I Should Be Committed

Yes, I should be committed. It's what people tell me all the time. Well, this time, it seems as though I am committed. Committed to attending the next NMA Reunion in Virginia Beach, that is.

Yes, I had so much fun in San Antonio this year that I really want to go next year. Troubling me was the fact that it's going to be in Virginia Beach: too far for me to drive. So the problem was how to get my guitar there undamaged.

Herb Ellis flew all the time and he seldom had trouble with his guitar getting all busted up. He had a pretty nice case, but it was one of those regular shaped guitar cases instead of an Anvil type case. I'm frankly surprised that he didn't have any more trouble than he did, with airline gorillas tossing his guitar from monkey to monkey.

I guess I'm just a "glass half empty" sort of guy, but I automatically assume that the gorillas are just waiting for my guitar (maybe even have a flyer on their bulletin board warning them to be on the lookout for it) so that they can use it for gorilla games, games such as "Lawn Case", tarmac "Case Curling" and "Case Hockey" using the wheels of moving aircraft for goals. So I just can't imagine sending my guitar flying in less than the best case.

Since the good ol' VA has been dumping money on me lately (having recently been re-rated at a higher disability percentage), money I didn't know I had coming to me, I decided to spring for a flight case. I recall that around 1978, I sold my Gibson L-5 guitar in order to buy a flight case for my solid body (I'm still kicking myself in the butt for that one) and, amazingly, the price hasn't gone up much at all since then.

Back in the 70's an Anvil case, the only ones available, cost me around $250. The SKB case pictured (guitar not included) was only $249 the other day. In fact, there are a wide variety of flight cases available through Musician's Friend and other online stores for saxes, trumpets and other instruments with and without wheels, backpack style, hard shell under-the-aircraft styles, etc. that can be had for between $100 - $200. If you've got to fly to Virginia Beach next year, it might be well worth saving your nickels and dimes for the purchase of such a case.

I've always envied the flute/piccolo players and clarinet players who can pack their axes in a briefcase. My road/flight case is doubtless going to be a lot heavier, but it will protect Axecalibur from the airline gorillas and get it there safely. That's a good thing. Wouldn't do to piss off Dracrevocsid, the Lady of Lake Taneycomo, who gave it to me... (see earlier posts) As George H.W. Bush would say, "Wouldn't be prudent at this juncture".