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Post subject: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:01 pm
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yeah yeah not actually flapping your arms. LOL seriously if you guys take your guitar with on a flight do you check it as luggage or try to take it as carry on.

the songs with guitar in em made me think of this. "United breaks guitars"

I was thinking of flying out to CO and would like to bring a guitar with to play with my cousin. I could use one of his but it is always nice to have your own with as well.

I guess I could drive.


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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 3:49 pm
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Do what SRV used to do.
Take the neck off, and put the guitar into a much smaller bag and carry it on board.

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:19 pm
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Do not buy a seat for your guitar. As soon as they realize the seat is not for a real person they will double sell that seat and they'll tell you the passenger they sold the ticket to has the right to that seat and your guitar will be stowed. There is a name attached to each seat right on the ticket and it can't be "My Guitar" or something else like that or they will just take your money and screw your plans ups.

I have heard that horror story from two guys I know who both tried to do it that way. Same thing both times.

Best option, get a good solid road case, one with locks and put it in as baggage.

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:39 pm
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I drive.
Everywhere.
I'm not afraid of flying... I hate TSA and am afraid of the hoodrats working at the airport stealing my stuff.
Wife has a metal plate in her neck... it's easier to get a loaded gun on an airplane than it is to get her on a plane.

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:11 pm
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I had my first flight at 10. Sterling silverware, porcelain plates, plastic airplanes for the kids, and great meals, with room to relax. Trips took longer, but they were more enjoyable than the quicker travel we have today. Check-in, boarding, and flight staff were not as pressed for performance as they are today.

How does that relate to the guitar question? Attitudes and profits changed, and I wonder how safe that finish is when some security slaps it down on a counter or runs a glove on the neck as it gets examined. At the very least, if the customer loses respect, why should one expect to have their precious guitar get any?

I made a coast to coast trip where I was given wrong instructions, missed a plane half a country away when the first one stopped to refuel, just arrived at the destiny to soon, from the upper deck, watch my ship remove the hawsers from the bollards, as a truck barreled down the Halifax road to return my misdirected luggage from Newfoundland, toss it aboard, kallowing me to have my only belongings accompany me to Europe. That could have been a guitar.

If I flew with one. it would be a guitar that fit the job and the travel. I wouldn’t care or worry about it too much, and I’d have a suitable case with stickers and decals. I’d still have to have some love for it though.

I’m with you, Rich. I prefer to drive, but that is becoming less appreciated as population, crazy driving, road repair, and trucking increases. Driving can be a pain in some cases, but it has it’s advantages. Truck stop coffee, food, and munchies is wayyyyy better. :P
FSB

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 11:57 pm
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This oughta give you confidence:



FSB

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:34 am
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kind of what I was expecting. guess if I want to bring a guitar with it will be a driving vacation. I do have good TSA cases but still, wouldn't want them tossed around by airline staff.

I don't ever check baggage on flights anymore


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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 7:19 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Best option, get a good solid road case, one with locks and put it in as baggage.

this is 100% correct IMO. Make sure they are TSA approved locks. Unless you are rich and famous, this is your best bet. And even famous people can have problems.

This is Bryan Adams' 1946 Martin D-18. It was defaced by Egyptian customs:

Image

I will just add this: I ended up buying a good quality "banger" guitar for flying. After the first flight, I never wanted to put my Martin on an airplane again. See picture above.


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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 7:58 am
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When we emigrated from the UK to Turkey, nearly 4 years ago, my Strat came with us

When I got it, it didn't come with a case (as was normal in the UK), so I bought a rectangle heavy duty one which , when we flew, had a styrofoam case with an ornate mirror placed on top (a present from our daughter)
The night before we flew, I wrapped them together with cling film (LOTS of it!!) and tucked in "Fragile, Glass" home made labels in both English and Turkish
At the airport, I had to take it to a seperate counter for fragile items where it was x rayed (looks weird seeing all the wiring and strings and frets and even the pickguard screws)
It then went on a seperate conveyor belt to be loaded in the hold

