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I was going to post this on another thread, but since we are talking about cases in general and flying, I'm looking to purchase a more structured gig bag to take my Dupont Nomade with me to DiJ. I will be training up and flying one-way with it home. But flight tix home were cheap so I just paid $80 and bought another seat. So the "will I have to check it/will it survive luggage handlers" isn't really a factor for me.
That said, what I'm looking for is something that I can carry on my back but that does have some shape/form to it. I have seen a few models that include some type of neck support as well. What I don't want is just a cheap sleeve. I've searched other discussions on here and seen thoughts about buying the Dreadnought size and that you just accept it moves around a little? I've also seen some that are more for the Selmer style guitars.
Guess I'm looking for real experience with some of these cases and if there is anything I'm missing here? Any other models being used and recommended?
PROTOUR GITANE - Is it leather or pleather? Looks relatively no frills. Looks like it is designed to fit Selmer guitars exactly. Single pocket outside. Basic shoulder straps. Djangobooks doesn't have any photos of the inside of the case. I think I've found other guitar links that shows substantive thicker padding on the sides. Does it have neck support? Inner pocket under the neck?
GATOR TRANSIT ACOUSTIC- Looks more like a Cordura/backpack-style weatherproof material. A few more storage options around the bag. Bottom has rubberized material. Backpack straps can tuck out of the way behind zipped enclosure when not in use. Has padded inserts in head and endpin area as well as cushion for neck block. Sidewall thickness looks similar to Gitane above? But how well does it fit a Selmer guitar?
These both seem to come in ~$140. I'm inclined towards the Gator, but don't know how much the guitar will move around inside it?
The Mono M80 also seems to be a consideration but is also ~$150 more. I'd put myself in Christophe's last scenario above. Don't think I'd be checking this guitar, but do want some form of protection that I can maybe use later to carry to gigs instead of my hard cases. Also, I saw at one point that Ritters were mentioned, but according to their website, they distribute to just about everywhere in the world except for the USA. What gives there?
Merci en avance!
Personally I would spring for the Mono. I've used my Mono bass bag for hundreds of gigs and its still in great shape. I think Gator has some newer cases meant to compete with Mono but they're also pretty expensive. You can very likely get the Mono or Gator for 10-20% off from Musicians Friend and the like next week when they do a Memorial Day sale.
I absolutely love my mono cases. They have been good investments. I have used them for tons of different instruments.
I had one of their electric cases that had a "sleeve" or something. I could never figure out the point of that tbh and I got rid of it. It was annoying.
But I have their classical bag and I think their dreadnought that I use for my Selmers.
BTW regarding @ChristopheCarington 's scenario, I think there's one other one to mention: the doomsday. That's the one where no matter what case you have, they destroy your guitar. I
Spring for the Mono. It's worth the price and then some.
Another good mono alternative might be Reunion Blues Continental Voyager. The classical one fits my Stringphonic perfectly without movement. The dred version would work well too with some extra padding too for a guitar that's slightly out of standard selmer size/depth. They have the neck holder and good design and lots of padding and firmness where it counts. They're often on sale or open box for cheap. I got one for $110 or a year ago.
The Gator GL (dred, 6/12 string) and similar offerings from TKL (zero gravity dread 6/12) and many more — Hosco etc — are really good I think, EPS foam and seems like they offer great drop protection and better crush protection than Mono/RB. But no neck holder, so there might be some jostling unless you truly have a good fit with extra foam/tshirts/whatever. They're super light as well, and whenever it did fall over, the 3.8 pound guitar and light case seemed to make falls gentle for what that's worth.
I've used both options for over a year now, examined them closely, and I honestly have zero idea what is better. It seems so, so hard to say. There are constant trade offs. I think I have a slight preference for the EPS ones, with Hosco being my favorite if you can find it. But I'm following this thread and am ready to be convinced otherwise...
There is one almost-there option I would consider if I were looking for something sturdy, light, affordable, and easily available: the Travelite TL-50 dread-size. It's a version of a build formula that I've been using for decades (since the early trapezoidal ProTecs), with expanded foam and lots of internal cushioning under a rigid exterior frame plus an arched top (which the ProTecs lacked). Amazon carries them, but Lark in the Morning has a more complete description, including interior measurements. (Lark's price is nice, but their shipping about doubles the cost.) The tricky part of fitting is the neck, since the support/divide sections are not adjustable. But since most 14-fret GJ guitars are proportioned like dreadnoughts, there's a good chance of a good fit.
https://larkinthemorning.com/products/travelite-tl-50-deluxe-acoustic-guitar-case
I use the TL-60 classical-size for my National M-1 and I think it would weather gate-checking pretty well. It might even survive in checked baggage, but I would be sweating for the whole flight. It's the only sub-$200 solution I'd be comfortable with.
Geronimo Mateos uses a rigid soft case similar to that Travelite. I'm not sure if they're off the shelf or something he has made but they fit Selmacs perfectly.
Many years ago I had a travelite for a dreadnaight. I really liked the protection for a lightweight case. I used it basically like a gig bag, not a flight case. The disadvantage was how bulky it was.
Travelite is similar to WolfPak case the way it's molded inside. A friend here has a Wolfpak and I love it. But Wolfpak company mysteriously disappeared. Their site is still up but everything gets redirected to musicarts.com. I called once to ask if Wolfpak might ever get resurrected, the guy just said something about it being gone and hung up on me. As soon as I mentioned Wolfpak, his tone of voice sounded like "wtf". Travelite looks good.
Update from me. Was able to test my guitar with the Mono M80 Vertigo Dreadnought case and the Gator Transit TPV2 at GC yesterday. Both were nice, Mono was a touch heavier but I felt I'd need to pack some clothes, etc around the upper bout. I'd seen photos of some sort of strap that locks the neck down, but that must have been the classic. This didn't have that. I liked the storage arrangement and options of the Gator better though the Mono did seem very well built.
Came home to an SMS from an "angel" who told me about a Travelite TL-50 for 50% off from a music store that offers free returns. It was the last one so I placed the order and got it for under $100. If it doesn't work out, I'll probably return it. I'll let all know about the fit when I get it.