instruments on airplanes

Let that be a less... If you check a stringed instrument as baggage on a plane, don't just use a hard case. Loosen the string tension!

Let that be a lesson... If you check a stringed instrument as baggage on a plane, don't just use a hard case. Loosen the string tension!

Sometimes it'd be so annoying I'd be tempted to say "Yes. I'm a very well-paid and famous studio musician. That's why I'm flying on Southwest with you fucking plebes."

A fringe benefit is that my case gets lots of dings and knocks this way, and it thereby gains in character. Nothing is as square as a pristine-looking guitar case, right? You want the lived-in look of someone who has paid their dues in the little honky-tonks and on the back roads of Mississippi.

At Christmas, I narrowly dissuaded myself from bringing my new Les Paul with me to visit my parents. I wanted to show my mother the guitar, and I thought it would be good for me to stay in practice on the electric; I even got a Danelectro Honeytone mini-amp. But at the last minute I wimped out and brought El Cheapo instead.

One hears of people bringing guitars in gig bags while flying, but they recommend checking it at the gate--that is, bring it with you until just before boarding the plane, and they'll treat it more gently than if you had checked it at the counter.

I'm not sure how they get through security, though, given the stringent carry-on size limitations. Maybe you get an exception for delicate items that you intend to check at the jetway.

Bonus factoid: Whenever I've got a suitcase in one hand and a guitar in the other, I feel like Maria von Trapp, and often sing the "I have confidence in sunshine" song.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Nylon strings are able to stretch harder even with the relative PSI of the string tension rises. I've known folks with steel 6 strings to check them and have them come out fine. I'm betting the main reason my friend's cracked is cause 12 strings just have an INSANE amount of tension on the neck and bridge given how tight the smaller drone strings are wound to tune up high. (Actually, I forget the exact figure, but even the average electric 6 string has a pretty large amount of tension on the neck when in standard tuning.)

But yeah, can't hurt to loosen it up before travel...

Danelectro Honeytone is supposed to be very decent-sounding for a total el cheapo miniamp... Is it?

I like the tone of the Honeytone but it is not very loud. You can hear yourself, but don't expect to play a living-room concert with it. It has k-tasty vintage distortion and works well as a belt-mounted headphone amp. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison with the Fender and Marshall versions.

hah. this is the first thing i thought of when i saw the thread title

WOW, can't believe i found a pic of it

http://www.yee.ch/~movies/A/airplane/air_04.jpg