So a well known airline broke a guitar, hey? Is anyone really surprised? Have you ever sat on the plane waiting to get off (the plane I mean) and watched them start to unload the baggage? Well, I have.
Four gorillas unloading a plane; one driving the little go-kart thingy with the two trailers attached but now he is just sitting there waiting for the other guys to put the bags on his trailers. One guy throwing the luggage onto the trailers and the other two just standing there watching. Why couldn’t the guy who drives the go-kart unload the plane? Why do they need four guys when they really only need one?
And unloading, man is that the wrong word? Its not unloading its throwing stuff as hard and roughly as you can and at least trying to hit the trailer. Ah yes that’s why they have extra guys there, to pick up the bags that miss the trailer and end up on the ground.
I have traveled a lot and seen a lot of mishaps when the baggage handlers are “unloading”. I have seen bags split open after hitting the ground, I have even seen a dog shit itself (literally) after a baggage handler threw the dog’s cage onto the trailer and it skidded off onto the tarmac. They just left it there until they were finished unloading and threw it on top of the other bags. The poor dog whacked off its nut on sedatives, sat there trembling the whole time and there was not one word of comfort from any of these guys; not even the ones who weren’t doing anything.
As I have had suitcases destroyed by baggage handlers I am not surprised that a guitar was broken. What I am surprised about is that it is not reported more often. So how do we protect our beloved axes if we have to travel on these huge hunks of flying metal? Here are a few tips to follow when traveling by air:
- Make sure you have a sturdy hard case for your guitar.
- Make sure the case is lockable; you don’t want to get to your destination to find your case in good order but no guitar inside.
- Make sure your guitar fits snugly in the case, you might have to pack extra rags, paper or bubble wrap to ensure it’s a tight fit.
- Even if you guitar has a custom case throw some extra padding, be it bubble wrap or foam on top of the guitar before you close the case.
- Put extra padding under the neck as this is the most fragile part of the guitar.
- Loosen the strings as the neck will contract because of the cold temperatures that flying imposes on baggage. Loosening the strings will minimize the bend in the neck from the contraction.
- When you arrive don’t open your guitar case immediately. Let it sit for a couple of hours so the guitar can adjust to the new temperature slowly. Quick changes in temperature can dramatically affect the neck.
There is not much else you can do except buy a second seat for your axe because you know they won’t let you take it on as carry on. It’s an expensive way to travel but at least you know your guitar is safe. Besides you could strum a few tunes to kill time.
I was wondering though if your guitar has its own seat does that mean it has to have its own ticket, whereby it will need a full name and id or passport if you are traveling internationally.
-Axel
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
Very interesting and amusing subject. I read with great pleasure.
August 4th, 2009 at 4:15 am
[...] guitar. What if your luggage is broken rather than lost? Guitar blog Axel’s blog shares some tips for flying with a guitar. (Timely given the publicity for United Breaks Guitars, which I wrote about [...]
August 5th, 2009 at 2:51 am
As a classical guitarist myself I have always struggled with this. I opt not to even travel with a guitar because of the potential breakage. Thanks for the post and ideas!
August 6th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I added your blog to bookmarks. And i’ll read your articles more often!
August 17th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
These are great tips! I travel a lot (3-4 times per year) and while I never had any damage done to one of my guitars, I found the whole process to be very difficult and stressful. Then I started playing electric more and realized I would never travel with an amp so I went out and bought a real travel guitar…. I bought the one called “The Traveler” which fits in an airplane overhead. It has an internal pickup and plays acoustic or electric (with distortion) through headphones. Very cool! Sorry for the long comment - love your blog!
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September 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 am
Great advice - I will definitely apply it next time I’m traveling.
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April 4th, 2010 at 7:11 am
[...] up against a common problem - their fingers hurt like hell when they are just starting out! I cameTravel Tips for Guitars | Axebay Used Guitars BlogUnited may break guitars but there are many ways to protect your guitar while you are traveling. … [...]
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May 21st, 2010 at 5:10 am
[...] Travel Tips for Guitars [...]
May 24th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
[...] Make sure the guitar is stored in a cool dry place. Humidity and extreme changes in temperature can drastically affect the guitar. As guitars are made from wood and wood expands and contracts with temperature it’s important to try to keep the guitar at a reasonably constant temperature. See our blog on travel tips. [...]
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