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What's everyones favorite case company?


Looking for electric and acoustic.

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Bang for the buck - I like Access cases for a non-custom unit - Under a hundred for the stage 3s, 2 case minimum.

Ask for Bret

I love my Visesnut cases, especially as they are adjustable to smaller sizes. That doesn't help you out with electrics though.

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I thought the Guardian Vintage series were pretty nice, with a lot of different size options including a deep body 00. My fave of all was the Godin TRIC cases but alas they are being discontinued.

I like gigbags. I buy them by the dozen from Phitz Cases.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I have a family member who works at TKL, so I think loyalty makes me say TKL. But they do make decent cases with enough price options to meet most off-the-rack needs, and their custom fitting process (for Cedar Creek bespoke cases, made here in the USA) is very thorough. I would consider TKL/Cedar Creek a strong contender even without the family connection.

Hiscox (UK company) are a good mid-range option if the standard shape offerings fit the guitar in question. Not sure if they’re in the US market but they’re popular here.

I don’t know who is making the cases for Collings at the moment, but the last few I’ve seen are really nicely made.

TKL-Great product,good prices and excellent customer service!

Cedar Creek has priced themselves out of the market, IMO. A few years ago I bought some custom-sized cases and thought they were overpriced at $400@ including shipping for a flat-backed, Tolex case. I recently inquired about the same case and it is now over $800 + shipping. This is in Visesnut territory, which is probably what I'll use going forward.

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Hiscox are out of business and I did love them
access for me

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
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TKL has ordering directly from the site for standard shapes and with free shipping. You can order singles, but you’re paying retail. This is what I’ve been using for the last few guitars.


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Visesnut and Bam for classicals on the upper end, Crossrock fiberglass for mid-low end. For steel string, Access, TKL and Ameritage.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

TKL/Cedar Creek for me.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

They’re definitely still in business in UK and Australia, sorry to hear their US operation has shut. Great cases for the money.


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From Hiscox:
Hiscox small classical case £149.50 each
Shipping for 1 case £130.00

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

If you call them and set up an account , they give Luthiers a significant discount although you do pay for shipping,but they have a very good rate.

Thanks for the all the helpful input.

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My favorite bags were from Phitz.
I can’t find them anywhere.

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Wah

In an earlier discussion on cases (6 months back?) I believe we confirmed that Hiscox had stepped away from the North American market until such time as they can meet demand and fill orders, but still very much in business. I also believe the shuttering of numerous German plastics operations over last year's (fortunately mild) winter affected availability of outer case materials and adhesives, so the expected reduction in backlog did not occur as anticipated.

In the meantime, Greenridge has been able to case new guitars using stock from Thomann and paying the higher UPS charges from Germany. Cases have a lead time of between 3 and 10 weeks for delivery, so it is important to order earlier than one might otherwise expect. As a bonus, Thomann carries the lower-end cases as well as the Pro-II, so a slightly lower priced option. My last order was an ivory Pro II GAD at $308 with case and UPS shipping included.

With shipping, very few cases will come in at much under the Hiscox cases directly from Germany, and Greenridge's customers appear to be willing to pay the small difference over a Gator thermoplastic or other lesser case versus the Hiscox Pro II.

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If you're really successful at (BS'ing), it means you're not hanging around enough people smarter than you.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

My thinking on cases:

My guitars sell for between $5-9k (so far). Most of my guitars end up in a Stage 3 Access soft case because my clients are gigging, (fairly local) musicians who don’t want to lug a hard case around. It’s easy to toss in a $100 (wholesale, $180 retail) case at my price point. Most hard cases end up under beds anyway. I do have clients who want a custom case and I’m happy to help them measure and order a Calton or whatever.

Just my thinking, Plus Access is a local company - M

We did offer a soft case alternative before I arrived, but after one of the owners - headed to his gig with one of those 'inside music' people you've never heard of if you have not spent too much time in a Nashville studio - decided to carry on a lovely OM thinking there could not possibly be a lack of room in the Southwest overheads if the extortionary priority boarding fee is not paid - we dropped the option. A trip through Denver's baggage handling system was all it took to put paid to that notion (to the tune of $600). That said, just top cracks where the lower bout got squeezed and cosmetic damage. Other baggage handling systems may be kinder and gentler, but apparently being a mile up makes the DEN system a bit grumpier than others.

If your customers tour or want to tour, or want to look like they tour with the appropriate collection of stickers and other junk on their case, they need a flight-rated case. When I checked in on Donovan Wood at a local venue a few years back, he and his band had gone to Hiscox Pro II and Artist model cases for their guitars, mostly because as an early-ish career Canadian splitting time between Toronto and Nashville, a pound or two (or 5-6 for an Texas-made Calton) of extra case weight was noticed when walking the mile or two through ORD, LAX, etc.

On cases, Greenridge has a baseline of the Pro II, with option for the Hoffee or Artist (Hiscox). At the sale price point, that is pretty much the expectation, with a $300 case allowance. If the owner opts to provide his own case, it is noted on the BOS and taken into account on warranty assessments. As a bonus, the GAD model can do double, triple, or nth power duty by swallowing anything with a dreadnought/J-45/J-50 label (12, 13, 14 fret-to-body; those with weird tweaks on more traditional shapes/clumsy-looking flats at neck and tail block; Martin, Taylor, Gibson), SJ, and so-called grand auditoriums). We had a few customers that - like Mr. Colbert's - prefer a soft case for local travel, but used the Pro II or Artist even when touring with Brand X, Y, or Z instruments which could be accommodated in the 'as provided' case they received with their Greenridge.

In a perfect world, the Hoffee cases would be my personal preference, as they are beautiful things that look like the insanely expensive luggage options of the trust funders and those with very large 3D printers wedged into their spare bedrooms. But at something above $1000, the option was a seldom-exercised one for the boys. Having had too many Caltons through the shop, they are very nice and certainly near-bulletproof, but the weight is just a bit much without minions to carry the load. I can also imaging having to take the Rolls SUV versus the Ferrari roadster to accommodate the larger footprint for the trip over to the local guitar tech's shop, and that could certain be an inconvenience for a certain class of customer.

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If you're really successful at (BS'ing), it means you're not hanging around enough people smarter than you.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Well, Dan - I haven't ordered from them in over a year. I need to do some research...

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Cool. Lemme know.
I donated a guitar to a charity and was adamant about wanting my favorite Phitz bag back.
It had a tropical flowers design.
I got stiffed. Never heard back.

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Wah

Just a quick update re: the Thomann Hiscox Ivory-color GAD case: UPS has it out for delivery 8 days after the order was submitted, and purchased/shipped from Germany to Germantown, MD (sounds local... not so much!) for $308 delivered.

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If you're really successful at (BS'ing), it means you're not hanging around enough people smarter than you.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

So I opened a few accounts. I ordered up some Access Level electric cases. They're decent but an prob going to explore a few others. It's funny it's easier to get a quality Acoustic case than an electric case.

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