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I will have to travel to Pakistan for a couple of gigs which i need to play with one of my archtops. There are no direct flights from here (Zurich) to Islamabad, changing planes at least once is unavoidable. The last time i was on a plane with a guitar of this size has been long ago, when it was still possible to take it aboard myself. The option to book a seat for it is too expensive, checking it in with the luggage too risky. Are there any options?
Thanks for any good advice.
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10-05-2022 12:14 PM
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You are going to depend on the goodwill of the flight attendants for things like bringing it onboard or putting it in the first class closet.
If the gig does not pay enough for a sit you may want to consider carrying an unscrewed bolt on guitar (eg tele) in your hand luggage instead of an archtop. You losen the strings, put a capo on the first fret and it’s fairly trivial to do.
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Is there a safe address to which you could ship it ahead, well packaged, with sufficient insurance and a reliable carrier?
Ages ago I attended a talk by a former Dutch ambassador or attaché to Pakistan who, after his term, bought a reliable car and drove back. Not really an option anymore sadly (already back when he gave the talk).
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International travel with a guitar is certainly challenging. What kind of case are you using? I always try my best to carry it on, but I go with a Calton/Colorado Cover combo that can survive checked baggage. Still, I'd be leery of connecting flights, especially with a fast turnover.
I've done any number of things to avoid having to change planes with the guitar in checked baggage. Can you take a train to a different city with a direct flight? Can you book a gig in the city where you change planes?
Sometimes you don't have a choice, though, and you have to rely on a solid case and air tags and hope for the best. I assume you know all the standard precautions, extra padding for the headstock, loosen the strings a bit ,low tack painter's tape for the bridge, some folded paper towel between strings and fretboard... It can give you some peace of mind if you do a bit of research on where you can rent/borrow gear ahead of time if your stuck. Best wishes for travel and music!
PK
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once I borrowed a friends Eastman in it's fiberglass case and left my old L-5 at home
it made it through baggage/
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The direct flight from another city is a good idea (and should be possible in Europe) - if the travel hasn't already been arranged. It can add a significant amount of time and stress on an already very long journey though.
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Thanks guys for all the helpful input, i much appreciate it!
That certainly would be a good option, but while i do have the possibility of doing this with one of my two strats i kind of hate the idea of playing a jazzfestival with a guitar which is totally wrong for the style of music played.
Originally Posted by blille
Shipping would certainly be too expensive and driving there too time consuming, i would miss too many gigs here. Originally Posted by RJVB
Yes, the connecting flight is a additional risk. I'm not sure yet which case to use, it will finally depend on the guitar i take. Either a plywood case or a Eastman fiber, which is not that strong though. The bandleader is organizing the whole trip and there is no time for stopovers, so it's out of my hand to decide details. Your listing of standard precautions has added some aspects of which i wasn't aware of before :-). Originally Posted by paulkogut
I do have a Eastman fiberglass case, in fact this is my favorite case. It's not so sturdy though, and i certainly wont't take my L5 to Pakistan :-) Originally Posted by wintermoon
The gigs are in early December i'll talk to the organizer asap, maybe there are still some options. Originally Posted by RJVB
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I just talked to the bandleader and was informed that we most probably will fly with Turkish Airlines. They pursue a musician friendly most pleasant policy. It seems that in Turkey music is appreciated more than here ......
so i'm much relieved:
Access Denied
edit: the above link is supposed to lead to a page of Turkish Airlines. It does this correct from my location in Switzerland. I do not know why it's automatically changed to "Acess Denied". I'd appreciate comments on the availability of the linked page from different regions.
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I was going to say to check with your other bandmates first, presumable everyone would prefer to take a direct flight, but it seems the problem is sorted - if you feel comfortable flying an airline from Turkey (with a website that had me go what hairlines?! for a second
).
But ... shipping more expensive than an airline ticket? This may have been true on some popular destinations in a recent past but find that hard to believe even for those, now. (After all you pay for safe transport of something generally considered to be the most valuable, and in "comfort").
