Taking apart my bass for the plane

[Zkenny99]

Just a curiosity here.. I'm gonna have to travel 1200 miles on a plane in a couple weeks and somehow take a Jazz bass I picked up where I am and bring it back. My options are... Shipping it back (costs money), Having it checked in as another luggage (costs money), or try to bring it as a carry-on (potentially bad hassle).

However, my other idea was to take off the neck, put that in my luggage, and take the body into my backpack which is a carry-on. Prevents money being spent, and prevents hassle of not only bringing a bass onto a plane, but also having a second carry-on.

My question is if this is a good idea, is it safe, etc.? From what I've seen, the necks on these can take a ridiculous amount of force, and the body should be fine in my backpack. I could throw away the strings for all I care, they're in desperate need of replacing.

Side note: My backpack is going to carry a hoodie and a laptop already, and there's plenty of room.

 

[DigitalMan]

What kind of plane are you flying on?

 

[Zkenny99]

What kind of plane are you flying on?

It's Spirit Airlines. AKA I don't trust them enough to have my bass on board as a check-in.

 

[40Hz]

Where are you flying from/to?

 

[Zkenny99]

Where are you flying from/to?

Going from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Dallas, Texas. Yeah, it's a long way.

 

[Ten Four One]

Just loosen the truss rod before you do it. Planes have two types of cargo holds - temperature regulated (18c) & not really temperature regulated (4c). Most are pressure regulated, as they're within the hull. Find out if your luggage can be placed in the temperature regulated hold (where they keep pets), or if that's even an option on your flight. Otherwise I think you're ok.

 

[JoelFT]

Airline pilot here. MSP to DFW really is not very far at all. I might do three or four of those kind of flights a day. Just a walk around the block really.

Since it is Spirit you will be on an Airbus. Their overhead bins are plenty big enough to fit a full size bass in a gig bag. Also, it's federal law that you are allowed to bring it on. If the gate agent or flight attendants hassle you then ask to speak with the captain. He/she can override them and generally knows the rules better as well.

 

[DigitalMan]

Airline pilot here. MSP to DFW really is not very far at all. I might do three or four of those kind of flights a day. Just a walk around the block really.

Since it is Spirit you will be on an Airbus. Their overhead bins are plenty big enough to fit a full size bass in a gig bag. Also, it's federal law that you are allowed to bring it on. If the gate agent or flight attendants hassle you then ask to speak with the captain. He/she can override them and generally knows the rules better as well.

Exactly what he said. FAA has special regulations favoring musical instruments. I guess some fussy violinist didn't want her or his Stradivarius decompressed and frozen. Go figure. If it can be stowed safely in the cabin somewhere (overhead or closet) then they must accommodate it.

 

[40Hz]

The above two replies covered it.

( I was wondering if you were traveling internationally. That's where it would have gotten complicated.)

 

[bassfacer22]

I fly internationally all the time with my electric bass..

What's funny is that I've done it all.. I've shipped my bass through UPS, flown with it on the planes, put it in hard case under the plane, and even door to door service a fricken 3/4 Upright bass to Dubai from the States...

edit* I do have a couple of horror stories about flying with my bass under the plane though in a hard case.. but I think it was my fault in the way I packed it.. so it doesn't count..

so.. I'm no Captain or Airline Pilot but I can say that You can take your bass safely on the plane as I've done now many times.. Where you might run into the "problem" is when they are tiny planes and they don't have overhead bin space or a closet that has room.. but I still haven't experienced any of that..

However, here is story time,

I flew out to a gig and there was another bass player there who flew with his 2 basses in a "soft-shell gig bag for 2 basses".. he told me he sat down on the plane and they took it from him and said they "will put it away" now apparently they had a conversation about putting it in the closet.. but he says he lost sight of it and he just hoped for the best and (you know where this is going) Well, He can't say for a fact this happened, but he thinks they put it in the last-minute luggage - under the plane instead of the closet because when he checked his basses out after he got off the flight, there was a crack in the body near the neck.. - and due to the fact I think he was telling me they gave him his bass back as he exited the plane.. meaning they had it standing outside of the plane door (like they had gotten it from the last-minute luggage check)

but till this day he doesn't know how the crack got there but if it was in the closet, I guess it had a pretty hard hit to crack the body near the neck..

wish I had a picture to show it.

in terms of shipping it by ground, I'd probably take my chances taking it on the plane first... if you really get a "hassle" then have a screwdriver with you in the gigbag and it should only be 4 screws and take them out as fast as you can and then take it on the plane.. This ofcourse is an extreme last minute scenario but is definitely possible..


Oh and when I shipped my bass UPS from the West Coast to the East Coast, It wasn't as expensive as I thought and I took the neck off a Fender Jazz American Deluxe V bass.. and I received it with absolutely no problems.. (they packed it like it superbly though)

but anyway sorry for the long post

 

[bassfacer22]

sorry, one more thing about taking the neck off -

when I had to put my Fender Jazz neck back onto the body, it wasn't as smooth as I thought it was going to be.. It was a little bit rough but maybe it was just me in my inexperience doing it. I had to really make sure its completely perfectly fit and snug in the slot and when I started screwing the screws back in I definitely got resistance and I was scared to death that I was making New holes in the body etc.. so I don't think I'll be doing so much of the disassembling neck act anymore..

but that's just me.. maybe other guys will tell you its easy as pie..

 

[tonemachine]

Airline pilot here. MSP to DFW really is not very far at all. I might do three or four of those kind of flights a day. Just a walk around the block really.

Since it is Spirit you will be on an Airbus. Their overhead bins are plenty big enough to fit a full size bass in a gig bag. Also, it's federal law that you are allowed to bring it on. If the gate agent or flight attendants hassle you then ask to speak with the captain. He/she can override them and generally knows the rules better as well.

