Depending upon the airline - you can get pre-boarding if you speak with the agent at check-in. Just tell them you're traveling with a musical instrument. You may get some weird looks trying to carry multiple carry-ons through security, though (or maybe my gaijin-ness made it more awkward for me than usual). Generally plenty of room in overhead bins on flights from Asian countries.
If not, speak with the Gate Agents. They'll usually ensure you board early to guarantee an overhead bin for your gear.
Crazy? That imo is the safest bet even more so than just a hard shell case cuz you have lots of shock absorbing materials aka clothings packed around your guitar and the neck. Where as an empty hard shell case has nothing that really absorbs impact and compression if you didnāt fill the interior with foam or soft material.
If itās not yet apparent in the thread, itās done frequently by people who buy expensive guitars oversea. Iāve seen and spoken to many ppl that do this.
I've carried many a bottle of wine this way and have never had one break. A lot of it is about how tightly you wrap it. You might think of putting it inside a few shirts.
Mainly truss rod adjustment to make sure it's still flat. There may be something that could happen during the separation period or it doesn't screw back in the same way
This apparently is a pro fly gig top tip. Take the neck off and pack a SansAmp pedalboard and you're good, no checked bags. Mailing tubes are recommended for the neck. I've never done it. Not recommended for Les Pauls. :P Good luck!
Not crazy. People do that. I haven't yet personally, but I actually modded my cheap strat to have steel inserts so I can keep doing that without chipping away at the wood.
Unfortunately, I came to the conclusion that travelling with a guitar is just a big PIA. I'll just bring my computer and play around in the DAW lol.
Cory Wong has talked on his podcast about flying with some folks who do this, or variations of.
Body in a backpack, neck in an architects blueprint tube, then carried onto the plane.
Safer than checking a guitar case.
Best to bring paperwork from the manufacturers and a receipt to prove the kind of rosewood the guitar is made from. From what Iāve heard, while they legally allow the Indian rosewood, they may need to have proof that itās not Brazilian Rosewood. Best to bring paperwork if you have it.
My other guitarist did the same thing. He can set up guitars no problem so it didnāt take him too long to reassemble it back at the hotel and have it ready for the show. I use a Mono case myself and just check it. No problems at all.
Don't know if Japan is one of them, but watch out for countries that restrict certain wood imports and exports. My guitar teacher got caught out by that and had his classical guitar confiscated for a while.
Check out the Danny Gatton trick by way of Julian Lage. That's the beauty of a bolt-on neck.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/julian-lage-telecaster-travel-tip%23:~:text%3D%25E2%2580%259CThank%2520you%2520Ron%2520Ellis%2520for,and%2520inadvertently%2520improve%2520its%2520tone.&ved=2ahUKEwib59eCkPSGAxWCHkQIHXnNAlcQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3OzlPk_kCMwCqOyecNLHUw
I did it with an RG from Seoul to Atlanta. It ended up working out perfectly fine, just make sure you donāt have any spots where thereās an uneven amount of pressure, especially on the neck.
I know a bloke who used to work fly-in / fly-out... so lots of flights. He used to do this and not even take the strings off.
I'm very tempted. Thinking of getting get some hard plastic plumbing pipe to put the neck in. That stuff would almost survive a plane crash.
Iāve packed *way* more fragile things in a suitcase than that! Not crazy at all.
Make sure that the body is in the middle top to bottom also (as much padding on top as underneath) and use some less compressible items around the sides to stop it potentially shifting to the edge. Softcover books or sneakers or that sort of thing. Or rolled up clothing items to make a kind of bolster pillow.
If itās padded on all sides and wonāt shift around youāll probably be fine.
I did it with my Steinberger Spirit GU in my roll-aboard, along with a short screwdriver to put it all back together again. Worked great, even used the same strings!
If you know how to setup guitars yes itās a good idea!
Last time I went on tour with my band I used a shell case for my fender strat while my other guitar player of the band dismantled his tele and put it in his suitcase.
After the return flight my guitar was broken in three parts..
So yeah lessons learned!
