My first Babylon Five cartoon! and Strumsticks

Jeff and I watched another B5 episode last night. I posted about 'Mind War' in my Babylon Five Virgin blog (please post any comments in that blog, thanks, and not in LJ). And I posted my first Babylon Five comic in the blog, woohoo!

I've been investigating Strumsticks lately. I've been curious about this instrument every since Dan K. (see below) let me try his at GAFilk:




As some of you already know, tendinitis issues have kept me from playing guitar with Urban Tapestry. The Strumstick, however, is much lighter to carry and easier to play than a regular guitar, plus I figured it would add some instrumental variety to our performances.

Browsing the catalog, it seems that there are different types of Strumsticks, with the standard being in G or D, but also chromatic Strumsticks available which would able to play in any key.

I was also excited by some of the sound samples I heard on the Strumstick site, especially Chromatic Strumstick samples like this one. And wow, check out this sample of a Double Strumstick! There are even electric Strumsticks.

One of my concerns, though, is being able to fly with it. The Strumsticks are VERY light, from 11 ounces and up. However, I have my doubts about whether I'd always be able to take it as carry-on. Air Canada, the airline I do almost all my flying on, tends to be much pickier about carry-on that other instruments.

From Air Canada's site: "Air Canada will try to accommodate small musical instruments as part of a passenger's carry-on baggage allowance if the instruments can be stowed in an approved area for cabin baggage (i.e. overhead bin, underneath passenger seat). Customers are reminded to arrive prepared to check the item, as it is never guaranteed that it can be accommodated due to passenger loads, aircraft limitations and/or storage space available."

Even if I opted for the regular Standard Strumstick instead of the longer Chromatic or Grand, that's 29.5 inches long, which is longer than their standard carry-on length max, and longer than any suitcase I usually take to conventions. I wrote to the Strumstick people to ask if they had hardshell cases available, and they suggested I look into a rifle case.

A rifle case. HAHAHA, yes, that would go over real well at airports, I'm sure.

And so my fantasies of being a Strumstick Queen crumble into pitiful dust...


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