Cold temps are never a problem afterall our guitars have been ice-diving in Antarctica! These are precautions and if the temp does not exceed 120f (50c) there will be no problem. Wait until the instrument cools down until you tune it back up. In these cases, keep the guitar out of direct sun, in its case and detuned. So sustained temps of 150f (65c) and above are not ideal- a temp that can be reached in a hot car in very hot conditions. Blackbirds endure heat better than wood guitars, but it is best that you treat your instrument more-or-less as you would yourself. You will want your instrument in its gig bag when bush-whacking as it is not scratch-proof. The finish is more durable and scratch resistant than a conventional guitar finish so keep it out of the case and around the house care-free. These guitars do not need to be babied because carbon fiber has several times the impact strength of wood. If you could play in a tropical rain storm and be instantly teleported to a desert, the instrument would be fine (you'll need new strings and maybe tuners). With a wood guitar, make sure you have a humidifier and loosen the strings (no need with a carbon fiber Blackbird of course!). If you know you will be checking your guitar under the plane you should get a very robust hard case. Get travel insurance that covers your guitar (and any other lost or damaged luggage while you are at it)Įmail us with any other tips at changes wreck nice wooden guitars.*Other guitar airline travel considerations This will protect the top, generally the fragile part of the guitar, and prevent the guitar from falling out when the door is opened (and bags shifted in flight). Overhead bin positioning- Once on the plane, put the guitar in the back of the overhead bin with top facing against the back of the compartment.Make sure to loosen the backpack straps so the guitar hangs low on your back and voila you’ll be in stealth mode- the head should not be visible from the front view. Wear your gig bag as a low-rider (excuse the pun)- Wear your soft case as a backpack.
Avoid another carry-on if possible- If you just bring your guitar and only your guitar as a carry-on, it should be easier to get on the plane because you can say something like 'but this is all I am carrying, miss".Being un-flashy also helps prevent theft. Wear a black jacket while your at it- its a good look for traveling anyway. The gig bag should also be as un-flashy, un-pocketed and I would argue black as possible. The rider is designed to slip past the radar -think SR-71 Blackbird it looks very discreet to watchful eyes. Present a non-guitar-esque package(see ours above)- You don't want your instrument to even register as a guitar to the airline staff- a streamlined guitar in a tight case is key.
Smiles and a friendly demeanor are useful in these situations- you don't want to be like Ben Stiller in Meet The Parents.
AIRLINE ACOUSTIC GUITAR SERIAL NUMBERS FULL
Get a small guitar designed for travel- In the event you have to engage any airline personnel, with a small guitar you can explain that this guitar is compact, light and is designed to fit in the overhead along with a full bin of carry-on luggage.After the whole United Breaks Guitars incident (copy and past into YouTube search if you don't get the reference), I suspect that airlines are getting a bit more sympathetic to guitarists. Research your airline and flight- become informed about their rules and regulations because you then may find yourself better informed than the airlines' courteous staff.They are just precautions that will help you be safe rather than sorry, and likely useful for anyone who travels by air with a guitar even a wood one*. While no one has ever had a reported problem traveling with a Blackbird Rider on a plane, these are some useful best practices we’ve gathered to keep it that way. We all hate the notion of putting our precious guitars under the plane so we designed the Rider to get on as a carry-on. Six tips for stealth airline travel with a Blackbird Rider