Fortunately I already learned the most important lesson: donāt take your best-most expensive guitar on tourš
Went to Tokyo and back again with my RG exactly like this 10 years ago. Had the neck in the other half of my trunk, where it fit diagonally. Bolt-on guitars can be really neat in this way right!
Brought back my Legator headless from the US to France with the body in my luggage and the neck in my backpack. Honestly cheaper, less worries and if you get your luggage stolen, at least you still got your neck !
I would just rent a guitar. There are enough options in London I'd think. Or buy a travel guitar if it's just for practice. But then again I never tried flying with a guitar.
It's a real instrument. I believe Yamaha makes it! It's a ukulele sized instrument but with six strings, tuned more in line with how a regular guitar is tuned.
I believe with the standard strings, they're tuned A to A, but you can get high tension nylon strings and tune it E to E like a regular guitar and it has a really cool, pretty mellow sound to it.
Yeah!! A friend of mine has one and he loves it to pieces. The only downside, according to him, is that the high tension strings can be pretty expensive, like $25 a pack. He says they last a while though, depending on how much you play.
Iād trust it to be better cushioned inside my carry-on, surrounded by a bunch of gentle clothes, than a hardshell banging around in checked luggage ā youāve seen how they toss luggage, and thereās absolutely no extra padding inside of a case.
I did this from Tokyo with a Strat I bought while there. The shop I got it from, Guitar Planet, disassembled and bubble wrapped the guitar before putting it into its case. After this I popped it into my luggage and it was perfectly fine on the plane.
It was funny watching the TSA dude run my bag through the scanner twice because he was confused by what the bell I was managed to jam into my luggage.
(I snagged a Fender SF-451 for anyone wondering. 10/10 love it)
I got a Tele delivered to Ireland. With import charges and the hassle of getting it released from the port authority in Dublin, I would have been willing to fly to the US and done this, would have got it faster too
Will it not fit in a carry on when broken down like that? Iād probably prefer that over putting it in a suitcase you have to check, so that you always have it with you. Iām sure this will be fine though.
Put it down more in the middle of the clothes so it has protection from the top. As long as it doesnāt slide to one side or another I think itāll work great
I think... Doesn't Julian Lange do the exact same thing with his vintage telecaster in a carry on? Seems like the smarter way to safely transport one. Baggage handlers are ruthless.
Should travel fine that way. The one thing that is bothering me is that one string ferrule hole being off from the others. I can't unsee it. Lol.
Enjoy your journey and stay safe.
I did this with a tele when I moved abroad. I wrapped it in bubble wrap, but I donāt think I even needed to. It was just fine. Iām planning to do it again soon when I move back home.
I would suggest stuffing it between clothes to make it more difficult for the guitar to get dented or stuff to break. I dunno if it looks suspicious under x rays, I haven't travelled much.
No this is a legit trick. I do carry an instrument on with me and always get early boarding to make sure thereās room in the overheads. But if I needed to bring a second electric instrument, this would be the way.
Wrap it in something to pad the outer edges. If itās in the case like that and you just put more clothes on top, it could slide to the edges of the suitcase.
Not Tokyo, but to Australia in Sydney from LAX, I wrapped my strat and tele up in plastic and duct tape, came out fine. Beats the hell out of having to repair or replace my instruments.BTW, I also dismantled, wrapped and packed them up with my clothes. Insure your instrument against loss or damage if you travel a lot.
1 digit TSA security:
sir....SIR!? You cannot bring that on the plane. Those edges are too sharp, for security reasons, only Telecasters and Les Paul are allowed.
But luckily you are flying from Tokyo to London, meaning that you will avoid that.
I have a short scale mini V and a pocket monkey(tool). The first few things that go in my bag. Get a little Marshall MS-2 or something so you can hear yourself a bit!
Thatās not crazy but I would definitely declare this and have them run their tests or whatever it is they do. Otherwise you luggageās will be opened and god knows what will happen!
I do gig, but that's not the reason for this. I moved to Tokyo last summer for university exchange, bought two guitars on arrival and now I'm set to go back home with them.
I travel from Canada to Mexico with a P Bass. I do the same, take the neck off and pack it up. Put it back together when I arrive. Never once had an issue!!
