flying with a RS parlor...thinking about a case

[dadio917]

hi...I have an upcoming flight to Hawaii....3 legs each way.

I've travelled before with it in the gig bag, but 6 flights seems like I'll be pushing my luck.

The stock case is stout albeit a little heavy.

Am thinking about the small classical hicox case. The specs are just a little big (1") on the lower bout but seems like I could fill that with a cloth easy enough. but $300 is $300.

just wondering if you all would have an advice?

[Earl49]

I got the SKB i-Series flight case, and used my gig bag as a suitcase for my clothes. When I get there, I switch the guitar to the gig bag for convenience.
http://www.skbcases.com/music/produc...et=1&c=75&s=75
Hiscox are nice, but for the same $300 you can go this way. Having had many negative experiences with airlines, I only trust them as far as I can throw the airplane. CF has a little better chance of surviving, but are not indestructible.

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

You don't mention if you are planning to carry the guitar on board, or checking it.

[dadio917]

I would try and carry but suspect I'll have to gate check given how full flights are these days.

[Earl49]

Carry on is always best, but I would find it too stressful counting on that. Especially true on the small inter-island flights, depending on which island you are going to. The last connecting flight we had was on a Hawaiian Airlines 717 (!) which had tiny overhead bins and no closets. I was glad to have a hard case - and a fairly expendable Seagull guitar - checked in the cargo hold. And this was on the way home, so a loss would not have ruined our music camp experience.

We once had scuba gear lost at HNL when on a dive trip, trying to connect to Hawaii Island. They were completely incompetent at finding it. When I managed to talk my way into the warehouse (don't try in this post-9/11 environment) my big bright red duffle bag was spotted within 20 seconds, right out in the open.

You might investigate whether you can rent from a local music store -- or even buy a guitar from Costco -- for the week.

[Captain Jim]

For about 20 years, we made a yearly trip to Hawaii; here's what worked for me: leave the guitar home and spend the time chasing my wife around in a bikini. For clarification, she was in bikini. Also, not suggesting you chase my wife around - bring your own SO.

Kidding aside, this mission sounds like it is made for the Journey OF660. A few bucks more than a "flight survivable" case, but less angst. I do all I can to avoid commercial flying these days... but Hawaii is worth it!

Aloha!

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

For about 20 years, we made a yearly trip to Hawaii; here's what worked for me: leave the guitar home and spend the time chasing my wife around in a bikini. For clarification, she was in bikini. Also, not suggesting you chase my wife around - bring your own SO.

Kidding aside, this mission sounds like it is made for the Journey OF660. A few bucks more than a "flight survivable" case, but less angst. I do all I can to avoid commercial flying these days... but Hawaii is worth it!

Aloha!

I like the way you think, Jim.

[GuitarDoc]

You don't park a Cadillac in a cardboard box.

https://youtu.be/d00SIlPi6FE

Top that sbk

[Earl49]

I've seen the Case Extreme system in person and it certainly works as advertised. It is quite large, however, and will always be oversized baggage - usually with the extra fees that the airlines love to tack on these days. Plus it is something quite large and bulky to store at the destination.

You know the old saying: make something idiot proof, and along comes a better idiot. When TSA inspects your guitar, they are just not bright enough to re-pack the guitar properly using those foam "bones" that keep the guitar case isolated from the clam shell. Even a polite note or diagram inside the case is ignored. Typically they toss bones and guitar case loosely back into the clam shell and the whole mess rattles around the baggage conveyor for the rest of the trip. The clam shell absorbs the conveyor rash, but there is no longer any padding or isolation.

Except when I've specifically gone to Aloha Music Camp for slack-key guitar, for my trips to Hawaii I only bring a ukulele. Or rent a guitar locally. Sorry to be "Debbie downer" here, but with more than 850,000 business and vacation air miles flown, I've had literally everything (except a plane crash) happen to me and my baggage over the years.

[studioman001]

I've flown with a CA Legacy and Rainsong AWS1000. Both were in gig bags;the CA I took on board but the poor Rainsong was grabbed by someone and tossed into the hold! I almost had a panic attack but when I arrived at my destination, the guitar was fine and was still in tune! Still, I'd certainly go for a nice hard case and while I really like the Hiscox cases, I'd probably go for the Gator ata case with tsa latches/lock, or, one of the SKB cases with tsa hardware... The waterproof vault with wheels they make seems really nice but she's not cheap and I've heard that particular case is heavy and a bit more bulky than a standard size hard case.

[GuitarDoc]

Problem is I own a CA gxi and its shape of the back makes it difficult to find a standard case. I did realize an extreme was so large and would not be tsa proof. I should have known though. They poorly repacked my golf bag in the day.

I know it doesn't mean anything if there isn't space. But maybe you can arrive early and wave this at them.

https://www.transportation.gov/brief...travel-musical

It also wouldn't mean anything if it was damaged.

[dadio917]

interesting.....what do the tsa approved latches get you? Sweetwater has the GTSA-GTRCLASS for $149 which is a nice price.

don't think I want/need a big rectangular box. a 'normal' case at least has a chance of getting gin the cabin.

I realized yesterday that my 00-17 is only a little larger than my parlor (14 7/16" versus 13" lower bout). So am now thinking of a dual-use case. Kind of like the marketing of hicox for humidity/temp stuff for that 80 year old 00. So am wondering gif the 00 will squeeze into the small hicox or should I get the medium. Just sent hicox a query for advice on that.

Also kind of like the eyelets for a carry strap on the hicox but I wonder how well they will hold up.

I have a reunion blues gig bag on my turner. They advertise that as indestructible. maybe I'll take a closer look at that. a little spendy.

[gfa]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

...

Kidding aside, this mission sounds like it is made for the Journey OF660. A few bucks more than a "flight survivable" case, but less angst. I do all I can to avoid commercial flying these days... but Hawaii is worth it!

Aloha!

That is what I'd do IF I didn't want to fly with my RS in its stock case. That said, I've flown with mine many times, domestic and international, in its factory TKL case, sometimes carry-on sometimes gate-check, with nary a problem.

[Earl49]

Everything I've heard about the Hiscox cases is that they will survive as well as any hard case, and better than most.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by studioman001

.......but the poor Rainsong was grabbed by someone and tossed into the hold! I almost had a panic attack but when I arrived at my destination, the guitar was fine and was still in tune! .....

If the guitar gets GATE CHECKED, it is manually placed in the cargo hold with strollers and wheelchairs, and that avoids most of the potential for damage. Baggage conveyor systems and loading to / from the trailers on the tarmac is where most guitar damage occurs. At check-in, ask nicely for the color gate check tag (the color varies by airline). Your guitar will be brought back up to the jet way upon arrival, but you have to wait there for it. White tagged gate-checked items go down manually from the jet way to the belly of the beast, but come back out via the conveyor system at the baggage claim carousel at the destination.

The hard case might take some hits and scrapes being checked, but a CF guitar in a hard case should survive most baggage handling OK. I used my Martin logo embossed thermoplastic case to hold a Seagull S6, and both survived at least 15 airline trips as checked baggage. But for any guitar more important than that Seagull, the big SKB case gets used. On the plus side, there is plenty of extra storage space inside that case for other items.