Best case for traveling overseas?

[ad9000]

Also, just a shout out to SKB in general in that they do stand behind their products. I'm fortunate enough to live fairly close to their headquarters, so I've taken racks with broken latches or other issues to them and they were fixed while I waited, no questions asked. It's been a while so I'm not 100% sure they still do that, but I imagine they do.

 

[hotrodjohn]

You might be able to carry onboard in a decent soft case like Mono or Reunion Blues - check with your airline. I have carried my bass numerous times on United and Southwest domestic flights. I’ve never tried international though.

 

[JakobT]

You might be able to carry onboard in a decent soft case like Mono or Reunion Blues - check with your airline. I have carried my bass numerous times on United and Southwest domestic flights. I’ve never tried international though.

I don’t recommend this with international flights. If you have to gatecheck it - which is likely - your bass is in for a very thin time.

 

[ad9000]

You might be able to carry onboard in a decent soft case like Mono or Reunion Blues - check with your airline. I have carried my bass numerous times on United and Southwest domestic flights. I’ve never tried international though.

Often the airline won't be able to tell you in advance what equipment (type of plane) your flight will be using, or they may say it's ok but it will end up being otherwise. What led me to stop carrying a bass onboard in a gig bag was a 3-week tour I did several ago, all fly dates, where about half of the flights were on planes with smaller overheads - big enough to fit a guitar in a gig bag but not a bass. On those flights I ended up having to gate check my bass, which made me uncomfortable based on the incident I referred to in a previous post in this thread. When I got home from that tour I did some research, and thanks to information I got in this forum I ordered an SKB Bass Safe and have used it happily ever since.

 

[ad9000]

I don’t recommend this with international flights. If you have to gatecheck it - which is likely - your bass is in for a very thin time.

I've found that to be the opposite - in my experience international carriers have been much more accommodating about instruments on board (even putting them in coat closets, etc.) than domestic flights, but I suppose that depends on the airline.

 

[JimmyM]

Often the airline won't be able to tell you in advance what equipment (type of plane) your flight will be using, or they may say it's ok but it will end up being otherwise. What led me to stop carrying a bass onboard in a gig bag was a 3-week tour I did several ago, all fly dates, where about half of the flights were on planes with smaller overheads - big enough to fit a guitar in a gig bag but not a bass. On those flights I ended up having to gate check my bass, which made me uncomfortable based on the incident I referred to in a previous post in this thread. When I got home from that tour I did some research, and thanks to information I got in this forum I ordered an SKB Bass Safe and have used it happily ever since.

Ya, I use one too. Not perfect but for my purposes it's better than anything else on the market. Just bear in mind that those lock straps are always your first point of failure, and they will fail. I always wrap one of those cable twist ties around the handle halves, and that always holds it together.

 

[ad9000]

Ya, I use one too. Not perfect but for my purposes it's better than anything else on the market. Just bear in mind that those lock straps are always your first point of failure, and they will fail. I always wrap one of those cable twist ties around the handle halves, and that always holds it together.

That's really good advice, I'm going to do that from now on.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

I use the Gator case...I'm on my third one.
they seem to last 3 - 5 years depending on how much I travel.
a couple of times one of the latches just got torn right off.
couple of times a corner of the case was cracked or smashed.
however, all times my bass was just fine.
I usually wrap it in band shirts and stuff whatever I can in there to prevent shifting.

 

[vvvmmm]

Best case for traveling overseas?

Any felony ...

 

[Whippet]

That's bs, it should fit within allowable dimensions of checked baggage before you're charged for oversize, but maybe some airlines have reduced their dimensions. I wouldn't be surprised with the ever increasing greed of the airline industry.

It really is bs. But they will do anything, and I mean absolutely anything to get away with charging extra. But obviously they wont do anything extra or compensate for you if they are late or break any of your stuff.

My Takamine hard case got kicked on the bottom so that they wouldnt need to pick it up but just kick/slide it across the floor. Obviously the studs on the bottom side of the case got ripped out and the bottom of the case got kicked / caved in. Luckily the electric acoustic was safe but now the case is unusable. What did they say? Normal wear and tear. This is a plywood case we are talking about. How hard must you kick it for the bottom to cave in?

Seriously I would avoid any developping nation airliners and airports. Top of my list is Istanbul, Moscow, Rio and Kiev.

Air travel is just becoming worse and worse every year.

