Flying with this case

Hoover · Jun 10, 2009

Steve said:
I've been behind the scenes at an airport baggage handling conveyor system and seen what happens.

If you are comfortable taking the instrument and case and throwing it into a cement block wall as hard as you can from a distance of about 10'....go for it.

What he said.

True story: in 1994 my band flew from Boston MA to Houston TX for an extremely prestigious but equally-extremely low funded jazz festival. (I guess that's redundant, saying "jazz" and "low funded" in the same sentence. But I digress...) In order to save $$$ we decided to ship some gear ahead of time via Commercial Air Freight rather than have it accompany us on our flights.

So I take my Modulus Quantum-6 SPX bass (in its flight case) down to the Commercial Air Freight hub, and they place it on a palette, and a guy drives up in a forklift, slides the blades under the palette, and instantly lifts it as high off the ground as the lift will go. And I do mean instantly...such that my bass (in its flight case), now a textbook example of Newton's Law ("an object in motion remains in motion...") continues skyward an additional 3 or 4 feet past where the forklift & palette stopped moving, until Newton's other Law (aka, gravity) finally exerts its inevitable control and my bass (in its flight case), from the apex of a 12' high arc, now proceeds to come crashing to the ground.

Can you imagine what would've happened if my bass hadn't been in a flight case?

allexcosta · Jun 10, 2009

Do NOT check-in your bass. I fly all the time and my bass always comes with me. I just use a cheap gig bag (the thinner the better, they think it's a guitar), like the ones that come free when you buy a bass and never had a problem. Another solution is to take the neck off and put the bass on a cardboard box. Also, bring it with you in the cabin...

Overflow · Jun 11, 2009

allexcosta said:
Do NOT check-in your bass. I fly all the time and my bass always comes with me. I just use a cheap gig bag (the thinner the better, they think it's a guitar), like the ones that come free when you buy a bass and never had a problem. Another solution is to take the neck off and put the bass on a cardboard box. Also, bring it with you in the cabin...

I don't know about local flights, but I'm flying international, and I doubt they'll let me take a gig-bag on board.

SteveMcB · Jun 11, 2009

If you have to check your bass in the Fender case, I'd suggest at least some extra measures of protection. Go to your local guitar store or when you buy the fender) and ask them for a shipping box for a bass case. Bubble wrap the bass inside its case, bubble wrap the case, put it inside the shipping box. Not a foolproof solution, but better than just the case.

Steve

Rodent · Jun 11, 2009

vinxbass said:
lower the string tension between 1 and 1 1/2 steps, that's always recommended especially when your flying very high altitudes.

recommended by who?

I NEVER recommend de-tuning like this!! I've shipped a lot of basses (new and repair work) over the course of many years, and during one four+ year period I flew commercial r/t with my Smith 5-string every other week (25+ round trips of 4 legs each = 100+ flights per year) - in all of these examples I've never loosened the strings prior to shipping/flying

if you understand what a trussrod does in harmony with strings tuned to pitch, you'll quickly recognize that de-tuning your bass for shipping/travel is not sound advice

all the best,

R

PJSShearer · Jun 11, 2009

I had a carpenter make me a crate out of plywood to put the bass case inside.

Overflow · Jun 11, 2009

I'd just like to ask again, in case any of you didn't see the question, Do you think it's better to unbolt the neck from the body and then pack it into the hardshell case with bubble wrap?

mat666 · Jun 11, 2009

dont unbolt or else you may have to invest in a good setup - there is no cheap way

David Jayne · Jun 11, 2009

Overflow said:
I'd just like to ask again, in case any of you didn't see the question, Do you think it's better to unbolt the neck from the body and then pack it into the hardshell case with bubble wrap?

