Taking a guitar on a plane

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MidoBan

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Hi, i didn't know where to post this, so i thought here was the closest category for this.

I wanna take my acoustic guitar abroad with me on a plane (hard case), so for you guys who already done it, any tips? Do i take it with me on the plane or does it go with all the luggage in the belly of the plane? Shouldn't i be concerned about it going through the conveyor belt? Some one can take it, or it might get damaged while being loaded..

Any helpful tips will do.. Thank you!
 
I flew with my D-41 as a carry on but that was MANY years ago. Now days I' m sure you'll have to check it like a bag and leave it to the knuckle draggers who load the plane. Personally, I wouldn't do that. As a carry on, if you can even do it, I'd imagine they'd make you buy a seat for it.
 
I did it several years ago, and the flight attendants took it from me when I boarded, and had it there at the door for me when I got off, the thing I hated, was lugging the darn thing through the airport, restaurants, etc.
Good luck.
 
Contact the airline and find out what their specific policy is. You may be able to carry it on as your only piece of carry-on luggage.

If not, pack socks around the peghead, and maybe around the upper bouts to keep it from slipping inside the case. Also, detune it and remove the bridge pins to reduce the prospect of having your bridge split.

If you can carry it on, be prepared for TSA to open your case. They didn't like my contact pickup the last time I flew with a guitar. The guy had to stick his hand inside the guitar to feel the pickup. Seriously. I had duct-taped the case to keep it from accidently opening in the event it had to go in as cargo. They insisted the tape had to go, but in the end I was able to carry it on and stow it in an overhead.

Also, get to the airport EARLY and if they will let you carry it on be prepared for early boarding.
 
I would suggst get a softcase and just bring it in as handcarrry.
 
I should have mentioned that Taylor had a response to the "United Breaks Guitars" vid, in which the President of Taylor says that they have a page on their website that outlines the regs that allow you to bring a guitar on as carry-on. They suggest you print it out and bring it with you, as airline employees are often ignorant of that reg.

Hey, didja hear about the buzzard that was checking in to his flight at an airport? He had a dead armadillo under his arm/wing, and when questioned about it, he replied, "Oh, that? It's just my carrion.":rolleyes:
 
stevieb said:
I should have mentioned that Taylor had a response to the "United Breaks Guitars" vid, in which the President of Taylor says that they have a page on their website that outlines the regs that allow you to bring a guitar on as carry-on. They suggest you print it out and bring it with you, as airline employees are often ignorant of that reg.

Hey, didja hear about the buzzard that was checking in to his flight at an airport? He had a dead armadillo under his arm/wing, and when questioned about it, he replied, "Oh, that? It's just my carrion.":rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That was an awesome tune.I didn't listen to any of his other ones though.He has a couple of tunes posted.Looks like he got some good press coverage over the whole thing and a lot of back and forth crap from the airline.I guess with all those youtube hits the airline was really getting some bad press and finally buckled.At least the power of the internet helped this time.
 
I've checked my guitars when I flew recently. Not gonna lie, I was extremely nervous about it but nothing bad happened.
 
stevieb said:
I should have mentioned that Taylor had a response to the "United Breaks Guitars" vid, in which the President of Taylor says that they have a page on their website that outlines the regs that allow you to bring a guitar on as carry-on.
Click to expand...
Well ... good luck finding it on the Taylor website.

In any event, I did find this on the TSA website:
TSA: Transporting Musical Instruments

Unfortunately, it's not really very helpful. All it says is that you can carry a guitar on a plane without violating TSA regulations. You can't carry it if it violates the airline's own restrictions. Which, I think, a guitar of any size generally does, at least nowadays (22" to 26" seems to be the maximum longest dimension). Of course, the person you're dealing with at the gate might make an exception for you ... but that's happening much less often lately than it used to, in general. Obviously, somebody can't make an exception if there's nowhere to put it, which - if you're on a full flight - might well be the case. If you don't get an exception, you'll find your instrument thrown in with the checked baggage anyway, and possibly not even on the same plane as you.

