Normally, I am pretty relaxed about warming up before a concert... Most of the other musicians are usually playing away in the backstage green-room... but you are more likely to catch me playing a computer game or reading a book instead. However, I always do make sure that I at least open the case about 10 minutes before the start to be sure that I have all four strings still on the instrument!

However, before travelling... I'm am definitely more careful... checking that I have the right instrument and right selection of bows for the project (and any possible preparation or direct follow-on projects)... as well as all the attended spare strings and other bits and pieces that need to come with me. Again, not really a huge problem for most musicians... but I play multiple string instruments for different use cases... and I use different instrument cases depending on what I need and how lightly I might need to travel (for airlines mostly...)... and that means instruments, bows, and other stuff are constantly rotating through cases in different match-ups...

... and the reason that I'm careful with this part of the packing... well, I've arrived in a different city before with the wrong instrument and a different bow a couple of times in the past... and screwing up like that makes you super wary to avoid future repeats of the same mistake!

And... I'm of the opinion that as long as I have the right instrument and bow with me... everything else can be worked around or purchased when needed.

... and it was lucky that I double checked on this particular trip... the evening before, no problem... but on the day of the travel, a snapped string.. one of the lower strings...

... and that gave me a chance to try out a new brand of string that I had been hoarding for this particular reason. The two lower strings are silver wound gut strings... a little on the expensive side, but they don't tend to break so often... they usually get dull first.

I had recently come across a slightly cheaper version through a different supplier, and I wanted to try it out... was it similar... or would it be an unacceptable drop in quality? I had decent hopes that it would be usable.. I had already swapped in one of the top uncovered gut strings, and it was surprisingly good (and also cheaper)!

So, on it goes... and fingers crossed that I will have the same experience!

And it will have a day to settle before starting this project's rehearsal period as well.

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