Hi guys,

That's a somewhat odd question, but I guess it falls into "Classifieds":

I will be visiting LA in the end of May and expect to participate in a stick event. I'm a bit concerned about succeeding in bringing my stick over as a hand luggage (and I'm positively not risking checking it in), and I wonder if someone in LA could lend/rent me a 36" rails-equipped 10-string (i.e. identical to the one I'm used to) stick for several days (23rd-27th of May).

Cheers,
Vlad.

What tuning are you using Vlad? I might be able to hit up Kevin.

Hi Gene,

I use classic tuning. I assume that if this is a modern stick with adjustable bridge, the tuning should not be a problem (if I invest in a set of appropriate strings).

However, I've talked to Boris yesterday and almost figured it out how to fly with the stick, so I'm close to closing this topic (though it would be nice to have a backup plan).

Might be useful for others to hear about it, in case you come up with a good way of flying with a Stick.

Hi Per,

Well, nothing revolutionary here

My biggest question was whether if I should risk taking the gig bag (which makes walking around much easier, especially considering that I don't have a direct flight and have to get first to Helsinki and then change planes in Stockholm) and try to carry it in on board (and if they don't let me, either my trip or my stick is doomed), or if I should stick to the hard case and carry this casket around.

I've read many success stories from people taking their guitars and basses on board, and they encourage to take the instrument on board. However, even if in 1 of 100 flights one will be forced to check-in the instrument, it may not survive the flight in the soft gig bag. Boris strongly advised me to take the hard case.

So, the final solution I came up with is to take the hard case and to make an external nylon shell for it for a) extra protection in case I have to check it in b) to attach shoulder straps and stuff, so the hard case won't be so cumbersome to carry around. I'll try to carry the stick on board, but if they don't let me, it will be (more or less) safe in the hard case.

Have you thought about taking both the hard case and the soft case? Check in both; Stick in hard case and your clothes, cables, toothbrush etc in the soft case. Then when you arrive at your destination you may shift the content, so you will have the option to deposit the hard case, containing clothes and stuff, while keeping your precious Stick with you in the soft case.

I have, but it doesn't make much sense in my case: I don't expect to walk around a lot with the stick once reaching the destination, I expected to benefit from the soft case's light weight while changing buses/planes on my way. If I do have to take the hard case anyway, I won't need the soft one.

Besides, both cases exceed hand luggage dimensions, and only one can be checked in for free.

In that case, I think it would be too risky to not go with the hard case. The Stick is quite safe in there even though handling can be rough. Just make sure you hurry up when landing and check out exactly where that airport's staff may pile up all "special luggage". Once my Grand Stick was left in Istanbul airport all by its own right on the floor in the huge "incoming luggage hall". There were at least twenty transports there, bringing in bags from several flights. I had not been informed that my instrument had been tagged "special luggage" and in Istanbul there wasn't a special desk to regain your special luggage; it was just left right on the floor by someone too busy to care about it finding its owner. I guess I was lucky to suddenly spot it about two hundred meters away. Phiew...

And be careful not to pack gear that can't be scanned, in the hard case together with the Stick. Security will then not be able to see if explosives are hidden in there. On another trip my tenor sax (built 1929) was, for that reason, "tagged suspicious luggage and transported to a safe area to be terminated if not claimed by the owner within 30 minutes" (I managed to find out and get there in 20 minutes to save the instrument). That sounds like a nightmare, and it happened at San Fransisco airport, just because the metal sax inside the case wasn't transparent for scanning. The case had been investigated and cleared by the security in chief at London Heathrow, where I checked in, but the US airport security staff could not take the risk of trusting the Brittish "safe and clear" note.

Traveling with anything valuable can be difficult. Might I suggest a "tile"? Bury it in whatever you're traveling with. Stick case, camera bag, luggage. It has GPS, & you can pull up it's location on your phone. They are available online, about $25 each, but seriously worth it for something so dear to your heart.

I have a solution. Follow the instructions below, and I think it will work out!

1) Pay extra for a rather large, coffin shaped case. Label it "Precious Musical instrument - Handle with Care - Fragile"

2) Fill it with Transylvanian soil.

3) Also fill it with Vampire Lord "Dracula" and perhaps some of his minions

4) Take a different flight than your case (Daytime is best) - This is critical!

5) If (When) the airline guys disturb/jostle/break the case even slightly they all perish horribly, as does the crew and the passengers. Kind of memorable for the airline, and all of their workers (Most likely will make the news...) ... I bet from that point on any musician's stuff gets handled with care...