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Flying with a pedal board \ TSA

jaibeau

jaibeau

Backinblack.info
Supporting Member
Nov 12, 2006
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DALLAS
www.backinblack.info
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Endorsing Artist:Ernie Ball / mike lull
#1
Has anyone been held up At security because TSA was suspicious of your pedal board? Asking because I usually pull a couple of things off, and throw in a mono tick but I wanna just take my regular board. Not looking for “get a fly rig” responses, Just asking if anyone has had an issue. Thanks.
 
#3
The last time I flew, I just put an iPad, the DI, tuner, headphone amp for my IEMs, a set of bass strings, set-up tools for a bass that was supplied for me when I arrived, 230v to 120v adapters, and phone chargers into a backpack. I kept it as carry-on, except now I have a 55-lb backpack!

I swear, the only thing that caught TSA's eye was the lineman pliers I had in the backpack. I couldn't keep them in a carry-on bag. Which I understood. I could get one at the destination. And they looked over my meds and CPAP machine in my carry-on suitcase, but no more than a quick lookover.

And this was going to and coming back from Prague, Czech Republic.

I have a feeling that what gets whose attention on any given day varies wildly, but I had no trouble in both directions. But DAMN that backpack!
 
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#4
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makdub said:
Whether it’s carry on, checked, or oversize, I’ve never had an issue. I am asked to remove the board from the case but that’s no big deal.

Is there something in particular that you’re worried about?
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I’m worried about not making a flight because TSA can do what they want. I may be overthinking it but because In 20 years I’ve never carried a larger “assembled” board, I wanted to know who has done it and it’s cool. It’s not huge, but a Karen might say “uhhh, no sir” …
 
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#7
mdlewis said:
Just goes through the scanner like all of your other electronics.
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^^^for carry-on. If it's getting checked, there may be an additional step where an agent actually opens the case, and swabs for "residue". They'll leave a cute official notice inside your case stating that it's been opened and inspected.

For that reason, whenever I fly with a pedalboard (which admittedly is super-rare these days) I include any helpful instructions to make sure a total stranger can re-pack the case correctly if anything gets removed during inspection. E.g., color-coded labels on corresponding corners of the board and case interior to insure it gets packed in the correct orientation, and a photo of what the correctly packed case looks like taped to the inside of the lid.
 
#8
Bob_Ross said:
^^^for carry-on. If it's getting checked, there may be an additional step where an agent actually opens the case, and swabs for "residue". They'll leave a cute official notice inside your case stating that it's been opened and inspected.

For that reason, whenever I fly with a pedalboard (which admittedly is super-rare these days) I include any helpful instructions to make sure a total stranger can re-pack the case correctly if anything gets removed during inspection. E.g., color-coded labels on corresponding corners of the board and case interior to insure it gets packed in the correct orientation, and a photo of what the correctly packed case looks like taped to the inside of the lid.
Click to expand...
100% talking about carrying on
 
#13
jaibeau said:
Has anyone been held up At security because TSA was suspicious of your pedal board? Asking because I usually pull a couple of things off, and throw in a mono tick but I wanna just take my regular board. Not looking for “get a fly rig” responses, Just asking if anyone has had an issue. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I've flown with small racks, pedals, etc... carried on. TSA has seen it all before. As someone else mentioned, tools can often be on the no carry-on list. I used to keep a set of handcuffs on my tour briefcase to prevent it from walking away at gigs, not to show my kinky side. :laugh: Those had to be in checked bags even before TSA existed.

The only thing I've had extra attention on was back in the 90's I used to bring a few desktop radio scanners with me on multi-week trips, and nowadays I frequently fly with two laptops, two iPads, and multiple smartphones in one messenger bag. The extra attention was never more than a look see and possibly removing and swabbing the computers, even with TSA PreCheck or Clear.
 
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#14
jaibeau said:
Has anyone been held up At security because TSA was suspicious of your pedal board? Asking because I usually pull a couple of things off, and throw in a mono tick but I wanna just take my regular board. Not looking for “get a fly rig” responses, Just asking if anyone has had an issue. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I had an idiot TSA agent tear apart everything in my suitcase and go through every single page of a book I had with me because of one patch cable left on a pedalboard. Nearly missed my flight, and I was there two hrs early.
 
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#15
Something with a bunch of cables and electronic devices and boxes that's going to look like something homemade on the X-ray? I'd kinda hope that TSA would at least take a look at it. I normally check my stuff, I've never had the note inside but I've had cables and stuff moved that I know that they looked. Just make sure you check things out before the gig and don't just assume everything is the same as when you closed the lid/zipper.
 
#16
yes when i had tube gear (REDDI) they always thought i had a bomb. my bags would always get checked (carry on) and i had to talk them down and explain what it was (my long hair and "look" usually comforted them that me being a musician was not a lie). they would swab for the bomb stuff and give it a long over with the manager, but it would clear. for checked baggage i always had the tag that said "we searched your stuff" for any amps, basses, pedalboards, suitcases with gear in them, and my sh!t was all jostled around.

no issues, but be ready to explain.
 
#17
not bass related but always makes me chuckle. Back when I was playing trumpet, I was flying back from Europe with my horn as a carryon. I had one of those stands that folds up and fits inside the bell of the trumpet. The TSA guy at xray asked me if I had something that looked like a spaceship... he wasn't concerned, just curious because it looks very sci fi in the xray haha.
 
#20
Mo'Phat said:
One TSA agent was a musician and wanted to have a look at all my stuff. Wasn't flagged or anything, just chatty about the gear.

Some airports (Raleigh Durham - looking at you) seem to need to hand-inspect all my stuff every time, where others just put it through the scanner and it's all good.
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This is what I would expect because that ususlly the case “what band you in” … I’m just gonna start doing it. Noticed you’re in a RHCP trib, I’m in back in black, Acdc trib. Since I see you travel a lot too, you use a mono? I got tired of the whole gate check Karen telling me I can’t carry on so I’m just avoiding the energy and started gate checking a low profile hard case.
 
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