One off flight with double bass

[Henry8]

Hi all

I have to transport my double bass one way on a flight from London to norway. Its a Nice old german lady worth around 2000. I got a soft case which is quite thick ... But no padding as such.

Well a flight case is out because of price. So i am looking for a hard case. Cant find anything near my area In sussex. Any one have one for sale (or hire?) that will just do this job?

Any tips or ideas?

Thanks

Henry8

[Rabbie]

Can you not hire a bass there? It is a lot safer. A but if research will surely reveal a good music shop that could hire at reasonable rate. I have hired In the past and always found it a lot less stressful and not such a terrible compromise unless your setup requirements are very unusual and the music you play would be too tricky to execute on a bass you don't know.

[bassace]

Have you read the 'Flying with a Double Bass' a few topics down? I wouldn't think about it without a flight case.

[jakenewmanbass]

Under no circumstances should you put your bass into the hands of baggage handlers and ultimately the hold of a plane in anything less than a flight case.
There is a very high risk of it being destroyed.
Throwing high value items around is like sport to handlers, it seems the more fragile stickers things have the more unwanted attention they get. I'm not a scaremonger repeating second hand stories, I've flown lots with instruments and seen this stuff with my own eyes, I've also known of 2 instances of basses being destroyed in soft cases in plane holds... neck off smashed woodwork.
Hire, or get a flightcase.

Edited April 5, 2014 by jakenewmanbass

[henrywillard]

I know Malcolm Healey in Box Hill, Surrey had one or two of those hard foam cases he was looking to sell at a decent price, but I have a hard foam case, and I would not feel confident flying with my bass inside it, despite the thick padding. The bass just isn't secured in one of those cases at all.

I too am making my first flight with my bass this Easter from Gatwick to Edinburgh (and back a few days later), and thankfully managed to pick up a wonderful Kolstein flight case on Gumtree a couple of months back. Fingers crossed my bass will be okay!

If you weren't flying one-way, I'd offer to loan it out to you, as I'm only in Kent

[Dad3353]

[quote name='henrywillard' timestamp='1396733791' post='2416957']...If you weren't flying one-way, I'd offer to loan it out to you, as I'm only in Kent [/quote]

Could the case not be flown back empty..?

[Owencf]

If you happen to find a Kolstein case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6akhwYoRBk

[Henry8]

Thanks for tips. I though of frieght but the frieght company needed a reciept of purchase and wont insure! I dont have a receipt, So i have to take it. I will be comming back, just not with the bass! It Looks like i need to hire one.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Henry8' timestamp='1396894543' post='2418520']
Thanks for tips. I though of frieght but the frieght company needed a reciept of purchase and wont insure! I dont have a receipt, So i have to take it. I will be comming back, just not with the bass! It Looks like i need to hire one.
[/quote]

Could you not borrow or hire a case, and bring it back empty..?

[Henry8]

If you need to ship and have lots of bubble wrap

Alban Cases make cases shipping for Art and museum stuff .... said ....

[font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]On using internal dimensions 185 x 55 x 45cm and making a 9mm wooden case[/size][/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]the cost would be £115.00 for a wooden case.[/size][/font]