It amazes me that people will spend hundreds - sometimes even thousands of dollars on a guitar -
new or used -and not be more concerned about what they use to tote it around and protect it in. The least expensive type of carrying device generally supplied with lower end instruments is the nefarious 'gig bag'; A shaped and zippered cloth carrying sack that does little but keep the dust off of your guitar and give you a handle to carry it with and/or straps to carry it on your back. Next up the totem pole of enclosed protective cases are those made of shaped and pressed plywood, then covered with some variety of synthetic - usually Tolex. These cases, euphemistically referred to in advertising as being 'hard shell' are really not that at all. They are simply better than a gig bag, but easily damaged and supplied with many
new guitars by manufacturers simply because they are
inexpensive to produce. Buyers of
new guitars expect some kind of case with their purchase, though especially at the lower end, it can not be presumed. Used or older guitars, likewise, will benefit from a more substantial protective case - both in terms of humidity control as well as with regard to protection against being damaged by dropping, bumping into something, etc. The most reliable and most recommended type of case to have for any instrument you really
care about protecting - is a REAL hardshell case - one made, ordinarily, of ABS or ATA plastic, well cushioned, sized to fit a range of styles and outfitted with reliable and durable
hardware (hinges and locks.) In a world where the general principal of "you get what you pay for" tends to hold up more often than not, I am delighted to report on a significant exception to that rule: the Gator GC Dreadnought Hardshell guitar case.
