Flying with a double bass

[bassadder]

Hi Guys

Anyone here flown to the US with a double bass?, going to LA in September and need advice, whether to take my bass or hire something there.

Cheers

Laurence

[Happy Jack]

The Flight Of The Double Bass?

http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/BumbleeBass.html

[iamtheelvy]

The title of this thread made my blood pressure go up slightly...

I'm sure it would be fine... :-s

[chrkelly]

Hire! Less stress all around.

[spencer.b]

I've always hired a bass for gigs abroad, have you got a proper flightcase? how many gigs do you have over there?

[bassadder]

No proper flightcase would hire a Gage, Kolstein etc. here in the UK

Recording an album for 2 weeks in the same studio.

[spencer.b]

Hmm tricky one , if it was for gigs I'd hire one but I can understand why you'd consider your taking bass for the studio. How much is the excess baggage charge? I would of thought you could get a pretty good instrument with an adjustable bridge and take your preferred strings, although I've had some awful gigs abroad on hired basses , last year in Rome I ended up with a bass so unplayable we had to cut all the fast tunes and even on medium swingers I was having to play a 2 feel badly. You could maybe see if the studio have connections for a hiring a bass from a local player as they tend to be better set up than hire company instruments. Classical players fly really expensive instruments all the time don't they? What sort of music do you play?

Edited April 4, 2014 by spencer.b

[jakenewmanbass]

It depends on how much you need your bass with you.
I have flown with DB many many times, pre 911 it was hell, post, it's nigh on impossible, although there have been some concessions made recently about taking instruments aboard planes.
I would hire.
To answer Spencer.b classical players generally have their instruments shipped freight (by the orchestra) it's only the players of small expensive instruments that tend to carry aboard.
The major problem is if you arrive at an airport and meet a difficult staff member you are in their hands, if the bass is not properly cased you're in trouble (I know of several horror stories) if it [i]is[/i] properly cased it's going to be between 40 - 60 kg, so to the States you are going to be paying a lot on excess baggage.
Edit: If the budget is there you can always buy it a seat...

Edited April 4, 2014 by jakenewmanbass

[bassace]

Sometimes the flying bit can be relatively easy. I've flown my DB abroad in a flight case a few times and on each occasion the check-in people and handlers were OK to helpful. It's strange to see a combo go through the X-ray machine. Where it can sometimes become difficult is getting from the airport to the destination. If a van is laid on in advance it's OK but cabs can't take a flight case. And I know of guitarists who, in spite of having the flight case unlocked still get the security people jemmying the hinges open, (USA, God bless 'em).