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Turner Renaissance RB5 Flight Case

mburd

mburd

Aug 20, 2004
262
23
Maine
#1
Anyone know of a fly-able case to fit a Turner Renaissance bass?
The bass is approx 47.5" long by 14.5" wide, so it won't fit the standard size cases.
In a gig bag it just barely fits into the SKB Bass Safe, so I'm uneasy with it's odds of surviving the TSA and baggage handler scene.
 
#2
Here is a crappy photo of the hardshell case I have for my RB5. I got this from Rick a couple of years ago. He has them specially made from time to time. Pretty sure he only charged me $75. Case is nice and weighs a ton. When I bought the bass it came in a stock Kaces III gig bag. I am pretty sure the only way to get an actual flight case would be to have one custom made.

IMG_1161.jpg


SR
 
#3
StephenR said:
Pretty sure he only charged me $75.
Click to expand...

Thanks Stephen. I got one like it with mine (+$150!!) . Good enough for local stuff and car/van touring but these days there's no way I'd gamble on it surviving the baggage gorillas.
I'm going to try this Link Removed. It seems to have good features/value/performance.
I'm going from ME->TX in a couple weeks, then ME->CA in October. I'll report back if anyone's interested.
 
#4
I picked my case up from Rick and Barry at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival, they may have been in a benevolent mood that day...when I paid Barry the price was a bit less than Rick had originally quoted me. For local gigs I prefer using the gig bag since the case is so bulky and heavy.

Would be interested in how the Hiscox works out for you (looks like they are currently out of stock). It looks similar to the SKB cases. I have an electric guitar in one of those (standard SKB case) and would not feel comfortable checking it for a plane flight. I think the bass itself would be pretty safe in the hard case you have unless the latches came open but the outside of the case itself is the type of material that gets torn up easily. It was so much easier to travel with an instrument when you could hang a gig bag in the onboard closet or stash it in the overhead compartment. I am old enough to remember when you could get an escort pass for an instrument and hand carry it to the baggage compartment of the plane then pick it up as it was unloaded after landing. Now you can't even carry water on the plane.
 
#5
StephenR said:
Would be interested in how the Hiscox works out for you (looks like they are currently out of stock). It looks similar to the SKB cases.
Click to expand...
I got the last one apparently. I understand (and hope!) that they are way more rigid than the SKB's There's a video on their website, as well as one on youtube that seem to support that.
Here's a little Invalid Link Removed thread.
StephenR said:
........ It was so much easier to travel with an instrument when you could hang a gig bag in the onboard closet or stash it in the overhead compartment.
Click to expand...

amen to that..
 
#6
The case is a pretty good fit; tho the "dingus" had to be re-located.
It is indeed rugged enough to stand on. Didn't try jumping on it or tossing however. Fits pretty easily in the back seat of most small-midsize rental cars. Light enough to use the provided "d" rings to attach a shoulder strap for easy car/shuttle/elevator entry.
First trip out to TX yielded a 2" long crack. Trip back gave me a dime-sized dent and a 1/4' crack. At this rate I wonder if it will survive 3 years, which is the length of the "warrantee", which does not cover the damage I experienced according to retailer as well as the mfg'r.. Bass is (so far) undamaged, which is the point ultimately. Would I recommend it? Well.. let's see how (if) it survives my flight to CA next week..
 
#7
Thanks for the update. Does sound like a product that may have a fairly limited life. Cracking first time out isn't a good track record though as long as it isn't prone to getting crushed (highly unlikely) the bass should be safe.

There was a great and funny Alembic column in Guitar Player back in the 70s where they described testing cases by throwing them down a flight of stairs.
 
#8
StephenR said:
Thanks for the update. Does sound like a product that may have a fairly limited life. Cracking first time out isn't a good track record though as long as it isn't prone to getting crushed (highly unlikely) the bass should be safe.

There was a great and funny Alembic column in Guitar Player back in the 70s where they described testing cases by throwing them down a flight of stairs.
Click to expand...
I was pretty much sold on the cases after watching those two vid links I posted. The GP column in retrospect had their testing methodology right on. I do not believe the skin of the hiscox case would survive the GP test, tho the bass likely would.....the first 2-3 times anyhow..
 
#10
mburd said:
Thanks Stephen. I got one like it with mine (+$150!!) . Good enough for local stuff and car/van touring but these days there's no way I'd gamble on it surviving the baggage gorillas.
I'm going to try this Link Removed. It seems to have good features/value/performance.
I'm going from ME->TX in a couple weeks, then ME->CA in October. I'll report back if anyone's interested.
Click to expand...

I would sure like to know how well this case works, and how it compares in terms of weight, protection, and bulk to the hardshell that RT sells.
 
