Travel Case Recommendation

[nyjm]

So, I'm flying to New York for Song Fight NYC v2 and to do my part of the x-tokyo-river-god set, I want to bring my electric.

So, my pretty baby's going on the plane. Suggestions? (Good value travel cases, ideas for buying one, best practices at the airport - to check or not to check?)

Go.

[JonPorobil]

DO NOT CHECK YOUR INSTRUMENT.

Did you know that the Travel Security Administration disclaims all liability for damage to your items in transit? Even if it happened due to their mishandling of the item in question?

DO NOT CHECK IT if you have any choice in the matter. Make sure it remains in your care as much as possible.

I don't know much about electric guitar hard cases; defer to the rest of the community for that. But DO NOT CHECK YOUR INSTRUMENT.

[ken]

Call your airline and ask.

Sometimes you can bring your guitar on the plane in a gig bag but not a case. Sometimes the opposite. You should be able to carry it with you provided it fits in the upper bin, but you want to ask ahead of time what your airline's policy is.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1235.shtm

Ken

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Don't forget about the coat closet(s) in First Class, if your plane/flight has that section. It never hurts to ask (nicely, of course).

[ken]

That used to totally work for me, but I've found it more difficult in recent years. I think the last time I took a guitar on a plane was to Austin and they forced me to check it. If they do, all you can ask is that they put your instrument in the with the pets as this part is heated. You do not want your guitar in the extreme cold of baggage. A general rule is that your instrument should be in the same conditions as the human body.

[nyjm]

Right, then, so I contacted the folks at AirTran and it seems their main concern is space:

http://www.airtran.com/policies/carry-on_checked.aspx

So, the challenge is a case under a total of 55 inches (height + width + depth). A perusal of Musician's Friend tells me that most cases are 56+ inches. Hmm. I do have a gig bag, but it's not going to offer much protection when people want to stuff their suitcases on top of the guitar in the bin. I'll have to do some local shopping (and get the exact dimensions of my guitar.)

Thanks for the advice so far. Any other tips are welcome!

[JonPorobil]

If you're using a gig bag, just make sure to keep it in your possession (or in the coat closet), to ensure that it doesn't get crushed. Obviously, hard cases are better, but if I had the choice between carry-on in a soft case and checking it in a hard shell, I would choose carrying it on in a soft case. Your mileage may vary.

[Eric Y.]

Re: carry-on luggage -- Most airlines nowadays insist that anything too large to fit under your seat needs to be checked. Any guitar case or gig bag is likely too long (unless you separate the neck from body?).



I have used this case http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=541667 for years, and wholly endorse it. It flew (checked in the cargo area) on two separate trips and not only was my bass unharmed, but even still in tune when I arrived each time (both ways, both trips). I will say, though, most airport employees and TSA agents are thoroughly surprised to find out it is not a firearm case.

I have never used the guitar version http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=541664 so I can't speak for it directly.

[jb]

For Song Fight shows, it's really really advised to just use whatever instrument is at the gig. You won't have to tune it or get it working with the PA, and it won't clutter up the space, you won't have to worry about it, etc. etc. Will there not be an electric guitar at this event that you can use?

If there's something unique about your axe that you must have it, then definitely do not check it-- not on purpose at least.

I've seen guitars on most of the flights I've taken recently, and I've taken my Martin Traveler with me on occasion (like to Austin for SF Live) and just stuffed it in the overhead. It's not a lot smaller than an electric in a gig bag.

When I've seen a guitar on a plane, it's in a gig bag, and the owner just puts it lengthwise in the overhead, or if there's room he'll put it on top of other bags. Either way, you're taking a little risk. But it's not a huge risk. The flight to NY from ATL is short, and the gig bag will trap some heat, so even if they do force you to check it it *should* be ok. Nothing's guaranteed in this life. They won't stop you with it until you get to the gate, y'know, so the worst that's gonna happen is they'll check it at the gate, so it'll be last-on, first-off the baggage. That's my theory anyway.

JB