flying with gear....

gimmesometruth27

my band recently got an offer to be flown out to san diego to play some corporate function in february 2011.... my bass player is pretty high up in sales for a surgical supply company, and his company has invited us to play a weekend at their conference. apparently it is kind of a big deal with bigwigs in sports medicine and orthopedics from all over the world there. we are thinking about doing it but we have a few reservations about it. now we have gone on road gigs and week long treks across a couple of states before where we got a uhaul, threw the gear in there and just rode in the suv or van towing the uhaul, but this is a different story altogether. we would need to get all of our gear, guitars, stands, amps, cabs, and pedal boards out to san diego from st. louis.

in the uhaul we did not have to worry much about the gear shifting or sliding or getting damaged, the only worry was someone breaking into the trailer and stealing our stuff.... we would just put vulnerable things in the back of the van ie. tube amps, vintage guitars, etc. but none of us have ATA cases for anything and we are seriously concerned that something might happen to our stuff if it is checked and put in the cargo area. does anyone have any experience with flying with not just one guitar, but with heaps of gear? what should we do to make sure our stuff makes it there and back safely? i would hate to have to shell out hundreds and hundreds of bucks for ata cases for one 4x12 cab, one 1974 marshall head, and 4 guitars. if we are going to have a lot of overhead like that then i am afraid we are going to have to decline. any input is appreciated. thanks.

MaxGoldenrod

Flying a band's gear from STL to SAN will be an expensive undertaking, assuming that you could check the equipment as baggage. You would definately want road cases with extensive padding to protect the contents, as baggage handlers generally aren't the most sensitive when it comes to handling. The problem is that the airlines may not allow you to check that much as baggage (and if they did, it would be very expensive as it is based on weight) and may require you to tender as cargo, which complicates things even further. With the new TSA regulations, all of your equipment would be subject to screening in which the airline would have to go through the items and since it would be a lot of electrical equipment, it would be checked very thoroughly (meaning opening items and increasing the potential for damage/loss). Most band equipment being shipped on an airline would be shipped through a freight forwarder such as Rock-it-Cargo, as they already have agreements setup to be able to ship with the airlines. This will cost $$ though. Any way you look at it, shipping by air is not a cheap option. You could always look to ship with a UPS Freight or FedEx Ground type of shipper, as ground it considerably cheaper, but would be a longer transit time. You would still want the cases for protection as the trip would be harder on the equipment due to the rough roads in the west and potentially more handling points enroute. For example, when I worked for a cargo airline, the rate to ship ground vs air was in the neighborhood of $.75-.85 cheaper per lb, but it was the difference between getting your shipment the next day versus 5-7 days later. And keep in mind that with most airlines, your shipment is not guaranteed to arrive on the flight you book it on, bags will always go first (if you have to tender as cargo not checked baggage).

The best thing to do would be to contact the local airlines, UPS, FedEx, etc to get price quotes and to see what exactly you could and couldn't do in regards to shipping. You will want as much information as possible (i.e., number of cases, dimensions, weight, replacement value) when you contact them so you are able to get a better price quote.

You could also look to see if the folks putting on the event have any of the basic equipment available, such as mic stands, or check around for equipment rental options to cut down on the amount of gear you have to take with you.

Personally, the opportunity to go to San Diego in the middle of winter may be a good excuse to take a road trip with the band. Maybe the company inviting you would spring for the van rental/gas for the trip? I can't imagine that it would be more expensive that airline tickets! Y'all could split the drive up and going straight through would be in the neighborhood of 32 hours.

Guitarhero27

this is your best bet:

Studio Instrument Rentals

* (858) 274-1384

4620 Santa Fe St, San Diego, CA 92109

gimmesometruth27

wow, thank you for the input. i emailed your reply to the guys in the band if that is ok. we are in negotiations right now so we will definitely talk to them about what you said and the costs involved.. i will start looking into what the weight and all of that would be. we might just take a guitar or two each and pedal board and just rent the backline. renting that would be the best bet probably.

and you are right, getting the hell out of here in mid february and going to san diego would be awesome, and a good excuse for a road trip.

see, this is why i love this forum, there are a lot of people out there more knowledgeable than myself lol...

MaxGoldenrod wrote:

Flying a band's gear from STL to SAN will be an expensive undertaking, assuming that you could check the equipment as baggage. You would definately want road cases with extensive padding to protect the contents, as baggage handlers generally aren't the most sensitive when it comes to handling. The problem is that the airlines may not allow you to check that much as baggage (and if they did, it would be very expensive as it is based on weight) and may require you to tender as cargo, which complicates things even further. With the new TSA regulations, all of your equipment would be subject to screening in which the airline would have to go through the items and since it would be a lot of electrical equipment, it would be checked very thoroughly (meaning opening items and increasing the potential for damage/loss). Most band equipment being shipped on an airline would be shipped through a freight forwarder such as Rock-it-Cargo, as they already have agreements setup to be able to ship with the airlines. This will cost $$ though. Any way you look at it, shipping by air is not a cheap option. You could always look to ship with a UPS Freight or FedEx Ground type of shipper, as ground it considerably cheaper, but would be a longer transit time. You would still want the cases for protection as the trip would be harder on the equipment due to the rough roads in the west and potentially more handling points enroute. For example, when I worked for a cargo airline, the rate to ship ground vs air was in the neighborhood of $.75-.85 cheaper per lb, but it was the difference between getting your shipment the next day versus 5-7 days later. And keep in mind that with most airlines, your shipment is not guaranteed to arrive on the flight you book it on, bags will always go first (if you have to tender as cargo not checked baggage).