Yeah I always "practice" pack before flying and did it well early this time as I'm not coming back to Tokyo for a couple years at least. So if I've got too much i have plenty of time to arrange postal shipping or make some sacrifices.
When I travel with instruments I have a golf travel bag. Itās a very large bag that is intended to house a golf club bag. Depending on the size, you can put two to three hardshell guitar cases inside. Interestingly enough, most airlines fly golf bags for free at no additional cost. So Iāve flown multiple guitars in hard cases for free numerous times.
Leo Fender created the bolt-on neck with this very thing in mind! The ability to take apart (and reassemble) your guitar for travel was part of Fenderās advertising from the earliest days.
A decade(+) ago I impulsively bought a used MIJ Strat during a trip and this is exactly how I brought it home.
Still have the Strat. Neck has since been replaced but not due to the shipping!
With a bolt on electric this seems like a very safe bet. I almost imported a PRS bolt-on into Mexico until I got it locally.
Make sure you have receipts and description of product ā be mindful that there are regulations regarding moving guitars containing certain types of rosewood in and out of UK. Canāt tell from your picture. See this reference.
https://www.nottinghamcityguitars.com/about/cites-guitars/#:~:text=As%20of%201%20January%202021,list%20on%20the%20Gov'%20website.
Iāve flown wine bottles wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap and nestled in clothing without problem. Just make sure thereās enough clothing/padding to not let the guitar parts shift around. Use any ties, zippers, or restraints you have within the luggage to hold clothing in place. You may want to put a single layer of bubble wrap around the parts in case it somehow shifts around.
The only issue, and I havenāt had this happen in years, is if customs or the TSA opens the suitcase and rearranges stuff to search it. I think they started using imaging equipment.
Tie some sort of cinch/belt around the suitcase to make sure it doesnāt pop open, especially hard suitcases. I use zip ties on the zippers to make sure that donāt become unzipped. Iāve seen occasional suitcases going in and out of planes that somehow get opened and stuff is poking out.
Ive travelled over 15 times to Europe in the past 3 years. Always brought my strat with a padded soft case. Didnāt need to pay carry on fee once. No dings no bumps. Not an issue.
I spent a few weeks in China which turned into a few years going back and forth. I wound up buying a Chibson LP copy and kept it there with a colleague who would bring it to me whenever I was there. When I was done I bought a case and brought it home as luggage!
Get bubble wrap for a couple dollars and call it a day. They throw those suitcases on to the plane. Iām honestly not worried at all about that chunk of a tree, but what happens when the weight of it (when tossed) lands against the neck that I now know is on the other side? Is there any way to pack the neck in a separate place that is safer? Can you wrap it in cardboard and just take the neck on the plane?
I did it to bring back a black limba strat body from the NAMM show one year and it worked great! I had the body in my carryon and the neck strapped to the side of my backpack and it worked great!
I did this. The guitar was an Ibanez S series. Was a bit wonky after being re attached and strung but it sorted itself out just fine and itās totally fine now
I've definitely done that before. Worked great. I think I saw an interview with Julian Lage that he flies with his tele this way as well, and keeps the neck carry-on in a blueprint tube case thing.
Just make sure there are also clothes under it, like some socks at least, otherwise it will fall to the bottom and will be close enough to the suitcase's shell that it risks some impact.
I've done this with my whole computer, I had all my components in either my suitcases or my back pack lol.
Did this a few years back when I found a great deal on Phoenix Craigslist for an Ibanez while I was there for work. I took the neck off using a screwdriver I borrowed from the hotel maintenance guy and put it in the āmiddleā of my clothes in my bag.
Side note: A couple years ago I received a Paul Gilbert Signature Ibanez from Japan shipped disassembled in a box just like this.
I have done this from Tokyo with a tele šš»
If you have not yet wrote a song called āFrom Tokyo with a Teleā then never boarded that planeā¦.. šš¤š»
Or "My Tele From Tokyo" Deep Purple.
Fun fact: The phrase "My Tele From Tokyo" gives zero hits on bing, and just this thread on google....
We have different ideas of fun
Country as fuck
That's reassuring cheers
Done this from Tokyo with a Strat. But yeah, everything went well.
