KD Banjer - Posted - 02/18/2018:  21:05:13

Hi Everyone,

Sadly, Mark is not around to make his cases any more...

I was able to buy a couple of them used, and they seem like tanks.

Has anyone flown with a banjo in a Mark Leaf case as a check-in bag?

Are Mark Leaf cases as secure (or better) than other modern made banjo flight cases? 

As some of you may know, I am flying internationally in less than 2 weeks. I do want to try to carry it on, but just in case, I am working on Plan B in case I do need to check in my banjo. 

If I do need to (or decide to) check in my banjo in the Mark Leaf case, I think I will add luggage straps around it to make sure it doesn't pop open, and I may purchase some kind of soft bag to put over it for added security (although I want to make sure that the baggage handlers know its an instrument and that they should be careful with it.

I'm attaching photos of the case.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Mark Leaf Case - Open

Mark Leaf Case - closed

soonersailor - Posted - 02/18/2018:  21:21:47

Do a search on this site. Several post about these cases being prone to cause broken necks. I think the new crop of Calton, Karura and Hoffee offer better protection. If you going to check the Leaf case add some bubble wrap around the peg head and other spots in the case to insure a tight fit.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/18/2018:  21:28:22

Thanks, Tom...

Yes, I just saw a thread about Mark Leaf case users sometimes having cracks in their necks after flying with their banjos.

That’s a bummer.

From what I’m reading, modern Hoffee banjo cases are what banjo flyers are preferring.

Can others confirm that (or have other recommendations)?

Thank you.

Banjopkr - Posted - 02/18/2018:  21:39:38

Just a reminder, be sure you won't have any problems at customs on either end of your trip with CITES regulations. If your banjo is made from any of the woods on their list of non-importable woods, they could confiscate your banjo and not return it to you.

corcoran - Posted - 02/18/2018:  21:43:15

When I fly with a banjo, I remove the neck and pack it securely with bubble wrap and clothing in a Calton case. I take the drum in a backpack with wheels as carry-on. The weight of the drum is what causes damage when the case is mishandled in baggage. Without the drum, the neck is quite safe in a Calton (or Hoffee), assuming that it is securely fixed in the case. I have never had a problem flying with a banjo this way. FWIW.

ManjoMan - Posted - 02/19/2018:  04:41:11

I hear tell that J.D Crowe used one at one time and his banjo suffered a broken neck. Also, a close personal friend of mine used one and they beat the heck out of the case and of course, the neck was broken when he claimed his luggage. I am not a fan of flying with an instrument. Since I primarily play mandolin, I can usually take it with me as carry-on, but I haven't had to fly to a gig in years so my experience is very little. I do know that most of the guys I know use the older Calton's and some use the Hoffee's. So far I have not heard of any issues from any of them, but it may just depend on who is handling your instrument.

PKM - Posted - 02/19/2018:  06:52:24

Butch Robins has said in an interview that he did/does the same as Michael Corcoran; takes the neck off, packs to in the case with clothes, and carries the pot on.
Or, I suppose you could do it the other way around, and put the neck in a PVC tube to carry on ? Its a lot lighter than the pot, and more fragile.
Cheers,

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  07:41:04

Thank you for your great feedback and input, David, Michael, Jeff and PKM.

Hey Jeff... Thanks for sharing your story about JD... I believe I read another thread where you were sharing an experience with Earl and a cracked neck from a Mark Leaf case.

David... I have read elsewhere in other BH threads that CITES only applies to international commercial sale of instruments, and not an individual owner bringing their instrument to another country. I believe I also read that in the CITES documentation, but please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Hi Michael and PKM... I know the best thing would be to remove the neck... If I can manage doing this succesfully, then I will. I just am not confident that if I take the neck off and then re-attach it, that it is will in the same set-up playing condition than when it was assembled. The bridge position can be marked, but would everything else be just as it was? I've never taken a neck off a banjo before.

I have heard that Mark Leaf cases were such tough beasts, that I didn't dig deeper and do research before buying them (used).

It looks like the 2 Mark Leaf cases that I bought would be good for protecting an instrument on the ground or in a car, bus or train, but that a Hoffee or Calton or Price case would be better if you needed to check a case into checked baggage on an airplane.

I think my plan now is to try to buy a Hoffee case (with the backpack cover) and try to carry it on. And if they make me check it in, then it is already in a very protective case.

I may do some research about taking off a banjo neck... Maybe I'll try it with the least expensive banjo I have as a test.

Thank you all again.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  07:54:40

In the future, I'm planning on relocating to Sri Lanka for 3 to 5 years (then coming back to the U.S.), so I can disassemble my banjo necks from their pots, and then put them together when I arrive.

I think I will buy both Steve Huber's and Aurthur Hatfield's DVDs on banjo setup and repair and learn how to put the banjos together.

I do have a 1927 PB-3 conversion (that is being converted for me at the moment), so I may just buy a seat for that one when I relocate (in about 12 months from now).

For this current March trip, I want to take my one Sullivan roasted maple Festival, and I don't think I want to disassemble it... So, I may try to carry it on in a Hoffee case (assuming I can buy one and have it delivered in time)... and if I have to check it in, it is already in a good case.

At the very least, I can unscrew the resonator so that anyone inspecting it won't be tempted to rip it off.

Thank you guys.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  08:11:26

FYI for those who want to order a Hoffee case from Hoffee... I just called them and it takes 6 weeks for them to manufacture one.