The best thing to do would be to contact the local airlines, UPS, FedEx, etc to get price quotes and to see what exactly you could and couldn't do in regards to shipping. You will want as much information as possible (i.e., number of cases, dimensions, weight, replacement value) when you contact them so you are able to get a better price quote.

You could also look to see if the folks putting on the event have any of the basic equipment available, such as mic stands, or check around for equipment rental options to cut down on the amount of gear you have to take with you.

Personally, the opportunity to go to San Diego in the middle of winter may be a good excuse to take a road trip with the band. Maybe the company inviting you would spring for the van rental/gas for the trip? I can't imagine that it would be more expensive that airline tickets! Y'all could split the drive up and going straight through would be in the neighborhood of 32 hours.

gimmesometruth27

thank you for the info. we will start looking into this place a little later today.
you guys are awesome.

Guitarhero27 wrote:

this is your best bet:

Studio Instrument Rentals

* (858) 274-1384

4620 Santa Fe St, San Diego, CA 92109

mccreadyisgod

I'd definitely rent backline. I'd even go so far as to rent guitars, and just bring the pedalboard, but you could certainly bring a guitar if you REALLY need YOUR axe.

Drummer can bring a stick bag, and MAYBE his snare. I wouldn't even try to fly with a bass. Just rent amps/cabs, drums/cymbals, and a bass and amp.

I'd definitely shop S.I.R. for prices; those guys are kinda like the Wal-Mart of backline rentals, so I'd start with them:

http://sir-usa.com/page.php?page=backli ... =san-diego

gimmesometruth27

mccreadyisgod wrote:

I'd definitely rent backline. I'd even go so far as to rent guitars, and just bring the pedalboard, but you could certainly bring a guitar if you REALLY need YOUR axe.

Drummer can bring a stick bag, and MAYBE his snare. I wouldn't even try to fly with a bass. Just rent amps/cabs, drums/cymbals, and a bass and amp.

I'd definitely shop S.I.R. for prices; those guys are kinda like the Wal-Mart of backline rentals, so I'd start with them:

http://sir-usa.com/page.php?page=backli ... =san-diego

thanks MIG, they have a ton of stuff on there for rent. i will give them a call to get some estimates. i think i will probably take my les paul custom and maybe rent a strat or something. they don't have my vintage marshall so i guess i will have to go with a jcm 800 or something, but i can pick from anything on the site so imagine the possibilities lol...

i was a little discouraged earlier but after getting all of this info i am pretty stoked about it now...

i hope it is not too expensive, as we are not keen on having to pay for it all ourselves, but i don't want the company to walk because equipment costs are too high...

mccreadyisgod

You can also try to get contact info for the PA company that's doing sound for the event, they may have some hook-ups in town to get gear cheaper. They might not have everything you want/need, but they could save you some serious cash and still get decent gear.

Also, for a corporate gig, don't be afraid to get some cheaper gear than you normally play. Don't go for the gold just because there's a great menu; try to figure out which items will be "good enough." This isn't a gig in front of record label execs or booking agents, it's for some company players to let off steam at the end of a conference day. A Fender Hot Rod Deluxe will get the job done, ditto a Tama drum kit. It's not like most people there are going to know any better, and you can probably save a few hundred bucks total.

CJMST3K

Definitely go with SIR. They're the big boys of rental music gear. I've worked with countless arena-acts, and half the time there's a red case from SIR that's being used on stage for something or other. I've only worked with them in NYC, but I'm sure the west coast is just as good.

gimmesometruth27

great suggestions. we were thinking of trying to find out who is running sound and see if they can bring a legitimate pa and lights and whatnot. we would not even know who to call to find out who is running sound for the event. i would be ok with playing gear that is "good enough", but my thinking is if they are going to fly us out there for a few days, the least we can do is give them as close to a "normal" show as possible. ya know? it is like, if you are going to do it, do it up right. but then again that is pretty much my attitude about life in general...

mccreadyisgod wrote:

You can also try to get contact info for the PA company that's doing sound for the event, they may have some hook-ups in town to get gear cheaper. They might not have everything you want/need, but they could save you some serious cash and still get decent gear.

Also, for a corporate gig, don't be afraid to get some cheaper gear than you normally play. Don't go for the gold just because there's a great menu; try to figure out which items will be "good enough." This isn't a gig in front of record label execs or booking agents, it's for some company players to let off steam at the end of a conference day. A Fender Hot Rod Deluxe will get the job done, ditto a Tama drum kit. It's not like most people there are going to know any better, and you can probably save a few hundred bucks total.

keeponrockin

I know you can take guitars onto planes.. I would rent amps, but thats just my opinion.

gimmesometruth27

i think that is what we are going to do. though it depends on what they are going to pay us naturally lol...
i would take less money if they would pick up for gear rental...

keeponrockin wrote:

I know you can take guitars onto planes.. I would rent amps, but thats just my opinion.

ScrapeMySky

As all the important stuff has already been mentioned, I'll just add that this really reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

gimmesometruth27

ScrapeMySky wrote:

As all the important stuff has already been mentioned, I'll just add that this really reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

good stuff. wow that sucks that happened, i had never seen that.

i like how the baggage guys are just throwing guitar cases around in the background lol...that is definintely making me think twice about taking my stuff out there lol...

ScrapeMySky

Yeah. Funny thing is, that video got a HUGE amount of attention and probably paid off in a lot of ways for them. So at least something good came out of it for them. (And of course United paid for the damage eventually) Just another example of how youtube can create a lot of pressure. And publicity.