Mandolins travelling at 10,000 kilometres above earth

[Cranial-nerve-zero]

I am currently in the market for my first ever mandolin. I am in VERY rural Canada. When I purchase a mandolin, it will have to most likely come from an online USA store such as the "mandolin store".

Here are my questions:

(a) Is it bad for mandolins to travel in cargo on a plane, when I order it? I'm thinking particularly about temperature changes etc. Canada (the part I live in) is freeeeeeezing.

(b) When I fly in an airplane with my mandolin, can I generally keep it on board as carry-on? Or do the airport folks make you check it in?

Thanks!
CN0

[colorado_al]

A- should not be a problem
B- carry on is preferred and I have never had a problem

[pops1]

Let them know when you purchase it that it will be going thru temperature changes, or in the hold, they will pack accordingly.

[Northwest Steve]

When you receive it let it acclimate for 12 or 24 hours before you open the box and tune and play it.

[Kevin Stueve]

I expected this thread to be about mandolins in space

[Roger Moss]

I expected this thread to be about mandolins in space

Me too. Hubble is only 560 km.

[Steve-o]

Haha, I think he meant 10,000 meters.

[sblock]

Space cadet. This is 1/4 of the way to the moon! Planes fly up at 10 km, which is 10,000 METERS.

Mandolins can do fine as carry-on baggage (recommended).

Mandolins can also do fine inside the luggage holds of most large commercial aircraft (in a suitable case, that is). These luggage holds are both (1) pressurized and (2) heated. This includes all jets and most modern turboprops.

Mandolins should not be placed in the unheated baggage holds found in some smaller aircraft, like certain bush planes with single props. Just how rural in Canada is the OP?!

[Cranial-nerve-zero]

Silly me!!! I did mean 10,000 metres. I am in VERY rural Canada. But we do get larger aircraft flying in here.

I guess I was more wondering if mandolins are considered too big to be accepted on as carry-on by the airline... I've had some bad experiences in the past when about to board a plane, and the flight attendant confiscates my item because it is marginally too big, and it ends up getting put (read: thrown) under the plane.

[sblock]

Silly me!!! I did mean 10,000 metres. I am in VERY rural Canada. But we do get larger aircraft flying in here.

I guess I was more wondering if mandolins are considered too big to be accepted on as carry-on by the airline... I've had some bad experiences in the past when about to board a plane, and the flight attendant confiscates my item because it is marginally too big, and it ends up getting put (read: thrown) under the plane.

This depends on the airline, so check your carrier's policy. Most hard mandolin cases exceed the 22" maximum length for carry-on, but are otherwise small enough to fit (lengthwise) just fine in the overhead compartments of most current commercial aircraft, regardless (even Regional Jets). But you might need to make sure you're among the first passengers to board, before the overhead space disappears -- it tends to go fast, these days! United Airlines explicitly ALLOWS "small instruments" (like flutes, violins, ukes, and mandolins) to be carried aboard as matter of policy, for example, despite their being slightly over-length. But not all carriers do that, so you are warned! I always travel with my mandolin inside either a Hoffee or a Calton hardshell case, so if they ever decide take it away from me while boarding (for whatever reason) and place it in the luggage hold, instead, I feel pretty secure about it. But on about 95% of flights, I've managed to keep it right with me in the cabin. I have logged hundreds of thousands of air miles with my mandolin, incidentally. Never had a serious problem. But I did have to stand on my rights a few times! I usually go to the carrier's website and PRINT OUT their official policy on traveling with instruments. I keep the printout inside my mandolin case. I've had to present that printout to the occasional gate agent or cabin attendant. These people often seem to be clueless about official company policy. But more often than not, I have found that a kind word gets me farther than a disputatious attitude. That said, I can be a jailhouse lawyer when it becomes necessary!

[sblock]

P.S. I love the user name "cranial nerve zero." So far as I know, this is a vestigial nerve in humans, and no one quite knows what it does (unlike the other 12)! Who knows -- maybe it's associated with music appreciation?

[dhergert]

P.S. I love the user name "cranial nerve zero." So far as I know, this is a vestigial nerve in humans, and no one quite knows what it does (unlike the other 12)! Who knows -- maybe it's associated with music appreciation?

It's a ground wire.

[bigskygirl]

I am currently in the market for my first ever mandolin. I am in VERY rural Canada. When I purchase a mandolin, it will have to most likely come from an online USA store such as the "mandolin store".

