Looking forward to attending the Bath Guitar Festival & Summer School this week. This will be a first for me and I'm embarrassed to say, having grown up in the South West, a first visit to the beautiful city of Bath and its 2000 yrs of unique architectural history. I'm anticipating some inspiring natural acoustics in amongst all that limestone. This year's school features some outstanding and talented musicians from the world of 'classical guitar': Berta Rojas, Marco Tamayo and the composer Stephen Goss, a writer with a unique and broad understanding of the guitar. Course leader is the wonderful teacher and virtuoso Columbian guitarist Francisco Correa under the reassuring and calm direction of Tom Kerstens. Cool! Can't wait.
]]>Having had to work through chronic RSI in my forearms and left shoulder, I have tried most guitar supports and was using the Gitano support before finding the Mundo support and trying it out. The Gitano support definitely works ok, but Mundo wins hands down in all ways: the suckers are far better quality and stay on more reliably but it still feels 'dynamic' and not like you're locked into one position, and the variety of playing positions one can achieve with the Mundo support is amazing. I played around with a Flamenco sort of position but that still had me in a position my body didn't like, so I've found myself playing in the 'Classical' position one would get if the left foot was on a stool. I play a Grand Auditorium steel-string with a large lower bout, so I find that it is impossible to get this optimal position without my Mundo support. I also use the Mundo on my nylon string classical guitar and it is brilliant. The build quality and attention to detail is impressive and I love how secure it feels, whilst still allowing me to move or tilt the guitar forwards and backwards as I want to. It even allows the guitar to ever so gently move when I breath in and out! I cannot over-recommend this guitar support, not just for pros but amateurs like me, regardless of whether you're recovering from RSI or not. Good playing position is essential, especially as you get on on life, like middle-aged blokes like me, where you have to take care of yourself more than when you were young. The Mundo automatically puts me into a healthy, comfortable playing position that has helped all but remove my RSI and I expect to be using it for decades to come.
]]>
I've met a lot of resourceful cyclists over the years. The sort of folk who find or create problems then find ways to solve them. Mick Grant, a recent customer from Norwich with an Enfold folding bike, sent in some pics that demonstrate this really well.
As you can see, Mick uses AirPannier as a cargo tool for carrying his gear. Naturally, folding bikes have smaller wheels with the pannier rack being much lower to the ground, making it difficult to carry larger objects. As a busy musician and keeping costs down, Mick uses a seat post pannier rack giving him the extra height for mounting his guitars securely with AirPannier. Brilliantly, he then uses his guitar neck to hang his amplifier on the opposite side. This is really cool as the weight is then balanced over both sides for a more comfortable ride. Excellent tip for commuting buskers. On the way to an open mic gig Mick skilfully takes the fuss out of carrying cymbals too, big, round and awkward.
Helping with a friend's art project he really pushes the boat out here with Intelligent use of space and note the light clipped on to the cargo, very wise.
Folding bikes are excellent for commuting on public transport and saving on your pocket. With a 'seat post pannier rack, an AirPannier and plenty of Mick's resourceful nature, you can carry some serious gear too.
]]>As you can see from the images here, in order to beat the lockdown & 'covid corona virus thingee' we've put the AirPannier to good use carrying those essential supplies that won't fit in regular panniers. Luckily, we have Hanlons, an excellent local brewery not far down the road, and in the other direction, the oldest brewing pub in Devon the Beer Engine. Cool.
So, as we like to say, 'get on you bike and and carry what you like.' You'll save a fortune, get fit, beat the rush hour traffic , set a fine example to your children and be able to tell them you're doing it to protect their future. That'll keep them quiet.
]]>
When designing AirPannier we developed the idea of double stacking (check out our extreme double & tripple stacking video here) to give riders a wide range of options in carrying awkward cargos. It's great to see Andy, a fellow musician, taking full advantage of this new technique. Also, AirPannier's full adjustability enables the rider to pin point the cargo in the optimum position for a secure, comfortable, well balanced and safe ride.
Abbey Road Studios and the FAB4 zebra crossing, wow, an incredible place to work for sure where echoes of the Beatles with George Martin and so many other rock artists have cut their stuff. Cool!
