How the Pros Travel With Instruments?

[John Flynn]

Some recent threads have talked about traveling with instruments, but the discussions mostly seem to be about people carrying instruments on or occasional travel. It got me to thinking that I don't recall seeing a thread on how the pros do it. So given the following hypothetcial:

1. The subject is a touring professional musician playing sequential gigs in different cities. The person is not a "household name" or part of a "big touring ensemble" who would have roadies and trucks, etc., but still someone who does have expensive, fragile instruments and whose living does depend on playing paying gigs.

2. The person has multiple instruments, either too many or too large to carry them all on. At least some instruments have to be shipped or checked.

3. The instruments have to travel coincidentally with the person. So they have to leave around when they leave and arrive around when they do. The person has to travel by airline, not a tour bus or car.

4. The person cannot do the gigs without all the instruments.

I have to believe this is a reality for some musicians. So what are the options, in terms of:

> Different shipping methods?

> Different case/packing methods? Like, what is actually a "flight case?" I have heard this term, but are they really 99% safe as checked bagage? Who makes them?

> Emergency backup plans in case something gets damaged? Thoughts include renting/borrowing some instruments at the gig locations or traveling with redundant instruments, but I have no idea if this is the way it's really done.

I'm much more interested in what the common practices actually are among professionals in that situation, from people "in the know," rather than speculation on the part of fellow amatuers.

[jim_n_virginia]

Since I only travel regionally (by car or truck) to play I would be interested too in hearing what the pros do. Obviously a high quality case is number one.

I'm mean I guess if you got the bucks you could buy a seat for your instrument if you wanted.

I think shipping your instrument via UPS would be safer that checking a guitar in baggage.

[LKN2MYIS]

I have many friends who make their living solely from playing. For the most part, they are guitarists. Sometimes in they play with others, but mostly they are solo artists.

First choice is that they drive whenever it is possible. Oft times it is not feasible, and they have to fly. However, they more often than not will do a 10 hour drive as opposed to a 2 hour flight. A bit more time, but cheaper and they have a car to use when they get to the show. Some have small motor homes they travel in (glorified vans often), but that's a different story. Particularly with the price of gas and the poor mileage these traditionally get, it's a tough way to go.

The musicians I know for the most part have Calton cases. They gate check the instruments at airlines. They rarely attempt to carry-on. I know one fellow who, depending upon the instrument, will buy a seat for his vintage electric guitar, but that gets real expensive real fast (the airlines tend to charge a full adult rate for the instruments seat).

They mostly carry 2 instruments, and gate check them both. They tend to carry on a small piece of luggage for clothing. That's it.

It isn't easy to do, but it gets done. No back-up cases. They prepare the instrument properly before putting it in the Calton (loosen strings, padding around the headstock, that stuff).

That being said, the instruments being their living, they are appropriately insured to allow for full reimbursement in the event of any problems.

They tend not to ship their instruments ahead. Right or wrong, the preference is that they are on the same flights as the instruments. More of a chance they will arrive at the same place at roughly the same time.

If in the rare case something happens, they will use a borrowed instrument at the show. They either have friends or fans in the area who help out, or the local music society will come through. Club owners also have contacts for instruments.

I've known people who have had a problem with one of their instruments (again, most take 2), and they make do with whatever one is good. Kind of like going to a gig and expecting one type of audience, and it's a total different kind of audience. They are pros, they adjust.

It isn't ideal, but it usually works out. And from all of their stories, while stuff can and does happen to a gate checked instrument, it usually doesn't. They take the proper precautions and make their flights. Not much else they can do. While their are horror stories, with the proper precautions taken, the odds are they will make it through fine.

I actually flew to a gig with a friend. When he went to gate check the instrument, the employee allowed us to walk it out to the belly of the plane ourselves and give it to the baggage handler. Kind of odd, but we got to talk to him and watch him secure it in the hold.

Driving is obviously much easier. Although about a year ago a musician I know who was on tour here in the U.S. had the trunk of his rented car broken into in a garage in NYC. Took his guitar, some electronics, but insultingly enough left a carton of 250 of his shrink wrapped CDs to sell at gigs!

All in all, not an easy life. But these people are all getting paid for something they'd be doing anyway - making music. They are all successes in more ways than one in my book.

In re-reading what I wrote, I don't know if this is helpful for you or not. It is, however, how the ones I know have been doing it. And it works for them. They've been doing it for years and it's profitable enough that they continue doing it.

Hope this helps.

[John Flynn]

John:

Thanks a lot. That's exactly what I was looking for. I hope some other people will chime in with other approaches.

[CES]

Speculating amateur here, and probably a "bigger" act than you meant, but hopefully some helpful info...

Saw AKUS a couple years ago in Asheville in an old theater there...awesome room, but there was torrential rain and a pretty good leak in the roof, right in the middle of the stage...Barry had to back up and the rest move forward; threw their groove off for about a verse, but they worked it out.

Anyway, between songs Dan T. ran offstage, to the amusement of the band...he returned with what Jerry Douglas termed a "disposable guitar." (still a sweet sounding D-28, btw).

I stayed after for a while to avoid traffic and saw them tear down the stage. All had Calton cases (or something very similar), and Dan indicated during the show that he travelled with the 2 guitars...didn't comment on the mandos, but his F5 went into a Calton, too...

