Flight case and playing abroad help

[Jimryan]

Morning all,

I've been asked to go on tour with someone and as a result, will require a flightcase. I've read through the flying with basses thread and asked around. I've had a few recommendations to go Hiscox, I like the idea behind the SKB bass-safe (but heard a couple of bad reviews) and I also like the look of the SKB iSeries.

In addition to this, is there any advice you lot can give about playing abroad (Far East). I'm taking spare strings as I doubt I'll find Roto Nexus' over there (they said they had trouble finding slinkys last time), I'll buy a few decent cables to go with too. As for humidity, a status neck has always been on my want list, so I'll get one fitted before going.

Many thanks,

James

Edited April 8, 2014 by Jimryan

[jazzyvee]

I played the WOMAD festival in Singapore in 2005, as a guitarist though. I arranged in advance with the manager and airline for me to be able to carry the guitar in the passenger compartment. Most of the bass and guitarists and brass players on the plane there and back from the UK did the same. If you get a yes from the airline, ask them to put it in the notes for the check in clerk that way it is in front of them with any dietary requirements when you check in. When I've been on other tours I've used a mixture of flightcases or a gig bag depending on if I got permission to carry the guitar on board in advance. The only place I had difficulties was flying out of the USA.

We did two concerts and a workshop session at WOMAD and I had to change my strings for each session as the mixture of finger sweat and humidity took the coating off my D'addario guitar strings since then I've always used Elixir coated guitar strings when touring outside the UK.
The only problem the bass player had was a dodgy lead.

Jazzyvee

[BigRedX]

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1396969210' post='2419253']
I played the WOMAD festival in Singapore in 2005, as a guitarist though. I arranged in advance with the manager and airline for me to be able to carry the guitar in the passenger compartment. Most of the bass and guitarists and brass players on the plane there and back from the UK did the same. If you get a yes from the airline, ask them to put it in the notes for the check in clerk that way it is in front of them with any dietary requirements when you check in. When I've been on other tours I've used a mixture of flightcases or a gig bag depending on if I got permission to carry the guitar on board in advance. The only place I had difficulties was flying out of the USA.

We did two concerts and a workshop session at WOMAD and I had to change my strings for each session as the mixture of finger sweat and humidity took the coating off my D'addario guitar strings since then I've always used Elixir coated guitar strings when touring outside the UK.
The only problem the bass player had was a dodgy lead.

Jazzyvee
[/quote]

That's a nice anecdote. However the reality of the matter is that whether or not you are allowed to bring your instrument into the passenger compartment rests entirely with the check staff and cabin crew on your particular flight. Anything that has been "agreed" in advance with the airline holds zero weight at check-in time.

The question you have to ask your self is what are you going to do if the crew will not allow your instrument in the cabin and insist it goes in the hold. Better safe than sorry - get a proper flight case and check it in.

[jazzyvee]

That happened once when I was coming back from a gig in the USA. We were allowed onto the plane with the guitar, bass & brass on the way to florida but on the way back to the UK the flight people were adamant we could not take the intruments on the plane for safety reasons unless we paid for a seat. I thought that was ludicrous since the seatbelts are not made to fit guitars and in the event of heavy turbulence the guitar would cause more damage from flyng around than in a lock up overhead llocker.
Fortunately my case was in one of those shaped webbing type semi rigid cases with a polystyrene guitar shaped insert and no damage occured in the hold.
But you are right a flight case is better and I've been abroad once with my alembic for a month long caribbean cruise and that was in a flight case I had made.

[Myke]

I'd also like to know about this Heading to Corfu in July and looking into getting a SKB Basscase but I'm wondering if that's still recommended.