Musician slams Qantas for damaging his $13,000 'handmade' double bass ahead of Perth Fringe Festival

A musician has lashed out at Qantas for damaging his $13,000 'handmade' double bass just before he was due to perform at the Perth Fringe Festival.

Mark Elton traveled from Melbourne to Perth for the gig and checked the instrument in as oversized luggage with stickers reading 'fragile' on the case.

But when the musician, aged over 30, opened the bag upon arrival, he noticed large cracks in the wood.

“Hey @qantas! Thank you for a very depressing start to my month of shows at @fringeworldperth 2024,” he posted on Instagram along with images of the damage.

'After flying into Melbourne/Perth today I opened my flight case to discover that my beautiful double bass had been destroyed beyond repair after clearly being dropped from a significant height by your baggage crew.

Mark Elton traveled to Perth for his performance when he noticed 'unusual' damage to his beloved instrument

The musician, who was due to perform a month's worth of shows at the Perth Fringe festival, said the double bass looked as if it had “fallen from a significant height”, blaming baggage handlers.

'What's worse is that there has been no apology or report of an accident involving my precious instrument.

“After many years as a club member and choosing to fly with @qantas, I hope you will support me through this major emotional and financial setback.”

With a month of shows planned and no way to get a tune out of his double bass, fellow musicians supported him with WA Symphony Orchestra double bassist and luthier Andrew Tait lending him an instrument.

Qantas has since responded to the complaint and checked the CCTV footage.

TThe airline said there was no evidence of damage to the suitcase in transit, but did offer a goodwill payment.

“We know how important it is to handle all luggage, including musical instruments, with care,” Qantas said in a statement.

Cracks in the instrument are shown

The case in which the instrument was located was also damaged. Social media followers were shocked by the photos of the damage Elton shared, with many calling the incident 'heartbreaking'.

'We are concerned to hear that the double bass has been damaged and we have been actively investigating what has happened to our ground handling partners since we were first notified on Tuesday.'

Social media users were shocked by the photos, calling the incident “heartbreaking” for an artist.

'That's getting out of hand!!! How on earth did they do so much damage?' wrote one.

“Our instruments are our babies, I hope there is a quick and satisfying outcome,” said another.