00 size guitar for travel?

[min7b5]

If you're traveling in the US and stick to Southwest Airlines, and pay the extra $25 for "Early Bird." you're good. I've taken my 00 on literally hundreds of domestic Southwest flights and have never not gotten it in the overhead a single time.

Originally Posted by El Cheapo

So how does the Jim Dandy compare to the Backpacker size wise?

Backpacker on left, Jim Dandy on right:

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by min7b5

If you're traveling in the US and stick to Southwest Airlines, and pay the extra $25 for "Early Bird." you're good. I've taken my 00 on literally hundreds of domestic Southwest flights and have never not gotten it in the overhead a single time.

Hi eric

Wish they flew everywhere we want to go.

[ljguitar]

HI EC

I liked Eric Skye's recommendation of Southwestern if it's going where you are heading. Or any other airline where you can pay for early boarding…that gives you first shot at the overhead bins.

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi eric

Wish they flew everywhere we want to go.

Alaska is pretty good too. Their "Ala Cart" service is okay. It's basically gate-checking so it goes on with strollers and stuff and is waiting for you when you get off. I always tell them with a big smile not to stand it upright, etc, and I've never had a problem. But again, Southwest is next level and always my first choice by far. I'll very often add a stop (sometimes even two) to be on Southwest, but I don't care. I'll never use United, American and like for gigs.

[vintage40s]

Originally Posted by Optofonik

... This is the best demo I've seen so far of the JD, the playing starts at 4:11...

Percussive playing is no better than strumming, for me to tell how strings sound. But that is an impressive guitar for the price.
That song in that video had a big connection for me. My father was from Turner Station and so I bought this book:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Pr.../9780738554082
However, the book (like the video song) was about Turner Station MD, not Turner Station KY. So will donate the book to the library.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by min7b5

Alaska is pretty good too. Their "Ala Cart" service is okay. It's basically gate-checking so it goes on with strollers and stuff and is waiting for you when you get off. I always tell them with a big smile not to stand it upright, etc, and I've never had a problem. But again, Southwest is next level and always my first choice by far. I'll very often add a stop (sometimes even two) to be on Southwest, but I don't care. I'll never use United, American and like for gigs.

Hi Eric

Yeah - I've never had to gate check my backpacks (with boo-kooo camera gear in them) but have had carry on go underneath with zero issues. I mean, if baby strollers can survive it, my guitar cases can.

I'm getting to be the age (nearly 71) I think we'll RV less and fly more, so we'll get the TSA pre check, and early boarding options from now on.

[dadio917]

I used the backpacker for a few years which was horrible to hold and sounded pretty bad, then graduated to the martin LX1 which was a lot better but still not a real guitar. Still have them both collecting dust. My travel guitar now is a Rainsong parlor which I really like. Actually I like it so much I play it more than my wood guitars which are not chopped liver. Great tone, big sound and comfortable. ~$1600 for base model. I put out ~$2k for top of the line concert series. On Short flights I use a gig bag and it easily goes above the seat. On long flights I put a pack-axe on the stock case and check it but bring the gig bag, sometimes packing my cloths in it. The stock case is sturdy. The thing is always in tune no matter the temp or humidity.

If that is too much $ I'd really look at the that recording king parlor. The RKs I've played were pretty good.

one final thought....I see your main guitar is a 00. Mine is also...an old 00-17. I don't know which I like better now...the 00 or the rainsong. Good problem to have!

[bsman]

I've had a Journey Overhead OF-420 (solid spruce top, lam Pau Ferro B&S, somewhere in the 00-parlor range) for the past two years, and it has performed perfectly for me as a travel guitar. I have yet to have a problem boarding it - even on those horrible little Canadair regional jets - and since it has a nice, wide nut and a built-in passive pickup, it's ready to go as delivered.

[jrdavies]

El Cheapo

If you don't want to buy another guitar just for travel but are worried about the worst case of having to check it for some reason, you could buy a Hiscox case. They are much less that the top of the line travel cases and will provide more protection than a standard case. They are lighter as well.

I have a Larrivee 00 and it fits snugly in a classical size Hiscox Pro II case. Externally it is only a little larger, less than 1/2" in width and length, than the original case. I found an case cover for around $50 that has backpack style straps which makes it easy to carry plus it has external pocket which is handy. If I remember correctly I paid less than $300 for both case and cover, but that was 10 years ago.

Safe travels

[AgentKooper]

I have flown many times with my 00-18 in a Hiscox Liteflite Artist case. It fits just fine in the overhead compartment with plenty of room to spare for other passengers' stuff (as does my OM, also in a Hiscox).

I've only had to gate-check it a couple times, and it did fine in the Hiscox case.

My advice would be to spend your money on a good case (Hiscox or better) instead of on a lesser guitar, and just take your 00-15 with you and enjoy playing it while you travel.

(My 00-18 fits in the Hiscox case -- the medium classical case size, I think -- like they were custom made for each other.)

[Optofonik]

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

Backpacker on left, Jim Dandy on right:

When you put it like that it seems like a no-brainer to just go with a parlor over the "paddle"; no appreciable size difference once they're bagged.