Fiberglass cases?

**Rufes** · 05-18-2017, 01:34 AM

My main guitar is an old ES175N. It took me a whole life to find a guitar that I like sooooo much.

I have the original case and bought one of those expensive Reunion blues bags but I still don't feel 100% safe when I have to take it out for gigs or rehearse.

I always have a fiberglass case in mind. Looks like the safest case but never had one and never met anyone who had one.

On the other hand I live in Miami just near the sea. It means hot and humidity so I need to keep the guitar in the case to avoid corrosion etc.

Would you buy one of those cases?

I would HIGHLY appreciate your comments.

**Jabberwocky** · 05-18-2017, 01:47 AM

Hiscox Pro II GAD Dreadnought. It fits the ES-175. Upgrade to the Hiscox Artist for twice its price if you feel you need twice the protection.

£109 plus £34 postage direct from Andertons UK to Miami, Florida. Or get it for $279 with free shipping from Elderly Instruments or Gryphon Stringed Instruments.

You could spend more, much more on a Calton Case or Hoffee Case but why?

**MilesPG** · 05-18-2017, 01:53 AM

+1 for Hiscox, good quality and lightweight

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**Spook410** · 05-19-2017, 12:31 AM

I have a Calton, Mark Leaf, and Hiscox. In the future I'll get Hiscox. You can also get them from other online music outlets sometimes with various discounts applied (e.g. Musicians Friend).

**gggguitar** · 05-19-2017, 12:55 AM

Funny I just replied to a similar thread about this.

Yes, plus 1 for the Hiscox.

**Spook410** · 05-19-2017, 12:59 AM

Originally Posted by gggguitar

Funny I just replied to a similar thread about this.

Yes, plus 1 for the Hiscox.

Funny.. thread reminded me I need to get another. Ended up buying two; white jumbo to fit a 17" bout archtop and a Gypsy Jazz. Got a 15% discount and free shipping on Musicians Friend. I had forgotten how expensive it is to hang out in this forum.

**Rufes** · 05-19-2017, 02:07 AM

Do you guys think one of these Hiscox would mean a big improvement over my Reunion Blues?

This is the one I have

Reunion Blues Continental Acoustic Dreadnought Case - Midnight Black | Chicago Music Exchange

BTW, they are ugly as hell LOL

**Spook410** · 05-19-2017, 12:26 PM

I've never owned one of the Reunion bags. They have a good reputation. However, hard cases like the Hiscox and gig bags are two different things. Bags aid in portability while hard cases provide additional protection (e.g. crush, penetration, weather). If you have a guitar you love and view as difficult to replace, you need a hard case for it.

**docbop** · 05-19-2017, 01:56 PM

If me I would sending emails to guitarists like Peter Bernstein, Lage Lund, and others who travel constantly and ask about what they use.

**campusfive** · 05-19-2017, 02:07 PM

I do have, and very much dig, a Reunion Blues Continental Bag, as well as 2 hiscox cases and a hoffee.

The "semi-rigid" gig bag, like a Continental or a Mono, has pretty decent impact and crush resistance at a lightweight package. But, a ABS plastic or Carbon Fiber hard case is going to have far greater crush resistance - but it's up to the quality of the padding and fit of the hardshell case to determine the level of impact resistance (i.e. shock absorption).

Hiscox cases are fantastic, but the dreadnaught sized one left a little too much interior room (mostly in excess body length) for my 16" '37 ES-150 or my '32 L-5. They were nice enough to send me two pads to take up the space - and while that was sufficient for hand carrying the guitar, or gate checking - I wouldn't check the guitar in without a more form fitting and cushion-y interior (mostly because I would worry about TSA moving the pads leaving the guitar to move around too much inside the case.)

Now the Hoffee was custom ordered for my ES-150 and happens to also fit the L-5 perfectly as well. Not only is the carbon fiber shell extraordinarily crush resistant, but the shock absorbing interior is also extraordinary. And I have checked the ES-150 in the Hoffee as baggage, and it did fine.

