[Vashin]

Hey all, I'm just wondering what are people's experiences with bringing guitars overseas with them via an airplane. I'll be taking a trip soon to Hong Kong since I found a summer job there and want to bring my Godin Electric guitar but I have no idea where to begin. Would it be carry on? Or should I get a hardcase and put it with the big luggage? Any help would be appreciated since I don't want to be without guitar and practice.

 

[plus_c]

It definitely will not be a carry-on item. No airline that I know of allows guitars as carry-ons. Get a good hard case, and it should be fine in checked luggage.

 

[Vashin]

Would it be safe? haha I'm scared for it.

 

[skiingemt]

I personally have never tried to take a guitar on a plane, but a few years ago I went to Hawaii with a group and one guy brought his guitar as a carry on. They stowed it in a big closet near the front of the plane. I asked him about it at the time, he said the temperature changes in the cargo hold where they keep the checked luggage are very bad for guitars. The strings apparently get very tight when they get cold, and can damage the neck. Just passing on second hand info, but I'm sure one of our friendly community musicians can clarify.

G

 

[Stephonovich]

I recently flew to Nebraska from North Carolina on Southwest, and someone brought an acoustic guitar on carry-on. It just fit into the overhead. An electric would likely fit better (unless it's a Les Paul, in which case there's not much size difference anyway) due to the smaller size. I doubt you could manage a bass in there, though.

And yes, I'll second the bit about cargo holds. Temperature and perhaps even the pressure changes can damage guitars. If you must, I'd recommend loosening up the strings. You don't want to fully take them off, because if you lose tension, the neck can bow. Especially with the climate changes such as you'd encounter in a cargo hold.

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plus_c It definitely will not be a carry-on item. No airline that I know of allows guitars as carry-ons. Get a good hard case, and it should be fine in checked luggage.

This is not true. US Airways, for example, allows musical instruments as carry-ons if they do not exceed certain dimensions: http://www.usairways.com/customers/t...nstruments.htm. I've carried guitars on to US Airways flights, and I've seen others do so many times.

If you want to try to carry on your guitar, there are a couple of things that you can do to increase your chances of getting it on board.

First, check with each airline that you are flying to determine their policy for carry-on musical instruments. It probably wouldn't hurt to print out the policy and have a copy with you.

Second, unless you have early boarding privileges because of your frequent flyer status or you are in first class, try to get seat assignments near the back of the plane. Since most airlines board from the back of the plane forward, this will allow you to get on the plane relatively early and maximize your chance of finding an overhead compartment with space for your guitar.

Third, the general consensus among folks on the guitar newsgroups when this question arises is that you should not ask the gate agents whether it is OK to bring the guitar on board. Keep the guitar as inconspicuous as possible (in a gig bag over your shoulder if possible) and assume that you can bring it on board unless and until you are told otherwise.

Even with these precautions, it is possible that you will not be permitted to carry the guitar on-board, which leaves you with four other options, some of which are more viable than others. First, you could get a flight case and check it in the cargo hold (with the tension removed from the strings, as others have mentioned). Second, you buy a seat for the guitar. Third, you could ship the guitar separately in a well-packed box and with appropriate insurance. Finally, as much as you may love you Godin, you could get an inexpensive travel guitar or an inexpensive Telecaster or something similar. The Tele's bolt-on neck makes it pretty simple to disassemble, and you can fit the pieces into a carry on bag that fits under your seat.

Good luck with your trip!

 

[Ticky]

I have some "guitar on airplane" experiences. Having spent my highschool, college and grad school years abroad, I had to lug my precious classical guitar around airports quite a bit.

Here are my personal "golden rules":

a) A sturdy hard case is essential.

Those soft leather bags are a no-no. Even if you bring it on as a carry-on, you'll have to either toss it up in the overhead compartment or the hanger closet. This means that your guitar would get knocked around by other people's items if not well protected.

