Picture your little Johnny hopping on his big two-wheeler for the first time, and you as his dad/mom watching him ride off down the street. Johnny’s a little shaky as he takes off, but he’s wearing all his protective gear, including his helmet. Unless your guitar is a true homebody, it’s a good idea to choose a case to keep it as safe as you keep your little Johnny. 

There are many types of guitar cases these days. Here are a few varieties to check out:

• Soft case: can be as simple as a nylon case with a zipper and pouch which can be purchased very cheaply, and are often included in the price of the guitar. These make great dust covers, but don’t offer much handling protection.
   
• Padded soft case: These are slightly more expensive, but offer more protection and often have more pockets for accessories.

• Rigid soft-shell case: sturdy hard foam case with a nylon cover and zipper offers more protection than a padded soft case, and often has a compartment for storing other items.

• Cardboard and vinyl case: relatively inexpensive, and offers somewhat rigid protection …usually has buckles and hinges. These cases are mostly used for lighter acoustic guitars because they are not very strong, but they’re still a good bang for the buck.

• Hard-shell case: These come in either pressed board with vinyl cover or molded plastic. Both have plush interior and offer great protection. Most hard-shell cases have hinges and clasps for easy opening/closing. Most have a lock with keys, which might keep little fingers out. However, if someone wants to steal your guitar, they will probably be happy to take your case to go with it. My experience is that you usually lose the keys and wind up never using the lock anyways …or end up permanently locking your guitar in your case (and end up breaking the d*?* lock)!

• Flight case: very sturdy with heavy-duty hardware and corners. Usually made of plywood or strong hardboard. Flight cases are larger and have more padding to take airline abuse. Some manufacturers claim that their cases are FAA-approved, but mostly that’s just a selling point. The FAA doesn’t seem to have any rules specific to musical instruments. Incidentally, flight cases have locks on them, and according to our friendly TSA agents at O’Hare, “if we need to get into the case, we will.” For little fingers and curious on-lookers, the TSA recommends using a zip-tie if possible on the lock (which they could snip off if necessary to check contents). They said if you put an unused zip tie in the case with a note, then if they need to look inside the case they will replace the zip-tie which they had to snip off.

As you see, there are guitar cases for lots of different needs. Visit some of your local music stores. Bring your guitar and see what fits your guitar and your budget best. You pay good money for your guitar and other musical gear. Cases are some of the best insurance policies you can get, and well worth the money. ‘Til next time, play hard!

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