At the other end, our cases all came up, except my guitar case........I waited till he last case came up then panicked, I looked round and saw a guy who had a name tag on and a walkie talkie , so went over and explained what had happened . He asked me to describe it and I told him it was about 4 feet long .As soon as I said that , he led me over o a crowd of Turks who were all stood round it wondering (by the looks on their faces), what it was
When we eventually got to our villa, I unwrapped it and both Guitar and mirror were intact (although the case had a nasty ding in it) , good job it was sturdy, it looks like plywood

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:54 am
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stratmangler wrote:
Do what SRV used to do.
Take the neck off, and put the guitar into a much smaller bag and carry it on board.
I was just thinking this to be a good solution and/or, perhaps, having a travel guitar (generally acoustic) approach with a hinged neck.

The problem with a separated (as mentioned) or a hinged neck getting the Royal treatment is that SRV was Stevie Ray Vaughan. That doesn’t hold true for the rest of us. Baseball bats are not welcomed aboard. In fact, the TSA states that ‘Stick or club type sporting goods’ (not unlike a guitar neck) should be carried only in checked luggage,

In the eyes of the wrong authority at the airport, I can see a conflict to avoid unless one’s case is sent to the luggage compartment where separation is less necessary. Of course, if a locked storage for carry ons is available, that would be a good way to go, and another way for the airlines to tack on a charge.

My bet is that the larger the airport, the more experience dealing with guitars having been through the argument both from airlines and passengers could help. A similar experience, I’ve found, can be beneficial at busy borders, but the opposite could be true so there is no assurance. Frequent fliers may have a perceived advantage. The security level in the region would also come into play where less or more concern for you and your instrument come into play. Oh, and one other thing. Luck.

Here are some good tips:
https://traveltips.usatoday.com/airplan ... 17786.html

FSB

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:32 am
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don't get me started on the brilliance of TSA folks. last trip to FL I had a new backpack, took everything out for viewing as they instructed. I left a Clif bar in my pack.
TSA guy loses his mind. "is this your's" pointing at my pack. "yeah". "stay right there"
he proceeds to try and open the pack, but can't figure it out. he then decides he will just tear it open.
I told him the cost of that pack was probably more then his weekly salary. (didn't get me any nice points there) so then he shoves his hand through the little opening that is at the top.
brings out my Clif bar. "what were you thinking, were you hiding this, this was the problem"
I was like "what"

apparently it has a foil wrapper that sets off the machine. who knew.

yeah the more I think about it, there is no way I want those idiots touching my guitar.


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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:57 pm
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Flying back home from San Jose (California) my wife and I got a female inspector who did not have a good command of the English language and was probably good competition for 1985 Don Johnson on facial hair.
So she's going through our carry-on after the x-ray, and pulls out my Mach-3 (this was before 9/11)
"What is dis?"
"My razor"
"What it for?"

My wife jumps in....
"In this country, men, and most women, shaaaave with it..." (making shaving motions on her cheeks)
As soon as she said "most women" the inspectors in the other lines started busting up.

I just can't believe that this woman had no idea what a cartridge razor was. It would probably have been a smoother trip had I brought one of my Straight razors.

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:57 am
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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 4:53 pm
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Pawn shop guitar. Take it to another pawn shop before I go back home. Especially If I were staying for a while. Similar to having clothes and toiletries, etc when going to visit my mom when she was alive in AZ. Wanna freak out TSA when traveling? Do it without luggage.
Cheers,

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Post subject: Re: How do you fly with your guitar.
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 6:59 pm
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I have a couple more good tips:

1. I took a few trips with multiple flights and I remember hitting one part where the baggage person asked me if I wanted to let my guitar case keep going along the conveyor or walk it to the gate and check it there.

I said I guess just let it keep going on the conveyor. The baggage guy says “see where the bags go through that hole? There’s a BIG drop after that. Like 50 foot drop. You might want to walk it down”.

And from that point forward if I ever had an option, I’d grab it and walk it to the gate.

2. As far as the case again, I packed it tight by putting all my socks and underwear inside wherever there was space between the body and the side of the case. I figured it would get jarred less and hopefully the bouncy sock fabric would make a little cushion. Also to the TSA Officer: feel free to pick through my underwear and then repack it if you must look that close at this guitar. :lol:


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