless its little heart, the instrument is just so darn cute you can't help but smile. Not quite as light as a harmonica, but it'll have to do!
Look for me on the cover of The Rolling Stone :p
so glad you are enjoying the flea!!! Cute? you got that right. i have a ton of... i think the technical term is "old fart" music -- in word or jpg, plus some newer (that would mean 60's and 70's to me...) music. i actually belong to an old man's ukulele band... (i would be the young guy). pm me if you'd like me to zip and email it all to you.
Uncle Silly
10-10-2007, 12:55
in '05 i carried a beginner's A-style mandolin (3lbs w/ case & accessories), and in '07 i carried an old-timey openback banjo (4.25lbs, no case). i also play guitar and bass (i like the idea of a bodhran-based bass instrument -- sounds like a bass banjo!).
my advice: carry a lightweight, cheap beginner instrument (1/4 or 1/2 size kid's guitar, std A-style mandolin, std ukulele, whatever)... avoid the "backpacker" instruments (they're crap, overpriced, and don't feel right)... if you pay $50 for your kids guitar you can break and replace 5 of 'em before you've paid for the $300 Martin backpacker.
and if you do spend $300 on a Martin backpacker (guitar or mandolin) and you manage to break it on the trail, don't come cryin' to me. i have 1700 miles on my instruments, including Mahoosuc Notch, and all i've broken are three strings. boo ya!
faarside
10-10-2007, 14:40
I've been trying to teach myself the Quena (a wooden Andean flute), and have taken it with me on short hikes; however, I need more time than a short hike provides to master it. Small and lightweight, it's perfect (for me) for backpacking. However, my now rather stressed life has prevented me from mastering this beautiful instrument at home - even from enjoying music as I once did.
I need the beauty, solitude, and comfort of another thru-hike to decompress, and to give me the time and environment I need to be creative and to learn as I once could.
Nature truely inspires.
Happy Trails!
I have a Martin Backpacker Steel String model I'll sell. I never made an effort to teach myself, so it is like new. $100 shipped just like this one LINK. (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Martin-?sku=512392)
satchownz
10-11-2007, 09:40
I have a Martin Backpacker Steel String model I'll sell. I never made an effort to teach myself, so it is like new. $100 shipped just like this one LINK. (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Martin-?sku=512392)
Cool, I'll check it out.
I recommend learning. It can be pretty rewarding and certainly adds a new element to sitting around the campfire.
:)
Tha Wookie
10-11-2007, 11:19
ok.... there hjave been some good ideas here, but this is the ultimate trail bass idea. It's not my idea, but Chris AKA "pig-pen" from AT '01.
check it out on the right side of the picture:
http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=3843
cavedive2
10-11-2007, 11:41
I play guitar but I am not bringing it out on trail with me I do bring it camping but not on trail. and I also play harmonica as well and it does go on trail. but what about getting and im not sure of spelling but a (digereedoo) if you in the outback why not do what they do and play one of those I love the sound of them any how.
cavedive2
Uncle Silly
10-11-2007, 12:06
ok.... there hjave been some good ideas here, but this is the ultimate trail bass idea. It's not my idea, but Chris AKA "pig-pen" from AT '01.
check it out on the right side of the picture:
http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=3843
Can't quite make out the picture well enough to see it, Wookie... mind describing it? Or do you have a blowup you could email me?
I play guitar but I am not bringing it out on trail with me I do bring it camping but not on trail. and I also play harmonica as well and it does go on trail. but what about getting and im not sure of spelling but a (digereedoo) if you in the outback why not do what they do and play one of those I love the sound of them any how.
A didgeridoo would be interesting... I suppose it could double as a walking stick and duck tape dispenser. Or you could get one super short and just lash it to your pack. Sure, why not?
satchownz
10-11-2007, 22:36
I'd have to agree. I like to bring my guitar camping, but I'm not sold on having it on the trail. Camping with a guitar is a must.
http://www.gronkyco.com/stuff/tarry-ho/campfire-guitar.jpg
Uncle Silly
10-11-2007, 23:57
if it's a must in camp, why not on trail? (i agree with the "it's a must" part tho!)
Tha Wookie
10-12-2007, 02:03
Can't quite make out the picture well enough to see it, Wookie... mind describing it? Or do you have a blowup you could email me?
Sorry.... I had to cut that last post short.
The bass pigpen made was using nylon cord, his stick, and the shelter. He 1) tied the cord to a rafter, then 2) tied to tight to his staff, so one end was raised above the floor and the other end was touching. Then he 3) plucked the cord and used his foot pressure on the stick to adjust the pitch. The whole shelter became his sound chamber, and it was thumping! Definitely the best trail bass I've ever heard!
a guitar other than a cheap kiddie guitar
Have you ever looked into a Backpacker guitar?
Johnny Thunder
10-12-2007, 09:13
Have you ever looked into a Backpacker guitar?
Ever listen to a Backpacker?
Uncle Silly
10-12-2007, 10:55
Have you ever looked into a Backpacker guitar?
Ever listen to a Backpacker?
Ever try to tune a cheap kiddie guitar?
(I know, I hate the backpackers too, but they do hold tune...)
Uncle Silly
10-12-2007, 11:02
The bass pigpen made was using nylon cord, his stick, and the shelter. He 1) tied the cord to a rafter, then 2) tied to tight to his staff, so one end was raised above the floor and the other end was touching. Then he 3) plucked the cord and used his foot pressure on the stick to adjust the pitch. The whole shelter became his sound chamber, and it was thumping! Definitely the best trail bass I've ever heard!
Ahhh, OK. That explains why I couldn't quite see it -- didn't know what I was looking at! I'll have to try that next time I get out on trail... :)