]]>I bought this Mundo AirPannier to cart around my 8kg 42'' electric skateboard as this is more affordable than most metal skateboard racks or expensive Esk8 backpacks, it's more versatile than such luggage carrying options too. I've been cycling six miles to group meets with this, it certainly does the job nicely. Haven't used the included velcro stripes yet but I imagine these would help somewhat. It comes with a nice carry pouch too.
For testing this Mundo AirPannier, I drove my loaded bicycle off high kerbs, on gravel with slightly protruding bricks, speed humps, pothole abundant roads and did some light off-roading on bumpy grass verges. The only problems I found during installation and removal were the large lobster clasps and how they struggle slightly to fit thicker pannier racks. (they will fit though, just takes some wiggling is all) The long D ring straps need tying to make sure they don't come lose.
Overall, it's a good product for the price but there's a few things to bear in mind when using it. nonetheless, I recommend it highly. Must admit, it would be nice to see these being sold on Amazon or in bicycle and music shops, would reach many more perspective customers this way. Was surprised there wasn't more videos about this product on YouTube too.
Much appreciated,
Jaimes Lewis Moran. USA
]]>It's great to receive pictures and videos from our customers taking to the streets in their neighbourhoods carrying some radical gear, and reading their testimonials. Check out Yosuki Fukui from Japan, he really pushes the boat out stretching the boundaries as you'll see.
]]>Favourite feature – I could let go of the guitar and it would stay comfortably hanging in the air. I can spin the guitar 360° and feel secure letting it go. This affect looks amazing on stage and if the straps are hidden the illusion is unbelievable! It allows for hands free capabilities which helps if you have extra instruments or limited mobility.
The weight of whatever instrument you're using is equally distributed over the shoulders and back, so no more back pain from heavy equipment always pressing on one side, like with traditional guitar and instrument straps. And in the long term can have tremendous affect on posture and back pain prevention.
The strap has been designed to hold your instrument close and securely so there is no worry that they will fall and sits comfortably in front of the chest.
The design of the straps means that they can be hidden underneath a button up or a zip-up top. The straps come over both shoulders and cross at the back so a shirt can be fastened around it giving the illusion of a guitar that isn't being held or attached by anything! This is further improved by the suction cup holster that attaches to the back of the instrument and hooks into place on the strap. This alleviates any slippage of the straps from the usual guitar strap hook.
The strap and it's attachments are very compact and can be folded and stored in a small carry bag which is ideal for travelling and general care of the product. The design is sleek and well made, its light and feels good to the touch. The colours are minimalist and simple and the logo is small and well placed.
Overall I give this product 5/5! it's fantastic and I haven''t ever seen anything that works like this and works so well. Very clever!
Mundo’s Air Pannier is such a brilliant, easy to use solution for carrying a cello on a bike - something I didn’t think would be possible without spending shedloads of money! This is a quick, ingenious solution and small enough to store in a bag when not in use. Happy cycling...
- Becky from Southampton
Thanks Becky! We're really glad you're enjoying using the Mundo Air Pannier. Whether you're using it for a cello, guitar, trombone or any other large (or small) instrument, the Mundo Air Pannier is your perfect bicycle solution.
Looking for an affordable, reliable and strong instrument pannier?
Look no further!
Green Gigger Rebecca Cartwright tearing around London saving money, beating the traffic and getting to the gig on time. Rebecca tells us she loves the Airpannier because it's easy to use and very light, just what we had in mind.
Airpannier is quarter the weight of your average pannier and easily fits neatly into a jacket pocket for ultimate convenience and ready to use when you need it. Designed for musicians to safely, and comfortably carry instruments on bicycles, we've tested guitars, cellos, keyboards, some amplifiers, congas and are looking forward to testing double basses and drum kits soon. An ultimate tool for musicians on a tight budget.
]]>
Carrying large and odd shaped things on bicycles has never been easy. With the Mundo Air Pannier, we wanted to create a pannier that would allow you much more freedom than regular panniers, enabling you to safely carry odd shape and size cargos. We were keen also that you shouldn't have to modify your bicycle or carried object. Air Pannier does just this allowing you to organise your cargos in the optimum position inline with your rear wheel axle for a comfortable, well balanced and safe riding position.
