Airlines and basses

[slapagroov]

I read and saw the pics of the recent horror story about the bass in the SKB that almost died. The case looked like it was run over by dump truck! I have to fly out for a gig in about 10 days, so I'm trying to decide what to do. Do I get the Incase Slim Bag and try to carry it on, or do I check it?

Does anyone know if I can gate check it in a hard case? I'd feel better if I could at least walk it to the plane. BTW, I just got this bass Monday after waiting 6 months, so I'd rather not see it destroyed. Thanks for any input.

 

[slapagroov]

OK, sorry, I just saw someone asked a similar question earlier. My bad!

 

[Eric Moesle]

Not only one thread. Probably about ten of them.

There's one every week, it seems.

 

[jollygiantchris]

you can get check at the gate with a hard case as long as TSA will let you through the checkpoint with a hard case because technically it could be construed as a bludgeon have a safe flight

 

[Juniorkimbrough]

back in Aug. I flew from Memphis to Vegas, I used a SKB bass safe and it worked wonderfully! but as always it's hit or miss, kinda like shipping something UPS or Fedex....for one person's positive story there will be another's negative story. My advice would be to take an instrument that isn't extremely expensive.

 

[Gubna]

back in Aug. I flew from Memphis to Vegas, I used a SKB bass safe and it worked wonderfully! but as always it's hit or miss, kinda like shipping something UPS or Fedex....for one person's positive story there will be another's negative story. My advice would be to take an instrument that isn't extremely expensive.

+1

I sold an instrument to a guy once, who was only buying it to take on the road. Sounds like a good idear to me - to take a good, but not unique bass, travelling.

Have a safe trip.

 

[Johnny Crab]

What they said ^^^^^^.

Can Steinbergers still get carried on or do they totally freak when you walk into an airport with what looks to be a rifle bag?

 

[theshadow2001]

What about taking the neck off. Put the lot in a bag and walk on the plane with it. When you get to the gig reassemble make a few minor adjustments and off you go.

 

[JimmyM]

Steinbergers do just fine in carry-on. I used to have a Steinberger copy that I carried on and never had a problem even when the guitarist did.

 

[Jim Carr]

get a flight case here: http://www.affordable-cases.com/

I painted mine...I'm not sure it was a good idea, but hey!!!!
I've flown it about 25 times. I DO NOT take my Sadowsky, but just about everything else flies. It fits a P-bass or a Jazz or a 5-string Valenti or a Lakland 5er.
Any questions?

 

[Jim Carr]

Der...forgot to add-->You MUST get insurance.

 

[cadduc]

if you cherish your bass
then call the airline and buy it a seat, you still have security to deal with
deal with them long before you show up with your bass
like two to three weeks prior
so they remember you and recall your special request
you do this because you must

but if you are transporting a bass that is just a working instrument
and not a dear and cherished prize
and if damage or losing it would just be an inconvenience and not what you would consider a tragedy
then flite case it and check it in
you write that thing off as a strait line 5 year depreciated tool of the trade
right
do you recall the scene with chuck berry in hail hail rock n roll where he discussed checking in his guitar
it is like that
see i know that my 62 jazz will not be checked in as luggage
but she has shared the seat next to me on flights
oh and when more than one instrument is flying
together they can share one seat

 

[Jim Carr]

An alternative to buying a seat is to Fed-Ex your bass. That's how
Sadowsky (Nino himself) sent mine, so I use the Sadowsky case and the
same box I got the bass in from NY.

No, it's not cheap. Last January I spent (IIRC) about $400 round trip
between Lexington, KY and Portland, OR. However, Fed-Ex will assume a
lot more responsibility than the airlines. Of course, it is insured, and it
WAS cheaper than my ~$500 r/t airlines seat.

Plus, need I say it: No TSA silliness. I have said it before, but can't resist
mentioning it again, TSA actually partially disassembled my Lakland
about two years ago.

Why? Even they don't know.

 

[jollygiantchris]

Plus, need I say it: No TSA silliness. I have said it before, but can't resist
mentioning it again, TSA actually partially disassembled my Lakland
about two years ago.

Why? Even they don't know.

I work for TSA any screener that cannot clear an instrument on the x-ray and has to open it is incompetent or a dufus. The ONLY way anyone with a brain that functions would open your bass (at checkpoint or checked baggage) is if you could see a mass inside any of the cavities and the bass failed a trace detection.

Oh I forgot to mention your bass probably got opened because the wax you are using shares chemicals with explosives or if you use any sort of hand lotion or moisturizer lots of those have nitro in it which is also in TNT If you REALLY want to know have the bomb dog sniff your bass but be careful because if he smells something you're going to have to open your bass again

Of course its far more likely that the TSA people you met were retards who didn't know what they were doing, have a safe flight!

note : i wrote a longer post where i explained how you could make a passable bomb out of a bass guitar that would look like a bass guitar would even be plug in and playable but i edited that out =x but passing a bomb off as a bass or guitar would be REALLY easy

 

[JimmyM]

Thank you, Chris, you're the best player on their team! Can't wait until a guitar bomber gets through and then all guitars and basses will be banned from flights. Good idea!

 

[gillento]

What about taking the neck off. Put the lot in a bag and walk on the plane with it. When you get to the gig reassemble make a few minor adjustments and off you go.

That's what I did with my G&L last year when I flew from Luxembourg, Europe to Austin TX. I put everything (bass in 2 pieces, gigbag, pedals cables, tools) in a Pedaltrain Pro case and off it went.

No problem at all!