Flying int'l with a Bass stool

[Sevitzky]

I would love to heard people's comments regarding bass stools and international travel. I'll try to resist sophomoronic scatological innuendo.

Int'l auditions: expensive, time consuming, tricky. Basically all the joy of a domestic audition with a lot more at stake.

I stood for many years, but I'm sitting now, for better or worse. When I audition overseas, I want to be on the same exact stool that I practice on: height, seat, leg positions, etc. For a gig, I'll sit anywhere, but an audition is another story.

The baggage charges can be insane for that "extra piece". (~$100 each way for a stool?!)


Any thoughts from people who have auditioned overseas and carried a stool?

[rachelcalin]

I think you may be able to fit a weeks clothes into a rollaboard or other large carry-on. You can stuff anything bulky (sweaters, etc) under your fingerboard & tailpiece in the trunk; plus if your bridge drops in the flight, you'll be happy they were there. So with only bass & stool being checked thats your two piece limit.

Oh, & when you're checking in, ask the staff for a stroller bag. Bag the stool & that way if they damage it along the way (popping the seat off of the legs or something like that) youll have all the parts when you get there.

[Sevitzky]

Hm, good call about checking the stool with a strollerbag. I guess that's the obvious answer. I have heard of stool breakage in checked-luggage transit, though.

I had/have gotten used to checking the flight case and a full size suitcase so that I could put the bow inside the suitcase and forget about it. I don't like the idea of slinging a tiny bow case around while "moving the mountain", or the chance of leaving it somewhere. Also keeps the grubby latex fingers of the TSA away from it.

I actually disassembled my wooden stool for the last trip, and put it inside the suitcase. A cumbersome solution. But I guess it's all cumbersome.

That's why we wear cumbersomebuns.