David Lock

Lock junior is off to LA next month to see his pal who plays in a band over there. James wants to take his acoustic guitar but United Airlines say that it is too big to take inside the cabin (which he had done previously on a trip to Europe).

He is worried about temperature damage in the luggage hold. Is this an urban myth or what is solution please? James is a professional musician and it is a decent guitar and it's important it arrives in good nick. Many thanks, David

SiPie

David

Taking it on in the cabin is seldom allowed these days, hence why so many by backpackers guitars (Martin is designed to fit in an overhead locker) are taken these days.

If he is risking putting it in the hold, then remove (or really loosen the strings) and prefreably buy a thermo insulating case (assume they are expensive)

PS When I fly to New Zealand I just use a ****ty one that I bought and left over there and just accept it will be a poor subsitute, but at least it's a guitar. If your guitar is worth a bit or treasured, then IMHO it just ain't worth taking the risk.

Cheers
Si

Sonic'

Agree with SiPie

Get him to buy a cheap one whilst there, if you have to take a full size guitar in the cabin then you will probably have to pay for a seat for it (as daft as that sounds)

and yes loosen or remove the strings

David Lock

OK guys, thanks. That's very helpful. I think he will still want to take it so I'll tell him about the strings.

Bet Eric Clapton doesn't have this hassle

David

RFSA180

I had similar trouble getting an acoustic abroad. Best bet is a hard case, put in the hold, with the guitar wrapped in bubble wrap/towels etc.

I ended up chinning off an acoustic and taking a good old Fender Telecaster. Taking the neck off and banging it in a ruck-sack. Indestructible those things.

ROCK!

Bonehead

Last summer I bought a nice acoustic in Mannys in New York (Which I hear is closing soon), I got a gig bag with it and beforehand checked it would fit in the overhead locker.
No one said anything about it until we got to the plane until the very very camp (and cliched) attendant said it "had to be checked into the overhead locker". Oh really?!?
The only worrying moment was when some numpty started pushing his rucksack into the space where my guitar was. Thankfully the guitar got home undamaged
We flew with American Airlines and had no trouble what so ever. I didn't even get stopped by customs.
That kind of made me wish I'd bought the Jackson Phil Collen signature model I'd been lokking at but figured I would've got stung on import duty!