He shouldn't have been gigging with a showroom gitbox anyway.
The one I remember was my uncles for an old (forget the year) Melody Maker. Beautiful Git, but that case was just horrid. And literally flexed of it’s own weight with the lid open.
I just cannot grasp a gigging musician (and I assume the Zambonis are basically an average joe type group, not niche rock stars) Flying with a guitar outside an Anvil case.
I get the desire to bring it on board with him and the offer to buy it a seat. But I’d not be so trusting. I don’t know if it would have meant a canceled gig, But I’ll bet the gig didn’t net him 12G.
Rent it a locker and use a backup or whatever. But man, I dunno. Just seems (and proved to be) a really bad idea considering the thing’s worth.
And if they are just a regular band, I doubt anyone was paying to see the git. It’s not like Vai’s Evo or Eddie’s Frankenstrat that are part of the guy’s mythos.