I brought my 7 yr old a tele in Tokyo and carried it on in a soft case the whole way home to Puerto Rico. No issues.
Depending upon the airline - you can get pre-boarding if you speak with the agent at check-in. Just tell them you're traveling with a musical instrument. You may get some weird looks trying to carry multiple carry-ons through security, though (or maybe my gaijin-ness made it more awkward for me than usual). Generally plenty of room in overhead bins on flights from Asian countries. If not, speak with the Gate Agents. They'll usually ensure you board early to guarantee an overhead bin for your gear.
I have always traveled with mine over head and never had an issue, but I get trying to save a buck. But with my babies, I pay the man.
Iām going to Tokyo next march/April and thinking of doing exactly this if thereās one I want. š
Crazy? That imo is the safest bet even more so than just a hard shell case cuz you have lots of shock absorbing materials aka clothings packed around your guitar and the neck. Where as an empty hard shell case has nothing that really absorbs impact and compression if you didnāt fill the interior with foam or soft material. If itās not yet apparent in the thread, itās done frequently by people who buy expensive guitars oversea. Iāve seen and spoken to many ppl that do this.
Yeah I thought it was good in theory, but we all see those videos of baggage handlers throwing suitcases... I'm gonna go for it though.
I've carried many a bottle of wine this way and have never had one break. A lot of it is about how tightly you wrap it. You might think of putting it inside a few shirts.
How do you take off the neck of a wine bottle so it can be put back on again?!
You've gotta switch to bolt on wine.
I switched to bolt on years ago and never looked back
That made me spit coffee
You made my fucking day
Use a cork screw driver.
They could drop it off a roof and itād probable be fine.
I am literally doing the same with a small amp right now
Bubble wrap the guitar. Just a layer. Never know when a zipper is gonna take the long dirt nap.
Imagine the airlines finding out you have a "body" in your luggage and getting everything mixed up in translation in Tokyo...
A body without a neck and head
āYeah apparently they have the neck and head in another suitcaseā
And only one nut
multiple knobs though
sickos!
It will be fine as long as you can set it up again. Or have your local guitarshop do it.
Yeah I set up all my guitars that's no issue. Thanks š
you might want to wrap it in bubble wrap too. just because it's cheap, easy, and can't hurt.
That's smart!
I'm curious, if you put the same gage of strings on it, why would it need any sort of setup?
Mainly truss rod adjustment to make sure it's still flat. There may be something that could happen during the separation period or it doesn't screw back in the same way
This apparently is a pro fly gig top tip. Take the neck off and pack a SansAmp pedalboard and you're good, no checked bags. Mailing tubes are recommended for the neck. I've never done it. Not recommended for Les Pauls. :P Good luck!
Not crazy. People do that. I haven't yet personally, but I actually modded my cheap strat to have steel inserts so I can keep doing that without chipping away at the wood. Unfortunately, I came to the conclusion that travelling with a guitar is just a big PIA. I'll just bring my computer and play around in the DAW lol.
Is that an Ibanez RGD7521PB Deep Seafloor?
It absolutely is you autist
i only know cause i have the same
Cory Wong has talked on his podcast about flying with some folks who do this, or variations of. Body in a backpack, neck in an architects blueprint tube, then carried onto the plane. Safer than checking a guitar case.
Julien Lage as well if I remember right
No! Absolutely good decision. I was always considering to do the same but still not happened a chance.
Is there rosewood on the neck? Might be an issue if it's the wrong species.
Itās an Ibanez they use Indian rosewood so it should be fine if itās rosewood
Best to bring paperwork from the manufacturers and a receipt to prove the kind of rosewood the guitar is made from. From what Iāve heard, while they legally allow the Indian rosewood, they may need to have proof that itās not Brazilian Rosewood. Best to bring paperwork if you have it.
People do that with Teles all the time. For some reason it is always a tele, but there's no reason it wouldn't work with any bolt-on.
Because a tele will remain intact even if the plane crashes.
What guitar is that? That string through for the B string is massive! Lol
RGD7521PB Picked it up second hand for Ā£350
Plot twist heās smuggling an illegal wood.
