Guitar Hard Case

Guitar Hard Case Tips

Is anybody looking for guitar hard case tips? Well maybe not directly but there are a number of questions that do come up regularly inside our music makers forum which are all phrased around the subject of guitar hard queries so I thought I might as well deal with them on this new guitar hard case blog.

These are the topics in no particular order:

• Is it safe to travel with a guitar in a soft case or do I need a hard case?
  
• What's the best type of material for a guitar hard case?
• Will any old guitar hard case fit my 12 string?
• How much extra should I pay for a second hand guitar that comes with it's own hard case?

There are a few other questions that come up from time to time and we'll try to deal with them later but here are the main topics first.

Answers to guitar hard case questions:

Is it safe to travel with a guitar in a soft case or do I need a hard case

Of course it depends on how you are traveling but in most situations a hard case allows greater peace of mind than an unprotected guitar in a soft case. If you are checking your guitar in for a flight on an aeroplane though, even a hard case isn't going to guarantee your guitar will come through the baggage handlers treatment undamaged. You can get special bomb proof guitar hard cases that are made of toughened steel on the outside and cradle the guitar in a specially sprung hammock on the inside but these weigh a ton and are usually more expensive than most vintage collectors guitars. If you're a very successful touring band then it might be worth considering. If you're just nipping out to the local folk club with a yard of Chinese plywood on the other hand, a soft case is lighter to carry and takes up less space on the bus.

What's the best type of material for a guitar hard case?

Fibreglass is best these days, but there are still plenty of wooden guitar hard cases around, which work perfectly well but are heavier to carry.

Will any old guitar hard case fit my 12 string?

All guitar cases manufactured these days are of a standard size such that a normal 12string guitar shouldn't need special sized case. One exception is the Ovation 12 string guitars because of the extra bit sticking out at the end of the headstock. If you buy a hard case that's meant for a Spanish or Classical guitar, it might just fit a normal steel strung folk guitar which can save you a few pounds, but don't expect it to then fit a dreadnought or 12string.

How much extra should I pay for a second hand guitar that comes with it's own hard case?

Watch out for this one because second hand guitar dealers often try to bump up the price of a cheap guitar by throwing in what sounds like a perfect guitar hard case, and the temptation is to think that you're going to need to buy one any way. The case then turns out to be a inferior cheap one so you would do better to negotiate on the price of the guitar only, and then sort out whatever case you are going to need later. Of course if it's a famous manufacturer who makes their own distinguishable guitar case such as Martin or Guild it is quite usual for the case to be included in the deal. They wouldn't really want to be left stuck with a hard case but no guitar would they?