Air Pannier allows many different load configurations for you to experiment with as can be seen in our promotional video. Not immediately obvious, it's possible also to 'double stack' items in many different ways. In this image you can see the bike is rigged for one of those creative summer camping trips when you want your guitar by the camp fire and your surfboard to catch sunny surf. You could substitute a a full size rucksack for the regular pannier on the opposite side too. This is particularly convenient if you like heading off for those coastal or mountain walks from the campsite.
Here we took the 'double stacking' idea to the extreme and managed to carry 8 guitars after a good customer asked how many guitars we could carry on a bike. Great fun and a surprisingly comfortable ad secure ride.
Here are some other things we've managed to carry with Airpannier:
Airpannier's incredible versatility is highly portable. Weighing in at 226g, less than a tin of chickpeas, it can neatly fit into a jacket pocket or the bottom of a regular pannier ready for those unexpected and awkward cargo moments that regular panniers just can't handle. And it's cheaper than any competitor.
A good customer asked us how many guitars could we carry on a bicycle. Always up for a tough challenge, we decided to put the Airpannier to the test.
After a bit of head scratching we came up with a nifty double stacking technique which enabled us to hang a second Airpannier outside the first and to double this on the opposite side, giving us a useful gap in between. To hold it all together we managed to hang the last guitar, no. 8, at the back. For a grand finally we thought we'd add our favourite little sculpture Pablito the guitar man made for us by Anya Wharton, to keep an eye on those impatient motorists at the rear.
The sort of adventurous bicycle loading you'd expect to see in India, China or Vietnam, but I wonder how it would go down here in the UK with fussy, impatient motorists and finicky traffic police. Surprisingly comfortable ride, although you would want to make any sudden moves,
Get on your bike and carry what you like.
]]>
We designed the Airpannier to carry guitars on bicycles and were pleased to discover it could also carry cellos and so much more. We wanted an ergonomic solution that didn't involve carrying anything on the rider's back (sweaty, uncomfortable & neck aching) particularly in hot weather. The design needed to be something that didn't involve modifying the bicyicle or instrument case, that was safe, rugged, quick & easy to use. After much prototyping and testing the 'Airpannier' was born.
Airpannier is an awesome, tough solution tested to a massive 140kg, much more than you'll ever need, giving you peace of mind. It's easy to adjust your cello to an optimum position for a very comfortable and safe ride.
When not in use, you can easily leave the Airpannier attached (see Airpannier Guide) or simply carry it as back up in your regular pannier. Even better, you can keep it in your jacket pocket. It's very light at 226g, around quarter the weight of an average pannier. It's also light on your pocket too at £34.50. Here' the full spec:
Weight: 226g - 1/4 the weight of an average pannier.
A pocket pannier-fits in your pocket.
Tested to an impressive 140kg.
Quick and easy to use.
Fully adjustable for safe & optimum riding position.
Fits both sides of bicycle.
No modification needed to bicycle or carried item.
Rugged weather proof design.
Can double stack items.
The Mundo Air Pannier - lightweight, durable and strong.
As a guitar teacher going everywhere on my bike, this was a testing question. I wanted an ergonomic solution that didn't involve me carrying the guitar on my back any more (sweaty, uncomfortable & neck aching) particularly in hot weather. I wanted to design something that didn't involve modifying my bike or guitar case and that was safe, rugged, quick & easy to use. After much prototyping and testing we came up with the 'Airpannier.'
Airpannier is an awesome, tough solution tested to a massive 140kg, much more than you'll ever need, giving you peace of mind. It's easy to adjust your guitar to an optimum position for a very comfortable and safe ride. It's so comfortable you'll hardly notice your guitar is there.
When not in use, you can easily leave the Airpannier attached (see Airpannier Guide) or simply carry it as back up in your regular pannier. Even better, you can keep it in your jacket pocket. It's very light at 226g, around quarter the weight of an average pannier. It's also light on your pocket too at £34.50. Here' the full spec:
My son and I are really pleased with the Airpannier, we achieved all the design criteria we set out to and were excited to find more as well. Watch our test rider Matt Dobby put it through its paces trying hard to shake off my Ramirez guitar:
In a world of crises on so many levels, wasteful consumption of finite resources being a prime concern, riding your bike is a powerful way to influence change. It's more than that, it's a key to good health and a positive message to those around you, we can make a difference. With Airpannier, we like to say 'get on your bike and carry what you like', but in answer to the question: 'how to carry a guitar on a bike' it's the most practical, affordable and best solution available.
