Black is a bad color for lute cases. Even a short trip in a car can really heat up the case. However, a space blanket works great and can be folded and stowed easily in the car. A space blanket (just fancy aluminium foil) can be had for a few dollars at a camping store.
Sometimes if the lute has to be checked on a plane it can sit on the tarmac for a considerable time, and here the black case is a real liability. dt At 11:38 AM 7/25/2010, you wrote: >Living in sub-tropical Florida, it always appeared foolish that so >many musical instrument cases were made only in black. At least for >cellos, that has now changed and they can be gotten in white, or a >number of other colors (lighter than black). I see many black lute >cases, though I recently got a lute in a dark green case. To me, a >light color seems practical; even in northern climes a lute case >carried in the sun can build up heat quickly. I suspect that case >makers who use some kind of fabric on the outside of the case are >concerned about them showing abrasive marks if of a light >color. I'm more concerned with them getting hot. > >Ned >On Jul 25, 2010, at 1:37 PM, dem...@suffolk.lib.ny.us wrote: > > > > >> I recall a lute Society of America seminar in 1979. It was in > >> Barrington, Rhode island. > >> > >> The temperatures were in the high 90's F., but the humidity has also > >> in the 90's. > > > > More important than the recorded temperature, temperatures inside cars > > would have been far higher. > > > > My home here on long island is nicely shaded by trees, the lute inside it > > has not self-destructed even without aid of a/c in spite of recent weeks > > when recorded temps exceeding 100 F held for several days. Interior temps > > were mid 90's at times. > > > > Pretty sure its the car parked in the parking lot whose interior easily > > gets over 120 that was the culprit; that, and the black-fabric covered > > case left in direct sun by a window or on the sidewalk while > > packing/unpacking. > > > > -- > > Dana Emery > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
