Guitar Cases
Guitar Cases
CASES
WHY GET A GUITAR CASE
Guitars are precious and sometimes even very expensive musical instruments that need to be treated well and looked after with a lot of care; so it only makes sense that a Guitar Case will be a very important accessory to your Guitar overall.
Guitar Cases ultimately serve to protect the instrument from weather warping issues and general body bumps and scratches that could affect the look and sound overall. Guitars are made with various tonal-woods that can be affected in certain weather conditions, so having a case to protect these woods would be a wise choice, especially when travelling far distances and being exposed to different types of weather.
Cases also make carrying your guitar around much more convenient while, once again, ensuring it's protection through transportation.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUITAR CASES
There are various Guitar cases available, each varying in materials, size, weight, durability and cost. Choosing the right case for your needs will essentially depend on you as a musician and your requirements based on the above. You'll need to identify whether you're going to be using your guitar at home for hobby purposes or are you a live performance musician carting your guitar from gig to gig with a lot of travelling involved.
Either way, there are essentially 3 Categories for Guitar Cases:
- Soft Cases | Commonly known as 'Gig Bags'
- Hard Cases
- Hybrid Cases
Each providing features specific to particular needs and price: - Let's check each type out in more detail:
SOFT CASES | GIG BAGS
Soft Cases usually have an exterior comprising of nylon, polyester, leather or a combination of these materials. They generally have carrying handles; some having back-pack style straps for comfortable back wearing, making it a hands free solution, which adds convenience. A lot of gig bags generally also come equipped with at least one large, handy outer pocket, that helps carry some accessories like music sheets and cables.
Some Gig Bags don't have much padding fitted on the inside at all, hence they really don't provide much protection, while some have a little more padding and offer a little more protection; but really these bags are not made for heavy duty travelling etc.
When purchasing a Gig bag, you'll really need to look around and do some homework; some bags are manufactured very cheaply and offer the least possible protection. These bags are usually sold with "All-in-one" kits that you're able to buy online these days. This means that you can purchase your Guitar with Bag and other accessories; Budget friendly; Online. These bags are the most cost effective, least protective bags offered, but can be useful in cases where you are not playing live in crowded venues or travelling far distances. They are more suitable for the Hobby guitarist, who enjoys playing in the comfortability of his own home.
On the other hand, gig bags have also stepped up tremendously in design and some available these days, can be really nice and offer a lot more protection overall with added convenience of back straps.
If you're having to pack your guitar into a trailer for travelling purposes though, then reconsider a 'Gig Bag'. They just don't offer enough protection in these situations.
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Pro's & Con's of a 'Gig Bag':
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​HARD CASES
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Hard Cases comprise of a harder outer shell with soft plush material padded on the interior. Hard Cases are specifically designed to protect the instrument on the inside & out.
The external shell is normally made from stronger materials like wood, plastic, fibreglass, metal and carbon fibre. The inside is generally padded & lined with elegantly soft, plush material that essentially prevents Body bumps and scratches while comfortably carrying the instrument in place.
There are 4 variations of Guitar Hard Cases. Let's review the features for each one.
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CHIPBOARD HARD CASE
Chipboard Cases are categorized under "Hard Case", made from a hard cardboard like material that really doesn't offer the protection that is expected of a "Hard Case". The material is still too flimsy for major travelling purposes, but still offers a lot more outer protection to that of a soft case. They also don't offer any plush interior padding which really doesn't hold the instrument comfortably in place, which means the guitar is prone to scratching on the body.
Chipboard cases are mostly only available for Acoustic Guitars.
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Pro's & Con's of a 'ChipBoard Hard Case':
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HARD SHELL CASES - WOODEN
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For a long time, Hard Shell Cases were the 'standard' Guitar case offered with new guitars and was the only available option for Hard Cases, until manufacturers started using other, stronger materials to build cases that are able to withstand much more impact and are far more protective with far distance travelling scenario's.
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Hard Shell Cases are normally made with about 1/4" or 3/8" Plywood and then covered with tweed or tolex. The inside is normally beautifully padded with soft, delicate, plush materials that are fitted to protect the instrument from scratches and generally holds the guitar comfortably in place when transporting from one gig to another. They are also equipped with carry handles for easier carting around.
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Although Hard Shell cases are legendary for protection and are great for general gigging purpose; they are still not the best on the market for major travelling scenario's i.e. - air travel or sea travel & there are others that offer far more protection, depending on the materials used for manufacture.
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Pro's & Con's of a 'Hard Shell Case - Wooden':
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HARD MOULDED GUITAR CASES
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​Molded Cases have become the favourite and most popular cases amongst musicians over the last 20 years, and for a few very good reasons.
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Firstly, molded cases are made from moulded plastics that are extremely durable most of the time, and able to withstand much more severe impacts. Some cases are also water & airtight, offering ultimate protection from dust & different weather conditions.
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Carry handles are fitted for easy carrying, but as these cases can be somewhat heavy at times, some are fitted with stroll wheels for even easier transporting.
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The interior is padded and lined with soft, lush material that protects the body from dust & scratches. A lot of molded cases are specifically designed and molded to the shape of particular guitars, ensuring extra support and security while being transported.
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When purchasing a 'Molded' hard case, you're going to need to shop around and do some homework on these cases because it is known that the more budget friendly options are built with materials that can be too cheap and these cases in turn just do not offer the same protection in major travel scenario'’, as that of other Molded cases.
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Pro's & Con's of a 'Molded Hard Case':
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ROAD CASE
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Road Cases are specifically designed for the professional musician who is always travelling long distance for tours and planned shows. Made to withstand heavy duty impact by using 1/4" or 3/8" plywood that is walled between thick, heavy duty PVC or similar materials and then trimmed and lined with aluminium edging for extra strength. The corners of the casing is bolted with thick steel end-caps and the latches & hinges are made of a very strong material.
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There are a variety of Road Cases available, varying in size, interior and other features depending on the use of the case i.e. Some guitarists have more than one guitar that needs to be transported. There are some stunning cases that hold many guitars, safely & securely with added compartments for accessories like cables and straps. These are generally seen with major artists touring globally. The more simple version has the same exterior features, but hosts a single guitar internally with a thick sponge like material molded to the guitars shape for an extra secure fit.
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Road Cases are very heavy and so are almost always fitted with stroll wheels for carting around. These cases are perfect for any type of travel.
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Pro's & Con's of a Road Case:
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​HYBRID CASES
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Hybrid Cases are basically a case design that has merged and incorporated the basic benefits of both the soft & hard cases into one.
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These cases have the interior protection benefits of a hard case, incorporating the molded guitar box shape with soft, plush material lining the interior providing dust & scratch protection; while having the exterior convenience of a gig bag, with back straps and carry handles attached for easy carrying, as well as internal storage compartments and large external storage pocket that neatly stores extra accessories like cables, straps and music sheets etc. The case opens with a heavy duty zipper, much the same as that of a normal Gig bag.
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These cases offer more outer & internal protection than that of a normal gig bag, but are lighter and easier to carry than that of a normal Hard shell case. These cases are great for gigs in an around town, but are still not strong enough to withstand major travelling conditions.
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Pro's & Con's of a Hybrid Case:
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So, when purchasing a Guitar Case take into consideration the above information and descriptions of each type, consider your budget and ultimately your needs (How often will you use the guitar and will you be travelling excessively?)
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Hybrid Guitar cases are usually a nice start for a beginner guitarist should the budget allow for it.
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