As a footnote, we've set ourselves a challenge: 'how many guitars can you carry on a bike?' Stay tuned, we'll be testing that soon.
UPDATE: Click here to find out just how much the Mundo Air Pannier can carry!
]]>
Airpannier not only carries the big items like guitars, surfboards rucksacks and so on, it also carries those smaller items that are just too big or awkward to fit in regular pannier bags.
]]>
Here's a useful tip for rigging your Airpannier when some miscreant box refuses to fit in your regular pannier:
Rig your Airpannier in the way you see in this picture:
Take a stitch in the middle of the top edge of the pannier net with top strap;
Clip up;
Pull tight.
Tuck your ends away.
Using the Airpannier in this way allows you to carry the not so big but too big for your regular pannier things. If you make any discoveries yourself, then send in your pictures and we'll post them in our gallery.
]]>I can’t recommend the highly versatile strap enough for anyone who, like me, has suffered left hand and wrist injuries.
It’s enabled me to achieve the exact position – that is a much more vertical neck - that a specialist musician's physio has recommended.
It took a bit of experimenting but now my formerly very painful left hand feels like it’s floating on air and there’s no back pain and hardly any hand/wrist pain, even with a heavy telecaster.
I thought I was going to have to stop playing but now it’s onwards and upwards!
This new supported position has taken all the tension out of the left arm, and thus released the hand stress.
Very supportive and friendly customer service too!
I live in France and they had no hesitation in sending the system to me. Believe me, I’m busy spreading the word amongst the French!
- Anne from France
Anne, you're a star. Thank you for your Mundo Guitar Support review! We're always looking for more feedback about our products, and we especially want to hear the innovative ways people are using them. Whether it's for wrist, back, neck pain or purely for style, we want to hear from you.
Guitar shoulder pain can be brought on for a number of reasons. If you play for long periods and suffer from guitar shoulder pain consider shortening the length of playing time and taking more breaks in between playing. Get a comfort guitar strap which allows for better posture and pain free use – see The Mundo Guitar Strap here. Posture has a lot to do with creating shoulder pain from playing the guitar. Make sure you are not holding your body or your guitar in an uncomfortable playing position. Often a habit of playing in a certain position has built up over a number of years and it can take time to remedy a poor playing posture and position. Here are a few tips to help with the problem:
Guitar shoulder pain can also be caused simply from the repetition of playing the guitar. Make sure you take plenty of breaks and that you take appropriate exercises to promote full joint and back dexterity. Back and shoulder stretching exercises are recommended to help promote full movement, create and promote blood flow and to avoid limiting movement through under-use of muscles and joints. Playing position Many musicians complain about shoulder problems after years of playing having a standard strap over one shoulder and draping the right arm over the guitar. Although this won’t necessarily disappear overnight, it is possible to change the position of playing to evenly distribute the weight of the guitar across the shoulders and around the waist. For larger guitars this can be a problem especially, simply because of the awkwardness of the instrument. The Mundo Guitar Strap offers a simple solution by distributing the weight of a guitar evenly over both shoulders, rather than draping the full weight over only one shoulder. This allows for a better playing position without the strap dictating where the guitar should be held. By alleviating the shoulder pressure and altering the weight distribution, The Mundo Guitar Strap helps solve the problem of guitar shoulder pain. The connection point of the strap also helps by holding the guitar on its center of weight, rather than the traditional strap which holds the guitar on either side, effectively pinning it in place, forcing you to mold to it. Conversely the The Mundo Strap allows for a much more dexterous playing position, with much less stress on the body. This in turn allows not only a better playing position, but more freedom and dexterity while playing. The strap can also be adjusted easily while playing – even with one hand, giving the option of moving equipment and even changing instruments without removing the strap. The socket joint holding the strap to the guitar has also been carefully designed to allow maximum movement and dexterity, without compromising on safety.
]]>There are many reasons why guitar warm up exercises and stretches are beneficial to your health and guitar playing in general. Warm up exercises help to create better blood flow to the hands, arms, shoulders and back and promote greater dexterity also allowing a better position to be developed while playing.
