FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

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Question:
Can one take a Steinberger Spirit, small electric headless guitar, as airline Carry-on? Are there issues getting the guitar through security etc? Since they confiscated my mini keychain pocket knife, I’m wondering if the guitar and steel strings pose as a potential weapon too?

Answer:
A few years ago, I used to fly with a full sized strat in the overhead compartment.  More recently, even before 9-11, the airlines have gotten more strict with carry on sizes.  It must fit beneath the seat. Call the carrier and ask them. You can try to take it as a carry on, but plan on the possibility of having to check it with the baggage. I suppose their attitude about it being a weapon would depend on whether you plan on playing badly for the passengers. If you play bad enough, they'd probably call it torture. There's also the pulling the IV line out from the sick girl's arm shtick (from Airplane) if you get too carried away. Seriously, though, even if they won't let you put it in the overhead, you can often gate check a guitar. That's where you take it with you to the gate, and hand it over at the bottom of the jetway. It goes in the baggage hold, but doesn't get hammered by the automated baggage handling system. Since 9/11/01 I've carried on a mandolin and a 3/4 sized acoustic no problem, and I've seen other people carry on full sized acoustics. No problem with any of the security screeners regarding the strings being potential weapons or anything. So it pays to ask - and then maybe ask again, because you'll get slightly different answers from each airline staffer and from each airline. I just flew last month with a bass in a gig bag, and had no problems (American Airlines) putting the bass in the overhead.  They never said a single word.  Sometimes, with the smaller commuter planes with the tiny overhead bins, they will ask you to gate-check it at the door of the plane, will give you a little red numbered ticket, and will hand it to you as you walk off the plane.  If you get a small commuter plane, ask the flight attendant VERY NICELY if you can put the gig bag in the garment bag closet. They will usually be accommodating. On a related note, a few years ago I bought a used anvil flight case for my bass, and just checked it as luggage.  It was a perfect solution, except for the fact that the airline charged me an extra $50 each way as it was oversized luggage.