International one-way airline travel -- Protector or reissue?

dnabbet2 · Apr 1, 2019

I'm retiring to another country, and I'm planning on "muling" three guitars over the next months while I visit and make final details -- I thought I would take the rosewood board guitars as checked luggage 'cause where I'm going, in over thirty years, I've never had my baggage inspected ... and I am scrupulously honest. (I'll ship another couple with the furniture.)

And I've muled five guitars as checked luggage and had a case damaged once but never a guitar. It's the cheapest way to ship while FedEx and DHL want between $400 and $1,000 to courier a Les Paul where I am.

My Standard 80 has a first-generation Protector case, and I've honestly considered muling the case back and forth with three waves of Les Pauls 'cause it's bullet-proof -- the re-issue cases can all go with the household goods. But the re-issue cases are part of what makes a True Historic, for example, valuable and I don't want them stolen or lost.

Opinions? Advice?

TM1 · Apr 1, 2019

You should be able to carry-on and stick in the overhead or in the closet up front.

dnabbet2 · Apr 2, 2019

TM1 said:
You should be able to carry-on and stick in the overhead or in the closet up front.

I agree! Especially when I see the crap other passengers bring on, but the airline says no -- the outside dimensions of th case exceed the limit -- and if I get through check-in with it but they stop me right at the plane, then it goes in the hold anyway.

Tommy Tourbus · Apr 2, 2019

check the case and carry the guitar on in a gig bag

kuwahara80 · Apr 2, 2019

I always had the guitar with me on the plane in the overhead bin. The Historic case worked fine.

El Gringo · Apr 2, 2019

I just got an Anvil road case for when I ship my Les Paul's out for work (which has been frequent of late as I have 3 planned to go out ) because the tech gave me a talking to last December .My lesson is better safe than sorry . Also the case is very heavy , but it will provide very good protection . Seems the Tech was concerned that it could fall off the brown truck and maybe get run over and then the Les Paul is squished/broken .

renderit · Apr 2, 2019

Or you could charter. The wine is much better, the stewardii much lovelier, the pilot much funnier and the snacks are outrageous!

Tommy Tourbus · Apr 2, 2019

Thing is, if you try to bring it onboard in a case, you might get away with it, or some airline person could have a hair up their butt and insist you check it. I wouldn't take the chance, I'd carry it on in a gig bag. A gig bag also has handy pockets for anything else you might need to bring onboard and want access to during the flight

dnabbet2 · Apr 5, 2019

Tommy Tourbus said:
Thing is, if you try to bring it onboard in a case, you might get away with it, or some airline person could have a hair up their butt and insist you check it. I wouldn't take the chance, I'd carry it on in a gig bag. A gig bag also has handy pockets for anything else you might need to bring onboard and want access to during the flight

Thanks for the advice, all.

I travel a lot and I do see people getting their carry-on items taken away and sent to the hold just as they're boarding, so that is a concern. The gig bag idea might work 'cause I see lots of people getting on the regional flights, though not the international ones, with a saz or oud or something.

I was hoping someone would say, "I check my LP in with just the re-issue case, and it gets through fine in the hold." Especially because the guitars I have sent as checked baggage were not identifiable from the cases, mostly, and I worry about the theft of an obvious Gibson.

I guess ya pays yer money and ya take yer choice ...

Begray Dactor · Apr 13, 2019

I've used a Gator Titan LP case on two occasions so far and will use it one more time for a LP Custom still to come.
The case is amazing. Pack your LP's in those as checked luggage and send the Gibson case either as freight or a cheaper alternative is to buy extra baggage space (it's cheaper than freight in my part of the world).
The Titan case is expensive but if you're getting multiple uses out of it the cost can be justified.

herryjerry · Dec 17, 2019

My activity is ideal to be as mindful as conceivable . In like manner the case is particularly significant , anyway it will give commonly great protection . Shows up the Tech was concerned that it could tumble off the dull hued truck and potentially get run over and subsequently the Les Paul is squished/broken .

Cliff Gress · Dec 17, 2019

Where are you retiring?