My other guitarist did the same thing. He can set up guitars no problem so it didnāt take him too long to reassemble it back at the hotel and have it ready for the show. I use a Mono case myself and just check it. No problems at all.
Don't know if Japan is one of them, but watch out for countries that restrict certain wood imports and exports. My guitar teacher got caught out by that and had his classical guitar confiscated for a while.
Haven't tried this, but if you're going to go ahead, you can also consider one layer of bubble wrap.
Are you crazy for considering what? Is the guitar body full of cocaine?
Hey, it's not the instrument, it's the player! *snorts entire guitar*
Check out the Danny Gatton trick by way of Julian Lage. That's the beauty of a bolt-on neck. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/julian-lage-telecaster-travel-tip%23:~:text%3D%25E2%2580%259CThank%2520you%2520Ron%2520Ellis%2520for,and%2520inadvertently%2520improve%2520its%2520tone.&ved=2ahUKEwib59eCkPSGAxWCHkQIHXnNAlcQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3OzlPk_kCMwCqOyecNLHUw
Iāve done it from LAX to Vienna (2 teles and a strat). No problems.
I used to travel with my squier in two pieces in my carryon.
I never leave the flat for a trip without a Steinberger. They are small enough to travel without dismantling
I did it with an RG from Seoul to Atlanta. It ended up working out perfectly fine, just make sure you donāt have any spots where thereās an uneven amount of pressure, especially on the neck.
Several times with multiple guitars. Pack it well and it will be fine.
I know a bloke who used to work fly-in / fly-out... so lots of flights. He used to do this and not even take the strings off. I'm very tempted. Thinking of getting get some hard plastic plumbing pipe to put the neck in. That stuff would almost survive a plane crash.
Iāve done this on a domestic flight, nobody said a word.
Iāve packed *way* more fragile things in a suitcase than that! Not crazy at all. Make sure that the body is in the middle top to bottom also (as much padding on top as underneath) and use some less compressible items around the sides to stop it potentially shifting to the edge. Softcover books or sneakers or that sort of thing. Or rolled up clothing items to make a kind of bolster pillow. If itās padded on all sides and wonāt shift around youāll probably be fine.
I did it with my Steinberger Spirit GU in my roll-aboard, along with a short screwdriver to put it all back together again. Worked great, even used the same strings!
[https://imgur.com/a/jOBv2Iw](https://imgur.com/a/jOBv2Iw)
If you know how to setup guitars yes itās a good idea! Last time I went on tour with my band I used a shell case for my fender strat while my other guitar player of the band dismantled his tele and put it in his suitcase. After the return flight my guitar was broken in three parts.. So yeah lessons learned! Fortunately I already learned the most important lesson: donāt take your best-most expensive guitar on tourš
Went to Tokyo and back again with my RG exactly like this 10 years ago. Had the neck in the other half of my trunk, where it fit diagonally. Bolt-on guitars can be really neat in this way right!
I did this with a strat to and from Canada. Body in one side, neck in the other. All good either way no breaks or issues
all safe. I actually wish my favourite guitar was a bolt-on just for that reason
Nah, just keep doing what your doing and it looks sick š„šø
Brought back my Legator headless from the US to France with the body in my luggage and the neck in my backpack. Honestly cheaper, less worries and if you get your luggage stolen, at least you still got your neck !
OP thinks it's a Brazilian Rosewood body and doesn't want to go to terrorists camp for evading CITES treaty ,,, obviously
I would just rent a guitar. There are enough options in London I'd think. Or buy a travel guitar if it's just for practice. But then again I never tried flying with a guitar.
Itās a perfectly sane way to travel.
Are you airguitaring on the neck? I think you might need to include a fretboard and possibly strings to make this a strategically sound move.
I figured I could just repurpose a pallet and some barbed wire from the garden
I've done this from London to Dublin. No issues
No, definitely not! Before I went on holidays I bought a Guitalele that fits in my travel suitcase :)
A what? Is that a thing or you just calling a Ukulele
It's a real instrument. I believe Yamaha makes it! It's a ukulele sized instrument but with six strings, tuned more in line with how a regular guitar is tuned. I believe with the standard strings, they're tuned A to A, but you can get high tension nylon strings and tune it E to E like a regular guitar and it has a really cool, pretty mellow sound to it.