**John A.** · 05-19-2017, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

If me I would sending emails to guitarists like Peter Bernstein, Lage Lund, and others who travel constantly and ask about what they use.

Bernstein used to live in my neighborhood and I got to know him slightly -- He uses only a leather gig bag. He always carries his guitar on board planes; never checks it. If he has to buy a seat for his guitar, that's what he does.

I have a Reunion Blues Continental -- I think unless you're checking it on a plane or stacking heavy stuff on top of it I don't think there's much benefit to the extra protectiveness provided by an ABS or fibreglass case. I can't really see needing anything more protective for storing a guitar at home or carrying it around town.
Because of the way the Continental is padded and because of the design of the neck support, I think the Continental is better than something like a Lifton or TKL hardshell case. I also think the way you carry a gig bag (on the back or over the shoulder) can be safer than hardshell cases, which IME balance poorly and tend to bounce off the ground a bit.

John

**lawson-stone** · 05-19-2017, 04:37 PM

One caution about gig bags... the rigidity of the bag come from the guitar inside. So if the strap over your shoulder connects to each end of the bag, note that any pressure on the center of the bag is pushing on the guitar and flexing it against the two stationary points where the strap connects. It's easy to forget that.

**Bflat233** · 05-19-2017, 07:52 PM

Just received my Hiscox Pro-II-GAD today - it's shockingly light. Fits my Gibson and Eastman like a glove on both bouts, will need a cushion on the upper side / top for air travel - but that's not unusual - I've filled that gap with packing paper when shipping archtop guitars. The clasps are spring-loaded and unhinge under their own power. This is a very cool product.

**Rufes** · 05-20-2017, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

Bernstein used to live in my neighborhood and I got to know him slightly -- He uses only a leather gig bag. He always carries his guitar on board planes; never checks it. If he has to buy a seat for his guitar, that's what he does.

I have a Reunion Blues Continental -- I think unless you're checking it on a plane or stacking heavy stuff on top of it I don't think there's much benefit to the extra protectiveness provided by an ABS or fibreglass case. I can't really see needing anything more protective for storing a guitar at home or carrying it around town.
Because of the way the Continental is padded and because of the design of the neck support, I think the Continental is better than something like a Lifton or TKL hardshell case. I also think the way you carry a gig bag (on the back or over the shoulder) can be safer than hardshell cases, which IME balance poorly and tend to bounce off the ground a bit.

John

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks, John.

All the comments are very interesting,. I never thought I would enjoy reading about CASES

**marcwhy** · 05-20-2017, 08:35 AM

If you only need something for local gigs, there's nothing wrong with what you have.

**campusfive** · 05-20-2017, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

One caution about gig bags... the rigidity of the bag come from the guitar inside. So if the strap over your shoulder connects to each end of the bag, note that any pressure on the center of the bag is pushing on the guitar and flexing it against the two stationary points where the strap connects. It's easy to forget that.

The straps don't attach to the ends of the bag, rather the middle and bottom end. I haven't observed anything beyond inconsequential flexing. I think the bigger thing to be conscious of with semi-rigid gig bags is the accessory pocket. Generally, they sit right above the center of the top of the guitar, and if you put too many heavy things in their, it could put some unforeseen pressure on the top. But, I use RB Continental Bag for all of my in-town gigs, so I just try to be thoughtful about how much junk I put in the pocket.

**John A.** · 05-22-2017, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

One caution about gig bags... the rigidity of the bag come from the guitar inside. So if the strap over your shoulder connects to each end of the bag, note that any pressure on the center of the bag is pushing on the guitar and flexing it against the two stationary points where the strap connects. It's easy to forget that.

That's true for cloth or leather cases with no structure, but not for cases like the Reunion Blues Continental and Aero series or Mono bags that have some degree of structure and/or stiffeners built in. I have one of each of these, and have owned several other cloth bags over the years. Very different beasts.

John