A good hardshell case, coupled with some careful packing (soft things inside sufficient so that the guitar can't rattle around inside the case), should protect a guitar from even ape-like handling. The big problem is that the TSA might open your case for inspection, in which case the careful packing is out the window. Yes, they do open checked baggage. You get a little note in your bag afterwards, at least sometimes.
 
i always give it to fragile luggage and never had problems
 
I was wondering about this recently, and instead of starting a new thread, I did a search, and voila! I can use a recent one.

I'm hoping to take two guitars with me across the atlantic soon, a Taylor acoustic, and an Ibanez bass. I've taken electric guitars with me as carry on before, as recently as 3 years ago. However, it appears that most airlines no longer allow you to, probably because other passengers basically take entire suitcases on board these days, and there's not much leftover room. Therefore, I'm facing checking the two guitars in with hard cases, and some additional padding inside.

Has anyone recently checked a guitar into the hold? Was it okay at the other end? I won't lie...it makes me nervous.
 
zoomoon said:
I was wondering about this recently, and instead of starting a new thread, I did a search, and voila! I can use a recent one.

I'm hoping to take two guitars with me across the atlantic soon, a Taylor acoustic, and an Ibanez bass. I've taken electric guitars with me as carry on before, as recently as 3 years ago. However, it appears that most airlines no longer allow you to, probably because other passengers basically take entire suitcases on board these days, and there's not much leftover room. Therefore, I'm facing checking the two guitars in with hard cases, and some additional padding inside.

Has anyone recently checked a guitar into the hold? Was it okay at the other end? I won't lie...it makes me nervous.
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Often best to just start a new thread with ones this old. =P But as you've already done it and I have read it...

You definitely won't get both instruments in hand luggage. You could take one though. I'd put whichever one you want in the hold to be in a very good hard case. Make sure it has a TSA lock on it too. As these locks allow airport bag checkers to unlock it without destroying the lock to get in.

The one you choose to take on board with you, put it in a soft, well padded case. If someone stops you at the gate or door of the plane and says it won't be able to go into overhead, you can ask nicely if they can put it at the front with the cabin crew instead. As long as you're friendly about it, they should be happy to help you out. =]

In all though, I shouldn't see much problem with them both in the hold if needs be. As long as they are in secure hard cases with the correct locks on.
 
I checked an acoustic guitar in a generic hardshell case several years ago. Upon arrival, the guitar wasn't broken but the case looked like someone had stabbed it with a steel pole in a few places and jumped up and down on it a few downs...broken shell with exposed foam beneath. It was a cheap Fender acoustic and even cheaper case, so no big deal, but I'd be careful with anything of value.
 
Seeker of Rock said:
I checked an acoustic guitar in a generic hardshell case several years ago. Upon arrival, the guitar wasn't broken but the case looked like someone had stabbed it with a steel pole in a few places and jumped up and down on it a few downs...broken shell with exposed foam beneath. It was a cheap Fender acoustic and even cheaper case, so no big deal, but I'd be careful with anything of value.
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Probably where your problem was. If you want the best for a flight case, you're gonna end up spending big money. My hard case alone cost me £100 and it's still not something purpose built for taking on flights.
 
A friend of mine did a tour last summer and said he checked in a guitar and bass in hard cases...perhaps it's largely fine.
 
Mine got broken somewhere between L. A. and Hong Kong. I loved that guitar. :cursing:
Much like sreeker of rock looked like someone had taken a small I-beam and shoved it right through the case and the guitar.

Good thing for insurance.
 
Take it as a carry-on if possible. The luggage compartments on planes aren't heated and it gets really friggin cold at cruising altitude. Attempted stowaways have frozen to death in there. You wouldn't leave your guitar in your trunk on a freezing cold night if you can help it. Depending on how crowded the flight is you may not have a choice. I would recommend loosening up the strings a bit as ambient pressure is significantly different at high altitudes and luggage compartments aren't pressurized like the cabin is. I've flown several times and checked an acoustic guitar and it made it through no prob, but it wasn't a particularly nice guitar either. You're gonna take a risk, but can't go without the ax.
 
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