 

[jdh3000]

I need some help on which hardshell case to buy. I just been asked to play a festival in France. I need a hardshell case with TSA that will fit my warmoth 4 string p bass. I've been looking at SKB or Gator. I've never traveled overseas or had a bass on a plane and I just want something to keep my baby protected. Thanks!

Anvil... If my bass were going to be tossed around it's the one I would choose.... but any of them can get destroyed... just which is the least likely.

 

[B-Lo]

The SKB Bass Safe worked well for me. As others mentioned, not every gig bag would fit inside. I tried a Mono M80 and RB Continental Voyager and neither would fit. Some folks made it work by ripping out the foam lining in the case.

I didn't want to do that, so I went with my oldie but goodie Roadrunner Boulevard gig bag. It fit perfectly inside the Bass Safe. IMO the Roadrunner Boulevard is a pretty good bag as long as your bass remains in your possession and you don't have to worry about tossing it in the back of a van with other equipment.

Bonus Points: The SKB Bass Safe has wheels so navigating thru the airport terminal with luggage was a breeze. Also, you don't have to worry about lugging a bass case around with you everywhere you go once you arrive at your destination.

 

[Frank77]

"Outside the box", pragmatic suggestion: Unless your bass has pretty unique specs or you HAVE to be seen with this exact bass for contractual reasons, I'd look into skipping the hassle entirely and renting/borrowing on site. The festival organizers can certainly recommend a solid rental place.

 

[Cycleops]

It's advisable to check what policy your airline has regarding musical instruments. Most will allow you to take your guitar as one part of your luggage allowance if under a certain size which should include a cased guitar. You'll have to check it in on international flights.
Remember it's not the airline that packs your case but the airport's baggage handlers. Some are better than others as someone said earlier.

 

[GhettoBrassGuy]

I rarely chance carrying on a gigbag anymore, but definitely wouldn't overseas. I carried a bag to Indonesia once and was fine for the 6 flights there and around the country until the flight home. They didn't speak english or reason with me and the guitar player at all, insisted that we check our bags. After 30 mins of negotiating, we got them to agree to let us gate check (after we paid the $200 each extra checked bag fee, shocker) telling us we'd get our guitars back at our layover in China. They followed us to the gate to make sure we didn't bring them on. After getting on the plane and staring at the attendants closing all the empty bins on the 747, we didn't get our guitars until we got back to LA. Luckily nothing happened, but I'm scarred obviously.
SKB 3i or Bass Safe will do you fine. Also check out the Gruv Gear Kapsule.

Gruv Gear Kapsule Hybrid Gig Bag for Electric Bass - Black

 

[JakobT]

I've found that to be the opposite - in my experience international carriers have been much more accommodating about instruments on board (even putting them in coat closets, etc.) than domestic flights, but I suppose that depends on the airline.

It does. Many airlines are placing new restrictions on cabin baggage, and there have even been cases of violinists not being able to take their violins into the cabin. In any case, I would never chance on an airline being accommodating, as they could well be anything but.

 

[Eric Moesle]

SKB Bass Safe for me. No issues, although I do put an extra twist tie around the handles just in case. And chalk me up as one of those guys who has seen first-hand a regular tolex-covered guitar case come down the baggage chute with a giant baseball sized hope punched straight through it.... I felt sorry for the guy....

 

[MrLenny1]

A friend has flown with a P Bass last year and used
his hard shell golf club case. It survived.

 

[Door County Bass]

I need some help on which hardshell case to buy. I just been asked to play a festival in France. I need a hardshell case with TSA that will fit my warmoth 4 string p bass. I've been looking at SKB or Gator. I've never traveled overseas or had a bass on a plane and I just want something to keep my baby protected. Thanks!

I took my bass (in a great gig bag) to Cabelas/Gander Mountain and searched for a TSA gun case. Took the gun case home, placed the gig bag inside and trimmed the foam to fit the gig bag snugly. Used an electric carving knife to trim the foam. Very easy and works like a charm. Oh, BTW, some airports will divert gun cases to their office instead of putting them on the carousel belt. Good luck.

 

[fishdreams]

Sorry, can't actually recommend the SKB bass safe. The lips on the straplock broke literally the first time I was going to fly with it, with a fretless neck-thru. Glad it happened at home while I was packing, not on the road or after check-in.

Best case is regualr syuitcase as far as Im concerned. All my basses now are bolt-ons. I always take my bass apart, pack the body in a the regular suitcase and bring the neck onboard as the personal item.