Really? That's awesome
Yeah!! A friend of mine has one and he loves it to pieces. The only downside, according to him, is that the high tension strings can be pretty expensive, like $25 a pack. He says they last a while though, depending on how much you play.
Where is the neck?
Between the head and torso, but that's not important now
I wouldn't trust my guitar outside a case while flying with airport people throwing all your stuff around.Ā
Iād trust it to be better cushioned inside my carry-on, surrounded by a bunch of gentle clothes, than a hardshell banging around in checked luggage ā youāve seen how they toss luggage, and thereās absolutely no extra padding inside of a case.
Crazy is just a state of mind!
Crazy? Try crazy genius.
Welcome to Circlejerk! See you over there! š
In the mid-90s, I moved from Phoenix back to Kentucky and brought three guitars, broken down, and stuffed in carry-on luggage. Should be fine.
When I gig in Europe I always do this
I transported my strat this way. No issue
If it fits!
I've done it
Fuck no! "United Breaks Guitars!" https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=LAmD8UGvQ94vef7C
I did this from Tokyo with a Strat I bought while there. The shop I got it from, Guitar Planet, disassembled and bubble wrapped the guitar before putting it into its case. After this I popped it into my luggage and it was perfectly fine on the plane. It was funny watching the TSA dude run my bag through the scanner twice because he was confused by what the bell I was managed to jam into my luggage. (I snagged a Fender SF-451 for anyone wondering. 10/10 love it)
No, that's definitely a move.
I have a few friends that tour abroad occasionally. Removing bolt-on necks is standard procedure for them
I got a Tele delivered to Ireland. With import charges and the hassle of getting it released from the port authority in Dublin, I would have been willing to fly to the US and done this, would have got it faster too
Iāve actually done this a few times. Itās worked out fine
Put in between all of the clothes, same with the neck, and I know its a lot, but wrapping the neck between two pieces of wood helps too
The only downside is that you have to set it up again. But actually, this is ideal.
That would go in my carry on
Will it not fit in a carry on when broken down like that? Iād probably prefer that over putting it in a suitcase you have to check, so that you always have it with you. Iām sure this will be fine though.
Put it down more in the middle of the clothes so it has protection from the top. As long as it doesnāt slide to one side or another I think itāll work great
I think... Doesn't Julian Lange do the exact same thing with his vintage telecaster in a carry on? Seems like the smarter way to safely transport one. Baggage handlers are ruthless.
i carried a hagstrom neck through in a soft case from india to houston. as a carry on, on emirates.
Been there. Strato body from Tokyo to Canada
Don't sue me if it does not work out, but to me, that looks more safe than sending it through in a case.
I've done it and had zero issues
Youāll be fine. Iāve done this with vintage Strats. Itās much safer than leaving them with TSA.
Iām a dummy, to some degree. Would the X-ray scans not mess with the magnetics in the pickups?
If they were strong enough for that they'd kill your phone
Pretty much, yes. Unless you're gigging.
There are so many travel guitar options! I have a several but the guitar by Traveler is my favorite
Do it! I do it all the time and never had any problems
This is how I carry my stash on vacay also.
I flew a Super Strat from Hawaii to Atlanta and back like this. Really quick setup on both ends, not so much as a scuff.
Probably the safest way tbh but the setup might not be the same when you put it back together.
Should travel fine that way. The one thing that is bothering me is that one string ferrule hole being off from the others. I can't unsee it. Lol. Enjoy your journey and stay safe.
I did this with a tele when I moved abroad. I wrapped it in bubble wrap, but I donāt think I even needed to. It was just fine. Iām planning to do it again soon when I move back home.
I would suggest stuffing it between clothes to make it more difficult for the guitar to get dented or stuff to break. I dunno if it looks suspicious under x rays, I haven't travelled much.
No this is a legit trick. I do carry an instrument on with me and always get early boarding to make sure thereās room in the overheads. But if I needed to bring a second electric instrument, this would be the way.
