Travelling (flying) with a guitar: safest options?

Gear
#1

Hey All,

I’m sure millions of people asked this question over the internet over the past years, but I’ll do it once more:

What’s the best/safest way to travel with a guitar on a plane?

Ideally, I’d want to take the guitar onboard with me. This was never a problem 10~20-ish years ago, but nowadays airlines are much stricter Re: hand luggage size and whatnot. If it goes badly and you are forced to check it in without a hard case, I’m pretty sure you can say bye bye to your guitar.

Most airlines, it seems, don’t officially allow gtrs as hand luggage, but want you to buy an extra seat(!!) for the guitar, which is obviously crazy expensive.

The other option is to check the guitar in using a hard case. Not a huge fan of this due to big temperature changes in the hold, and the possibility of it getting lost.

So… are there some airlines out there that are particularly “guitar friendly”, perhaps guaranteeing that you can take the instrument onboard for a reasonable fee?

Is there an obvious solution I am overlooking?

#2

Idk about airlines that will let you carry luggage over their limits, but I went to Tasmania from England with my steinberger spirit guitar and it fit In the over head compartment, idk if a full sized guitar would. It was about 6 different plane flights there n back, no issues.

I tried to get a picture of the guitar in the xray machine but they wouldn’t give it to me, looked cool.
I know that might not help if you don’t have one, though £200 or so for a headless is cheaper than some seat tickets lol

#3

Hm, if someone’s got a bolt-on, they could probably just take the strings / neck off and stuff it in an overhead-sized bag. Then bolt it back up at the destination.

@tommo I think just checking it is the smartest move. If it works for Martin Miller, it can work for you.

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#4

This is a tricky one… nearly twenty years ago, they wouldn’t let me on with the guitar because of my “suspicious looking” whammy bar :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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#5

Don’t Wana be doing dive bombs on a plane

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#6

I’ve never done this for carry-on, but I’ve flown with disassembled bolt-on guitars in “ordinary” checked luggage several times. Mind you, this was for modestly priced “workhorse” type guitars. I’d be less likely to do it for something with sentimental value or a price north of $1000.

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#7

I’d imagine a possible problem with disassembling a bolt-on is getting screwdrivers through security so you can reassemble at your destination.

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#8

I guess it depends on the guitar, but a typical Fender is so simple there’s not much than can go wrong. Maybe just use some painter’s tape to fix the bridge saddles into position so the intonation stays. You could even bubble wrap the neck and body if you want. I’d do it, but my guitars are planks of wood with not much else going on.

#9

In my case, I’ve just wrapped everything in heavy t-shirts inside a full-size bag that was sufficiently full for stuff not to rattle around inside. My main potential concern would be for security to “peak” inside the bag without re-packing it nicely, and then for the bag to get roughly handled subsequently. Probably worst-case scenario would be for the body to get repacked too close to an edge of the bag, and then for the bag to take a hard landing on that edge. But as packed by me, I’m not sure I’d be able to do any damage if I intentionally tried.

Actually, I guess worst case scenario would be for the bag to get irretrievably lost, or for malfunction or negligence to result in the contents of the bag getting spilled onto a hard surface.

#10

I’ve checked guitars on many flights in the last several years using Reunion Blues Continental cases. So far, no issues.

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#11

Thanks for the reassurance and namedrop :slight_smile:

Do you have your case model at hand? I can see that they have several types including a sort of gigbag-rigid case hybrid

#12

Sure, the case itself didn’t have any reference to model number on/in it, but checked Amazon purchase history and it’s an RBG1BK Midnight Continental electric guitar case. Purchased in late 2016.

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#13

Try this for detail including areoplane travel with a guitar, as he’s going from New York to the Czech Republic.

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#14

Ask a Nashville musician the safe airlines, there are particular ones they use. Most use a really good Mono bag rather than a hard case, they are less likely to throw it around. This has been discussed also by Pete Thorn and Andy Wood.

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#15

My solution was to splash out on a Steinberger GT-Pro Deluxe.

These are very good value (mine cost around £300). The legendary Steinberger GL design, surprisingly fast, flattish neck (14" radius IIRC), awesome R-Trem bridge. Wood instead of carbon-fibre. Needs double ball-end strings unless you get an aftermarket adapter for regular strings (definitely worth it).

This guitar has 24 frets and a scale length of 25.5" (same as a strat). But the guitar is overall about 31" long. It’s tiny. Being headless and with a zero fret lends itself very well to a very fast, low-action setup.

It comes with a gig bag, and I’ve never heard of anyone having problems carrying one on-board as hand luggage.

Gibson (owners of the Steinberger brand) are actually marketing it as “the ultimate travel guitar”.

https://www.steinberger.com/Steinberger-GT-PRO-Deluxe-Outfit.html

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#16

Yet another post for a Steinberger GT-Pro. The EMG pickups are flat and lifeless so I had some hot Duncans installed on it to spice it up with push-pull pickup selector (humbucker to single coil with 3 way switch). Easy carry and fits the overhead bin on top of our carry-ons so it doesn’t really take up any extra space. Very nice finish, too–at least the MIK one that I have. Not a Strat or a PRS but it gets the job done. I guess it depends on what you’re using it for–me being a non-pro player.

Rock on!
Sarge

3 Likes
#17

From my experience, some people suggest disassembling the guitar—removing the neck and packing it up in a smaller bag. It’s definitely an option if you don’t mind the hassle, but not ideal if you’ve got a vintage or sentimental piece.