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Okay guys, I've looked around and seen some people post options/opinions on how to travel with your bass (primarily on TalkBass,) but I decided to ask here 'cause I tend to value the opinions here more than most other places.
I'm leaving for Boston (for the Berklee 5-week program) from St. Louis on a non-stop flight July 12th and I'm wondering how you all transport your basses... Currently, I've got an incase Dub Bag (http://www.goincase.com/products/detail/dub-bag-cl56066) and I think I'm gonna see about letting the airline let me use that as my carry on (even though it's [b:3uos4wqz]huge[/b:3uos4wqz] ) and if not, then I'll just go out to the car, grab my freedom case, stick my Dingwall in there, mark it as fragile and then let it go to the luggage men.
So, thoughts? Is there anything I am neglecting? Is the Dub Bag a bad idea in general? Would the freedom case be enough to keep the bass safe?
shipping may be a pain, since I am going by myself and the only people we know live out in the suburbs... but I might be able to manage something. And buying another case is possible; however, I really don't want to spend any more money on cases... I've been saving my money from work for a used Mesa Boogie 400+ that's catching my eye.
Thanks for enduring my rant,
Garin
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FWIW, check out the Sadowsky Portabag too. It's more or less the same thing, just a little lighter. That's what I'm using with my Prima.
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[quote="Brim":1iyn454i][url:1iyn454i]http://goincase.com/products/detail/slim-bag-cl56065[/url:1iyn454i]
Do you know if an ABII-5 will fit in the latest InCase Slim Bag? I'm looking for something else besides the SKB Freedom case to lug back and forth to church every Sunday. Thanks![/quote:1iyn454i]
It does fit
Right now it holds my "Uber Alles" and in few hours I will place both my AB-II 5 's, just for the sake of the question 
I decided against the Bass Safe, not because of the latches, which seem to have been fixed, but because of the TSA. A bass player who put his comments on TalkBass had checked his Bass Safe and someone from TSA had opened it to inspect the contents, but didn't properly fit the Bass Safe back together and latch it properly (perhaps the new, improved version, is easier in this regard). I can't remember how the story ended, but he was very unhappy. I didn't want to mess with that so did the ATA thing (and was glad I had when I got to Switzerland with my DW last year and found the little "I've been poking around in your bag" note laying inside the case on my bass (I even took the electronics bay cover off so they weren't tempted to get out any tools 
).
).
You can't go wrong with a flight case. I use a Gator. I thiknk I paid $100 off ebay. You can put it in a box to keep it from getting scuffed up on the outside. I would also pack all the empty space around the bass inside the case with something. Remember- nobody loves your Dingwall except you. I wouldn't trust my Dingwalls to fly in anything less.
Mark
Sheldon shipped my Prima Artist in a gig bag inside the new SKB Bass safe. No problems at all. Sheldon even mentioned in one of his posts that they tried to do everything possible to get the new latches to unlatch and they were not able to. If you can fit your gig bag inside the bass safe your bass will be fine. The best would be to carry it on the plane but with all these regional jets and the small overhead space they may not let you carry it on. Best to check with the airline. All the best. By the way what is the 5 week course you are taking at Berklee?
Thanks
Okay,
I've done some more looking around and keep finding http://www.skbcases.com/music/products/ ... c=84&s=75# as MaxVintage suggested (thanks for that heads up, by the way). I also looked into it and they do make them custom too, apparently, meaning that I could get one for the dub case and all [u:27j1rzr1]should[/u:27j1rzr1] be safe. Although, when reading around I keep hearing an awful lot of horror stories ( http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/pro ... 64/rpp=10/ ) about the wheels and the latches... I also read that the latches have been fixed or updated.
Thus, question of the day, are they dependable at this point? Can anyone else join Max with some praise (or problems) on the new case?
Thanks,
Garin
I went through this last year and decided to use an ATA flight case. I wouldn't want to use the Freedom case alone. Boxed up and padded inside the case might be a good alternative, though, as Max suggests.
For me it came down to two options: Flight case, checked or Gig bag, carried on. I didn't want to risk getting denied on the later, so went for the former. Lot's of players carry their instruments on in a gig bag, but run the risk of having to gate check it at the last minute. I understand that that risk is actually quite low, though -- most of the time carrying on works.
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I would call the airline and try and get permission [i:2hsy62zu]before[/i:2hsy62zu] going to the airport to take it as carry-on. Maybe you can pay a small fee to have it in a special storage bin in the cabin.
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I just went and got an SKB bass safe, and it's been fine each time had to use it. I slip my gig bag inside it and then just leave the SKB at the hotel. The dub case will probably be too big for it though, so you'd ned to get a thinner gig bag. I have a Cronkhite bag, which is a lot like a reunion blues, and it works well
One really good solution is to go to the local music store and ask for one of the cardboard boxes that basses (and cases) ship in. Put the bass in its hardshell case and then put the case in the box and check it as luggage. I've done that several times with guitars.
I've seen people use the equivalent of the freedom case with guitars and get away with it, but I'd be too nervous. You might get away with walk on, but it's very chancy
Just get the shipping box--this article explains it:
[url:38u55wve]http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenMaint/Packing/packing1.html[/url:38u55wve]
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