Cases That Press Your Bridge

Jeff Moore

Is it just me? Every case I've got (lots) closes down and presses on the bridge 24/7. I never store a guitar in a case for this reason. The down pressure of the strings is already putting a 6-12 lbs continuously on the top. My cases add another 1-4 lbs of pressure on to that. Why?
If the case is adding pressure to the bridge - top, what happens when a bad move or unlucky smack hits the top of the case and immediate transfers the force through the bridge? Loose braces! Cracked tops. The energy is directed to the bridge and has to go somewhere. I can just hear the thoughts of 100 guitarists tonight: "What's this top crack, I always keep it in the case! Must be when my buddy was playing it!"
This doesn't happen to me because I only use gig bags and move carefully.

Storing guitars for me means keeping em all hung up, and the cases just rot in another non-humidity controlled part of my basement. What a waste of space. Instead of room for 15 guitars I make room for 30. What a design oversite!

The guitar top should only be contacted and padded around the perimeter of the top (and back for that matter) where the strength is very good.

If you look inside the top of most any open case, there's the imprint of the bridge and strings embossed in the damn padding or if there's hard foam there's the image of the bridge, having eaten through the fake fur of an otherwise smooth and perfectly good piece of foam! Who designs these things?

It must be me, cause its been this way forever, and I've never heard a peep from anyone else.
Maybe some bourbon would help, but cases could easily protect guitars well and not just the sides and necks.

klaatu

Jeff Moore wrote:

Maybe some bourbon would help ...

At last! Another Bourbon drinker, in a vast sea of Scotch fanatics.

For situations like this, I highly recommend Woodford Reserve, although Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is a good alternative.

Michael Bauer

Perhaps a specially fitted bourbon cask would solve your problem on both levels. There's be plenty of room for the bridge after you drank the contents for inspiration...

I would be the coolest guitar case ever, that's for sure.

klaatu

I wonder what would be the effect of soaking the bridge in Bourbon. No doubt it would be salutary. If not, you can soak yourself. Better yet, start there.

Michael Bauer

No, drink the bourbon first. Gypsy jazz guitars sound better dry. Gypsy guitarists can sound great "wet".

klaatu

Michael Bauer wrote:

No, drink the bourbon first. Gypsy jazz guitars sound better dry. Gypsy guitarists can sound great "wet".

You're absolutely, right, Michael, my mistake.

Or at least gypsy guitarists THINK they sound great when "wet."

Bones

Good observation!

Maybe ditch most of the hard cases and get good gig bags instead with a case humidifier inside the case?

KarenAnn

The case that came with my Dupont did the same thing. Even more so once the bridge needed to be shimmed. I now have the guitar in a case made by Cedar Creek. It was actually made for a different model Dupont but fits the MD-50 very well too. There are a few marks from the strings on the neck. It seems to fit a little tighter there but has two supports so seems fine. There are no marks from the bridge. The top is highly arched for protection. The guitar is held very snuggly. The arch is higher than any of the other guitar cases I have ever had. This one will not slide under my bed. I personally guard my guitars at night, lol. The cases are built custom to your measurements. Here is a link to the site as well as to a review.

http://www.guitarnation.com/cedarcreek.htm

http://www.cedarcreekcases.com/

Btw, Bourbon rules the South. What would the Kentucky Derby be without a Mint Julep or two!!!!

Jeff Moore

KarenAnn,
The cedar creek people have an answer indeed. I should have one case that works for these guitars.
My comments were just to stir the thoughts of builders and suppliers through other guitarists like yourself. I don't actually drink but was making a joke to lighten the hard critique.
Maybe convincing drinkers that guitar cases should be reasonably designed is the way to go.
I'm inclined to pick out two of my cases and carve the padding away from the bridge, strings, and towards the perimeter. This would only be useful in a case with a good stiff top that isn't relying on the foam for any of that stiffness.

Thanks for the reply
The cedar creek prices seem very reasonable. Its amazing anyone could custom laminate for that price.