Hey guys. I’m just starting to play the bass and am getting a used Ibanez 400eqm from someone i know but they aren’t providing a gig bag. I was wanting to know if there are specific gig bags for a model or would any bag fit any bass? I’m buying it online so I wouldn’t be able to check it out.
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most bass gig bags will fit most basses, but there are exceptions with weird shapes.
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Yep. And aftermarket gig bags are usually better than the gig bags most manufacturers ship with midrange and entry level basses.
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If that is an Ibanez SR400EQM, I have the same bass, or close enough to similar, mine is Ibanez SR400QM. the QM is for Quilted Maple, which is just what the bass looks like, I am not sure what the E is, but I think it is on newer basses, mine is about 10 years old.
Either way, the bass is pretty much a standard size (bordering on smaller size, they are tight and compact bodies), so any GENERAL gig bag will fit this bass.
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Some conventional looking basses might cause trouble. The Marcus Miller Sire bass has a somewhat longer headstock for instance. Of course, those with weird bodies (flying V and other) will require specific gigbags 
The Ibanez might be on the somewhat shorter side, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
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Thank you guys. I’ll probably then get the base first and check its dimensions before getting a bag just to be on the safe side.
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Also, have any of y’all ever carried their bases on flight? Just wanted to know if they would allow to carry it as a hand luggage and what measures did you guys take to ensure it doesn’t get damaged on board?
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For starters, I would get a hard shell case for flying, not a gig bag. Secondly, in most cases, you can “Gate Check” your instrument, which eliminates the monkeys they have as baggage handlers.
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If you’re flying in the US, by law, airlines must let you put your instrument in the overhead bin, provided that it fits and doesn’t exceed the weight capacity of the bin. You would have to check to see if a bass would actually fit in an overhead bin lengthwise, and of course, it is dependent on you getting on the plane early enough to find an empty bin for your bass. By law they cannot make you move it if other people want to put bags there after you, but they’re not required to clear a space for you either. Here is an FAQ from the government.
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That’s why I said to gate check it. I’ve Never seen an overhead big enough for a bass.
If you gate check it, the crew will stow it for you and then hand it back to you when you deplane.
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that’s why you need a mikro 
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Legal is one thing, but the person at the gate that you can’t argue with when you don’t have a lawyer with you is another. I’ve heard stories of this going better or worse. The advice I’ve been given is to work the friendly social angle with the staff for the best chance of good results.
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The overhead does not really have room for any guitar or bass in a hardshell case, only gig bags.
So, its down to how much risk you want to take. If you get there and get on early enough (I always get on after all the rewards people, in group 1 or A) and have a gig bag, you should be able to find room.
But the risk is
if you have to gate check it, then it is in a gig bag getting thrown around with the other luggage, rather then the protection of a hard case.
So, if it were me, I would take a hard case and just plan to gate check it.
I also usually take small enough luggage that I don’t have to check it, but then offer to gate check all my bags, (except the personal bag with computer, iPad, one day’s clothes, medication, etc…).
This way, I avoid the fees of checked bags, because (usually, and at least up until the last flight I had about a year and half ago) they offer FREE gate check to help avoid so much clutter and confusion in the cabin trying to get overhead space. Usually they are happy to have volunteers to gate check their bags, so I get my bags CHECKED free, and often they are right there when you get off the plane, so you don’t have to go to checked luggage and deal with that messy-go-round
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Get a hard case. Maybe a U-bass will fit in an overhead compartment but nothing larger will. You certainly don’t want to risk a bass in a gig bag in checked luggage.
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Yeah. Flying is probably the only reason I would want a hard case, but I would definitely not board without one.
I mean, one major US airline (United) is notorious for killing pets. I’m certainly not going to trust a fragile inanimate object with them without lots of protection.
Of course, even then, things like this happen. Also United. Nice work, guys.
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Yeah it’s truly awful. Accidents happen, but on United, they apparently happen to pets at 9x the rate of other airlines with similar passenger volume.
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that’s incredible
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This is what I use:
I’m on a business trip currently and I’m able to practice every day. It has a built in aux port and headphone amp. It fit easily in the overhead bin and comes with its own bag.
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Oh yeah, at a pretty penny too.
I mean, yeah, I would dig having one, especially if I needed to takeout on airplanes, and could (would) afford it. I mean, its a tough call I can buy a Sterling SS Stingray, or Ray24 ( I like the blue one) or almost could buy that Black ASH Ray34 that I really want (in place of, or until I could get a music man orange stingray)
Oh, If I could only get RAYS out of my head. LOL
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