Flying with a dobro

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

I might be flying for the first time in December and taking my dobro. How do you pack your dobro and anything else you do ?

Thanks, Tony

Greg Booth · From: Anchorage, AK, USA

First I try to fly on full size aircraft that I know my dobro will fit in the overhead. I fly with a Calton which fits it perfectly and I can trust will withstand all but the worst abuse if I have to check it on smaller commuter jets. There are expensive lighter cases which are plenty strong but I figure, which would you rather your family be in a wreck in, a Prius or a Suburban? The Calton is like a truck and I think that absorbs some of the shock.

As far as packing I don't do anything special. You can slacken the strings a little but too much and your cone and spider will move out of position. A squareneck is much stronger than a regular guitar neck.

I know traveling pros that use cases like the Calton, Hoffee etc, always check them through rather than carry them and they have pro musician insurance in case of a loss. If you travel a lot that is the way to go.
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Greg
Kathy Kallick Band
www.youtube.com/user/aksliderdobro

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Thanks Greg. I'm playing a Wechter which came with a hard case. I use a Travelite case which I know wouldn't survive unless I can put it overhead compartment ? I still have the hard case.

Tony

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

I don't fly with my Harlow dobro, but I have a Regal that is set up well and sounds good. I have a well padded gig bag (which takes up less room) and I just wait and hope I can get it in the overhead on top of the other stuff.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro

Greg Booth · From: Anchorage, AK, USA

I don't recommend the gig bag route, you will eventually have to surrender it to go in the baggage hold and it is virtually unprotected against damage. If your trip includes a commuter jet like an Embraer etc, some have very small or no overhead compartments and all carry-ons are put in the hold. If I were in your shoes I'd use the hard case and carry it on. Some airlines like SW and believe it or not, United, are now guitar friendly and don't fuss about guitars on board. If it turns out to be a small aircraft then at least it's likely to survive in the hard case.
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Greg
Kathy Kallick Band
www.youtube.com/user/aksliderdobro

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Yeah Greg, it's a crapshoot. I have flown with guys who had hard cases and they made them check them to go underneath and they let me carry on my gig bag. You can never second guess them. Knock on wood, they have always let me carry the bag on board.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro

David Knutson · From: Cowichan Valley, Canada

I second the Calton Case, although they have become harder to get recently in North America. I have toured overseas the last 20 years with my 1928 National TriCone in a Calton and feel VERY confident. They are a bit heavy though.
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David K

Bob Blair · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

There are so many small regional jets in service now , and also those Q400 turboprops (which are actually comfortable aircraft) - the number of routes where you can count on full-sized aircraft are not what they used to be. I have had good luck checking instruments - I have one of these TKL "carbon fibre" (I don't think they really are carbon fibre) cases that I use for my resos. I have also flown a couple of times with weissenborns in standard TKL cases, which are actually pretty darn strong. Of course not everybody has had good luck, as the notorious "United Breaks Guitars" saga Illustrates all too well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

I find that Air Canada simply does not let people carry on guitars in hard shell cases. United wasn't letting people do it out of Edmonton to SFO the other day, but they use regional jets for that route so room is an issue.

Gate checking is a useful option, but I have noticed that on some flights there is so much gate checking going on that at the end of the flight there is a big crowd clogging up the jetway waiting for their stuff - not something jetways were designed to accommodate. I think that at some point that system will break down and gate checking will be restricted.

Given all this I'm just resigned to it - have the best case you can and if you have concerns about the latches use luggage straps.

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully I can find out what airline service I'll be flying and maybe they tell me what to do.

Tony

Webb Kline · From: Orangeville, PA

I don't fly much. Hate it. But, when I have to, I carry mine on and play dumb. When the stewardess comes around to tell me that I can't keep it with me, and it won't fit in the overhead, she puts it up in the pilot's cabin for me. I know it's a chance thing, but they don't typically want to screw around with sending it to cargo at that point. So far, it has worked out.

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