I used this method to check my guitar on hundreds of flights and never had any damage from handling, even when the Calton case got pretty beat up in transit. If they stack a bunch of stuff on top of the case and it deflects, that bridge could go through the top.įor detailed instructions on preparing a stringed instrument for baggace check, go to Frank Ford's web page on You might also consider removing the bridge, too. If you use foam, carefully shield the foam from the instrument's finish so as to prevent damage. This is much more common in mandolins that in guitars, but to be cautious when checkins a mando, you should slacken the strings and support the peghead thoroughly with crumpled paper, cloth, or foam. Most flight-related damage is due to the peghead being whipped around under tension when an insrument case is dropped. The real reason take tension off the peghead is to prevent damage in case the instrument is dropped, banged, or otherwise knocked about during baggage handling. The temperature thing can be a problem, but most modern cargo holds are somewhat heated and pressurized, and most of the thermal damage occurs on the ground and during the loading process when ground conditions are frigid. The reason for detuning has nothing to do with temperature or pressure changes. In that case you will to do more than just detune. Probably not, though, and you should be fine putting it in an overhead bin.Īnd you don't need to slacken the strings unless for some awful reason you are forced to check the instrument.
However, the flight attendants have ultimate say over what goes on board, and an obnoxious one could decide to make your life miserable. The TSA and the Musicians Union have worked out an agreement that musical instruments are supposed to be exempt from the carry-on size limitations, and a Google search will provide you with some info to support that. I've done it on even the smallest of puddle jumpers without incident, even in the slightly bulky Calton case. You should be able to carry your mandolin on board without any problem. But like I said, I've never had a problem flying with a mandolin as carry on luggage. I never fly without an instrument in such a case, just in case. And if you have an expensive instrument, I certainly would recommend a Calton, Pegasus, or the like. I too would fear rough treatment of baggage handlers would cause more damage than the other stuff we're talking about. I'd try to avoid checking it, or any instrument, as much as possible.
Detune board full#
I've carried a mando with me on board numerous times and have never had the slightest problem getting it on or traveling with it at full tension. I'd be more concerned about temperature changes, but that being said, have you ever picked your luggage up at baggage claim and felt that it might have been at 40 below recently? Not me.
I can't imagine the change in air pressure would do anything to the instrument. I would agree with grandmainger, although this is just my opinion. This is only what I have heard - perhaps somebody on this board who works in the airline business can be more reassuring. I have heard stories of instruments arriving at their destinations transformed into a pile of firewood - even in flight cases.
It may well be treated just as ordinary luggage - which is not necessarily secured, so it can slide about as the plane banks or encounters bad weather - and, of course, there is nobody down in the hold during the flight to keep an eye on it. Apart from the risks caused by low temperature and pressure, there is no guarantee that the porters know what they're doing. If the airline staff insist, plead with them until they give in. The temperature, of course, is not an issue, as it is the about same as indoor temperatures on the ground.īut I would say - and I think most would agree - avoid putting instruments in the hold at all costs. The air pressure in a pressurised aircraft cabin is roughly equal to the outside pressure at an altitude of 5000ft (1500m)- not greatly different from at sea level. I flown with my mandolin in the cabin on several occasions, never thinking to detune it beforehand, and never had any problem.
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