#11
dlmarquez said:
I would sure like to know how well this case works, and how it compares in terms of weight, protection, and bulk to the hardshell that RT sells.
Click to expand...

I guess think about what your case needs are. If you will be the sole handler of your bass, then the OEM will be fine for local cartage. It is built much like a traditional fender-style case. In that case a good gig bag is best in my opinion. Compared to the oem case the hiscox is lighter, less bulky and much more rigid, tho it is not a perfect fit. If you are doing any flying, the oem would not survive long; if at all. In general, as you will read elsewhere, when flying all bets are still off. :(
 
#12
the Hiscox and the SKBs are NOT flight cases.. they will not last the horrors of baggage handlers.. in fact, SKB sells the large keyboard cases as an outer case for their standard cases to reach "ATA".. don't be fooled by the "TSA" latches on the new cases..

if you are going to fly, get an Anvil/Calzone.. look for used ones, you'll save a good amount and you'll have a case that will protect your instrument..
 
#14
kerryg said:
in a gigbag would fit in an [This invalid link has been removed]? They claim 48.5" interior length - anyone tried it yet?
Click to expand...

It's an ok fit with an RB4, but the extra inch of the RB5's 35" scale is a little to snug for me. It also is not very rigid structurally, and a bass' survival wit today's baggage handlers is very unlikely. On tour as I speak, I just witnessed my bass being literally tossed from the cargo hold out onto a cart. The hiscox did it's job..today at least..
 
#15
Bass and case survived the trip down to Orlando FL via Reagan/Washington DCA just fine. Not so fortunate yesterday's return via Philly/PHL.

The Goons smashed 'em both.

wa. Back to square one for me.

Thinkin about from here onward about just buying a cheap plank when I arrive locally, then find some kid to give it to. That would feel a lot more purposeful than this BS. Can't wait to see how the damage claim dance goes.
 
#16
mburd said:
On tour as I speak, I just witnessed my bass being literally tossed from the cargo hold out onto a cart.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the first time I watched my bass get loaded onto a plane: My band was flying from Boston MA to Houston TX and it wound up being infinitely cheaper to ship our gear via freight carrier than to include it on the same passenger flight we were flying on. So we drag our gear down to the freight hangar, and they put the first load (all the amps and gack cases) onto a large pallete, drive up to the pallette with a forklift, lift the pallette from ground level to max height in 0.003 seconds, drive out of the hangar towards the plane. A minute later the forklift driver returns for the second load...which, after viewing the, um, "industrial expediancy" with which load #1 went out, has now been reduced to just my bass in a road case; the guitarist & horn players have all panicked and reclaimed their instruments, deciding instead to attempt carry-on.

But I'm feeling cocky since I've got my bass in its super-cool custom shock-mounted floating case-within-a-case flight rig, so I turn it over to the freight attendant. He places my one bass case in the center of another large palette. Forklift drives up to this palette, and once again lifts the pallette from ground level to max height in 0.003 seconds...which (since the contents of the pallette are now so light, consisting of only that single bass guitar in its case, which is not strapped down to said pallette) manages to launch the bass case off the pallette, into the air, and eventually back down onto the tarmac 6' below. Robert Goddard would've been proud: a near flawless re-creation of the first unmanned spaceflight.

All while I'm standing there watching, mouth-agape, speechless, nearly pooing myself.

Bass survived just fine, but I mean, c'mon guys! Do airline baggage handlers actually try to live up to their horrid reputation every chance they get?!?!
 
#18
mburd said:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Are you, by any chance, a songwriter? Feel like telling your own story to one?

Me personally - I'd feel like getting it fixed to the point of playability, putting yellow and black crime scene tape on the damaged areas with "Smashed By The Negligence And Incompetence Of [insert name of airline]" in BIG TEXT and perform with it like that - as often and as visibly as possible. I'd want to video all dates if possible, too, panning wide to catch the crowd size.

It may be too late to teach these jackasses anything about not crapping on those they assume to be powerless, but it's never too late to teach them a healthy flinch reflex about crapping on people who regularly stand up in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of people.
 
#20
mburd said:
Great ideas, Kerry..but I may just take this as a sign to finally develop my dream product: a bass with an integrated PEZ dispenser..
Click to expand...

It is kind of a perfect match; tasty delicious candy with solid, focused tone. What more could one ask?

But you're dealing with business here - there is no high road or low road. There is no morality to be found in this, that was thrown under the bus years ago. Now there is simply financial pressure and the deployment (or threat) of effective counter-pressure.

Or, if you will, the power to be negligent and expect to walk away from the consequences of that negligence, and the power to deny the evasion of those consequences.
 

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