ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

Silence Kid

Silence Kid

New member
I received an ATA flight case of the type linked; note the exposed/protruding latches, and lack of lock (understandable I suppose if TSA wants to confirm I’m not a drug/baby smuggler.) My concern is how secure these latches will be, when subject to tossing/typical airline abuse; how easy do these fly open? Am I paranoid or correct in my assumption that these come open easier than ideal? What latch would be a better option?

https://www.roadcasesusa.com/strat-tele-les-paul-generic-cutout-1-4-light-duty-ata-case/
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

You are correct -I wouldn't buy an ATA flight case without butterfly latches or another higher rated latch honestly.

Those latches aren't good for anything other than supervised personal transport.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

What kind of guitar is it for? For that price you can probably find a model specific case. Most of the new ones are molded plastic, but they have much nicer latches. I would trust them more than an low end Anvil-type case that may use really thin wood, FWIW, I have had a couple of those generic Anvil-style ones, the SKB and Gator ones are much nicer and hold your guitar much better. There is also a reason the guys like SKB and Gator are still around, they do know what they are doing.

https://gatorcases.com/ata-tsa-guitar-cases/

http://www.skbcases.com/music/products/prodlist.php?s=75&c=82&o=&f=sku_has_tsa_locks-1-75

I will default to NegativeEase's extensive touring knowledge over my own though.
 
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Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

Thanks - This was just a ‘bonus’ that a guitar was shipped in; ensconced my American Special Jazzmaster safely from FedEx across the country, but leery about it being transported outside a box itself.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

Silence Kid said:
Thanks - This was just a ‘bonus’ that a guitar was shipped in; ensconced my American Special Jazzmaster safely from FedEx across the country, but leery about it being transported outside a box itself.
Click to expand...

If the case is nice, you could upgrade the latches.

Since the case is made of ABA plastic and Aluminum trim, you could upgrade the latches to another system

Like these butterfly style that you trim and punch rivots in (pretty easy to do):
9072.jpg



or the high end style of these are heavy duty rated

227x035_pli-spccases-sbrl.jpg
 
ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

I have that brand of case for some rack equipment. The lid and latches fit so tight you’d have to hit it hard to flip the latches open.

When I toured with anvil type cases we used to just duct tape over the latches. Made it to Eastern Europe and around the continental US for 4 months with no problem whatsoever.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

What the hell is a light duty ATA case? Having flown with multiple guitars at this point what ive always done is what beau did and just duct tape the latches.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

And not only the type of latch, but there are only 2 of them. Not good. The duct tape suggestion is good, however, and may make this case ok as long as your guitar fits securely inside.

Personally, I would feel more comfortable with my guitar in a better case with better latches and more of them (at least three, but four would be better) to survive the flight experience.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

DOH, sorry, read past the part where you already received the case. I guess you could try taping them, but these days they will probably pull it off, they are going to open it. IF they are tight, they will probably be fine, I worry more about that style getting damaged than coming open on their own, and as Doc said, I would prefer one or two more of them.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

NegativeEase said:
If the case is nice, you could upgrade the latches.

Since the case is made of ABA plastic and Aluminum trim, you could upgrade the latches to another system
Click to expand...

The case is made of 1/4" plywood if it is like the one in the link. Good news is that wood is probably easier to modify.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

beaubrummels said:
I have that brand of case for some rack equipment. The lid and latches fit so tight you’d have to hit it hard to flip the latches open.

When I toured with anvil type cases we used to just duct tape over the latches. Made it to Eastern Europe and around the continental US for 4 months with no problem whatsoever.
Click to expand...

I've done that before, thats a good idea and can work, but I don't think it's worth the risk.

The problem is TSA and other international security will rip off that tape if it gets secondary inspection -and since guitars often have petroleum off gassing odors like Naptha and lubricants etc -they get inspected a lot internationally. If you put a pedal in the case it's even more likely. and If they replace the tape which is unlikely -it will be half a**ed -So it's a calculated risk -as if the tape is removed, when those latches get banged being handled, loaded, or on the transport vehicles of belt -they will pop open and a guitar could spill out

-I fly about 50-70 times year and see cases on the belts and in the heavy luggage section busted open -Granted I've only seen a guitar OUT of a case on the belt once in 3 decades.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

Thanks for the advise and suggestions - yeah I figured TSA would be likey to pop it open. I'm not a huge traveling musician or anything, but happen to have some guitars I need to get from NorCal to SoCal so my judgment is how safe the case would be for that purpose since I'm not up for boarding with a gig bag. I typically fly Southwest; they (by law) inform you at boarding if you have a gig bag, whether it must be sent down with the checked luggage - But you don't know till then, and if you're in the last boarding group it might not be allowed carry-on. I worry about things being crushed by some person's roller bag, even if I got that far.
 
Re: ATA Flight Case - Latch Concerns

Silence Kid said:
Thanks for the advise and suggestions - yeah I figured TSA would be likey to pop it open. I'm not a huge traveling musician or anything, but happen to have some guitars I need to get from NorCal to SoCal so my judgment is how safe the case would be for that purpose since I'm not up for boarding with a gig bag. I typically fly Southwest; they (by law) inform you at boarding if you have a gig bag, whether it must be sent down with the checked luggage - But you don't know till then, and if you're in the last boarding group it might not be allowed carry-on. I worry about things being crushed by some person's roller bag, even if I got that far.
Click to expand...

i would carry on in a ruggedized softcase on domestic flights for many many reasons -I have a super detailed thread on this topic somewhere


Here it is -everything you'd ever want to know about traveling with a guitar and why carrying on a ruggedized soft case is superior in most scenarios.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?332309-Flying-with-a-hard-case
 
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