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hmmm..... if anyone wrote that shipping is more expensive than an airline ticket that post must have disappeared, i can't see it anywhere. And .... as a non native english speaker i cannot make sense of the expression "what hairlines" in this context - can you explain? Thanks. Originally Posted by RJVB
I was going to say to check with your other bandmates first, presumable everyone would prefer to take a direct flight, but it seems the problem is sorted - if you feel comfortable flying an airline from Turkey (with a website that had me go what hairlines?! for a second).
But ... shipping more expensive than an airline ticket? This may have been true on some popular destinations in a recent past but find that hard to believe even for those, now. (After all you pay for safe transport of something generally considered to be the most valuable, and in "comfort").
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Sorry, I meant to write "as expensive as". Originally Posted by JazzNote
Their site is www•turkishairlines•com - my brain still picks up the more familiar components hair and lines in there. I don't think that has anything to do with being a native speaker or not (I am not either, formally).And .... as a non native english speaker i cannot make sense of the expression "what hairlines" in this context - can you explain? Thanks.
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What was a relief at first sight turns out to be quite an illusion.
They write about "cello size including case" of 140x42x25 cm. A 16" archtop with a thin softcase would barely fit into this category ....
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Their website is certainly confusing. My instinct would be to draw their focus to where it says 'guitars can be transported free of charge' and hope everyone ignores the measurements...
Another thing I keep n mind for air travel in general is to say whatever you need to to get to the next step. I've often told the ticketing agent, security checkpoints, and the gate agent "of course I understand I can't carry it on the plane. I'm just taking it through to be gate checked" and then tell the cabin crew "They said you would find space for this in the closet. Thank you SO much!"
Best wishes for your gig!
PK
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personally, id roll with the strat and live with it than risk damage during travel.
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That approach works in many cases but you'll have to hope that everyone doesn't do the same... (and there aren't lots of oversized baby strollers or whatever these things are called nowadays). Originally Posted by paulkogut
Their idea of cello dimensions certain seems based on the instrument being deflatable or getting smaller as pressure drops
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wouldn't it get larger when pressure drops ;-) Originally Posted by RJVB
That approach works in many cases but you'll have to hope that everyone doesn't do the same... (and there aren't lots of oversized baby strollers or whatever these things are called nowadays).
Their idea of cello dimensions certain seems based on the instrument being deflatable or getting smaller as pressure drops
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Well sounds like you really want your archtop, but if you wanted a decent giggable guitar that you could reliably transport in any situation, and not affected by temperature/humidity to any extent, Voyage Air makes a hinged neck solid body with either LP or Tele-style pickups.
TransAxe Series are compact electrics, stored in the included backpack case, the size of a laptop, gives up nothing in tone.
Going the Tele route is a reasonable idea too. People who actually travel with their Teles a lot like Bill Kirchner usually put in threaded inserts so they don't strip out the wood each time they put it back together.
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One without soundholes would but I suppose yours leak like mine does. Or else a hermitically closed gigbag Originally Posted by JazzNote
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What I’m hearing is that you should get a nice Telecaster thinline which is more accepted in jazz circles and lighter Originally Posted by JazzNote
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Maybe try the "it's a suit bag not a guitar." Guitar in a softcase inside a suit bag, carry it on, hang it in the little closet. I've heard of it being successful before. Of course it's gonna help a lot if you can "sell it." i.e. carry it over your shoulder like a suit bag.
Last edited by ChazFromCali; 10-08-2022 at 12:14 AM.
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About 10 years ago, I traveled with my concert guitar on several occasions but I was always able to store it in the locker by the door at the front of the plane opposite the cockpit(NEVER BELOW). Then a few years later, they stopped that practice and the final time I had a major issue with the stewardesses and the pilot finally stepped in and acquiesced in my favor. That was the last time I ever traveled by plane with my concert guitar. Today, if I had an out-of-town gig that required flying, I would arrange with someone on the other end to provide a quality instrument or carry a sacrificial instrument heavily-packed for the flight. This has always been a problem for traveling musicians and is why some of my friends will drive up to 1000 miles for a well-paid top shelf gig. However, in your case, that's not possible. Good luck.
Marinero
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Just found this foto on a post by Martin Taylor, saying:
joya
My glamorous travelling companion
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