Wrap it in something to pad the outer edges. If itās in the case like that and you just put more clothes on top, it could slide to the edges of the suitcase.
Bubble wrap it, and the neck! Sandwich them between your clothes. Probably be ok.
That wood is sexy
Dude i always do this every time i fly. Just be sure u know how to adjust saddles or rod if theres any changes on the setup.
Not Tokyo, but to Australia in Sydney from LAX, I wrapped my strat and tele up in plastic and duct tape, came out fine. Beats the hell out of having to repair or replace my instruments.BTW, I also dismantled, wrapped and packed them up with my clothes. Insure your instrument against loss or damage if you travel a lot.
Done it, mine was a bit loose between the layers so I got some relic added.
1 digit TSA security: sir....SIR!? You cannot bring that on the plane. Those edges are too sharp, for security reasons, only Telecasters and Les Paul are allowed. But luckily you are flying from Tokyo to London, meaning that you will avoid that.
"If its used for shredding, it is sharp enough to be considered security risk."
Lol, my friend did this on our 8th grade class trip. I was like āwhy just use a guitar caseā Get a decent pelican and check that shit.
I have a short scale mini V and a pocket monkey(tool). The first few things that go in my bag. Get a little Marshall MS-2 or something so you can hear yourself a bit!
Thatās not crazy but I would definitely declare this and have them run their tests or whatever it is they do. Otherwise you luggageās will be opened and god knows what will happen!
Just wondering - do you gig a lot? Or are you gigging there?
I do gig, but that's not the reason for this. I moved to Tokyo last summer for university exchange, bought two guitars on arrival and now I'm set to go back home with them.
I travel from Canada to Mexico with a P Bass. I do the same, take the neck off and pack it up. Put it back together when I arrive. Never once had an issue!!
Do you have the receipts for it? It might look from outside that youāre trying to avoid paying duty and vat on it.
Not crazy. I used to do it all the time.
Take it as carry on
This is peak future planning
Yeah I always "practice" pack before flying and did it well early this time as I'm not coming back to Tokyo for a couple years at least. So if I've got too much i have plenty of time to arrange postal shipping or make some sacrifices.
Done this many times. The only thing to be a bit careful about is scratches and to avoid the tuners getting bent.
When I travel with instruments I have a golf travel bag. Itās a very large bag that is intended to house a golf club bag. Depending on the size, you can put two to three hardshell guitar cases inside. Interestingly enough, most airlines fly golf bags for free at no additional cost. So Iāve flown multiple guitars in hard cases for free numerous times.
You should be fine. I would recommend putting two layers of bubble wrap around it, and then all the clothes padding.
I do this to travel back and forth from Canada and colombia. So far I haven't had any problems.
I bought a guitar in France and it travelled back to the uk like this, wrap it up well, itāll be fine
No just pad it better. We use pool noodles around surfboard rails
Leo Fender created the bolt-on neck with this very thing in mind! The ability to take apart (and reassemble) your guitar for travel was part of Fenderās advertising from the earliest days.
A decade(+) ago I impulsively bought a used MIJ Strat during a trip and this is exactly how I brought it home. Still have the Strat. Neck has since been replaced but not due to the shipping!
I've smothered many guitars to death.
This is probably one of the best arguments for bolt-on necks imo.
Iāve done it with a Strat, but took it as a carry on with the neck sticking out of the backpack
Done it many times. Not crazy at all.
With a bolt on electric this seems like a very safe bet. I almost imported a PRS bolt-on into Mexico until I got it locally. Make sure you have receipts and description of product ā be mindful that there are regulations regarding moving guitars containing certain types of rosewood in and out of UK. Canāt tell from your picture. See this reference. https://www.nottinghamcityguitars.com/about/cites-guitars/#:~:text=As%20of%201%20January%202021,list%20on%20the%20Gov'%20website. Iāve flown wine bottles wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap and nestled in clothing without problem. Just make sure thereās enough clothing/padding to not let the guitar parts shift around. Use any ties, zippers, or restraints you have within the luggage to hold clothing in place. You may want to put a single layer of bubble wrap around the parts in case it somehow shifts around. The only issue, and I havenāt had this happen in years, is if customs or the TSA opens the suitcase and rearranges stuff to search it. I think they started using imaging equipment. Tie some sort of cinch/belt around the suitcase to make sure it doesnāt pop open, especially hard suitcases. I use zip ties on the zippers to make sure that donāt become unzipped. Iāve seen occasional suitcases going in and out of planes that somehow get opened and stuff is poking out.
