Touring is one of the most fun parts of being a musician, but it can be stressful figuring out how to take care of your instrument when traveling. Here is a rundown of some important things to consider.

Insurance

Your bass is more likely to be damaged, lost or stolen when you are on the road, and your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance may not cover it. If you are a member of ASCAP or BMI you can get it through them, but even if you are not you can buy insurance. MusicPro Insurance is one of many companies that offer this service.

Hard Case

Use a sturdy hard case, please. No gig bags for expensive instruments. When flying, hope for the best but plan for the worst, which means be prepared to check your bass with everyone else’s bags. Most basses will not fit in overhead compartments in airplanes. Get a case with TSA locks, lower the tension on the strings, and take your sturdiest bass. I always try to carry my instrument to the gate and take it on the plane. If they don’t let me, then the bass is gate checked, which means they take it from me at the gate and return it to me when I step off the plane. Another reason to use a hard case is that items in gig bags tend to get banged up in the back of vans. A gig bag will not protect your instrument from a heavy speaker falling on it.

If you don’t have a case with TSA locks, make sure to tape the case closed before you check it. You don’t want the case to come open on the baggage truck. In my experience the TSA will re-tape a case if they have to cut it open. Sometimes I put a roll of tape inside the case with a note that says, “Dear TSA officer, please re-tape my case when you are done inspecting it. Thank you!” If the instrument does not fit snugly in the case, add padding (like your clothes or some foam) to keep the bass secure.

Be Prepared

When traveling, you don’t have access to all of your resources from home. Your awesome bass tech is not down the street, so you need to think about what could go wrong. Set up your bass before you leave and make sure you know how to do basic adjustments to string height, intonation, and truss rod in case something goes out of whack. Bring the tools that you need (but if they are sharp, don’t pack them in a bass case that you hope to carry on a plane). Think of everything that could go wrong. Bring extra strings and cables. Bring a soldering gun if you think you might need it. I tend to over pack, but even though I have never had a cable fail on the road I always end up needing to loan my extra cable to someone else. It’s just a good idea to be prepared.

Don’t Be Stupid

Here are some stupid things that I have seen people do. Don’t do them. Don’t leave your bass in the van overnight in New York City or any other city. It won’t be there when you get up. Don’t put your bass down in a club where someone could pick it up and walk out the door with it while you are wrestling with your giant cab. Don’t put your bass in the middle of the floor where it could get knocked around or stepped on. Don’t take your bass out of the case first and then set everything else up. Don’t put your bass away last after taking care of all of your other, less fragile equipment. Don’t insult your drummer, that’s just mean.

If you follow the advice above and use some common sense, you will most likely have an excellent experience traveling with your bass. Good luck on the road