Taking your bass on a flight

[MrBBQ]

Any experiences here? I want to take my StingRay on an international flight, and at least upon first asking, I can't take it with me as cabin baggage... How about checked baggage? Is the StingRay's case hard enough? What about the temperature in the cargo hole?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RocketRobin]

Any experiences here? I want to take my StingRay on an international flight, and at least upon first asking, I can't take it with me as cabin baggage... How about checked baggage? Is the StingRay's case hard enough? What about the temperature in the cargo hole?

Thanks in advance!

Whoa! At first I thought this was going to be a post about an "exostential" bass playing experience.
On the other hand, I exist and there you are...

I don't know what kind of case you have. Any hard case will prevent hard knocks.
Flight cases (like my MM flight cases for my MM basses) are specifically designed to exceed the punishment limitations of any organised labour union, no matter how inbred a member of such a union might be.

Last time I was at ACL I saw a lot of strangely shaped guitar like instuments in gig bags, at the air-terminal. IMO gig bag + air travel = neck at up to 30 degree angle.
Kudos to the baggage handlers at limiting the neck deflection to 30 degrees. I expect this is written into their union contract somewhere, so it's a good job all round.

As far as climate control is concerned, have you ever seen the condition of a dog after a short domestic flight? On the other hand, have you ever seen a freeze dried dog after a short flight to a third world country?

I sure as hell wouldn't put Miss Daisey into a cargo hold, but she's only a ****in dog. My basses are made to be played and if one gets raped, last I heard MM was makin more.

Note: I have an all Maple Gibson RD that I had modified, when I was a kid. It cracked nine times on my first tour and the neck twisted three degrees. After that I stopped looking at it and started listening to it.

Music isn't torte pick guards in the family room, at high tea.
Music is being, as being is music.

 

[MrBBQ]

Thanks for the answer, RocketRobin! Due to language difficulties , I was wondering what you meant by "neck at up to 30 angle"? So it worked as cabin baggage without any trouble?

About cases---I'm talking about the standard one I guess, e.g. if you buy your MusicMan at GuitarCenter.. (actually, I'm yet to buy my bass..

Thanks!

 

[Moondog]

BBQ, no experiences here but I'm in the same boat.
I DO NOT want to check-in a bass. You can't put it
in a small gig bag & store in overhead or under seat?
If you can, I recommend a Sterling for better fit

 

[oldbluebassman]

Two years ago I came from the UK to Austin, Tx to record an album. I brought my SR5 with me in a hard shell case, a UK made Hiscox, but similar to the EB cases.

It travelled as checked baggage in the hold and arrived in Dallas. It was then checked again Dallas - Austin and arrived completely unscathed. Two weeks later it travelled back with me, no problems.

One tip however is to gaffa tape over the catches so there is no risk of them being caught in the baggage handling machinery.