Gator Cases ABS molded case

[fender3x]

I just got a Gator 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...



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. 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!

[McCreed]

I'll play...

Seven of my electrics are in SKB cases (ABS); five are in plywood/vinyl (tolex). Two of the plywood cases are for LP shape guitars, and one is my Cort acoustic which is a "fitted" case for that model.

[king casey]

Guitars = 6
Cases = 0

Probably stay that way until I get the courage to perform with one out of the house.

cheers, Mark.

[fender3x]

Do you see much difference in the protection between the plywood and plastic cases?

[JimC]

Which plywood via which plastic... The Tokai case my beloved Jazz came in, which is very much a Fender copy is something like 2.5mm plywood. A full on flight case might be 12mm. There's a hierarchy in cases really which ranges from "protect from scratches, I only ever handle it and gets its own car seat" through "travels in my car with the amp but carefully loaded by me" right through to "safe to be handled by minimum wage baggage handlers out of sight". Once you start getting into rigid materials I reckon there's so much variation it's hard to say one material is intrinsically better than another.

[Simon Barden]

Almost half of my cases are Gator ABS cases, or badged equivalents. Gator traditionally used a generic Chinese-made OEM case which I've seen sold under several other names with a different label on it. However they may now have branched out into more bespoke products as they also do ATA clasp cases, though I'm not sure if they are any more rugged. And they also do slightly longer than normal cases, which i haven't seen elsewhere, so they may now be a big enough company to have their own exclusive cases made.

A lot of the rest of my cases are now Thomann ABS cases. Very similar to the Gator cases but cheaper. The rest are either the stock Gibson case or Hiscox liteflight cases, one TKL ABS case for a bass (very like a Gator), and one old-style thick cardboard case for the Flying V as a decent shaped ABS case was far too expensive.

None of my guitars are going flying. If they do travel it's in the back of the car being packed and unpacked by myself.

I've certainly made a few adjustments to the inside of cases to get the guitars to fit snugly. Mainly in terms of the neck supports so the neck is supported along its length and the headstock isn't touching the floor of the case.

[McCreed]

Do you see much difference in the protection between the plywood and plastic cases?

Like JimC is saying, for my purposes, they both do the job. My preference are the ABS though. In part because the SKB ones I buy have a smaller profile (length & depth) than the Gator's I used to own, and fit in my car better (I take 3 at a time). that said, I'd be confident using them if I was touring again as long as it was just "road touring" and only being handled by me or band members. I would definitely be dubious letting luggage gorillas have at them.

My plywood ones are pretty much budget line but more than fine for me. One thing with ABS vs plywood/vinyl is ABS just scratches, whereas vinyl can tear. I suppose ripped vinyl just adds more to the road-worn look though.
Protection-wise, I would say they are equal, and like Simon (and that Tone King guy) I have customised the padding in some to accommodate certain guitars.

[fender3x]

I don't envision playing anywhere I can't drive, except when someone asks me to do something a song at an event, and that's always been acoustic.

The last time I was playing out I actually started using a gig bag. Not hearing much love for gig bags here tho. The ABS cases seem a better solution for local.

The problem comes when I fly. Usually when I fly I leave the guitars at home, but sometimes I get asked by old friends or family to play something at an event...or I know I am going to have time in a hotel room with nothing much else to do. I do not have a good solution for this. Gig bags can be carried onto the plane...most of the time. Every once in a while they get gate checked. Except when flying with BA. I have talked my way on board so far, but they always tell me their policy is to check the guitar. Any hard case big enough for a bass or an acoustic would have to be checked, and the ABS or plywood cases would only survive that with luck.

That's the problem when you live down at the end of a long peninsula in a big country. My wife's family lives closest--and they are 1500 miles away in South America. I have kids who live in Germany, 5000 miles away. My family in the continental US live 3000 miles away. So if anyone asks me to come play, I 'm flying. What I would really like to find is something like the Mono M80 bags that incorporate ABS panels. These would have a fighting chance if gate-checked, but would mostly make it on the plane. You could buy a decent flight case for what they cost.

[Simon Barden]

Sounds like you need to buy some cheap but playable guitars to keep at your various family locations and only travel with a new set of strings.

[fender3x]

Sounds like you need to buy some cheap but playable guitars to keep at your various family locations and only travel with a new set of strings.

I hadn't thought of it as an excuse to get more guitars. Great point!

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