I'm going to be on an 8 hour flight, so I'm a little worried what to do with my 2100. Of course, I'll put it in a bag, but the question is what else I could/should do. I've been told that the airlines don't let one take a keyboard like that on board the aircraft, so it has to go in as regular luggage. Should I make a fuss about that? Should I put some extra padding in the bag (towels, etc.)?

Any advice/comments appreciated!

Philip

I wouldn't trust it in the cargo area without a HARD case. Period.
Don't take a foolish cnance. ATA cases are heavy and expensive, but there are other alternatives that will protect as well. The important thing to remember is that YOU will not be handling the kb. Amimals do that for you.

Murhy's Law most definitely applies here! Phillip, don't even 'think about' entrusting any valuable musical keyboard as checked luggage without first ensuring that it's properly stored in an 'ATA certified' hard case. Not doing this is just 'asking for' disaster. Anvil & Calzone are 2 leading manufacterers of ATA certified keyboard hard cases. Calzone recently introduced a new ATA hard case which consists of a new light material called XLT-1 . XLT-1 is a rugged polypropylene trilaminate that is 30-35% lighter than traditional plywood ATA cases. Curious if anyone here owns or has had the chance to checkout these new XLT-1 cases.
http://www.calzonecase.com/html/Calzone_products/XLT-1.htm

Scott

You are much better off if you ship the keyboard in it's orriginal carton via UPS to the destination ahead of time. It is less expensive, it can be insured, they are a responsible company, it can be tracked from any computer, and they will have it there when they say they will. Put in on a plane and there is no insurance that it will not be destroyed by baggage handlers who could care less about your equipment, and if it's lost, the airline could care less. As far as they're concerned, whether it's lost baggage or a lost keyboard--that's your problem.

When you're finished playing the keyboard, pack it back into the same box or hard-case, take it to UPS and send it home. I know of several traveling musicians who have used this method of transportation for years and said it's the safest, least-expensive way to send your equipment anywhere in the world.

Good Luck,

Gary

Gary, great idea, if it gets there in time for the job..

Send via UPS, hardcase, BUY insurance.

MY KN6000 was damaged (some ^#()@#!! dropped a heavy SUITCASE in the MIDDLE of it). Broke like probably almost 10 keys, I had to replace THE WHOLE board and still not working properly. It's playable, but the composer has intermittent problem &^%)!!

I absolutely never fly or ship my accordions anywhere. You can't trust baggage handlers and you wouldn't believe what they do to some of these boxes.

I work for a large equipment manufacturer and we had boxed up some equipment in some very product-specific ATA cases and the equipment unbelievably came out of the boxes completely broken. They must have dropped them about 10 feet onto concrete to sustain that kind of damage.

When a top-of-the-line custom accordion costs $7000+ (and you guys thought arrangers were expensive!) you learn to play gigs where you can drive and to leave the flying to the birds.

Tommy

From 1956 thru 1975 I carried my sax stand in a cloth bag stuck inside the bell of my sax inside the case. No problem.

One trip to New Orleand in a plane, when I took it out dings all over the bell.

To Accordionist ...... where are you located? ...
t.

hey Boo....


1956 I was 4 years old!!!!!!!! YIKES

Fran,

The only time I ever had to do this, the keyboard arrived the day before I arrived, and in perfect condition. It also made it back home in one piece, no dings, not even a small dent in the box. Still, it was insured for full, retail value and the cost of insurance was not at all expensive.

Donny, in 1956 I enlisted in the U.S. Navy, which we then referred to as the worlds largest canoe club.

in 1956 I was 13 and spending a lot of time in the bathroom reading magazines.
DonM

I was waiting for my first birthday. Those were the days, huh?

I'm in Southern California, Tony.

I just have to say that in 1956 I was 15. And believe it or not about a year later I was playing in the hottest nightclub on the Westbank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish just outside of New Orleans.
No pictured ID's then. I had my uncle's draft card and played for (the godfather) Carlos Marcello's brother Pascal Marcello in the Joy Lounge. It was really an experience at 16.

In those days it was all Fats Domino. Plenty of sax solos to learn off 45 records. I moved the needle so much I ruined many 45s.

Around that time 1957 we came home on a 65 mile trip in a 1955 Chevy with 5 band members. We had a roof carrier full of drums amps etc and the trunk was full also. We picked up two hich hikers who rode in the trunk holding my Selmer MarkVI tenor out resting on the bumper. Today if that sax wouldn't have gotten stolen it'd be worth 6 or 7 times what I paid for it brand new.

Don and Fran you guy's are really old too. Tell us an old story of yours. I new Don was old. But Fran are you really older than me. I thought I was the senior here. Ha Ha