El Gringo · Dec 17, 2019

Anvil case with a lock , checked baggage and no problem except for the baggage handlers when they pick that sucker up

J T · Dec 17, 2019

Make sure the lock is a TSA lock otherwise it will be cut off.

renderit · Dec 18, 2019

And its gots wheels so the baggage apes can ride 'em

sws1 · Dec 18, 2019

Buy a seat. By far the safest way. And in some cases, the cheapest.

El Gringo · Dec 18, 2019

J T said:
Make sure the lock is a TSA lock otherwise it will be cut off.

You are so correct as we cant lock our luggage . I got the Anvil case for shipping my Lesters via UPS for service and never have I felt they were more protected . If I had to fly with my Lesters , I would ship them via UPS as they have been perfect for all of my needs . All it costs is money . My tech was so right a year ago when he gave me the talk about what happens if they fall off a vehicle and get driven over ? Hardshell plastic will break versus steel and aluminum which is airplane grade .

dnabbet2 · Jan 4, 2020

sws1 said:
Buy a seat. By far the safest way. And in some cases, the cheapest.

I owe an update!

I retired to Mediterranean Turkey after twenty years in Arabia. And all my guitars are now with me, but one had fingerboard splits from the intense heat in the warehouse awaiting July shipment; another looked fine on arrival as checked baggage but I now see all four control knobs are broken and I assume the case received some kind of blow to the lower bout -- amazing the guitar seems otherwise okay.

The damaged guitars were in standard Gibson cases. I always thought the expense of a ticket for a guitar was out of proportion, but if your own ticket is in the $500 range, and DHL shipping is about $500, then, yeah, buying a seat for the guitar is not so out of whack. Has anyone reading this actually done it? How does check-in go? And do they ever try to chisel you out of the seat for your instrument?

Dekel Bor · Jan 7, 2020

Hi all

I always fly with a guitar.

if the guitar is the only item i take onboard - 99% of the times there are no issues.

if they give me issues its usually an extra $50-70 bucks for the guitar,
but you can always add a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT when checking in online,
and less.

hope this helps!

dnabbet2 said:
I owe an update!

I retired to Mediterranean Turkey after twenty years in Arabia. And all my guitars are now with me, but one had fingerboard splits from the intense heat in the warehouse awaiting July shipment; another looked fine on arrival as checked baggage but I now see all four control knobs are broken and I assume the case received some kind of blow to the lower bout -- amazing the guitar seems otherwise okay.

The damaged guitars were in standard Gibson cases. I always thought the expense of a ticket for a guitar was out of proportion, but if your own ticket is in the $500 range, and DHL shipping is about $500, then, yeah, buying a seat for the guitar is not so out of whack. Has anyone reading this actually done it? How does check-in go? And do they ever try to chisel you out of the seat for your instrument?

sws1 · Jan 7, 2020

dnabbet2 said:
I owe an update!

I retired to Mediterranean Turkey after twenty years in Arabia. And all my guitars are now with me, but one had fingerboard splits from the intense heat in the warehouse awaiting July shipment; another looked fine on arrival as checked baggage but I now see all four control knobs are broken and I assume the case received some kind of blow to the lower bout -- amazing the guitar seems otherwise okay.

The damaged guitars were in standard Gibson cases. I always thought the expense of a ticket for a guitar was out of proportion, but if your own ticket is in the $500 range, and DHL shipping is about $500, then, yeah, buying a seat for the guitar is not so out of whack. Has anyone reading this actually done it? How does check-in go? And do they ever try to chisel you out of the seat for your instrument?

I have flown several times with an expensive guitar in the seat next to me. In the US, with United Airlines, you need to call them. It can't be arranged on them web site. You tell them you need a seat/ticket for a guitar, and they will give "the passenger" a name. "Guitar Case" "Les Paul", etc. Check-in, security, boarding is just like any other ticket...they scan it and you are on you way. The seat is confirmed to you, so it can't be taken away...you paid for it.
I assume other airlines are similar.

International one-way airline travel -- Protector or reissue?

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