<p>My DS has an audition coming up in Miami. We live in Boston. We have not flown with a musical instrument before, and I am looking for some advice. He has a hard case for the bass. My questions are:
(1) Should we check the bass or carry it on?<br>
(2) If we check it, how concerned should I be about loss if we are not on a direct flight?
(3) If we check it, how does the screening work if the case is locked?</p>
<p>Also, my son's teacher has recommended that we rent an upright bass in Miami for the audition. Any thoughts about this?</p>
<p>Thanks for any input!</p>
<p>Do Not Check your bass!!! fly nonstop with a good padded gig bag, fly an airline that seems friendly to instruments, ie United, AA. Take the first flight of the morning and arrive early! You can ask that your gigbag go into the suit storage closet. If you arrive with a hardshell case, unless you have a flight case, you lose control of your instrument and who knows what can happen! Invest in a good gig bag!!! I would not check anything! Carry a backpack for clothes, instrument in a good gigbag.</p>
<p>My twins have flown with their guitar and bass in the cabin every time they have flown except for one short commuter hop where the instruments were gate checked.</p>
<p>Renting is an option but allow time to get accustomed to the instrument.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Agree with musictwins on the electric.</p>
<p>Flying with an upright should qualify one for either sainthood or institutionalization. If he wishes to audition on upright in Miami, by all means rent or borrow one there. The school where he auditions may have one that he can borrow. If he is going to be there for at least several hours (and hopefully a full day) before the audition, then renting one would let him get the feel of the instrument for more than just a warmup before the audition. That can be important on an instrument that can come in so many different sizes and shapes. You might try asking the bass teacher(s) at the school if they have a backup instrument that you could rent from the time you arrive through the audition.</p>
<p>Bob Gollihur’s site has a listing of bass luthiers at
[Gollihur</a> Music - Upright Bass Specialists: Instruments, Pickups, Preamps, Amplifiers, and Accessories](<a href=“http://www.gollihurmusic.com/luthiers.cfm]Gollihur”>Gollihur Music's Famous Upright Bass Luthier Directory) that lists a few resources in and near Miami. You might also try some of them.</p>
<p>EBmom,</p>
<p>If you can, I’d say definitely do carry-on with the electric bass. I had thought we’d have to check my son’s trombone since it is longer than a carry-on bag but the first time we flew with it on an audition trip, AA let us carry it on and we found that it fit in the overhead bin just fine. Since then my son has flown by himself a couple times with it as carry-on and no problem, which certainly puts our minds at ease since when investigating this issue I saw on the airline website that they specifically point out that they take no responsibility for damage to musical instruments that are checked as luggage.</p>
<p>Good thing my tuba playing son is not a music major, I don’t have any idea how we’d fly that except it would involve $$$ for a rugged hard case!</p>