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The Ultimate Guide to Guitar Cases for Studio and Stage Guitar Players

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we guitar players love to buy a new guitar.

Nothing compares to that feeling of getting a new, shiny instrument, right?

But many times we let euphoria take over and we forget that guitars are fragile instruments.

And for a big part of the guitarists, we actually don’t know the first thing about guitar cases.

So If you spent several hundreds, or even thousands of dollars to afford your beautiful new instrument, why not spend a few more so you can get the best protection for it?

Because what greater danger is there really out there for a guitar player, other than damaging your most precious?

And so whether you’re a casual musician that mainly plays at home or an experienced touring musician, you’ll find in today’s post all the information you need to choose the perfect guitar case for you.

 

Sounds good? Then let’s get started.

First off…

Types of guitar cases

There are 3 categories of guitar cases :

  1. Soft cases
  2. Hard cases
  3. Flight cases

And each of these have their own sub-categories that we will look at now.

Starting first with…

1. Soft Cases 

Commonly referred to as gig bags, soft cases simplest and cheapest way to protect your guitar.

Here’s what they offer:

  • Outer nylon cover
  • Inner padding
  • Pockets for accessories 
  • A carrying handle
  • Backpack straps

The thicker the padding, the better the protection, which is why low end/budget cases will typically have from NO padding to 10mm padding.

And if you care just a little bit about your guitar, don’t even consider cases without any padding as they offer NO protection whatsoever.

Now, when I first heard the term “gig bag“, I thought these cases were the most suitable for, well, gigs and guess what…

I was completely wrong — indeed, gig bags suck for gigs, because they offer the LEAST amount of protection.

They are therefore far from ideal for transportation though some high-end/premium models offer pretty decent protection with added features such as:

  • 20mm padding
  • Padded neck rests
  • Heel cushions
  • Internal straps

The decisive factor for buying a gig bag though is very often the backpack straps. If you commute a lot with your guitar, being able to carry it on your back can make all the difference.

So that’s what you need to know about soft cases.

Recommended Soft Cases

After thorough research, I found that most decent-quality gig bags fall in the $50 – $160 range, with some exceptions under $50.

Now, I was initially going to include a “Budget” category but since better cases cost nearly the same, I decided not to.

Here are my recommendations :

Standard:

Premium (w/ extra protective features):

So soft cases might be a good enough solution if you don’t plan on throwing your guitar in the back of a van regularly…

But if you do, definitely look into a higher level of protection.

So, next up…

2. Hard Cases

Hard cases can be divided into 2 categories:

  • Wood cases – which frame is made out of wood
  • Cases made out of other materials – which include ABS Plastic, fiberglass and carbonfiber

And in the next section we’ll cover each one of these in more details,

Starting with…

Wood Shell cases

Hardshell cases have ONE big advantage:

They’re HARD, which is the reason why they are fit for being carried around and tossed in the trunk of a van, for example.

Wood cases have wooden or laminate outer layers covered in Tolex, which is the same material used to cover the wood of guitar amplifiers cabinets.

Compared to soft cases:

  • They offer greatly improved protection
  • They are fit for transportation but on the downside…
  • They have less to no extra storage

These cases are the typical dedicated musician’s gear. They’re very resistant and will protect your guitar through the roughest of conditions at an affordable price.

Recommended Woodshell Cases:

For this list, I chose to stick to a range of $50 to $100 for which you’ll get the most value:

Now, woodshell cases are tough, but being made out of an organic material, they can suffer from extreme temperatures.

So for the next section, we’ll cover the most resistant materials of all:

Molded Plastic/Fiberglass/Carbonfiber Hardcases

When you’re looking for the best materials to protect your guitar, 3 choices come up:

  • ABS/Molded Plastic – which is heat-resistant, lightweight and impact-resistant. It’s the cheapest of these three materials.
  • Fiberglass – which is the second most common material. It has the same properties as ABS though some sources claim it is slightly more resistant.
  • Carbon fiber – which is the material used for the most high-end cases. It is the lightest of all materials and these cases often pack premium features such as hygrometers, to monitor humidity levels inside the case.

