Taking my bass oversea

[Ozmen1988]

I will be moving to Australia with my family and I want to take my bass with it. It's an expensive one(around USD$3500) and my only one so I want to make sure it is safely transported.

I am now using a "hard" soft case like this one.

I now have three 3 options.
1. use the above case and use bubble wrap to wrap the entire bass and the case to reduce impact from throwing by luggage handlers in the airport and during transportation.
2. Dismantle the neck and the body, bubble wrap it separately and put it in the softcase.
3. Buy a hardcase, bubble wrap both the bass and the bardcase.

Which one do you guys recommend and can any of you sharing bring bass overseas experiences?
Thanks a lot!

 

[J Posega]

Option 4: purchase an extra seat for the instrument. Every airline allows this, you just have to call them.

This is the ultimate peace of mind and what I did when transporting 2 $3k+ Dingwall basses from the US to UK and back a year later. Nobody but you handles your instrument and they're right next to you on the flight. For me, that meant I also got the row to myself.

Bubble wrap isn't going to help anything if your bass gets wedged in and leverage is applied. Enough pressure at the leverage point will bust the neck. Bubble wrap also won't help if the bass doesn't end up making a connecting flight and it gets lost. Or if it just "gets lost."

Some people will suggest just carrying the bass on, and asking the flight crew to store your bass in the coat closet. They are not obligated to do so, so there is absolutely no guarantee that this will work. If it doesn't, your bass is getting checked and stowed below.

Option 5: disassemble the bass and put the body and neck in separate pieces of carry-on luggage. I'm not sure the size restrictions on most carry-ons, so this also might be a moot point if the parts don't fit in your bags.

 

[Ozmen1988]

Option 4: purchase an extra seat for the instrument. Every airline allows this, you just have to call them.

This is the ultimate peace of mind and what I did when transporting 2 $3k+ Dingwall basses from the US to UK and back a year later. Nobody but you handles your instrument and they're right next to you on the flight. For me, that meant I also got the row to myself.

Bubble wrap isn't going to help anything if your bass gets wedged in and leverage is applied. Enough pressure at the leverage point will bust the neck. Bubble wrap also won't help if the bass doesn't end up making a connecting flight and it gets lost. Or if it just "gets lost."

Some people will suggest just carrying the bass on, and asking the flight crew to store your bass in the coat closet. They are not obligated to do so, so there is absolutely no guarantee that this will work. If it doesn't, your bass is getting checked and stowed below.

Option 5: disassemble the bass and put the body and neck in separate pieces of carry-on luggage. I'm not sure the size restrictions on most carry-ons, so this also might be a moot point if the parts don't fit in your bags.

Thanks for the reply!

Is the extra seats going to cost the same price as my flight seat?
and I am quite worried about disassembling the bass and reassembling it could impact the bass, or it does not?

 

[ajkula66]

Thanks for the reply!

Is the extra seats going to cost the same price as my flight seat?

Based on personal experience with a single airline, the ticket will cost significantly less than your own.

Different country/airline so YMMV.

 

[chadds]

I like the buy a seat scenario.
No one will carry it like you do.
I was crossing the US with my 1970 Telebass. The plane landed in Vegas for a short let people on. I looked out of the window and my bass in a traditional Fender case is leaning against the base of the baggage conveyor. The baggage cart trains were whizzing past my bass. Shall I say I was freaking out? !!

Well they did put it on. Last. Perhaps they took it out so they weren’t throwing suitcases on it.

 

[Sharko]

If a bass were irreparably harmed by disassembling and reassembling it then I would not want to invest in that bass.


I’ve never had a problem just checking a hard case, I like SKB.

 

[MD]

Family's moving without shipping personal items? Stick the thing in a wardrobe box.

 

[pbass2]

Yeah, man, I'd pack the heck out of it and ship it, with insurance. I have lugged heavy flight cases through airports, and it's no fun. You'll have way less to worry about if you just ship it with a pro service.

 

[Killing Floor]

Carry it on. Be really (really) nice when you speak to the greeting crew member and ask them for help with your bass. It may not fit in every overhead bin but will definitely fit in a coat closet. Ask very politely.

 

[J Posega]

Thanks for the reply!

Is the extra seats going to cost the same price as my flight seat?
and I am quite worried about disassembling the bass and reassembling it could impact the bass, or it does not?

