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I'm doing a few shows in Berlin next month and I've never travelled by jet with a guitar before. My plan of just taking it in a gig bag and gate checking it has been foiled. So, I need a case. Is a molded case really any more beneficial than a decent quality wood one?
I was looking at Gator cases, they have a molded one and an ATA (air transit approved?)
case for reasonable prices.
Anyone know of another good place to look?
Thanks...

I just did a trip in the US on American Airlines and each flight had a least two people bring guitars on. The last flight had a church band sitting behind us. They each had a guitar on there. When people were handing over their boarding passes to get on the plane, the airline people didn't give them a second glance. They were however stopping people with largish suitcases. This was over a holiday weekend and the flights were packed.

Good luck withe the trip and the case search. I'd still get the case just to be safe.

John

Honestly I think the only option for flight cases are Hoffee or Calton... but's that's just MO.

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Calton is essentially out of business. Not filling current orders - screwing existing customers out of deposits paid.
For a real flight case i.e. carbon fibre - use Hoffee, other wise for a garden variety ATA case, the Hiscox cases are a good value.
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

That must be the US/Canadan branch of Calton, the (original?) UK based facility is still operational, or at least they were when I got a batch last month. Of course, it took them 28 weeks or so, but they told me that when I placed the order, so no surprises there. I wouldn't recommend Hiscox if you plan to travel by plane, BTW; they are my standard case, but I always tell customers to get a Calton if they plan to ship the guitar by plane. Drawbacks are price and delivery time (and weight, ugh!), but they are very solid.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Hoffee, without a doubt.
http://www.carbonfibercases.com/
Do not order from Calton US, it's been a headache, and worse, for everybody.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Be careful in assuming that the airline (or the particular flight) will be okay with your bringing the guitar on board...I had Jay Nash on my flight yesterday from Denver to Memphis and when he asked the lead flight attendant about putting his guitar in the forward closet she flat out refused on the grounds of not having space left over for the rest of the first class folks' storage needs...I used to put guitars up in the flight deck but now our powers-that-be frown on it, so all I could do was to carry the guitar to the ramp crew and make sure they put it on the very top of the smallest baggage bin...sometimes you get lucky bringing instruments on board, other times, not...

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

We always use a padded case cover (Colorado Case Covers, Small Dog Case Covers or Cedar Creek case covers), over the exterior of the case, to protect the case from scratches and hardware damage by the airport gorillas. Never had any damaged yet and we check them as luggage (not carry ons) and have flown a LOT of miles this way.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Does anyone have more experience of the Hiscox case ? price comparison are anormous !!

Well, I'm looking for 'on the cheap' that's for sure. Since it's my own guitar, all I care about is having it survive the flight to Berlin in usable condition for the gigs. I'll probably just leave it behind rather than traipse around Italy with it afterwards. Lugging a hardshell case really irks me. The beauty about making guitars yourself is that they are essentially expendable...

http://www.hiscoxcases.com

As a luthier I buy directly from them (in Montreal) 1.866.8679

UPS ground to the west coast is $14. Very nice people, many sizes in stock.

I'll say it again, it's NOT a Hoffee or Calton, but a very reasonably priced alternative.



-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

I would go for SKB molded guitar cases. They are sturdy and have TSA approved locks.