Anyone flown with a headless guitar? (forshage)

**jzucker** · 03-12-2019, 09:28 AM

Can you get it on the plane? Looking at the forshage it's a lot bigger than something like the zeus. Just wondering about peoples' experiences...

**Frank67** · 03-12-2019, 09:35 AM

Many times with my Frameworks. Got called out for extra security checks frequently, but overall no problem. It fits in overhead lockers.

**jzucker** · 03-12-2019, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Frank67

Many times with my Frameworks. Got called out for extra security checks frequently, but overall no problem. It fits in overhead lockers.

that's probably among the smallest footprints. The zeus and forshage are much larger...

**blille** · 03-12-2019, 10:18 AM

Never something like a Forshage. But I did with a copy of the smallest Steinberger that I called “the broom”. It was the main reason why I bought it. Had no trouble bringing it on board with a gig bag. It did look like I was carrying a shotgun around so there were more questions than normal in security checks. But when they saw what it was the reactions were quite funny.

**marcwhy** · 03-12-2019, 10:50 AM

Yes, I've flown with a Forshage; it looks like a tennis bag, and no-one blinked.

**AKA** · 03-12-2019, 11:02 AM

Several times. Never a problem. Easily fits in overhead bin.

Albert

**AKA** · 03-12-2019, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Yes, I've flown with a Forshage; it looks like a tennis bag, and no-one blinked.

Marc - Jacks’s question may answer your recent inquiry regarding the disposition of the instrument I listed.

**rob taft** · 03-12-2019, 06:59 PM

My Forshage in its gig bag is 36 x 16 x 4 or 56 linear inches. But I've seen larger stuff brought on board. Delta for example has carry on restriction of 45 linear inches (see below) but allow for "small musical instruments that fit in the overhead". USA Today had an article from last year (see link) that addressed airline carry on and the article mentions that a limit of 62" is standard even though individual airlines set their own limitations. I haven't traveled much since I retired but I can't see where the Forshage would present a problem unless the airline attendant was a jerk.

Delta
Carry-on Size Restrictions Baggage may not exceed 45 linear inches (or 114 cm) in combined length, width and height, including any handles and wheels, with the exception of small musical instruments that fit in the overhead compartment space or under-seat space available at the time of boarding.

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/assess-luggage-linear-dimensions-63207.html

**Alter** · 03-12-2019, 07:06 PM

I have with the steinberger spirit without problems. It is the size of a violin, no problems with airlines

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 03-12-2019, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by blille

Never something like a Forshage. But I did with a copy of the smallest Steinberger that I called “the broom”. It was the main reason why I bought it. Had no trouble bringing it on board with a gig bag. It did look like I was carrying a shotgun around so there were more questions than normal in security checks. But when they saw what it was the reactions were quite funny.

God help anyone who flies with a Bird Fish guitar.

**jzucker** · 03-12-2019, 07:42 PM

thanks everyone.

**rob taft** · 03-12-2019, 07:43 PM

Well the one plus with the Teuffel Bird Fish is that it can be dissembled.

**jzucker** · 03-12-2019, 07:47 PM

have you seen the rocca travel guitar? It also can be disassembled. The jazz clips of it sound great.

Rocca 1 Professional Headless Guitar | Reverb

it comes with 2 leather gig bags. Here it is in the bag and in a travel on bag

**marcwhy** · 03-12-2019, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

God help anyone who flies with a Bird Fish guitar.

Those are sticks of dynamite on top, right? No problem getting through TSA!

**blille** · 03-12-2019, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

God help anyone who flies with a Bird Fish guitar.

Originally Posted by rob taft

Well the one plus with the Teuffel Bird Fish is that it can be dissembled.

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Those are sticks of dynamite on top, right? No problem getting through TSA!

Lol I don’t think you would be able to take the guitar out of that case before being handcuffed

**Alter** · 03-12-2019, 08:43 PM

That's nothing, i have a friend that plays a huge musical saw, and flies with a custom molded case in the shape of the saw looking somewhat like Hannibal Lecter (usually plays classical concerts with it

). For extra thrills his family originally was from Egypt, and his, quite common there, last name is the same as one of the 911 terrorists... No boring flights ever!

**Jim Soloway** · 03-13-2019, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by rob taft

My Forshage in its gig bag is 36 x 16 x 4 or 56 linear inches. But I've seen larger stuff brought on board. Delta for example has carry on restriction of 45 linear inches (see below) but allow for "small musical instruments that fit in the overhead". USA Today had an article from last year (see link) that addressed airline carry on and the article mentions that a limit of 62" is standard even though individual airlines set their own limitations. I haven't traveled much since I retired but I can't see where the Forshage would present a problem unless the airline attendant was a jerk.

Delta
Carry-on Size Restrictions Baggage may not exceed 45 linear inches (or 114 cm) in combined length, width and height, including any handles and wheels, with the exception of small musical instruments that fit in the overhead compartment space or under-seat space available at the time of boarding.

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/assess-luggage-linear-dimensions-63207.html

"unless the airline attendant was a jerk" ... travel enough and you will inevitably experience the airline attendant who is a jerk and when I fly with a guitar I always just assume that this may be hat time so I ought to be prepared for the worst.