When I went from the US to UK, the ticket was the same price as a regular seat.

Taking it apart would have zero negative impact on the instrument.

May I ask what kind of bass it is?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Doesn’t really matter how far the flight is, matters more how it is handled. Get a pelican rifle case or one of the knock offs, custom cut the foam and cover the foam with fabric. Check the case and enjoy the flight. Storm iM3300 is what you want, I believe.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

The best option would be to purchase an extra seat. If this is an option for you, just DO IT. Talk to the airline in advance to make sure there are no misunderstandings.

The second best option would be a top quality ATA spec FLIGHT case. A good quality flight case can be expensive and ideally needs to be custom made for the bass. Flight cases aren't really suitable for much else than air travel (or professional touring with a crew) though due to the weight/size. It might be a poor investment unless you're planning to do more air travel with your bass in the future. I've tried touring by road with a flight case ONCE but never again unless I've got a crew to carry the damned thing around. Do NOT get a cheap flight case made of thin/poor materials. I've seen some cheap "flight" cases that I wouldn't trust for much more than storage. ATA spec or nothing! A good flight case is expensive.

The third best options would be a top quality hard case. These are much lighter than flight cases but still offer good protection and will be useful for a lot more situations in the future. Do NOT get any kind of "old school" plywood hard case. These actually offer very little protection. The ones to get are the modern design cases with a hard shell and some kind of injection molded shock absorber. SKB cases are excellent quality. For a lot less money I've also found Hiscox cases to offer good protection against both damage and the huge changes in temperature/humidity that will occur during air travel. You'll need to find a hard case that fits your bass snugly though. Whatever you do, don't buy a hard case based on looks. There are lots of hard cases that may look similar to the good ones but they're lacking all the technology that actually offers protection. An ABS shell means nothing if there's no foam protecion inside. The price will be an indication. If it's cheap, it's rubbish. Avoid all cheap "in store" brand cases. Also avoid "guitar brand" cases, they're often hideously overpriced for the quality you're getting. Some brands, like Gator, offer cases in a lot of different price ranges. Their expensive cases might be ok but their cheap cases are rubbish (at least for air travel). You do NOT want to go for the cheaper options here, trust me (been there, done that...)!

As for bringing the bass as carry-on luggage... This will be a good option IN THEORY but also a huge risk. If you meet the wrong person, or if they're simply out of space, you could find yourself facing a rather difficult choice of either missing the plane (probably not an option) or accept that they stow the bass in the cargo area below (in whatever packaging you've got, which probably means a gigbag as it wouldn't make much sense to bring it as carry-on luggage in a huge case...).

 

[bordinco90]

I was going overseas with my bass for a festival in France. It got cancelled because of COVID, but everyone told me to get a SKB I series waterproof case. I bought one, but haven't used it yet. I can tell you that the SKB case is built like a tank and should take the abuse of baggage handlers. It is dustproof, waterproof, and built to MIL-spec. When Hurricane Laura hit our area, we were out of power for 26 days. Before the storm, I put my #1 bass in this case. It stayed in our 100 degree home for the 26 days. The case kept the bass in perfect condition. The neck was as straight as when I put it in the case. Worth every penny for me.

 

[Microbass]

Thanks for the reply!

Is the extra seats going to cost the same price as my flight seat?
and I am quite worried about disassembling the bass and reassembling it could impact the bass, or it does not?

An extra seat, or comfort seat is normally the seat price minus any taxes (because you've already paid the tax on the ticket). Procedure varies depending on the airline. I work in travel, feel free to give me a PM if you want advice on this and I'll do my best. Sometimes you can add the seat via the "manage my booking", some airlines require you to call and the call centres often don't have a clue what you're talking about..

 

[Alper Yilmaz]

I have flown close to 2 million miles, almost half of which were with a bass. Be it checking in, or carrying on, I have never had any problems (I might have been lucky). If I were you, I would either by an SKB style case with a TSA-approved lock and check it in, or disassemble the bass and put the body in my checked-in luggage in between layers of clothing (and check in the luggage) and buy a tube box (like those architects use for carrying blue prints and stuff) for the neck and carry it on to the plane with me.

