Cymbal flight cases

LiEun

LiEun

Junior Member
Hi, I'm going on tour in just over a month and I need to fly my cymbals out from Manchester airport. I have a hardcase but I'm not sure I'm happy with how secure my cymbals will be when the luggage handlers are throwing it around.
Does anyone know where or how to get hold of flight cases for cymbals, or have any advice on alternative (and possibly cheaper) options?

Thanks for your help

Li
 
Carry it on. call the airline and tell them exactly what it is and why you want to carry on. They should be accommodating...
 
latzanimal said:
Carry it on. call the airline and tell them exactly what it is and why you want to carry on. They should be accommodating...
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Don't know about the rules overseas, but a typical cymbal case would be both too heavy and too big to carry on a plane in Europe. Sometimes the airlines are lenient, sometimes they're not, but unless you only play 3-4 cymbals and nothing larger than a 14", you definitely run the risk of being stopped at the gate. If that happens, you'll have to check in your cymbals, and if you only have a softbag with you at that point, you're pretty much screwed.

Flight cases are probably the most secure way to travel, but they're also heavy as all hell and might cost you a fair bit extra to check in.

I've got a Humes & Berg Enduro case coming in a couple of days, and I'll be flight-testing it for a gig next weekend. The case came highly recommended, so I'm hoping it will be up to the task. My last case was not so sturdy, and some baggage handlers had obviously dropped it at some point. The cetnre rod was completely bent out of shape (had to physically bend it back just to get the cymbals out), and some of the cymbals were cracked around the hole. Not all cases are created equal, it seems, so make sure you get a good one.

edit: I assume that by "flight case" you meant the plywood kind with reinforced corners, which is what I referred to when saying they are very heavy.
 
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A flight case seems like your best option, unless you know a trusted person at your destination. If you do, you may be able to just ship the cymbals out a few days before hand. The extra packagaing should be enough to keep them protected, given that your case is decent. You'd have to deal with shipping them back, however. Depending on prices where you are, that could add up to be pretty costly.
 
I've got an older cymbal Hardcase that looks like their current model HN9CYM22. I've flown with it in Europe several times and the cymbals have survived well. Just use the soft things between cymbals and tighten them well and you don't need to worry!

The only problem with checking in instruments is that you're never 100% sure if you'll get them in time for the gig :) So a backup plan in the destination country is a good thing to have. You'll need to rent a drumkit/backline anyway so it usually isn't a problem.
 
LiEun said:
Hi, I'm going on tour in just over a month and I need to fly my cymbals out from Manchester airport. I have a hardcase but I'm not sure I'm happy with how secure my cymbals will be when the luggage handlers are throwing it around.
Does anyone know where or how to get hold of flight cases for cymbals, or have any advice on alternative (and possibly cheaper) options?

Thanks for your help

Li
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I used to work in Manchester, for an airline. Don't expect any airline to be "accommodating" about transporting your cymbals as some have suggested.

I would avoid a case with a central spindle. Another poster already explained why.

When I moved abroad I sent my cymbals in a decent cymbal bag which in turn was well packed into a sturdy carboard box. I sent them via UPS and it was almost certainly cheaper than paying the airline's extra baggage fee. The delivery was super quick. UPS only deal with companies but you can use a middle man such as Mailboxes Etc, which is what I did. They have branches everywhere.

Of course this solution only works if you have a single destination, not if you have several flights during your tour.
 
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