Re: large instrument transportation

[Seth Austen <klezmusic...>]

on 7/9/01 8:14 AM, JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com at JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com 
wrote:

> I don't know about cellos, but flight cases are not always all that
> unreasonable.  I got a decent guitar flight case several years ago for about
> $150.  Of course recently I heard several horror stories from bassist friends
> of mine about fork lifts spearing through or running over their flight cases,
> so nothing is foolproof.  If you are near New York, Rachel, you might try
> Manny's.

These days the going rate for a proper guitar flight case such as a Calton
or similar are $500-1000. I'm sure it'd be more for a special order item.
One problem I've heard about with fancy-schmancy flight cases is that they
are magnets to potential gonifs, "nice case, must be nice instrument".

The airlines have gotten much more sringent. Everytime I flew in the 80s, I
carried my guitar on board and fit it in the overhead. In the last few years
they've made me check it everytime. A couple of those times I'd flown with
it in the gig bag, expecting to carry it on, oy, oy!

And yes, flight cases are not indestructable. I was at Augusta Heritage the
year that a prominent performers' Martin showed up in 100 smithereens. It'd
been in an ATA approved flight case. Apparently forklifts don't read the ATA
regulations...

As a multi-instrumentalist, I prefer to drive.

Seth

-- 
Seth Austen

http://www.sethausten.com
emails: seth (at) sethausten(dot)com
klezmusic (at) earthlink(dot)net


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