I just took the plunge, and bought a hard case to take my guitar on vacation with me in a couple of weeks! I’m so psyched! It’ll be so nice to play with my cousins, and my buddy who I’m crashing with…picture a desolate beach in the Florida Keys, with noobdy but me, my guitar, and a few seagulls…and maybe a key lime pie to chow during breaks…
So is there anything I should know before submitting my beloved guitar to the checked baggage demons? Do I need to loosen the strings first or something?
I thought you meant this our Super Dave.
Sorry I fogot the real answer to your question.
Carry it, inna gig bag on your back, vertical. Loosen the strings so they’ll be quiet. Kissy-butt the other passengers. Do not be an airborne minstrel. No problem.
Your problem is going to be finding this;
“a desolate beach in the Florida Keys, with noobdy but me, my guitar, and a few seagulls”.
Or so I’ve heard. 
Peace,
mangeorge
I thought you meant this.
I asked a couple of musician/teachers about this several years ago, and they said I should take a sledge hammer to my axe before I left home to save time. Find a music store when you get there, and rent a guitar. Longer ago than that, I flew back from California with my brother. He had bought a new guitar, and carried it on the plane with him. When we got off the plane into the freezing Indiana air, there was a semi-musical noise as a large crack opened up between the back and one side of the guitar.
Sad, but true. A friend of mine had a fist-sized hole stove into the top of his Martin guitar, right through the hard-shell case. Not a pretty sight, and not cheap to repair. :eek:
I vote for the rental route, unless you’re sufficiently well known to have roadies and equipment vans to tote your instruments around carefully.
I have seen a flight case hit the tarmac (in the rain) from the door of the plane. It was a solid body and it survived. A hard case is not a flight case. Always loosen the strings. Don’t travel with something you’re not prepared to lose.
Buy a cheapie when you get there.
Well, my guitar isn’t the cheapest thing in the world, but it isn’t the equivalent of a Stadivarius either. I’ll call the airline and see if they’ll let me carry it on; if not, I’l risk it, and if it’s totally screwed up, I bet my renter’s insurance will cover it. The case I bought was the most indestructible-looking one the guitar store had…I think it’ll be OK.
Thanks, guys!
We looked into this once (and this was prior to 9-11). We had called ahead and we assured that the guitar could be brought on as carry-on. No problem they were very good about it and were extremely helpful.
On the way back however, they refused to allow the guitar on as carry-on (and it was in a soft case – basically a bag.) It was a $2000 custom-built instrument.
They also insisted that the musician sign a waiver saying that the airline was not in any way responsible if the instrument was damaged or destroyed as checked luggage.
In our case, the musician was touring and had to bring her own instrument. It was custom built and irreplaceable since the genuis who built it had died.
We spoke directly to the woman in charge of luggage handling, who assured us that it would be hand carried. We informed her that a musician had won a costly suit against an airline under those exact circumstances (the musician had claimed that he’d signed the waiver under duress and the court agreed – the choice had been a very last-minute “check the instrument, or do not board the plane. You will have to miss your concert”).
We almost cancelled my flight so that I could accompany the guitar by train for two days. But it didn’t come to that.
The woman in charge of baggage got the message and we watched from the plane as she carried it out to the tarmac like a glass slipper on a cushion (note: the baggage check was never noticed that instead of her signature, the musician had written “I Refuse to Sign”).
If you must take you’re own guitar, call the airline, get thorough instructions and take names as you go. Make sure you have settled things for both your departure flight and your return flight (which is where we went wrong). Fax machines are great, get as much as possible in writing.
Typically, (at least prior to 9-11 – I dunno about now) when orchestra members have to travel with large instruments, separate seats are booked for the instrument itself. Usually, if large orchestra groups are travelling together, they have special arrangements with the airlines.
We’ve had no problems since 9-11, but we’ve only sent people with cheap, crappy guitars checked in touring cases or arranged for rentals instead.
Note: Air Canada was very good and helpful. From Toronto, Canada to Sydney, Australia (and stopping in Honolulu) – no problems. Quantas Airlines from Sydney to Perth severely damaged the case. Ditto, Perth back to Melbourne – seriously damaged the case again. Return trip by Air Canada from Melbourne to Toronto (stopping in Honolulu) – no problem.
None of our artists will ever travel by Quantas again.
wow…very tragic story Eats_crayons…very sad, yet true. You should really just polish your guitar on the plane, loosen the strings, read a few mags, listen to your faveorite band, and then take your guitar out, polish some more, smell the sweet tangy smell, construct a din in the flight. Pretty basic but may result with hideous from passengers along the trip. 
wow…very tragic story Eats_crayons…very sad, yet true. You should really just polish your guitar on the plane, loosen the strings, read a few mags, listen to your faveorite band, and then take your guitar out, polish some more, smell the sweet tangy smell, construct a din in the flight. Pretty basic but may result with hideous from passengers along the trip.
fauxpas’ location: “I live in my own place.”
I’ll bet you do, with your very own language, huh? I read both posts and still don’t know exactly what you’re trying to say. From “construct a din” on. 
Peace,
mangeorge
Yeah, mangeorgeI found that post to be rather incomprehensible. But in case fauxpas thinks it was a matter of a hobbiest not wanting to be separated from a prized “toy”, that in fact is not the case. I’m referring to professional musicians whose livelihoods depend very much on their instruments.
Some intruments in particular can be greatly affected by atmospheric changes in a cargo hold, and so it’s avoided.
For the most part, orchestras will ship larger instruments separately, in hard cases that weigh a ton – you get what you pay for, the things can take incredible abuse and leave the instrument virtually unscathed. They are big, bulky, and some can’t be lifted by one person, so if you checked a guitar or cello in a touring case, you be facing additional charges anyway.
I’ve known of a cellist whose cello would occasionally have it’s own seat at the back of the plane when it was necessary.
I don’t know what arrangements are available post-9/11. The issue has been addressed by musicians unions, but I haven’t yet read up on the final outcome.