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I seem to be the only one I know that hand wrings over what guitar case I should use; if there's a doctor in the house.... I just purchased an Ethan Deutsch and have three options in my possession: TKL 7800, Musicians Gear Tweed and a Mark Leaf; I have to get rid of one when I sell my current guitar. The Leaf is great but heavy + they're worth $$, the TKL is rugged but the guitar is a little loose in it + it's 27 lbs, and the tweed fits the guitar well and is lightweight but not the best quality. Since the guitar will only see a car and walking I think it doesn't matter which one. Any advice for something so minor? Thanks.
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Wedge Casimiro Lozano 1A 2012 Hermanos Camp Primera A 2013 Ethan Deutsch 2008 Pavan TP-30 Signature Cedar 640 mm (for sale) 2003 Chambers,spruce/Madagascar RW (for sale)
Its probably not recommended by everyone but my favorite are the light cheap polystyrene ones, the ones that zip. I have seen plenty of famous flamenco guitarists casually walking round with such things on their back.
Those metal catches on hard cases are my guitars worst nightmare. That aside the Mark Leaf cases look solid.
Otherwise I use the type of case Johnnefastis describes when going to rehearsals or dance classes (putting it in the back seat not the boot of a car ) Or a light carbon fibre karura case when when more risk is involved.. Ie flying,or gigs... Hiscox make great cases for the dollar value..the karura or similar are expensive These are worth a look at
I sympathise with the case angst. I will also agree with johnnefastis that the zippered polystyrene type are excellent for day-to-day use, especially if you can keep your eye on it.
I flew recently with a Bam case and I can highly recommend it as a flight solution.
RE: Guitar Case Psychosis (in reply to johnnefastis)
They are very nice cases. I didn't use the case cover, I just checked the case in as it was. Funny you ask the question though, because when I retrieved the case from the baggage carousel there was a bit of a scratch on it (on the carbon fibre) and I thought, 'a-hah, that's why people buy those crazy case covers'. The Bam is very light, the catches and so on work really nicely and I really like it. Be aware, though, that if you have pegs (clavijas) then your guitar probably won't fit. The other thing is that they're not exactly cheap but in spite of the cost they can't seem to make them fast enough. Certainly, my local shop here in London struggles to keep any in stock.
wedge--since you are selling your current guitar maybe you could price it and price each of the cases and let the buyer decide. or you could sell the guitar with the least expensive case (the tweed?). personally i look for a large compartment in the case that will accommodate either an eva-dry (portable dehumidifier) or a dish of water--obviously to address the seasonal humidity issues. as i recall musician tweed and tkl 7800 are both plywood--so i would ask what makes the tweed case lesser quality? age? construction/hardware?
Hiscox Pro II - rugged, light, affordable. Those Mark Leaf cases are beasts to lug around, and you can sell that for a tidy sum if you're so inclined. The last 2 on ebay went for $400 and $500ea.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F8JNEY I got this case a few months ago on sale. I paid $220 shipped to my door. It is a great and solid case. They make an empty version with the foam inserts that you could cut up to match your guitar exactly. My military carrer forces me to fly around often and this case has already logged many many frequent flier miles.
If you're going to go with a flight case, I have yet to see any manufacturer put their case to the test the way Hoffee cases have:
I have a hoffee case. It's awesome. I also have a couple of the Humicase Metro cases (normal version; not Pro). They are great and offer good protection from certain angles, but if you were to lay it flat on the ground and step on it where body of the guitar would be it, bad things would happen I suspect.
Both of these cases, plus BAM, Karura and more were reviewed in an article of Acoustic Guitar (Oct 2010). They concluded that Karura, Hoffee and Calton were rock solid. BAM a little less so. And Humicase Metro the weakest. Though all were put through strenuous tests, including standing on the case, putting them in bathtubs, etc
So I'd vote w/ everyone for lightweight foam zip case for day-to-day, and one of the above mentioned for hardcore protection. One last thing: if you go hardcore, I'd contact the manufacturer and ask if they have any blemished cases for discount. Jeff Hoffee accomodated me in that way; I couldn't choose the exterior color, and there was a small cosmetic 'blur' in the case, but otherwise, I got a good deal, the interior color of my choosing, and he custom fit it to my guitar.
RE: Guitar Case Psychosis (in reply to turnermoran)
quote:
If you're going to go with a flight case, I have yet to see any manufacturer put their case to the test the way Hoffee cases have:
Good test, but then they need to take the guitar to a luthier and find out how many internal braces got knocked loose, and how much it will cost to repair.
Whichever one the guitar moves around in the least.
Just a thought ... when I bought my Camps it moved around a heck of a lot in the Hiscox case I bought with it.
So I simply bought a handful of dusters (very soft yellow cloths that they sell in most hardware stores in the UK - used for dusting).
I put one in the compartment for wiping the guitar down after practice ... and the others I carefully folded and nestled them into the guitar case, against the wall of the case at the big end. Now my guitar never moves and it's snug as a bug in a rug. A very simple solution.
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