Case

The rigid or padded container a guitar lives in, and one of the few accessories that genuinely protects the instrument.

Hard cases are built from plywood or moulded plastic with a fitted interior, and they protect against impact, stacking and crushing, while some are humidified and pressurized for air travel. Gig bags are light and carry straps or pockets for a strap, cable and picks, but they offer almost no protection against a drop or a heavy item landing on top. The realistic rule is that a bag suits a player who carries the guitar themselves and a hard case suits a guitar that travels in someone else's hands.

Example: an acoustic taken on a flight needs a hard, ideally flight-rated case, since a bag in the hold will not survive handling.

Case

See also