Some ABS/Molded plastic cases are IP67 certified, which means they are resistant to moisture and can be immersed up to 1 meter deep for 30 seconds without suffering any dammage.

Many professional musicians use this type of case

These are the toughest materials out there.

Recommended ABS Plastic cases (under $300)

Fiberglass case

What’s particular about fiberglass cases is… that there none for electric guitars.

Maybe because of their shape, or maybe because of the low demand. Regardless, are the ones I recommend for your acoustic guitar:

Next up…

Carbonfiber cases

A “premium” material, carbonfiber is also tougher than fiberglass, as it can bear more pressure. It also has a distinctive look that many people seem to like.

However, carbonfiber cases are much more difficult to come by, and that’s because they’re mostly custom built, as well as very pricey.

Now, if you’re not planing on touring 300 days/year with your ’68 Strat, or if you don’t care about the aesthetic part,  I don’t recommend carbon fiber cases over the two previous types.

But if you’d still like to check some brands out, here are two of the best manufacturers:

Let’s now check the last type of hard case on the list…

Flight Cases 

If you ever attended any kind of high budget live performance, you’re probably familiar with this type of cases.

Whether they be for carrying instruments, technical gears or anything else that needs high protection, this is the go-to choice for all “big” stage rigs.

Flight cases are also the only cases that are officialy approved for flying by the US Air Travel Security agency as well as all other agencies around the world.

Their main features are:

  • TSA (Transport Security Agency) Locks 
  • ATA (Air Transport Assiciation of America) certification 

So why are TSA locks important?

Well, mostly because most airlines will REFUSE to check in an instrument that is not placed in a certified flight case, that is, a case that’s ATA approved and that features TSA locks.

TSA locks allow TSA officers to easily and quickly open and re-lock your case without damaging it, because, yes, they WILL break a case lock if they’re unable to open it.

Got it? Good. Now let’s see..

How does a case become ATA certified?

The series of tests a case needs to pass in order to become ATA certified range from being dropped from as high as 3 feet, to high strain being exerted on the latches and handle as well as different types of vibration.

This certification guarantees the case is able to “survive” a minimum of 100 trips in an airplane.

So… As you can see, ATA certified cases are designed to endure the roughest conditions and mistreatments and so for that reason, don’t just consider them for flying.

If you can afford them, they’re the best protection all around, period.

Here are the cases I recommend:

3. Hybrid Cases

Lately, a new type of guitar case has been gaining some evergrowing interest…

With a hard interior frame and a soft exterior…

Hybrid cases are a good compromise if you need high protection, extra storage and easy carrying.

They offer:

  • A lightweight
  • A side opening for easy access
  • Backpack straps
  • One or more large outside pockets

Just like hardcases, hybrid cases often have a plush-lined interior and accessory compartments.

So if that’s the thype of case you’re looking for, check out my recommendations:

4. Double Cases

Double cases allow you to carry 2 guitars at once.

They can either carry:

  • 2 electric guitars, or…
  • 1 electric guitar and 1 acoustic guitar

As you might have guessed, all double cases are soft cases, as carrying two guitars can get heavy, and you’ll probably need to carry them on your back.

Here are the models I recommend:

Acoustic/Electric guitar

Electric/Electric guitar

How to Find the Right Size

If despite all your research you still can’t find a case that fits your guitar, you might have to check your guitar’s measurements.

And even though some cases are custom built to a specific model, some models claim to fit various models…

In which case I’d recommend you check your instrument’s dimensions and compare them to the case’s ones.

The image on the right shows all of the elements you need to measure before buying a guitar case.

That’s it

So there you go guys, The Ultimate Guide to Guitar Cases.

Hopefully,  you now know enough to make an informed purchase.

Til next time!