I used to have an ultra heavy duty hard case. I thought it was safe to throw my guitar in with those huge luggages. Guess what? The freaking ultra heavy duty hard case came out of the conveyor belt with a shattered shell. Thankfully, the damage did not reach into my guitar.

Which brings me to the next point....

b) Always insist on bringing your guitar onboard as a carryon.

Cry, bitch, raise your voice, bargain, flirt... do whatever it takes.

Generally, try to be at the gate early. If stopped by the attendant upon boarding, explained that you have a very expensive and fragile instrument (so what if its not that expensive... not the first time you told a lie) and insist on bringing in as a handcarry.

I usually ask to have my guitar stored in the jacket hanger closet. Those work well since the passengers are not likely to go around opening it as frequently as the overhead compartment.

c) Loosen the tension on your guitar strings for the flight.

I've read this somewhere once. My personal conviction came when I opened my guitar case after one long flight to find that a couple of strings snapped.

d) Use a dampit (humidifier).

The cabin air recylcing system dries up the air. Which is why you are frequently advised to drink plenty of water and apply moisturizer while on a long plane trip.

Chances are your guitar will be affected by the dry climate. But that might depend on the guitar. Some are more tolerant of dry weather, others less. You'll have to figure it out whether your guitar reacts badly to damp or dry weather.

Still a dampit will be very useful in preserving it from possible damage. These things are small and convenient to use (just soak the damper in water, clip it onto the edges of the soundhole, and cover the soundhole with the provided cover).


I find that once these points are observed, you can usually rest easy about the safety of your guitar.

 

[Vashin]

Alright.... hardcase over gigbag seems to be the consensus? I should be able to steal... err borrow one from my buddy. Would anyone have any experiences with air canada? That's the airline I'm taking and it seems that their website policy has nothing to say about instruments, so I'll be contacting them sometime.

 

[wrhawk]

Ticky's got some good guidelines to follow, but be aware that sometimes things don't go as planned, and you may be screwed into checking it even after you've gotten it on the plane. If you don't have a real travel case (see: http://www.caltoncases.ab.ca/frame_home.htm), flying in the cargo hold can cause some real damage (damage that the airline is not going to want to pay for). So, do your homework, know their policies, and if all else fails, take a different flight.

Hope all goes well.

 

[MASantos]

It is mandatory that you loose the strings of your guitar, expecially if it is going to be cargo. The pressure and temerature difference can breack the strings. I have learned this the hard way and the result was 55€ on a new set of strings. Even if you take the guittar as carry on you should loose he strings. If you want to play during the flight, just tune them again, and loose once again for landing.

Good luck....

Manuel

 

[dvw]

You will not able to take it as a carry on when you are boarding from Hong Kong. They have to meet a certain dimenaion before you go into custom.

 

[pne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MASantos It is mandatory that you loose the strings of your guitar, expecially if it is going to be cargo. The pressure and temerature difference can breack the strings. I have learned this the hard way and the result was 55€ on a new set of strings. Even if you take the guittar as carry on you should loose he strings. If you want to play during the flight, just tune them again, and loose once again for landing. Good luck.... Manuel

you paid a bloody 55 pounds for strings? what kind of strings were these? solid gold?

 

[AuroraProject]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne you paid a bloody 55 pounds for strings? what kind of strings were these? solid gold?

No he paid 55 Euro, which is roughly £36.

 

[Unclewai]

My friend went back to hong kong last week via Northwest. THey wouldn't let him bring his acoustic guitar and his violin as carry on. He didn't have a hard case on the guitar but luckily both survived. So definitely treat the guitar as if it has to be check in. Last year when I and a friend went back to Hong Kong, the flight attendent was nice and allowed my friend to put the guitar in a cabinet at the end of the plane, but I wouldn't count on that.

 

[Stephonovich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuroraProject No he paid 55 Euro, which is roughly £36.

That's still insane. Unless they're Elixir bass strings. Even then, that's a bit steep. They're about $40 here. I suppose Portugal might have some mark-up for such things, though.