Grateful Dead Music Forum

I'll be visiting family with the future Mrs. Six. I'll be at her folks place pool side and relaxing for a few days and would like to have a guitar.

Now, I've got an old acoustic and a decent case that has survived a few plane trips in years past but realized it'd need a quick loop of tape as one of the latches is shot.

So I'm now pondering my options FedExing ahead of time since the on-line estimator said $23 which is less than the airlines would charge.

Is this obviously the smarter choice or am I missing something?

seems the airlines, all the major carriers, take an almost sick pride in trying to destroy instruments. I think shipping it ahead of time is a much better and safer option. Even for an inexpensive guitar i'd pack it well. If in a hardcase, still put it in a box with some bubble wrap, etc.... good luck.

future Mr. Six, that's funny. I would ship with insurance especially if it is a guitar you love. I think it would go through the same abuse through the airlines as the postal services. Plus, we have all lost bags in transit, that would suck. Second carrying a guitar with all of Mrs. Six's many carry on and checked items will prove challenging. At least Fed Ex will insure it and live up to the insurance. Maybe you can leave a guitar there since you may be at Mrs. Six's place of origin here and there throughout the future. Also a sign of trust you will be back and have no intentions of leaving their daughter... in that case you may want to shop for one to have there in her home town. just throwing out ideas.....but yes I would use Fed Ex.

Well yea, you're missing something. The real obvious choice would be, once you arive, to spend an afternoon perusing local music stores, pawn shops, and Craigs' and buy yourself a value guitar to leave behind at the inlaws. That way you'll always have a guitar there for the many years you will be visiting once you're married. Alas, another opportunity to increase the stable inventory.

I am all for shipping it in advance. I ship a lot of guitars and I have found UPS to be a bit cheaper but $23 is good.


1) there are strict dimensional limit if you plan on putting it in the overhead.
2) if you are going to check it, expect it to be thrown around.
3) be aware of the fact that you may get charged for an additional checked bag
4) It is a hassle lugging the guitar while traveling.
5) although there is a risk of damage and getting lost using a major delivery service, they have a much better track record then the airlines do. Plus they have the expertise is handling and tracking.

There is always this

Thanks, brothers!

Jason - agreed. In my experience airlines show such a blatant disregard for care let along something fragile like an instrument!?

Johnny - no chance in leaving a guitar in a place I'll likely only visit once a year. But a VERY GOOD idea if it were the case.. I'll definitely keep that in mind if things change though...

KC - I really thought about that. But they live in a more rural area and we are only there for 4 days.

Jack - all good points and thanks for finalizing!


She's been a good guitar but very much one that is a camp-fire sort of instrument that can safely get a few dings and come out fine. I've got a decent case for her and she made it safely on a few flights. That is until TSA got a hold of her. Then I had strings slacked and only 1 clasp still on. What?! Did they think I was using my guitar to store drugs!?

Spend $40 and get a soft case with straps so you can "wear" it like a backpack. (or borrow one or get it cheap on CL). I have one and I just got back from the East coast. I ALWAYS take the guitar on the plane with me and out of probably 30 flights, only once did they give me a hard time. Many times, they have offered to store the guitar in the suit closet near the front of the plane. The soft case makes it fit in every overhead bin. The only time it doesn't is on the puddle-jumpers where I've had to check it at the door and they take VERY good care of it (or I've just been lucky, and they've always put it in last, so it's on top and stored securely--you're almost always talking directly to the person who's putting it under and if you are nice and ask sincerely it seems to go a long way).
I don't know about mailing guitars, so I always bring mine on the plane. Just never ask them if it's ok, just keep it on your back and keep walking toward the plane. On this last flight, on Delta, there were 2 other people who also brought their guitars and put them in the overhead. Hope this helps...

I'm with amyjared on this one. The past two years of taken multiple flights two and from Europe and within the continent. I don't like going an extended period of time without my guitar either. I've always taken it on the plane. When checking bags they'd ask about it and I'd just tell them that I'm carrying it to the gate. Usually the flight staff are nice and willing to ensure it's stored in a safe space. I've always traveled with my Taylor and would be absolutely devastated if something were to happen to it. I always approach them with a smile and try to convey as quickly as possible the importance of what I have with me. So far so good. Good luck!

Thanks, gents. More info is that I don't have a direct flight either way. The more I think about it the more it's so very right to FEDEX it on over.

No way would I EVER do the softbag thing. After seeing a dude try that on a flight to NY and the flight attendant told him there is no room in the cabin and it has to be checked.

I guess a definition of what your target is to take a guitar along with you would be in order. Not too different from the band charters and such that you have talked about. So, what do you intend to do? Play for people or just have a guitar to practice with?

I had a situation a few years ago where I went to training for my job. A week away by myself in some forsaken town in NJ. I could drive there so I took my acoustic guitar along. Playing in my room at around 7:30 at night and I get a call from the hotel management. Someone has complained about the noise. I am like, at 7:30pm??? Turns out they were in from Japan or some place like that and were on a weird time schedule. Not my problem as far as I was concerned but I had to stop my practice, which is why I brought the guitar... didn't want to not play for the week.

So my wife bought me a travel electric guitar which I can carry on. The case meets all the dimensional requirements for a carry on, i.e. 42" in in total length and depth and it generally fits on top of the all the carry on shit that folks bring to stow in the overhead bin on airplanes. It has active pickups and a headphone included. So it became my own way of keeping my "hand in" and practicing, it meets the bill. Pretty quiet though for others to hear but my target was practice not sing alongs or trying to play for other people. The guitar is not that great, i.e. could use a setup that I haven't got around to for the action, etc. but it gets the job done. Strangley, it is kinda fun to jam with the weather channel during the radar when they play jazz and sometime Bruuuuuce Hornsby tunes, etc. Recently I bought a micro amp that can clip on my belt and I stow in my suitcase so I can get some small amount of volume out of the rig. Not great but it is something. It doesn't quite compete with an acoustic when playing with others as I have found out while here on vacation in Hawaii (visiting my daughter). But it does ok. Biggest issue is it is a Marshall .

So enough blather, just wanting to tell the tale and check the perspective of what the goal is for traveling on visits/vacations. I take it when we drive to visit my other daughter at college, again to have it to practice with and now can somewhat jam along with an acoustic if the opportunity arises.

Probably not worth $.02 but what the hell.

Dave

FretfulDave wrote:I guess a definition of what your target is to take a guitar along with you would be in order. Not too different from the band charters and such that you have talked about. So, what do you intend to do? Play for people or just have a guitar to practice with?

Leisure travel, amigo. Just like I misspelled in the subject

Not sure what band charters have to do with this....

strumminsix wrote:I'll be visiting family with the future Mrs. Six. I'll be at her folks place pool side and relaxing for a few days and would like to have a guitar.

You might consider buying an inexpensive acoustic (and guitar stand) to leave at the inlaws place.
Maybe criuse the Craigslist for that town or hit the local Music Store or pawn shop.
Her parents will think your intentions are "honorable" [that word always sounds better with japanize accent & bow ].

Pete B. wrote:

strumminsix wrote:I'll be visiting family with the future Mrs. Six. I'll be at her folks place pool side and relaxing for a few days and would like to have a guitar.

You might consider buying an inexpensive acoustic (and guitar stand) to leave at the inlaws place.
Maybe criuse the Craigslist for that town or hit the local Music Store or pawn shop.
Her parents will think your intentions are "honorable" [that word always sounds better with japanize accent & bow ].

Domo Arigato