Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,613
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Ok. I have flown over 30 times now with a bass, and will do so again, soon. I find myself rising irresistibly to this poisoned bait....again.
1) Insure your instrument, even if you don't fly with it.
2) Don't try to carry on unless you don't mind having it gate-checked at the last minute. End of story.
3) A gate-checked bass will very likely be in gigbag. Even on the top of the pile, such an instrument is basically naked. If it is a replacable and insured instrument that you don't need the day you arrive, fine, live large dude. I can't do this.
4) Get an ATA approved case, though the "ATA" spec is really never the basis for any kind of recompense. Really.
5) Make sure you have recessed handles, latches, and hinges on your ATA case. http://www.affordable-cases.com/ is where I got mine.
6) Never lock your case unless you have "TSA" approved locks, which basically means your lock is a joke anyway.
7) Never carry anything except the instrument in a built-to-fit ATA road case. YMMV with the "Golf Club-style" molded plastic carriers, which may need extra padding or a gigbag to make them workable.
8) Arrive 2 hours before your flight. It will take time to get the darned case through check-in and through the stupid inspection/x-ray/imponderable hole. Sorry, but I have seen this "inspection" up close too many times to withhold the word stupid. I wish it were not so.
9) Expect your bass to arrive either on the belt or through a "special baggage" door.
10) Unless you have a great surplus of courage, never fly your cherished $4500 Sadowsky on a passenger plane--they don't have cameras watching the baggage guys, who DO open stuff and steal. Sorry, it's true.
11) Even though people say Mr. Wooten buys a seat for his bass, his bass camp used to and maybe still does (I haven't checked), advise attendees to ship their basses by Fed-Ex. BTW, that is what Nino used to do for Sadowsky. I'd love to hear those stories...
12) I have found Fed-Ex is OK for shipping a fancy bass for a recording, but it is not cheap. Be aware that Fed-Ex will reimburse for loss, but they also write the package contents and value of the instrument on the airbill that is attached to the exterior of the box. OK?
That means every handler knows there is a $4k+ instrument in the box. Are you OK with that? 
Have a great flight, everybody!
1) Insure your instrument, even if you don't fly with it.
2) Don't try to carry on unless you don't mind having it gate-checked at the last minute. End of story.
3) A gate-checked bass will very likely be in gigbag. Even on the top of the pile, such an instrument is basically naked. If it is a replacable and insured instrument that you don't need the day you arrive, fine, live large dude. I can't do this.
4) Get an ATA approved case, though the "ATA" spec is really never the basis for any kind of recompense. Really.
5) Make sure you have recessed handles, latches, and hinges on your ATA case. http://www.affordable-cases.com/ is where I got mine.
6) Never lock your case unless you have "TSA" approved locks, which basically means your lock is a joke anyway.
7) Never carry anything except the instrument in a built-to-fit ATA road case. YMMV with the "Golf Club-style" molded plastic carriers, which may need extra padding or a gigbag to make them workable.
8) Arrive 2 hours before your flight. It will take time to get the darned case through check-in and through the stupid inspection/x-ray/imponderable hole. Sorry, but I have seen this "inspection" up close too many times to withhold the word stupid. I wish it were not so.
9) Expect your bass to arrive either on the belt or through a "special baggage" door.
10) Unless you have a great surplus of courage, never fly your cherished $4500 Sadowsky on a passenger plane--they don't have cameras watching the baggage guys, who DO open stuff and steal. Sorry, it's true.
11) Even though people say Mr. Wooten buys a seat for his bass, his bass camp used to and maybe still does (I haven't checked), advise attendees to ship their basses by Fed-Ex. BTW, that is what Nino used to do for Sadowsky. I'd love to hear those stories...
12) I have found Fed-Ex is OK for shipping a fancy bass for a recording, but it is not cheap. Be aware that Fed-Ex will reimburse for loss, but they also write the package contents and value of the instrument on the airbill that is attached to the exterior of the box. OK?
That means every handler knows there is a $4k+ instrument in the box. Are you OK with that? Have a great flight, everybody!