In most luggage handling issues I have seen, the case opens and the instrument simply falls on the tarmac, etc. So any TSA-approved lock would secure the instrument and if an officer would like to check the case for security purposes would still be able to open it without breaking the case.

Disassembling the bass is not an issue; just follow the reverse order to re-assemble it back. Or you can take it to a music store and they can take care of it for you. Among all alternatives, this is the safest alternative for me as the biggest stress on the bass is likely to be around the neck joint.

If you are moving your house using an ocean-liner, I have done that 3 times between Brooklyn and Istanbul and not even a glass was broken ever. I have shipped close to $250,000 worth of instruments and electronics, and no problem at all...

In short, for a solid-body instrument, I would not worry much. They are much sturdier than most people think.

 

[Anthony Buckeridge]

Not a specific answer to the question but a generalised point, I trust will be of assistance.

Most appear to assume that if one places their instrument in a reasonably good case, then add protective additional packing material around the case, that is the ideal method.

What many do not appear to realise however is that during typical transportation encounters, damage can often occur to an instrument caused by sudden, dramatic shock movement of the instrument, within the confines of the case itself.

To all intents and purposes, the instrument may appear to be snuggly nestled in cosy, fur lining, so folk fail to see how such damage could occur. However, sudden shocks can reveal there is indeed considerable latitude within most cases for movement under particular circumstances. This is often where is easy to be caught out and damage can occur, whilst the outside packing is intact.

Although acoustical instruments are most vulnerable to such occurrences, electric instruments can likewise be affected. Therefore, diligent checking for any seeming looseness within the case, the adding of cloth around the edges to tighten the fit wherever possible. Especially placing packing under and above the headstock to prevent sudden forward or backward movement within the case of the neck is very important.


There are custom made cases that fit this tight and they are extremely safe, but very expensive indeed.

The tightness of fit secures the instrument from moving within the case, whilst outer materials provide strength.

But the measures I have outlined above can go a long way to approaching something a little closer to that level of protection.

The salient point is to closely attend to and wherever possible improve the tightness of fit within the case itself (even if it seems a good fit) and any protective measures taken to the outside will only add to the safety of an instrument already well secured.

 

[expatmuso]

I did the dissembling option Alper Yilmaz described. I was transporting a Mexican Fender Jazz from Canada to Korea. Wrapped the body in several layers of bubble wrap and stored in a checked luggage between layers of clothes. The neck fit into a plastic tube (the kind artists or draftsmen/women use). I brought the tube as carry on. Beforehand, I kind wracked my brains and worried about it, but in the end it was pretty easy.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

Foam-lined coffin? Ok, no point in tempting fate. On the other hand, it will probably get treated with dignity.

 

[friskinator]

Option 4: purchase an extra seat for the instrument. Every airline allows this, you just have to call them.

This is the ultimate peace of mind and what I did when transporting 2 $3k+ Dingwall basses from the US to UK and back a year later. Nobody but you handles your instrument and they're right next to you on the flight. For me, that meant I also got the row to myself.

Bubble wrap isn't going to help anything if your bass gets wedged in and leverage is applied. Enough pressure at the leverage point will bust the neck. Bubble wrap also won't help if the bass doesn't end up making a connecting flight and it gets lost. Or if it just "gets lost."

Some people will suggest just carrying the bass on, and asking the flight crew to store your bass in the coat closet. They are not obligated to do so, so there is absolutely no guarantee that this will work. If it doesn't, your bass is getting checked and stowed below.

Option 5: disassemble the bass and put the body and neck in separate pieces of carry-on luggage. I'm not sure the size restrictions on most carry-ons, so this also might be a moot point if the parts don't fit in your bags.

Does the flight staff make you secure the basses in the seat? If so, how does that work? I assume they want them secured in case of emergency.

If it were me, I'd probably ship it if it was just one instrument we're talking about.

 

[teh-slb]

I recently flew from Germany to Finland with a 2005-ish American Standard J (so not nearly as expensive as yours) in one of these: Fender Deluxe Molded Bass Case - Black

I didn't buy an extra seat so it went in the hold as checked baggage. I wrapped the headstock in bubble wrap and also "tailored" some foam wrap underneath the strings along the entire length of the scale. I picked it up in one piece at the baggage claim.

I wouldn't feel comfortable flying with it a "hard" soft case unless it went with me in the cabin.