fender3x
17-12-2020, 08:15 AM
I just got a Gator Case GC-ELECTRIC-A (https://www.gatorcases.com/products/guitar/molded-guitar-cases/gc-guitar/electric-guitar-case-gc-electric-a/) case for my strat project.
I didn't really give too much thought to cases until I started to build guitars. After so many hours building, I just felt like having a bit more protection than the light gig-bags I have used for the last few years.
As I was thinking I watched this video, which added some urgency to my quest...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNvjTZ-VqcU&t=451s
I bought the Gator Case for $45 from someone who had bought it for a project guitar, and then never took the case or guitar out of the house. You can get a cheap ABS case for about $70 here. The Gator Case runs about $130. Is it worth the difference? I am not sure. I can say that the ABS plastic is FAR more rigid than my Road Runner bass case (https://roadrunnercases.com/rrmba17-acoustic-bass-guitar-case/). The Road Runner case flexes a bit more than I would like over the body. It's only real virtue over other ABS cases I have seen is that it's big enough for my weirdly shapped bass to fit in. The Gator Case does not really flex, and I suspect you'd need to hit it pretty hard for their to be damage inside. Considerably better than the Road Runner.
The case is advertised as fitting Strats and Teles. It fits a Strat body quite well. It's a fairly fat case because the EPS foam in it is fairly thick. The body pocket is rectangular, and the strap button almost touches the top of the rectangle with the butt fit snuggly against the bottom. The guitar can't move along the long axis more than about a 1/4", which is pretty good since it means that no matter how it is shaken, the top of the headstock can't touch the end of the case. The neck is well supported for almost its entire length--although I suspect that is true for most ABS cases. In pictures the innards all look about the same.
A Tele would slide around in this case and need some extra padding to keep the headstock from banging into the top of the case when slammed about. Although this is better with a Strat, I am considering adding some padding so that it is more than just the strap button on the upper horn that keeps the guitar from sliding around.
The primary virtue of the Gator Case seems to be the relatively thick/stiff ABS shell and EPS foam, while also being reasonably light (about 8 and 3/4 lbs.--or about 4 kg). The hardware and valances seem to be identical to the Road Runner...and probably every other ABS case out there. It seems pretty good for most uses unless you are flying. Is it worth $50 more than a cheap ABS case? I don't know.
For $130, you could spend an additional $30 and get an cheap ATA case. That would be more protection, but would add around 3lbs--mostly due to the poly propylene shell, I think. The Gator Cases cheap ATA case says the polypropylene is "military grade." I think my milk jug is also military grade PP. If you are flying it's probably worth it, but for normal usage it would be hard to break the ABS. My 1960's vintage ABS trombone case has withstood lots of abuse...of course it's thicker than either of the ABS shells in my guitar cases of more recent vintage.
I am curious what folks use to protect their guitars, and hope you'll chime in.
I have an old Black tolex covered Fender case for a bass which I thought was almost as cool as the bass that came in it when I was 18. Orange fur and the big Fender logo. Now, though, it seems like more of a collector's item than serious protection. I mostly have cheap-to-very-cheap gig bags for my other guitars and basses. The best economy gig bag I have is also a Gator Case. Their economy bags are as good as any cheap gig bags I have seen. But they are still cheap bags and the protection is just a bit better than the REALLY cheap ones.
Most gig bags that I have seen provide somewhere between no protection and minimal protection. The ones that seem closest to decent are the Monos (and maybe some others?) that are not really "bags" because they have ABS plates in them to stiffen them up. Next closest thing would be the "hybrid" cases, which are not really cases because they are just a EPS foam shell covered in fabric. I like both of these pretty well, but my banker/wife thinks they are too pricey.
Will be curious what others think!
I didn't really give too much thought to cases until I started to build guitars. After so many hours building, I just felt like having a bit more protection than the light gig-bags I have used for the last few years.
As I was thinking I watched this video, which added some urgency to my quest...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNvjTZ-VqcU&t=451s
I bought the Gator Case for $45 from someone who had bought it for a project guitar, and then never took the case or guitar out of the house. You can get a cheap ABS case for about $70 here. The Gator Case runs about $130. Is it worth the difference? I am not sure. I can say that the ABS plastic is FAR more rigid than my Road Runner bass case (https://roadrunnercases.com/rrmba17-acoustic-bass-guitar-case/). The Road Runner case flexes a bit more than I would like over the body. It's only real virtue over other ABS cases I have seen is that it's big enough for my weirdly shapped bass to fit in. The Gator Case does not really flex, and I suspect you'd need to hit it pretty hard for their to be damage inside. Considerably better than the Road Runner.
The case is advertised as fitting Strats and Teles. It fits a Strat body quite well. It's a fairly fat case because the EPS foam in it is fairly thick. The body pocket is rectangular, and the strap button almost touches the top of the rectangle with the butt fit snuggly against the bottom. The guitar can't move along the long axis more than about a 1/4", which is pretty good since it means that no matter how it is shaken, the top of the headstock can't touch the end of the case. The neck is well supported for almost its entire length--although I suspect that is true for most ABS cases. In pictures the innards all look about the same.
A Tele would slide around in this case and need some extra padding to keep the headstock from banging into the top of the case when slammed about. Although this is better with a Strat, I am considering adding some padding so that it is more than just the strap button on the upper horn that keeps the guitar from sliding around.
The primary virtue of the Gator Case seems to be the relatively thick/stiff ABS shell and EPS foam, while also being reasonably light (about 8 and 3/4 lbs.--or about 4 kg). The hardware and valances seem to be identical to the Road Runner...and probably every other ABS case out there. It seems pretty good for most uses unless you are flying. Is it worth $50 more than a cheap ABS case? I don't know.
For $130, you could spend an additional $30 and get an cheap ATA case. That would be more protection, but would add around 3lbs--mostly due to the poly propylene shell, I think. The Gator Cases cheap ATA case says the polypropylene is "military grade." I think my milk jug is also military grade PP. If you are flying it's probably worth it, but for normal usage it would be hard to break the ABS. My 1960's vintage ABS trombone case has withstood lots of abuse...of course it's thicker than either of the ABS shells in my guitar cases of more recent vintage.
I am curious what folks use to protect their guitars, and hope you'll chime in.
I have an old Black tolex covered Fender case for a bass which I thought was almost as cool as the bass that came in it when I was 18. Orange fur and the big Fender logo. Now, though, it seems like more of a collector's item than serious protection. I mostly have cheap-to-very-cheap gig bags for my other guitars and basses. The best economy gig bag I have is also a Gator Case. Their economy bags are as good as any cheap gig bags I have seen. But they are still cheap bags and the protection is just a bit better than the REALLY cheap ones.
Most gig bags that I have seen provide somewhere between no protection and minimal protection. The ones that seem closest to decent are the Monos (and maybe some others?) that are not really "bags" because they have ABS plates in them to stiffen them up. Next closest thing would be the "hybrid" cases, which are not really cases because they are just a EPS foam shell covered in fabric. I like both of these pretty well, but my banker/wife thinks they are too pricey.
Will be curious what others think!