How to Choose The Best Guitar Cases and Gig Bags
Musicians who care about their guitars should be equally concerned about the cases or gig bags that are designed to store and carry those instruments. Are you looking to buy your very first guitar case or are you a touring musician looking for outstanding protection for all your gear? No matter what your needs are, Brian’s Guitars can help you find the best guitar cases and gig bags to keep your instrument readily at hand and easy to transport – free of scratches, dings, and more serious forms of damage.
Understanding the Need for a Guitar Case or Gig Bag
Beyond protecting your guitar from drops, bumps, and other forms of physical impact, a case or bag can provide protection from precipitation and wind. Some cases even offer precise internal temperature and humidity controls.
One of the big factors you should consider before choosing a guitar case or gig bag is exactly how much you plan to transport your guitar and how far you plan to transport it. Guitarists who rarely play outside their home will require less from a case in terms of protection and portability. A musician who plans to play some local gigs, take their guitar to a party, or bring it with them on vacation will probably want something that is a bit sturdier and/or easy to carry. However, a professional guitarist who is constantly on the road will need as much protection and convenience as possible.
Unless you are simply strumming an acoustic guitar at home, you will also need to pair your guitar with a suitable guitar amp. This makes the protection and portability of an amp a matter of equal concern for most guitarists.
Types of Guitar Cases and Gig Bags
Guitar cases and gig bags can be classified in a variety of ways. For our purposes, we will divide these essential guitar accessories into “hard” and “soft” products for either electric or acoustic instruments.
Hard Cases
If you regularly travel long distances with your guitar, you will want to restrict your search to hard cases because they offer substantial protective advantages over even the best guitar gig bags and soft cases. This holds particularly true for people who plan to travel by airplane and perhaps check an encased guitar with the rest of their baggage. Beyond offering better protection from accidental impacts and weather elements, a hard case can help maintain desirable levels of internal heat and humidity, which can prevent a guitar from warping and/or cracking.
Soft Cases and Gig Bags
While they might offer less protection, the best soft guitar cases and gig bags come with some very attractive benefits of their own, one of those being ease of transport. Soft cases are generally much lighter than hard cases, so if you plan to carry your guitar a great deal, this may be the option for you. In fact, many soft cases and gig bags come with straps that allow you to wear your guitar like a backpack. While many people use the terms “soft case” and “gig bag” interchangeably, a gig bag tends to emphasize multi-compartment gear storage and functionality over firm structural integrity and protective padding. However, many types of guitar cases, even hard ones, incorporate handy, compartmentalized storage into their design. Another advantage of soft cases and gig bags is their average price point. As a whole, “soft” options are considerably less expensive than “hard” options when it comes to guitar cases.
Electric Guitar Cases
Different guitar models may require drastically different cases. Most electric guitars require a slimmer and generally smaller case when compared with an acoustic guitar. If you transport an electric guitar in an acoustic guitar case, you risk damaging that guitar should it rattle around inside.
Acoustic Guitar Cases
Because they generally have hollow bodies that are considerably wider than those of electric guitars, acoustic guitars require larger cases that mirror their specific shapes. Because the solid-body construction of most electric guitars tends to make them quite shock-resistant, electric guitar cases tend to feature less padding and structural support than acoustic guitar cases. This added padding and reinforcement can make an acoustic case substantially heavier.
Features to Consider When Choosing a Guitar Case
As detailed above, different guitarists with different wants and needs will inevitably require different guitar cases. But one factor that all guitarists must consider is what their guitar case is made of. If you spend some considerable time outdoors, you will want a tempered hard case or perhaps a soft case of polyester or nylon with a water-resistant coating. In terms of padding, EPE foam tends to outperform sponge. Other high-quality features to consider include durable metal zippers and fasteners.
How to Care for Your Guitar Case or Gig Bag
A big part of caring for your guitar is caring for the case that you put it in. While the best gig bags can be professionally dry-cleaned or even washed at home, you can run the risk of destroying any water-resistant coating. As an alternative, consider using a lint roller or simply wrapping some masking tape around your fingers sticky side out. You can apply rollers or tape directly to the inside of your case or bag to remove dirt and dust. When it comes to removing musty smells, nothing deodorizes better or more safely than household baking soda.
One of the best things that you can do to take care of your guitar is to choose the right guitar case or gig bag for it. It’s all about finding the right balance among characteristics such as quality, convenience, protection, and price. For more information about guitar cases or any other guitar-related topic, reach out to one of the experts at Brian's Guitars today.
