Have you ever noticed a hard case where guitarists keep their guitars? Well, that’s pretty much a guitar case. It’s usually made of wood, gig bags, or heavy-duty ABS plastic and provides protection, storage, and safe transportation of musical instruments.
Some guitars come with them as a complete package, while others don’t. Therefore, you’ll have to purchase them for your guitar. Guitar cases protect the instrument from bumps, bangs, and other external components. They come in a variety of designs and materials. Let’s discuss their benefits and why they are essential if you own a guitar.
Why Are Guitar Cases Essentials
There are various reasons musicians need to spend their dimes on a guitar case, with some more obvious than others. Let’s look at some of them.
Protection
The case is a protective shield that safeguards the guitar from various components. They ensure the musical instrument doesn’t get dents and bangs from mishaps. Moreover, it ensures external weather components like rain don’t come in contact with the instrument; external environmental factors can cause damage to the instrument. If not protected safely within the case, your instrument might not last long.
Keeping Guitars Clean
Besides keeping the musical instrument safe while in transit, the case ensures that the guitar is clean. When you leave it caseless, it’s exposed to dirt and debris, which can quickly accumulate on it. Having such a protective casing in place ensures that you don’t clean the instrument as often as you would do if they’re exposed freely.
Storage
The case can also be a storage area for your musical instrument, especially the hard cases. A designated area where you keep this instrument helps reduce damage and constant maintenance services.
Whether it’s storing them in a closet for a few months or seasoned storage for upto a year, the guitar case will keep molds and dust at bay and still safeguard them from damage. When you want extra protection, you can go for cases with lock options. Let’s look at some guitar cases you’ll find on the market.
Types of Guitar Cases
Generally, there are three guitar cases: soft, hard, and flight. Let’s look at them in detail.
Soft Vs. Hard Cases
Since you can’t travel with, your guitar exposed and on hard, you’ll need to choose between soft or hard cases. Usually referred to as gig bags. More often, experts recommend going for hard cases when traveling long distances. Gig bags are great options for a short trip.
Hard cases are more on the pricey side of the spectrum, but they’ll do a better job protecting your instrument, which is cost-effective at the end of the day. They do a better job of protecting the device in high-impact accidents. However, the hard cases are a bit difficult to handle in transit. It’s best to go for one that best meets your needs.
Gig Bags
These are soft guitar cases and are made from lightweight materials. Usually, most of them come with extra padding for extra protection. It’s definitely on the cost-effective side of things as most of them are cheaper compared to hard cases.
Moreover, they have smaller pockets where you can store additional items like strings, picks, plus a cleaning cloth. Getting gig bags with detachable shoulder straps, soft padding interiors, sturdy handles, and a hook is essential. Find the right size, as enough wiggle rooms can increase your instrument’s chances of destruction.
Hardshell Cases
They’re the fun favorite as they offer the ultimate protection. Hardshell cases protect the instrument from dirt, debris, dents, and external components like temperature and humidity. The cases, however, have limited spacing but are great options for guitar players that have spent a reasonable amount of time with their instrument.
We all know humidity and high temperatures are at the forefront of destroying your guitar. Hardshell cases can quickly protect from such elements. If you live in areas where the climate is arid, then you can opt for this case, plus a guitar humidifier.
Other aspects of the Hardshell case you need to look out for include; soft interiors, storage sections under its neck, solid hinges, and latches.
Hybrid Cases and Flight Bags
While gig bags and hardshell cases are excellent options for travel, they’re not suitable for air travel. Most airlines will not allow travelers to check in their instruments if they’re not in a guitar case that’s flight approved. Therefore, if you’re planning on flying with your guitar, you must acquire cases that are flight approved.
Flight cases have heavy-duty interiors with metallic corners. The hybrid ones are the fusion of the soft and hard case. It takes the best in both worlds, including durable interiors and hard exterior protective material.
Does Size Matter When Selecting a Guitar Case?
Once you select the type of case you desire, the next stop would be selecting its size. It’s essential to pick the right size as ill-fitting ones increase their probability of getting damaged. Before purchasing its case, you’ll have to measure your guitar to get its exact size.
Some manufacturers design cases that match the dimensions of a guitar. However, these dimensions usually vary from one manufacturer to the other. It’s, therefore, imperative to contact your manufacturers to ask about the dimensions to have a good picture of the size.
While purchasing the case, you can also take your guitar with you for adequate fitting. Remember that acoustic and electric guitars have different sizes. Therefore, ensure you purchase one suitable for your kind of guitar.
Conclusion
Guitars are expensive investments. Therefore, buying a guitar case is wise to protect them from getting damaged easily. There are many instrumental stores where you can buy such cases. You must know the type you’re going for and the size before purchasing. It will put you in the best position to find the right one for your guitar. When unsure of the size, you can always contact your manufacturer to get the right size.
