Maybe one of you know

[solarbird]

So! Anybody taken two instruments somewhere by airplane at once? (In this case, I'm talking about mandolin and Irish bouzouki. The former is the size of ... hum, a very large violin? And the latter is roughly the size of a guitar.) If so, how'd that work?

Comments

[hsifyppah.livejournal.com]

I have. I always check all my instruments in hard cases, though. since it makes me too nervous to take a chance on them having extra room for a banjo in a soft case in their closet. Probably you want to get a good quality hard-shell case and check the bouzouki, and carry on the mando.

[solarbird]

Yeah, that's what I've been afraid of. But money. Blah!

I wonder how much it'd cost to ship Kokahu east and back. Probably even more than a better hard case.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Last time I travelled I had a didgeridoo and a guitar. The guitar was in a hard case, the didge wasn't. The didge didn't make it home alive.

Also, check out bag limits etc. I heard on the radio the other day that here in Oz the airlines have significantly upped their excess baggage charges in the last few months. One musician interviewed went from an average $50 over baggage limit fee to $400.

Melbourne

[(Anonymous)]

I lived in Oz, melbourne, for 3 years and how Iloved it. Miss it lots still. I lived in the city near M department store on the mall. Like 1.2 block up burke street, near Mackers. Hoping to get back

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

Professional musicians often buy a seat for their instruments, to save them from the "ramp monkeys," but I bet that can get expensive.

I'd recommend a well-padded, hard-shell case for both instruments.

[mattsnaps.livejournal.com]

If you check an instrument in a hard shell case, make sure there is no wiggle room inside the case. Room inside the case means room for the instrument to build up momentum during a shock. This is not good!

For instruments with very standardized sizes (e.g. violins) this is not usually a problem. For other instruments (violas, mandolins, etc) the cases are designed to the large end of the size scale.

My viola case has a number of strategically placed torn-up towels etc. in specific spots inside the case, to make the fit more snug.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Oh, another thing I found out the hard way, destring everything before you put it on a plane. The metal strings contracting warped one of my acoustics.