[swampstomper]

Bill Keith told me (just a month ago) that he puts everything in his Calton case -- including tools (pliers etc.) so that carryon would be impossible -- and checks it through. He has a bright blue case with lots of stickers so I guess it won't get lost or at least will stand out to the handlers. He has a really nice custom banjo in there but so far he hasn't had it lost or damaged. His attitude was to pack it so that even the abuse mentioned previously in this thread could do it no damage. Of course, it's bigger and heavier than a mando, plus easier to adjust the setup if something goes wrong.

So, that's at least one pro's perspective.

[earthsave]

I'd say Calton for those that travel by air a lot. If I was playing for a living, that's what I'd go with.

There are other makes with a similar quality, protection, and design.

[fatt-dad]

John Cephas had a featherweight nylon/stiff foam case for his guitars and would check them through as baggage. Then again, he did have a few with top cracks (I ended up with one). "Top cracks don't mean nothin'," that's what he told me!

f-d

[Chunky But Funky]

John Cephas had a featherweight nylon/stiff foam case for his guitars and would check them through as baggage.

Cool! Cephas and Wiggins did an assembly at our school in conjunction with their Pittsburgh area appearance this past school year. They used part of my PA and I got to play John's Baden guitar he had at the time.

Back to the original question. I don't think it would be feasible for all situations, but I let one of our worship leaders use the box from my Guild D-55 packed with wrapping paper around his Taylor hardshell case for a round trip flight to Hawaii. He was playing for a friends wedding and wanted his guitar there. The box, case and guitar all survived without a scratch. Heck of alot cheaper than a Calton!

That being said, I still want one of these:
Case Extreme

Doug

[Chunky But Funky]

I couldn't get the pic to attach in the last post. Sorry! The website has a list of endorsement artists as well.

Doug

[Chris "Bucket" Thomas]

I have had the both Peter Rowan and the Infamous Stringdusters on my jet at work (I don't fly for UAL). The StringDusters had Caltons; not sure about Peter Rowan. All checked the instruments below.

I have also run into Adam Steffey and on another occasion The Grascals at LaGuardia. Adam carried his on as a carry-on in a Calton and the Grascals had checked everything below.

[gw16]

For fly away shows, firstly all of my instruments travel in Caltons, nothing else. My mando is carried on (usually) and my electric guitar and/or bouzouki get checked underneath. This requires me a 3rd piece of luggage which I put my clothes, etc. as well as my pedal boards. If someone else is travelling with me I can usually check one piece under their name and if not, I have to pay the extra money for the 3rd piece of checked baggage typically. Backline stuff like amps, d.i.'s, stands, mic's etc. we always have the promoter arrange in our rider. It's not as tricky as it sounds and generally speaking the airlines are pretty accommodating. Well, sometimes...lol

[Eddie Sheehy]

There's a pro who recently checked his Taylor on United....

[GVD]

Well I'm an amatuer but as a BG festival promoter I get to see how the pros do it. As a rule most big name acts prefer to travel by bus but when another festival wants them the next day on the other side of the country and make it worhtwhile financially they'll do what they gotta do.

They usually ask if they can borrow a standup bass from someone although a few go the electric bass route. Other than that they all use either Calton/Pegasus style cases or the more recent trend of carbon fiber cases.

Take a band like Dailey & Vincent. They have a whole slew of instruments (arch top and flat top guitar and a mandolin for Darrin and usually a flat top guitar and mandolin in addition to banjo for Joe. They almost all use carbon fiber cases and check them. They also carry a couple of big road cases on casters for their IEM receivers, transmitter, antennas, mixer etc. as well as the new wireless mic setup they've begun using. It takes a pretty good sized SUV just to get them from the airport to the venue.

[LKN2MYIS]

I think that the OP is more interested in less big names than Dailey & Vincent, though I might be wrong.

GVD - as a festival promoter, I would imagine you might have some great insight into the the different ways the lesser knowns make it happen. I'd think that the logistics of putting on a festival must be incredibly varied and complex, and you bring a wealth of experience to the table.

My question would be (aside from my original response), are there OTHER ways that these working musicians make it happen?

[John Flynn]

John:

You're right, I am more interested in how lesser-than-big names do it, although it sounds like in a pinch, Dailey and Vincent occasionally have to travel as if they were lesser than big names. I am really wondering what lessons amatuers can learn and practically apply from the pros when they travel. Obviously, amatuers can't do tour buses or have roadies and traveling by car is not always possible. The things I have learned so far from the thread is that are useful are the ideas about gate checking (although I've had two really bad experiences gate checking luggage) and Calton cases, although I know of some disasters with checked Calton cases. I guess if you can't do carry-on, a combination of gate checking and Caltons is the best that can be done.

[Troy Engle]

I have flown professionally a fair amount, with various combinations of mandolins, fiddles, banjos, guitars, etc. Mandos and fiddles I will carry on, in a light case. Usually if it's guitar and banjo, I check the guitar in a TKL ACF flight case and try to carry on the banjo in a tkl featherweight case. Sometime I have to gate check the banjo. It has made it several times unscathed. The only breakage I have ever had was a banjo neck broken inside of an anvil flight case! Hope that helps. Troy