Case advice

[NCSUSousa]

I've got another question:

I've seen cellists and guitarists stow their axes overhead on aeroplanes. How do they get to skate past the 22"×14"×9" maximum size allowance for carry on luggage?

I actually think that this horn, without the bell or case, would fit in the overhead also. Its dimensions are 28"×18"×9".....

Depending on where you're flying, don't bet on the overhead being available.
It seems that every time I fly for business, I end up on a plane so small that I can't even stand up. I'm only 6'-0" tall (ok, maybe more with shoes on).
Every time I get on one of those little planes, I have to hand over my carry-on bag so they can put it under the plane. The overhead bins just aren't as big on those little planes.
My most recent flight was from Raleigh to Chicago on just such a plane.

[roweenie]

Here's my logic:

Standard guitar case: 10" x 48" x 15"

Detachable bell tuba without case: 9 1/2" x 30" x 17".

(They'd better have a pretty good excuse for denying permission considering these stats).

[Donn]

See what the TSA says: Musical Instruments

... with special attention to this possibly somewhat irritating distinction:

Pack brass instruments in your checked baggage.

Bring your stringed instruments, within carrier size limitations, as carry-on items.

I believe this is fairly recent policy, thanks to vigorous lobbying from AFM possibly among others, and I suppose the popular youtube thing about the broken guitar may have helped. We may need to get something out there for a broken trombone or something, but sequels are a tough business.

But the TSA isn't there when you board the plane and they don't have any real reason to care about any of that. They see the tuba when it gets to the x-ray machine, which could be an issue right there, don't know. Past that, you're really dealing with the airline. The main accomplishment of the legislative action was supposed to be some standardization of their policies, as opposed to significant liberalization. Whether it's now effective I don't know - they gave the bureaucracy a couple years to work it out, and the stuff I see on line is mostly a couple years old. If you care, that's a job for you - track down recent information on airline policies.

[roweenie]

*

[Donn]

Her answer to me: go to the airport with your horn and ask the people working there at the counter what they would do!

That would be the check-in counter, I presume. Without a boarding pass, you'd have a hard time getting to a gate, to talk to that crew, and they're closer to the final call. The flight crew trumps them, though. Without a real airline policy on the point, you don't know what's going to happen when you try to go. They of course would rather see you check the thing, so they don't have much incentive to offer you a variety of reassurances. I guess this means kind of lawyering your way through this, if so inclined. That is, if you can make a solid case based on the official rules, and you're willing to bet that they'll back down if presented with that case.

How about this: Put strings on it and call it a guitar! Mount the bridge down at the bottom of the big side, and tell them it's an experimental variation on the principle National Reso-Phonic guitars are based on. This is going to be basically a lap steel, so you don't really need a neck, but you'll need to learn to play open tuning with a slide, like you've done it before (and with no neck you'll have to know the positions blind.) You can tell them you're taking it to someone who'll be able to play it for real, but it will help a lot if you can play it right there. I don't know, maybe a neck would be worth thinking about, since it would give you some place to put the head. Extra credit for hooking the valve pistons up to string dampers, and figuring out some way to incorporate that into your act.

[roweenie]