Are Flightcases heavy / worth it?

[Cat Burrito]

Just wondering really. I like the professional look of flightcases and overseas gigs are more likely at the moment then at any other stage of my playing career. From those who actually use them I just wondered what flight cases are actually like. Are they worth the money? Are they ultra heavy? Are they worth it, if like BA / Mr T, you ain't getting on no plane Hannibal?

[JTUK]

If you are doing any hard travelling I would have a proper fitted flightcase, no question.
Anything on a plane, then deffo.

Hiscox are ok if you are careful carrying other peoples kit and gig bags are only any good if the bass goes on the seat of a car, IMV.

[JTUK]

They are heavy but with a decent shoulder bag then they are an easy carry to and from the transport.
Assuming that the people the other end do things properly..

Also get insurance....

[Owen]

Flightcases are cool if your stuff is going in the hold and then in a van and you meet it at the gig.

SKB bass safe is cooler if it goes in the hold and then you move stuff around at the other end cos you put you bass in a gig bag in the bass safe and then move around with a gig bag at the other end.

[chris_b]

Well, you should only fly with your bass (in a sturdy case), you don't fly with amps or cabs, unless you just won £56 million! The promoter should provide the back line if you are flying, but if you are travelling in a van or you have roadies that are going to wreck your gear then cases might be a good idea.

[Cat Burrito]

Thanks guys - reading back my original post I'm not that clear... we're hardly jet setting all over the world & we're still doing UK gigs, albeit with a fair bit of travel sometimes.

I was wondering mainly about how convieniant they were for regular use. And Chris_b, I'd expect a backline as a minimum if playing overseas. We played with a Nashville band last week who blew most of their budget shipping a keyboard so I think lesson learnt there!

Edited February 15, 2010 by BurritoBass

[thisnameistaken]

I think flight cases are still useful if you're touring a lot, it's nice to know that whoever loaded up the van, when you get out at the other end your bass is still going to be in one piece. And it's a safe place to keep your bass inside the venue too, saves you worrying about other bands tripping over it or whatever.

I've never bothered with flightcasing cabs, they just get too heavy to lift and loading in/out requires more organisation (a quality bands tend not to have in vast quantities). Depends how expensive / replaceable your cabs are I suppose.

[Big_Stu]

I have a custom made fitted case for my bass, it cost me £247 about 8/9 years ago. Wouldn't want to carry it more than 50 yards or so, & wouldn't at all for an hour or so before a gig; stretches arms & hands out of place etc. BUT it is guaranteed to 30,000 ft they said.

There was a company that advertised every month in good ol' MusicMart who sold the whole kit for making your own if you're handy with a rivet gun but I don't remember their name.

[discreet]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='746672' date='Feb 15 2010, 11:10 PM']I've never bothered with flightcasing cabs, they just get too heavy to lift and loading in/out requires more organisation[/quote]

Too right. I did a tour with an SVT Classic and 8x10, both flightcased. Anal prolapse, anyone?

[Kiwi]

i have two flight cases, one I bought off Tayste to protect the Celinders en route to NZ. The other came with the Alembic. Both are heavy as **** and I wouldn't want to turn around in a confined space. Even the slightest bump against a doorframe on the way out to the car can take a chunk of paint off.

Stick with the bass safe, I have one of those too and they're way more convenient.

[BluRay]

I recently got a custom (live-in) flightcase for my amp head, partly for transport proctection partly as an excuse to get a couple of rack spaces built-in for tuner and stuff (a bit unnecessary I know, but it saves faffing about cos everything is now in one unit, always hooked-up, one power switch etc). Cost about £190. I'm really chuffed with how it turned out, seeing as I didn't think to go rack-mount to start with. The downside is it is now quiet heavy and bulky. I'd guess it doubled the weight of the head. Its still portable enough - but you wouldn't want to carry it far! Obviously I wouldn't fly it anywhere.

[wateroftyne]

I've used a Hiscox for short-to-medium haul flights without a problem (that's not to say I haven't been biting my nails throughout).

For longer stuff, I had an industrial strength flightcase built by KAAT. It had a gravitational pull of it's own...

[woodster]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='746791' date='Feb 16 2010, 03:38 AM']Stick with the bass safe, I have one of those too and they're way more convenient.[/quote]


My SKB Bass Safe has been around the world several times and, try as they might (and they REALLY have tried), BA have yet to break it...

[Stu-khag]

Whenever I have to get filming kit together for overseas shoots I always make sure we have peli cases as they are light and virtually indestructable.
I vaguely remember ped saying one of the peli rifle cases would fit a bass.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Stu-khag

[Sibob]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='746754' date='Feb 16 2010, 01:06 AM']I have a custom made fitted case for my bass...... BUT it is guaranteed to 30,000 ft they said.[/quote]

What.......dropping it??


Si

[alanbass1]

Great for touring and travelling abroad, buit for general use they are a pain. I still have my flightcases from my touring days in the loft and they came in handy when I went to the 'states for three years in '05, si I'm glad I kept them.

[casapete]

I've used a top quality flightcase for gigs abroad (by plane and truck) with no problems.
Not sure whether a generic ABS type bass case would've survived though-seen a few of those with major battlescars
after baggage handlers have worked their magic.

For everyday stuff a (good) gigbag or case is enough for me,and a lot easier to manage.

[JimBobTTD]

[quote name='discreet' post='746758' date='Feb 16 2010, 02:12 AM']Anal prolapse, anyone?[/quote]

No thanks!

As regards the original post, yes they are heavy. I'm using a standard hard case now, and that's heavy enough. But I do think that they are worth it - I don't have a car and get to practices by bus. I've banged the case into a wall, had it a little bit squished on a packed bus (always popular with the other travellers, large cases!) and the bass was 100% unscathed. A gigbag in that situation would have secured a dent, chip or broken headstock/neck. I think flightcases are expensive, but when you calculate the cost of a replacement for a broken bass, they are more like insurance policies. I'd much rather keep my current bass than have it break and get a new one, so this is one insurance policy which I like!

[ThomBassmonkey]

I have an ABS case for one of my basses and have to say it's great. It's in a mess now, but the bass inside has never suffered for it. I used to walk a mile and a half-ish to and from college with it over a hill and it took it's toll, but it was still do-able. It's toured Europe several times too and survived the ordeal. Had it for about 9 years and it's never let me down.

[BassBod]

I still think the Hiscox is a great case, and I've flown with one a coupe of times with no real worry. Proper flight cases are the best protection, but if you have to cart it around airports can be a real pain. Now, that's not to say I'd expect a Hiscox to survive a bad trip unmolested - mine was showing its age after about 5/6 years of car/van trips and a few flights...but the instrument was well protected.

[MB1]

MB1.
...A Flightcase will always improve an items resale value!... unless!... it was battered beyond recognition before you put it in the flightcase!

[M4L666]

I use a standard Hiscox hard case, I dunno how that would hold up in a hold, though.