Perhaps for this flight, I'll look at some bluegrass shops and see if there are any in stock.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  09:13:20

Because I need to get a flight case within 8 days, I may need to buy a Calton (because there are a few available at some music shops).

Does anyone have any concerns with Caltons?

Any suggestions for how to attach a TSA lock on one?

Thanks again.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  10:48:12

UPDATE:

After doing research and reading on both the BH and online, I think that I want a Hoffee banjo flight case because:

1) They are about 3 pounds lighter than Caltons (better for the carry on process)

2) I believe that Hoffees have the best banjo neck support of all of the flight cases (I've read this).

3) You can add "Thinsulate brand insulation" as an option to teh Hoffee which "mitigates the effects of extreme temperature conditions." I think this is important to further protect instruments for days (and locations) that are hot or cold.

4) You can order a cloth cover from them with added back pack straps.

5) You can choose the option for a "twist latch" so you can attach a TSA lock

But, as I mentioned before, I would have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to have one made from Hoffee.

There will be some risk in this, but I think that I am going to fly with my Sullivan roasted maple Festival "travel banjo" this way:

1) Make every effort to carry it on with the Blue Heron padded soft banjo bag that I recently received.  (I've added photos of the Blue Heron). There are backpack straps on the Heron so I can try to pass it off as a backpack. It does seem like the best padded soft bag you can buy (I paid almost $300 for mine, including shipping).

2) I will also check in my empty Mark Leaf case so that I can keep the Festival in the case while I am in Sri Lanka. And if for some reason I have to check in the banjo, I at least have a good case ready.

3) If I do reach the gate (or my seat), and there is no room for my Blue Heron padded case, I can ask if they can hang it in a closet (the Blue Heron actually has a metal close hanger hook for closets), or... worst case, have them hand gate check it and pray to the banjo gods that it makes it ok.

The only other option is to 1) buy a Calton flight case (but, I'm afraid that the latches could pop open, without a soft fabric cover. I suppose I could also add a TSA strap); or 2) not bring any banjo at all and then have more time to plan for my next trip.

I don't like flying with a banjo, but I might like it even less not having a banjo (that I will enjoy) for a month.

Blue Heron padded banjo bag - closed view

Blue Heron padded banjo bag - open and empty

Blue Heron padded banjo bag - (with a Sullivan V35)

 

Shmockiebaby - Posted - 02/19/2018:  12:13:13

Pay whatever fee you must to get priority boarding. I am sitting in a plane right now. I almost brought a banjo, but I do not have priority with AA like I do with A UA. There was. no overhead space left when I boarded. Good travels!

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  12:14:52

quote:

---

Originally posted by Shmockiebaby

Pay whatever fee you must to get priority boarding. I am sitting in a plane right now. I almost brought a banjo, but I do not have priority with AA like I do with A UA. There was. no overhead space left when I boarded. Good travels!

---

Thank you, Mark. Excellent advice.

Have a great flight.

monstertone - Posted - 02/19/2018:  13:05:58

Last time I flew with my banjo (pre 911), just trying to stow it in the overhead before everyone else filled it, qualified for priority boarding. Anymore it's questionable if the overhead is even long enough to accommodate a banjo. Maybe it you asked real nice you might get away with it. Oh to be a mandolin player. 

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  13:45:29

quote:

---

Originally posted by monstertone

Last time I flew with my banjo (pre 911), just trying to stow it in the overhead before everyone else filled it, qualified for priority boarding. Anymore it's questionable if the overhead is even long enough to accommodate a banjo. Maybe it you asked real nice you might get away with it. Oh to be a mandolin player. 

---

Thanks, JD...

Yea... I used to play some fiddle, and I could almost hide a fiddle under my jacket . :)  (compared to trying to carry a banjo).

The bummer is that I checked the airline I'm flying with (Emirates Airlines), and I did not see a way of paying for priority boarding.

I think I have to be ready to check in the banjo if necessary, so this means I probably need to carry the smallest flight case I can (which means I may need to buy a Calton from an online music store ASAP).

GSCarson - Posted - 02/19/2018:  14:11:39

My son plays in a touring band and flys frequently. He uses a Price or Anvil style case. For either one, he always removes the strings and then the tuners from the banjo peghead to reduce the mass of the peghead (which tends to be the cause of breakage during hard bumps), and packs around the peghead carefully with extra padding around it. No problems to date. He has had two soft case covers for his flight case and neither lasted more than one or two trips, the conveyor systems tore them up immediately.

KD Banjer - Posted - 02/19/2018:  14:14:48

Well...

I couldn't take the stress anymore of anticipating either having to check in a padded soft bag at the gate, or risking a cracked neck in the Mark Leaf, so I went ahead and called Morgan Music in Lebanon, Missouri, and ordered the Calton Case they had in stock (white exterior with blue interior).

They will ship it tomorrow and it should arrive on Friday (a couple days in advance of my Wed Feb 28 flight).

I didn't want to spend $1,000 (after having spent $400 on the Mark Leaf and $300 on the Blue Heron soft bag), but... I don't want to worry and be stressed during my 22 hours of flying half way across the world only to discover after I arrived that my banjo is cracked (or worst).

I will smile real nice and try my very best to carry on the Calton case. If I can't, at least I have a good strong case that most likely will protect my banjo.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and advice.

Edited by - KD Banjer on 02/19/2018 14:30:39

Calton Case White - Exterior

Calton Case White - Interior