With all due respect, I was told that this is mandated before I flew so I did research (direct to law for actual wording and conversation with 2 levels of uncharacteristically friendly and patient customer service people and a stewardess friend of mine for real world practice) and the Federal law turned out to be less than a mandate that they must categorically allow you to bring it. If i recall correctly (and I do recall the gist, this was Feb 2015), they must sell you a seat for your bass if there are seats available. That's the only guarantee.

My stewardess friend said they will try to accommodate, even as far as stowing it in the crew's closet but these days there is just no guarantee that there will be room anywhere in the cabin. There is a serious chance that one will get to the gate with one's nice bass and then have to check it. I got this from the law and three airline people. Yes, the Captain is the boss but sometimes there's just no room (and I don't know how you interpreted the law to read that categorically one must be allowed on with a bass- the law simply does not say that). I am, of course, all ears if you can guarantee this for us and provide documentation of your status because we'd all love to do this if guaranteed.

The law/real life practice was so unpromising that I bought a Squier to check just for vacation. I'd hate to be shafted at the gate with an expensive bass.

 

[tonemachine]

Just a curiosity here.. I'm gonna have to travel 1200 miles on a plane in a couple weeks and somehow take a Jazz bass I picked up where I am and bring it back. My options are... Shipping it back (costs money), Having it checked in as another luggage (costs money), or try to bring it as a carry-on (potentially bad hassle).

However, my other idea was to take off the neck, put that in my luggage, and take the body into my backpack which is a carry-on. Prevents money being spent, and prevents hassle of not only bringing a bass onto a plane, but also having a second carry-on.

My question is if this is a good idea, is it safe, etc.? From what I've seen, the necks on these can take a ridiculous amount of force, and the body should be fine in my backpack. I could throw away the strings for all I care, they're in desperate need of replacing.

Side note: My backpack is going to carry a hoodie and a laptop already, and there's plenty of room.

I, too, was going to brilliantly take the neck off but then I measured and even my biggest suitcase wouldn't hold a Jazz bass neck even on the diagonal. Damn thing is considerably longer than i expected, relative to my suitcase. I hope your suitcase is bigger, but be sure to check.

As I stated, I bought a Squier for the trip. I checked it and it came through no problem. How much is checking it? I think it was $25 for mine.

 

[rtslinger]

Yup I was going to ask if it was a Airbus fits in the overhead

 

[KaseOfBass]

This should help -

Invalid Link Removed

If the item is a small musical instrument (specifically referenced as a violin or guitar), there is space available in the overhead bin at the time you board and the item itself doesn't exceed the manufacturer's weight/size limits for the overhead bin, they must allow you to carry it on.

Most airlines offer upgrades to allow you priority boarding (I'm familiar with Southwest's "Early Bird") so that you're part of the first group(s) to board while space will certainly be available. While I haven't flown on an Airbus, I know that a bass in a Protec Contego bag has zero problems fitting in the overhead bins of Southwest 737s.

 

[JoelFT]

With all due respect, I was told that this is mandated before I flew so I did research (direct to law for actual wording and conversation with 2 levels of uncharacteristically friendly and patient customer service people and a stewardess friend of mine for real world practice) and the Federal law turned out to be less than a mandate that they must categorically allow you to bring it. If i recall correctly (and I do recall the gist, this was Feb 2015), they must sell you a seat for your bass if there are seats available. That's the only guarantee.

My stewardess friend said they will try to accommodate, even as far as stowing it in the crew's closet but these days there is just no guarantee that there will be room anywhere in the cabin. There is a serious chance that one will get to the gate with one's nice bass and then have to check it. I got this from the law and three airline people. Yes, the Captain is the boss but sometimes there's just no room (and I don't know how you interpreted the law to read that categorically one must be allowed on with a bass- the law simply does not say that). I am, of course, all ears if you can guarantee this for us and provide documentation of your status because we'd all love to do this if guaranteed.

The law/real life practice was so unpromising that I bought a Squier to check just for vacation. I'd hate to be shafted at the gate with an expensive bass.

I never said that you were guaranteed a spot on the plane for an instrument. Just that it is allowed on. Many employees don't know this rule so, often they do not even let you try. That is why I said talk to the Captain or FO.

BTW, you are liable to get slapped for calling a flight attendant "stewardess" these days.

Edit: I found the applicable CFR. Invalid Link Removed

 

[Hopkins]

BTW, you are liable to get slapped for calling a flight attendant "stewardess" these days.

Why? What is offensive about the word steward or stewardess? Its an accurate description of the job

 

[JoelFT]

Why? What is offensive about the word steward or stewardess? Its an accurate description of the job

Actually it is not. 99% of their training and 100% of the regulations that cover them are safety related. Their primary job is to ensure the safety of the passengers. Everything else they do is just gravy.

 

[Hopkins]

Actually it is not. 99% of their training and 100% of the regulations that cover them are safety related. Their primary job is to ensure the safety of the passengers. Everything else they do is just gravy.

That doesn't make the word any less fitting or any more offensive. Why would anyone take exception to being called a fitting title to what they do? That word as far as I know has absolutely no negative connotation. I don't take offense to someone calling me a luthier, when I consider myself an electric guitar builder/tech.

 

[JoelFT]

That doesn't make the word any less fitting or any more offensive. Why would anyone take exception to being called a fitting title to what they do? That word as far as I know has absolutely no negative connotation. I don't take offense to someone calling me a luthier, when I consider myself an electric guitar builder/tech.

It most definitely is offensive to them. And, not a single US airline or the FAA calls them that. Times have changed.