Taking your amp on a plane?

  • Thread starter Thread starter johnpace2
  • Start date Start date
johnpace2

johnpace2

Well-known member
Anyone done this? I don't have a flight case for it. Can I just bring it as a carry on item? Where do they put a 60 pound amp head? I'd prefer not to check it.
 
I seriously doubt it. The weight isn't as much of a matter as the dimensions, namely it can only be so long and wide. I would assume that an amp head would be too long. I know for AA the max dimensions for carry on luggage total 45", with max dimensions of 22"x14"x9". Not only that, but it has to fit in an overhead compartment. You may be able to pull it off if the flight attendant is in a good mood, but I wouldn't expect it.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformatio ... guidelines
 
i doubt they will let you do it. a 12lb guitar vs a 60 lb guitar head is a big difference.

id get some packing material and box it up for the ride and hope it does not get lost in luggage.
 
I have done that a couple of times with no problems, and of course no one will let you bring it onboard with you. You might even have to pay a little of excess lugage weight as well. Be sure to extra pack the head with lots of protection and you will be fine... Remove the tubes also.
 
I'd guess the best way would be to either double box it and pack it extremely well, or get a flightcase for it and then box it up so that it can be checked and put in the hold with the other fragile stuff. Make sure you pull all the tubes and bubble wrap them individually.

I have done that a bunch of times on long flights from Florida to London and never had any problems. Never had anything get broken either!

I very much doubt they would let you take it on board the plane these days.
 
Don't do it.

Unless you have a really sturdy, protective flight case...it won't be a piece of carry on, it'll be in gorilla handling baggage.
 
i'd hate to have to deal with that...i can barely move my heads around my study.

the overweight charge is only like 25-30 bucks.
 
FYI, loosen your strings on you Les Paul if flying as I have a friend whose head stock snapped off because of cold temps etc.
 
Get a flight case, be prepared to pay a huge excess. In Australia its $10 per kilo over 20kg domestic and 30kg international. Depending on where you're going that gives you 10kg for pedalboard, 10kg for a guitar & then your amp if you take your personal stuff as carry on. My rig weighs about 60kg so thats about $600 excess domestic and really not worth it at all. FWIW me and the other guitarist in my band put our axefx's in a lightweight rack case and slave them into backline, even doing that we end up paying a little excess.
 
Well I hand carried a Dr Z Stang Ray head from San Francisco to Hawaii and then on to Singapore - but it's a fairly small head. Actually I am a pretty big guy too so I managed to carry it and not make it look too heavy. I put it into a carry-on sized duffel bag. It went through every X-Ray without any hassle. A couple of times Security asked me what it was - I told them and got no objections.
Wouldn't try that with a full size head though... I don't ship heads very often, but I do own a flight case for that very purpose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top