Here are my questions:

(a) Is it bad for mandolins to travel in cargo on a plane, when I order it? I'm thinking particularly about temperature changes etc. Canada (the part I live in) is freeeeeeezing.

(b) When I fly in an airplane with my mandolin, can I generally keep it on board as carry-on? Or do the airport folks make you check it in?

Thanks!
CN0

A - no, you should pay the extra to overnight (or fastest method available) to you and let it aclimate to your house for 24 hours
B - yes, maybe...pay for zone 1 boarding and be extra nice to the flight attendants

[Jim Bevan]

On a recent two-week Dubai~Santiago de Chile~Detroit~Dubai trip, all of it with Air Canada, I discovered that they have a new policy of, if you are carrying an instrument, you can board immediately after first class does, regardless of what "zone" your boarding pass shows.

The Santiago~Detroit flight was made with a Collings A hardcase, and the Detroit~Dubai flight was made with a small guitar (tuned ADGCEA) in a gigbag. Both flights involved small airplanes (no economy/business class differentiation, no meals, all rolling carry-on suitcases had to be gate-checked) between the Toronto connection and Detroit. So, four times I boarded with an instrument, including twice where I was carrying something on board that was larger than anyone else was allowed. On each flight, the Air Canada staff seemed quite respectful of the instruments' fragility.

[CES]

Wow, nice to finally hear about an airline offering a reasonable and friendly policy and abiding by it. Those Candiens are onto something!

[Bill Cameron]

Hello fellow rural Canadian. Here’s some things I know from experience. I’m going to save some time and give you my unparalleled wisdom on your choice-of-instrument question here while I’m at it.
1. Before you get into the whole cross-border shopping thing, take a good look at what’s on offer on our side. The best selection of mandos in Canada, bar none, is at the Twelfth Fret in Toronto. Nothing beats the chance to spend a couple hours there, their prices are very competitive, and they have a room full of eight-string delight—more than one room in fact. They ship worldwide so take a closer look via their website. Having said that, Long and McQuade is all over Canada, they dont have the selection the Fret does, but anytime you go to any Canadian city, theres an L&M. I’ll may have more specific suggestions if you say what region you are in, ie where do you land if you go south?
2. Eastman 505. Ideally a used one, ideally the classic red finish. That is the value point at the approx 700 price range. I’ve been playing one for ten years. (40 years playing mando). I might spring for something more high-end sometime but I’m keeping this one forever because it is without a doubt the best $630 Cdn I ever spent at the 12th Fret or anywhere else. They retail about a grand Cdn now, so looking for used is good. You know what the exchange rate is like, not to mention the other costs associated with cross-border shipping. Seagull S8 is a good value too, a compact flattop, comes set up out-of-the-box, and travels VERY well. An excellent starter choice at $400 Cdn.
3. Don’t get sucked into the country-of-origin debate, it speaks more to our various national prides than it does to actual matters of quality. I will concede that there is a much greater selection of American-made, small-shop or small-custom-factory instruments in the middle-high-end price area (1.5–3k, let’s say). At 5k+, we have Apitius, but for now, forget I ever mentioned him...=
4. You can carry a mandolin on a plane, Westjet or AC, in addition to your carry-on bag, as your “personal item”. No charge, no fuss. I do this all the time, almost always on crowded Dash-8s going between Ontario and NS. I know a guy who takes both a mando and banjo carry-on, and he does the early-boarding thing with them too. (I dont need to bother with that).
5. Most important, get something to play, get lots of spare strings (in that instance I do buy in bulk from US sources), and have fun with it eh!

[Eric Hanson]

I expected this thread to be about mandolins in space

If this were the case, and muppets were involved, would it be a case of “Gigs in Space”? And would the first required song be “Eight Miles High”?

So sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.

[Andrew B. Carlson]

There's usually some nice stock at Myhre's Music in Edmonton too. I'm in moderately rural Alberta and that's my main go to place. Where you living? NWT?

[AndyV]

I expected this thread to be about mandolins in space

Me too. Am I alone in seeing a similarity between A style mandos and Klingon/ Romulan ships?

[AndyV]

CNO, Sounds like you travel a bit. Could you wait to pick one up on your travels? Then there'd be no concern about how it's doing in the cargo hold.

[Mark Miller]

+1 on Andy’s comment. That way you would also have a chance to play/hear the mandolin you buy before purchase.