Carrying steel (especially legs!) on a plane

[Chuck Johnson]

Hello. I've seen many posts on here over the years on flying with steels, but never a definitive report about being denied security gate entry because of the PSG legs being considered "blunt objects."

I recently acquired an Excel SGI model PSG. It's very lightweight and compact and fits neatly in an SKB hard foam slim keyboard case. I can easily imagine this being manageable carrying around airport gates and would take up less room in an overhead bin than 6 string guitars I have flown with in the past. It's more comparable in size to a tenor sax.

I know most folks prefer checking a guitar in a flight case, and this is what I have always done as well. But the flight case is heavy and I am still recovering from a shoulder injury from a tour late last year in which I hauled the flight case, and luggage full of fx pedals, merchandise and clothes around Europe for a few weeks. I am looking for ways to lighten my pack for a flight this week.

So... has anyone ever had an issue with bringing a PSG as a carry-on? Did the legs get flagged, specifically?

Thanks
Chuck

[Jim Cohen]

Following.

[Dylan Ritter]

Ive flown a good amount and always carry on. Never any issue with security, just the occasional inquiry and explanation.

If travel includes any non transatlantic flight boarding in Europe then beware that they are not required to let you take it as carry on and, in my experience, will at a minimum
initially deny it. Ive been lucky to resolve to "just this once but next time..." but you are at their mercy so not recommended.

In the US/canada you will likely do a gate check for the smaller planes and overhead for the bigger ones.

Dylan

[Dylan Ritter]

Oh and, just in case you dont, better have a wheeled case, often some long walks transfering beyond where the airport carts are allowed.

[Tucker Jackson]

I've carried legs on board, no problem.

I've never tried to wrestle the whole steel into the cabin, but the leg pouch comes on the plane to get my checked flight case under the 50lb limit.

[Malcolm McMaster]

Chuck, hand baggage rules in Europe and U.K. are much much stricter than US, size of allowed hand baggage is substantially smaller than US, and are rigidly enforced, particularly by the budget airlines. If they take it off you at gate point because it is too big or heavy, be prepared for hefty charges for puting it in the hold. Think you are better with a lightweight flghtcase(wheeled) such as SKB drum trap case checked in.

[Chuck Johnson]

Thanks for the responses! The trip I leave for tomorrow is domestic - I will definitely use a flight case and check the steel when flying international. Good to know (and somewhat surprised) that the guitar legs haven't caused problems for y'all at the gate security line.

Dylan - I'm curious what case and what size guitar you're carrying into the cabin.

[Jim Cohen]

And what about the pedal rack? I can keep my D10 under 50 lbs in the case as long as I leave out the legs AND pedal rack...