Often posture and comfort are compromised when playing the guitar simply because no attention is given to the body while playing or because the body is contorted around the instrument putting strain on the neck, back and spine. By taking the time to do these exercises before playing, you will help to improve your comfort and health and avoid guitar related pains.
Here is a quick list of areas to cover in your guitar warm up with appropriate stretches. Working a routine into your guitar playing session will help to reduce any muscle cramps, niggles or poor posture habits. Getting a comfortable guitar strap is also a good way to improve your posture and eliminate poor posture and position related problems.
See The Mundo Guitar Strap here.
Other considerations
It is also worth noting that proper diet and exercise will be hugely beneficial for proper functioning of the muscles and joints. Poor eating habits and lack of exercise will increase the onset of problematic joint pain from guitar playing. Take regular breaks from playing the guitar and maintain good posture and a relaxed position while playing. It can be beneficial to record your playing posture with a video camera to see if poor posture might be causing any problems.
The Mundo ergonomioc guitar strap helps to maintain good posture and offer a better playing position – reducing strain. Check it out now!
]]>
Firstly you need to realise that this is a long term plan and will take some time.
Depending on your musical ability and whether you can read music, you can determine what is needed for you to get started. There are various courses on the internet which you can join or thousands of videos on YouTube to help you learn.
However a good start would be to get yourself a beginners guide. Have a look on Amazon for a beginners guide to the guitar and this will be your best starting point.
What you will learn
Most beginners guides will give you the basic chords and show you where to place your fingers and how to hold the guitar. Get into the habit of practicing your scales daily and this will help you develop the ability to move from one chord/note position to another.
Have a goal in mind
If you have a particular piece of music in mind, make it a goal to learn that tune. Some people can learn an instrument simply by ear and by making mistakes and fumbling through the various notes until they find the right ones. Through repetition they can eventually play a tune which is familiar to them. For others it takes a lot of practice and patience before they can play anything recognizable. Assessing your ability before starting will give you an idea of what is achievable and help you to realize your necessary realistic action steps. Your goal could be something simpler like learning a first chord or playing a scale. Once you have achieved something simple, it will give you the motivation to continue learning.
Get a Guitar Tuner
Make sure your guitar is in tune by getting yourself a guitar tuner. These are available from Amazon and are relatively inexpensive. Tuning your guitar is a good way to get to know the notes and learn what it should sound like.
Schedule a daily routine
By doing some practice on a daily basis and working through the exercises and pieces in your beginners guide, you can start to gain some momentum and begin to develop your ability. Once you start learning to read music from your guide you can look out for other pieces of music which you would like to learn. Finding music you like to learn is a good motivational tool to help you continue learning. Continue practicing your scales and running through the basics. Learning the guitar by yourself has its limits and you can develop some bad habits without realizing. If possible it is a good idea to get yourself a guitar teacher to help you eliminate bed habits and develop your guitar playing to the next level. It can also act as a motivator, giving you the nudge to keep practicing and doing your ‘homework’ ready for the next session!
How to hold your guitar
The position of your guitar can effect how you play and it is important to be comfortable while playing. Avoid slumping over your guitar and leaning, which puts pressure on your shoulders, neck and back. After long periods this can cause problems so make sure you take regular breaks and do guitar warm up exercises and stretches before playing, and warm down exercises after playing. Your posture when holding the guitar is important not only for your comfort of playing, but also for your overall health. Find a comfort strap which helps you find a good holding position. The Mundo Guitar Strap is designed for comfort and dexterity and allows a better playing position and posture. Take regular breaks from playing and pay attention to your posture and position while playing to avoid strain.
Interested in learning more about the Mundo Guitar Strap and Support?
]]>
The Mundo Guitar Support achieves our greatest goal, to achieve a comfortable playing position where both hips are maintained at the same height. This is the best posture to avoid any lower back injuries and pains to the guitarist. The support is very easy to use, comfortable and the guitar is supported with an interesting tilt that makes it easier to see and reach any fret position. It is well adapted to the leg, very stable and, in my view, very importantly, can be used by all guitarists: flamenco; classical; acoustic and electric. I can recommend the Mundo Guitar Support as one of the main supports for maintaining healthy ergonomic posture for any guitar. Mundo Guitar Strap.