Has anyone traveled with their electric in an airplane? Are you forced to have it checked or does it actually fit in the top compartment? I've heard of cases that comply with "flight regulations" but I don't know if that has to do with carrying it onboard or having it checked. Is it safe to have your guitar checked, like do they offer some kind of insurance or something? Cuz having my guitar end up in Saudi Arabia would suck balls, and it so happens that every fucking time I visit Spain, one of my suitcases is lost and I have to wait 4 days for it to arrive, with like all my underwear in it...

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I never had problems with bringing my guitarcase in the airplane. Mine had to be checked in though. Because of it's shape etc. But nothing happened to it. Don't know about the insurance thing though

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My case was small enough to fit in the upper compartments, so I was good the few times I've been in a plane.

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I was able to bring my guitar in the airplane without any trouble. I carried it the whole time and put it in the top compartment when flying. I was in economy class. If your in business class you'll get an even bigger top compartment. And when it needed to be checked they just sent it through the X-Ray machine.

By checked, I meant it had to be thrown in with everyone's suitcases below the airplane, something I don't want them to do. But cool, if it fits in the top compartment I'm one happy dude, I just don't remember them being so big...

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I'll tell you a little story:

I had a Washburn Chicago Series, purple, floyd, etc. I even have a video of me playing it. About 10 years ago I flew with it. I told them I wanted to take it on, and they wouldn't let me. So I checked it.

Well, when I got off the plane, after standing at the baggage claim for about an hour, I realized I was never going to see that guitar again.

So a few years later, I went to a local music store, and sure enough, there was my Washburn Chicago Series, selling used for $400. I know it was mine, I distinctly remember putting a small unforgettable dent in the back of the neck, and this guitar had that same distinct, unforgettable dent.

They asked me if I wanted to buy it, and I told them I did but it, a few years ago before it was stolen from me at the airport.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Yeah, well at the time it wasn't very funny. I saved up all summer to buy it from my brother. I played it all summer, and bought it from him the night before I flew with it. So I only owned it for about 10 hours.

Damn that must have sucked.

Yeah, it was quite a learning experience.

If I were you I would've blatantly walked out of the store with the guitar. I'm sorry to hear that man, that sucks.

Now I know that I'm DEFINATELY carrying my shit onboard. Even if I have to start a scene like in Meet the Fockers.

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I appreciate it. That was a pretty hard one for me to get over. But after about 20 guitars later, I'm on to bigger and better things.

They wouldn't let me take my guitar on board either. I have a relatively small case as well. As for the insurance thing they make you sign a form saying that they are not responsable for any damage done to it or it getting stolen. Surely enough the D and G machine heads didn't tune properly after that flight. Even though I had slapped 5 fragile stickers on it I'm sure that they didn't treat it any different than a bag full of clothing. I had only had the guitar for about 2 weeks as well. I spent all summer saving up for it. I know its not as shitty as what happened to you jax but still it was shitty.

...Bastards

I brought a MusicMan bass in a hard case with me from Toronto to New-Zealand. I got some shit from the airline people at every level, but after convincing them that it fit in the overhead just fine (with about 40 cm on each side to boot), they let me take it.

But if possible avoid putting anything that has any value to your life between you and airlines.

...Bastards

I bet! Makes you wonder where the guitar went for those few years.

A few years ago wally had his soft case go on the plane with him out of Cleveland. They did run it through the xray machine, but he carried it on without an problems and stowed it. Check the specific airline's policies. That might make a difference in some instances. I'm not sure. If you absolutely don't need to take it with you then don't. If you do then write down all pertainent info about it just incase. It might help if something does happen.

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I would be surprised to see an airline let you carry a guitar with you on the plane nowadays, with the terrorism in the past couple of years. It may sound far fetched, but put this in perspective of what could happen. Someone could take the treble strings off your guitar and use them to squeeze the head off the pilot. Or to bash him over the head. And on another serious note, I know most of you are going to say "I wouldn't let anybody grab my guitar..." but think of this, would you go up against a pissed off arab man?

Just my take on it, but I don't really have an answer, i dont travel much.

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Not if u put a lock on ur case
hehe also where the hell did "arab" come from?

I would have called the police right then and asked the owner who they got it from. I would be willing to bet that not more then 3 people would have own it during that time and the shop owner, if it was a pawn shop, have records of who they bought it from. If the event went to court I think you would have got your guitar back. You could prove that it was stolen and tracking it back to it the point of being stolen wouldn't be that hard. Besides, most people are going to know that you never forget every detail of something so personal.

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I was so shocked to see it there, I didn't even know what to think at first either. I actually talked to them for a while about it. I told them I had a video of me playing it, that was about the only proof I had, and it was pretty indisputable, and they said they'd definitely work with me. The airlines paid me in full for it, though, and I had bought another guitar and amp with the settlement money. But after so many years and then finally seeing it, I was in shock, but I figured I would rather have a kid come into the store and buy it and enjoy it, then me take it back.

Yeah, sweet revenge is best. Now off to find the fuck that bought it.

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No, I meant someone else buy it and have it, then me ever have it again. Let it move on somewhere else. I was pretty over it by the time I saw it, I didn't need it back. I would rather someone else have it.