My current travel guitar, the Soloette Songbird Jazz is small enough when packed to be "jerk-proof". My Forshage was not. That's a price paid for using the traditional ergo-style body. The ergonomics are great but as Jack noted, in its case it does make a significantly larger package than a Kiesel or Strandberg (and a MUCH larger pacjage than the Soloette). I loved the Forshage. It was a great guitar but traveling with it did leave me with concerns about both the size and the form factor.

**jzucker** · 03-13-2019, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

"unless the airline attendant was a jerk" ... travel enough and you will inevitably experience the airline attendant who is a jerk and when I fly with a guitar I always just assume that this may be hat time so I ought to be prepared for the worst.

My current travel guitar, the Soloette Songbird Jazz is small enough when packed to be "jerk-proof". My Forshage was not. That's a price paid for using the traditional ergo-style body. The ergonomics are great but as Jack noted, in its case it does make a significantly larger package than a Kiesel or Strandberg (and a MUCH larger pacjage than the Soloette). I loved the OFrshage. It was a great guitar but traveling with it did leave me with concerns about both the size and the form factor.

Did you ever get denied entry with the forshage?

I'm surprise nobody commented on the rocca guitar i posted about above. It's the ideal travel guitar IMO

**Jim Soloway** · 03-13-2019, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Did you ever get denied entry with the forshage?

I'm surprise nobody commented on the rocca guitar i posted about above. It's the ideal travel guitar IMO

We were mostly travelling by car but it was for a solid six months and I know how awkward it was to pack in the car every time. Honestly, I felt safer with a full sized electric in on of the semi-hard foam cases I've used for years. I've flown with those dozens of times and I generally gate checked them and didn't even try to get them on board. They came through undamaged every time.

I looked at the Rocca and it's not an approach I like very much. Yes, it breaks down into pieces that can go in a suitcase but the pieces are decidedly NOT small. It solves the carry-on or check-in issues but leaves you with two pieces and two cases once you get there so it's awkward to carry and it has to be broken down and reassembled every time you go anywhere. I'd much rather deal with the kind of package that the Kiesel uses for the Zeuss.

**Woody Sound** · 03-13-2019, 01:28 PM

FWIW, I used to fly with a Parker Fly (npi) in a gig bag. Very light, small thin body. Never had a problem bringing it on and tossing it in the overhead.

**jzucker** · 03-13-2019, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

We were mostly travelling by car but it was for a solid six months and I know how awkward it was to pack in the car every time. Honestly, I felt safer with a full sized electric in on of the semi-hard foam cases I've used for years. I've flown with those dozens of times and I generally gate checked them and didn't even try to get them on board. They came through undamaged every time.

I looked at the Rocca and it's not an approach I like very much. Yes, it breaks down into pieces that can go in a suitcase but the pieces are decidedly NOT small. It solves the carry-on or check-in issues but leaves you with two pieces and two cases once you get there so it's awkward to carry and it has to be broken down and reassembled every time you go anywhere. I'd much rather deal with the kind of package that the Kiesel uses for the Zeuss.

I don't see it like that. There's no requirement that you break it down. It's just one option. You can always put it in a kiesel style gig bag. And it fits easily in your luggage or carry on so it's not awkward to carry at all. Additionally, it actually sounds great. Of the headless guitars I've played, it's the best sounding one out there. I haven't played a forshage and I'm guessing it'll sound (subjectively) better with the bigger body and longer headpiece but as you mention, it then becomes less portable.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-13-2019, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

I don't see it like that. There's no requirement that you break it down. It's just one option. You can always put it in a kiesel style gig bag. And it fits easily in your luggage or carry on so it's not awkward to carry at all. Additionally, it actually sounds great. Of the headless guitars I've played, it's the best sounding one out there. I haven't played a forshage and I'm guessing it'll sound (subjectively) better with the bigger body and longer headpiece but as you mention, it then becomes less portable.

Does it fit in the Kiesel bag fully assembled? I ask because I considered a lot of options in terms of a custom project but I always worked with the idea that there weren't a lot of these types of cases available so any design I came up with would probably have to go in an actual Kiesel bag.

But I was thinking more of the two piece option ... When you're at home you could use a conventional gig-bag but when you're actually travelling, if you use the two piece system, you're almost certainly not going to have that gig bag with you.

**rob taft** · 03-13-2019, 04:47 PM

[QUOTE=Jim Soloway;940719]"unless the airline attendant was a jerk" ... travel enough and you will inevitably experience the airline attendant who is a jerk and when I fly with a guitar I always just assume that this may be hat time so I ought to be prepared for the worst."

I traveled via airplane extensively in my former business career and believe me, I've run across jerks at all levels of the process. Most of them however were other fliers. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to travel with my Forshage via a national/large commercial carrier. I also well aware of the relative sizes of the discussed guitars. I also own a Travel guitar as well and I wasn't replying to Jack's question about the relative merits of the Forshage vs Solette or any other guitar.

Jack, As far as the other guitar you posted. I probably rather just install inserts in the your tele neck joint, have some one make a custom gig bag and just take it apart for travel.