No. But I DO think it's a good idea, as another poster suggested, to take the bass in the case to the UPS or other store and let them box it for shipping, with bubble wrap between the box and case. Best to just ship it, but if that's out, at least do this. The fact is, it may be fine as-is, or maybe not- you just never know. Hell, I watched a poor bastard be forced to check his bass in a GIG BAG once- they wouldn't even let him carry it through security so he could at least gate-check it. Delta, at Newark BTW. Down the belts it went. Incredibly, it survived- I watched him open it at the other end. On the other hand, there are horror stories here that'll make you want to never fly again.

throbgod13 · Jun 11, 2009

go to local shops and look for a flight case that your bass will fit into..

i have an SKB 88 Key case that the Fender/SKB cases will fit into, and it makes it into an ATA-III case.. it's huge though..

it's like this one, only it does not have the TSA latches, it has the older chrome locking flip latches..

iamthebassman · Jun 11, 2009

allexcosta said:
Do NOT check-in your bass. I fly all the time and my bass always comes with me. I just use a cheap gig bag (the thinner the better, they think it's a guitar), like the ones that come free when you buy a bass and never had a problem. Another solution is to take the neck off and put the bass on a cardboard box. Also, bring it with you in the cabin...

The obvious problem with that is when you meet the attendant who's having a bad day and wont let you carry it on, leaving you to check your bass in a cheap gigbag.

I dealt with flight with a bass(which seems to be happening more often nowadays) by buying a good case and an inexpensive bass that will do the gig but I wont get too worked up if it's damaged. I do not take my $2K basses on a flight. No prob so far.

Darko74 · Jun 11, 2009

Im going to be travelling internationally with a bass soon and this thread has me worried. Last time i was travelling with a MM stingray in a pretty ***** case. This time its a 1976 P bass in a 70's fender case. Was thinking about getting one of these.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/SKB-SKBFB4-Molded-Bass-Case?sku=544574

would it do the job?

P. Aaron · Jun 11, 2009

I tried the "TSA approved" route.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143261&highlight=tsa

Jim Carr · Jun 11, 2009

Overflow said:
Wouldn't the FRAGILE sticker change some of that?

OK, be sure to tell the crated diesel engine block, as it falls on your bass case, to be careful because of the FRAGILE sticker.

Seriously, get as much protection as possible.

Jim Carr · Jun 11, 2009

iamthebassman said:
The obvious problem with that is when you meet the attendant who's having a bad day and won't let you carry it on, leaving you to check your bass in a cheap gigbag.

...I do not take my $2K basses on a flight...

bigtexashonk · Jun 11, 2009

I used the same case on domestic flights from DFW to London, to Kyrgystan, then military flights from Krygystan to Afghanistan, to Qatar, to UAE, to Bahrain, to Djibouti Africa, to Bahrain, then back on domestic flights from Bahrain to London, then to DFW and it performed flawlessly in protecting the instrument and a Tech 21 Programmable Bass Driver DI.

Jim Carr · Jun 11, 2009

Darko74 said:
Im going to be travelling internationally with a bass soon and this thread has me worried. Last time i was travelling with a MM stingray in a pretty ***** case. This time its a 1976 P bass in a 70's fender case. Was thinking about getting one of these.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/SKB-SKBFB4-Molded-Bass-Case?sku=544574

would it do the job?

It could. The problem you will have eventually, is that the hardware (handle, latches, etc.) is not recessed. It WILL get knocked off/broken/bent.

I recommend 1/4" walls with all recessed hardware, metal corners, and metal edges, also known as "Full-ATA." Check the supplier below, I bought one of their cases (see, a couple of posts above), and yes, the paint job is my fault--I thought it would look cool---hey, maybe it kinda does, thanks to the dings and scratches.

BTW, I have see this case dropped/thrown about 3 feet onto concrete. The bass was fine. A Jazz case fits all of these: a Jazz, P-bass, a 55-01 and a Sadowsky. Check these guys!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

zacharyk88 · Jun 11, 2009

do you really need to take your bass with you? i wouldnt trust those baggage guys as far as i can throw em :ninja:

Overflow · Jun 12, 2009

I'm still pondering this. Any more stories to help me make up my mind?

Rodent · Jun 12, 2009

when you get to your destination buy an inexpensive used MIM P or J bass ... play it for all it's worth ... thrash it on stage if you like .... and then give it to a local charity that works with kids from financially challenged families

- it'll be cheaper in the long run
- you get a tax write-off
- there's NO stress about flying with your bass

- and a kid somewhere could become the next Victor Wooten because somebody gave him/her what they weren't able to otherwise afford

everybody wins! :bassist:

R

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