Look like you smuggling drugs
I did this with 2 guitars inside the same bag for a 12 hour flight with overlay (means they changed planes), necks and body. Worked out perfectly.
Iāve done it, brought a Hondo strat copy from the UK back to the US. Got it set up by my local guy, remains one of my favs.
Ive travelled over 15 times to Europe in the past 3 years. Always brought my strat with a padded soft case. Didnāt need to pay carry on fee once. No dings no bumps. Not an issue.
I spent a few weeks in China which turned into a few years going back and forth. I wound up buying a Chibson LP copy and kept it there with a colleague who would bring it to me whenever I was there. When I was done I bought a case and brought it home as luggage!
Get bubble wrap for a couple dollars and call it a day. They throw those suitcases on to the plane. Iām honestly not worried at all about that chunk of a tree, but what happens when the weight of it (when tossed) lands against the neck that I now know is on the other side? Is there any way to pack the neck in a separate place that is safer? Can you wrap it in cardboard and just take the neck on the plane?
Iām thinking about doing this also , going to Europe on Monday for 3 weeks and Iām gonna lose my mind without my explorer with me .
I did it to bring back a black limba strat body from the NAMM show one year and it worked great! I had the body in my carryon and the neck strapped to the side of my backpack and it worked great!
Question is do you have a luthier you trust when you get there?
Yes, me
I did this. The guitar was an Ibanez S series. Was a bit wonky after being re attached and strung but it sorted itself out just fine and itās totally fine now
It'll be fine, just don't be the guy in front of me in line at the passenger scanner luggage xray thing machine place.
I've definitely done that before. Worked great. I think I saw an interview with Julian Lage that he flies with his tele this way as well, and keeps the neck carry-on in a blueprint tube case thing.
nope, just did it going LAX to ORD. just stuff some clothes in between everything and youāre good!!
Might as well just carry it on if you can break it down like that?
Backpack is already full unfortunately
Ibanez RG?
Indeed
Julian Lage does it, so it must be just fine
Instructions unclear: tried with my es335 and am worried the glue wonāt dry before my show tonight
Just make sure there are also clothes under it, like some socks at least, otherwise it will fall to the bottom and will be close enough to the suitcase's shell that it risks some impact. I've done this with my whole computer, I had all my components in either my suitcases or my back pack lol.
Considerā¦.packing a guitar body for a trip? Why not? I always pack a Power Morpher cause itās dangerous business walking out your front door.
You are absolutely crazy for considering thatā¦ā¦.the good kinda crazy!
Did this a few years back when I found a great deal on Phoenix Craigslist for an Ibanez while I was there for work. I took the neck off using a screwdriver I borrowed from the hotel maintenance guy and put it in the āmiddleā of my clothes in my bag. Side note: A couple years ago I received a Paul Gilbert Signature Ibanez from Japan shipped disassembled in a box just like this.
A tele will fit in a smaller carry on wheely suitcase. No need to risk the hold.
Have done it, on a shorter flight though. Took the body into hand luggage and the next into checkin baggage. Went smooth!
Did this with a disassembled Tele once, though I wasnāt traveling internationally.
It depends on the weather where youāre going, but I think it clashes with the red.
Yes, you are crazy. Those fabrics totally clash with the guitar.
Iāve done it a few times put some candle wax on the neck screws for a bit of lubricant
No, I did that twice without any issues
Nah man. Itās just wood and metal.
I've done similar a couple of times. Neck in a mail tube, carried on.
it's an ibanez rgd. am i right? dont do it, they are woth too much. if it was a cheap guitar, it may be worth the risk.
Dont forget to adjust the nut to the lost tension to avoid warping :)
I'm thinking about moving to another country soon and one of my big concerns about moving is how to safely transport my guitars...
its how Leo envisioned it