Work Background:
My old boss at work retired and we got a new boss that doesn't know our business (tech writing), as I was whingeing about in my last Stick studio creation, ScarBaby. As I'm a Supervisor of tech writing and writers, I don't travel as much as I used to for my job, which usually involves taking the target audience for the widget's manuals to the factory that produces the widget, and seeing if the TA (target audience) can use the manuals as written, or if any changes need to be made (a process called "verification.") It usually involves traveling across country and even other countries--Canada is only an hour away from me, and I've been to England (Manchester) and Germany for other trips, so it's fun to spend 2 weeks in a German factory with a weekend in the middle to see the country, but it's not really very touristy, because the days usually involve overtime and are long and usually sweaty. Factory maintenance shops are not always with AC or we're outdoors in Yuma Arizona in the desert running a water purifier in 110 degrees F to test it. Good times in Yuma! Not.)

Back when I was a tech writer, I was a Traveling Wilbury and was on the road about 4-6 months out of the year doing these technical manual checks called Verifications. Now, I get to send out other people to do this, and get to stay at home most of the time.

Long story short, I have a bunch of verifications which I need to "observe" FOR my new boss and partly WITH him, to show him our processes and what the people he's now in charge of do. I'm not sure yet how much travel there will be, but if there's any, it will only be a one-week shot here and there, and not the 2-3 months it is for my people. But it could be a lot of these 1-week jaunts.

Problem: how do I keep Sticking while traveling? How would I keep writing music without any of my studio with me?

My plan so far is to take my wooden 10-string in its travel gig bag with me and my Irig 2, which will plug into my ACTV pickups and output to earphones. As for keys and a DAW, I don't have a small MIDI controller at all anymore. I do plan to bring my MACBOOK PRO, so I'll have Pro Tools and most of my plugins and sample banks. So I don't need an amp or a audio connector--just the laptop and my Pro Tools dongle.

Questions:

1) Any problems flying with your Stick as onboard luggage? (I will not check my Sticks to baggage under any circumstances, even with my hardshell case I got when I got the Railboard.) I'm worried that I'll be forced to check it when boarding. I'll be flying mainly Delta.

2) Any one have a good suggestion for a MIDI controller that would cost say under $200 that would fit into my luggage and travel easily with (I could check that and wouldn't HAVE to bring the controller as carry-on)? Anyone recommend a good small one that's pretty sturdy?

I know many musicians travel as part of their gigging, but I just don't want to go a week at a time not playing anything, and sitting in a hotel room all night now as a non-drinker (17 months now on the wagon) with no musical instruments sounds like torture to me now!

I appreciate any help or feedback and guidance you might give a Not-so Traveling Wilbury.

--Stevie Paigan Wilbury, the good-looking Wilbury

I Steve. It depends on the companies: here in Europe most of them let you bring your instrument with you as long as you don't have any other hand luggage. But we have to stay away from low cost. They're the ones that cause the more trouble. Check with the companie you're flying with. Cheers


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I travel with just the Stick, no amp, no DAW. You'll approach the instrument a whole different way.

No fuss, just fingers on steel and wood.

I believe there's a new rule in the states that allows musos to bring the axes on board. Google it, and report back, cause I'm curious...
dude,....leave that midi (must induce difficult interaction) stuff at home....just saying.

cheers,
iceman

I do around 15 flights a year with the Alto Stick and it always goes in the cabin with me( soft case ). Though this is Australia so I can only speak for here. I also go to Asia without issues. Admittedly I got the Alto because of its size , I also commute to work on Choppers. Best to check with carriers I guess. Gear wise , as you have probably seen I use a macbook Air, ( also purchased for size & weight & thickness ) with an Apogee Duet interface. Mac loaded with PTools & Logic. Chuck in a small pair of Senhiesser noise cancelling headphones & its a powerful combination.
Generally I think we are pretty lucky these days with all the " portable " options available. I have been thinking about a mini keyboard Midi controller also, they will slip in a bag easily, dirt cheap and weigh almost nothing.
Have fun!

Very bad experience with Vueling (spanish airline)

after checking with many people here i had th feeling that i have nothing to worry about getting the stick onboard.

i have passed the check in and was told my stick can go onboard (with soft case)
upon getting to the plane they didn't allow for the stick to go inside and i had to let it go with the luggage (only option they gave me is to buy extra ticket for the stick !!)

upon landing i figured out it was gone - took me more than 24hrs of nervous phone calls to get it back

stupid airline company !

Perhaps Stick Enterprises can create the "Travel Stick" ?
Something that folds up or retracts to a more compact size.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfrvTLycNUY
http://eo-guitars.com/images/Instructions_4.1.pdf

Boaz, your experience is exactly what I'm dreading!

And good idea, Rodrigo! From the Delta website:
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/ ... items.html


So, Piratebruce flies with his alto--what's the size on that? Delta also recommends flying with the hard shell case, but that would NEVER fit in the overhead, although I think the soft case will but it would take up most of not all of the overhead storage. Last time I came back from Japan with a guitar, they put it in a closet up front next to the pilot's cabin, where they stick golf clubs and ski equipment. That's what I'm counting on, but the info here makes no mention of that and says to stow it overhead (correction: "...other approved storage locations in the cabin.")

Hmmm....

Also to forgoing MIDI, I hear y'all, but that's like 94% of what I do! I'd like to have a simple small controller that will fold up and stow, like Bruce suggested.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and ideas so far! I dig that foldup guitar too! I saw a foldup double bass that fit in its own body as a case and thought that I must have one (I don't even play double bass. YET!)

So more questions than answers from the Delta site.

Gene, that's how I play my Rosewood more often than not, even at home!

Forgot to mention that upon getting to the Stick camp i found out that Vueling lost not only my stick but other guy's stick who went to the camp