ajay Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I am going to need a decent hardshell case for a guitar that I just bought. I was thinking of using my Advanced Jumbo case to haul that one around, and buying a Hoffee case for my AJ. Has anyone else purchased a Hoffee case, and if so, how do you like it?
L5Larry Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 No, BUT..... I am also looking for a fiberglass or carbon fiber case for my L-5. I just looked at the Hoffee website, http://carbonfibercases.com/Guitar_Cases_83DG.html , and as nice as these cases look, they sure are pricey. Although replacement cost to case cost ratio would probably warrant a $1000 investment in a REALLY good case for my L-5, I'm still looking for a more reasonably cost effective solution. I have also followed a couple of used Calton cases on e-bay, and even they go for $500-$700. I have seen a brand of economy fiberglass case advertised, "Musicians Gear". I have no idea who, or what, they are, as I can not find one at any local retailers to check out. It kind of sounds like a MF/GC brand name, but my local GC does not have one to check out. I do have a Calzone Road Case for my L-5, and my guitar mostly travels in cars, trucks, and buses, but it is certainly NOT a "carry around" case, or "flight case". I would also like to find a case similar to what you're looking for. Keep this thread posted on what you find, or buy.
ajay Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 These Hoffee cases weigh almost nothing. There are structural test videos on his website that absolutely tortures the case, and yet the guitar remains unscathed. He set the case in the sun, and the outside of the case is 143 degrees, yet the guitar only made it to 85 degrees in the same mount of time. You can also order a foam option that fully insulates the instrument from extremes in temperature. They also are much smaller than a Calton, so many airlines allow you to put your guitar in the overhead or coat closet. I was sitting on a plane once while they were loading cargo up the ramp. I'll never forget this girl, who looked like a gang banger, took a guitar case and wound up and slammed it onto the loading ramp face down. I told the stewardess about it and explained the possible result of such instrumental torture. She made an announcement during the flight that the person who checked their guitar should inspect it as soon as baggage came down the line. I don't know what happened, but I thought it was pretty cool of the stewardess to try and help the musician. You can never spend too much on a case if you fly with your valuable guitar.
j45nick Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I was sitting on a plane once while they were loading cargo up the ramp. I'll never forget this girl, who looked like a gang banger, took a guitar case and wound up and slammed it onto the loading ramp face down. I told the stewardess about it and explained the possible result of such instrumental torture. She made an announcement during the flight that the person who checked their guitar should inspect it as soon as baggage came down the line. I don't know what happened, but I thought it was pretty cool of the stewardess to try and help the musician. You can never spend too much on a case if you fly with your valuable guitar. I had a bad experience with an airline damaging my 1948 J-45 in 1968. The damage and subsequent repairs by Gibson triggered a chain reaction of changes to that guitar over the years. That incident put me off ever checking a high-quality instrument for carriage in the baggage hold, although I udnerstand that you are taking exactly the same risk when a new guitar is shipped to you by UPS, USPS, or Fedex. Even with one of the super-protective cases, it's still too much of a crap shoot for me to want to take the chance.
ajay Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 I ordered a Dwight Yoakam Honky Tonk Deuce from Musician's Friend back in 2002. I eventually returned it to get an AJ. When UPS delivered it to my house, he handled it like it was a baby. The nice Gibson shipping carton didn't have a scrape or bent cardboard anywhere. I was very impressed by the way it had been handled. Things change, but I have faith in UPS to respectfully handle an American made guitar in which the carton is clearly Gibson branded. I prefer to think that they are professionals. I'm currently awaiting a guitar from Gruhn's, and I don't anticipate any problems with UPS. We shall see.
brannon67 Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Good luck. I know the US Postal Service sucks. I wil never ship, or have anything shipped to me through the US Postal Service. Bunch of crooks.
j45nick Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I ordered a Dwight Yoakam Honky Tonk Deuce from Musician's Friend back in 2002. I eventually returned it to get an AJ. When UPS delivered it to my house, he handled it like it was a baby. The nice Gibson shipping carton didn't have a scrape or bent cardboard anywhere. I was very impressed by the way it had been handled. Things change, but I have faith in UPS to respectfully handle an American made guitar in which the carton is clearly Gibson branded. I prefer to think that they are professionals. I'm currently awaiting a guitar from Gruhn's, and I don't anticipate any problems with UPS. We shall see. I think you may be giving freight services a bit too much credit. There are no doubt people with all of these companies who take really good care of these parcels, but all it takes is on neglectful person in the delivery chain to undo all their best intentions. I've had boxes come this year--including guitar boxes labeled "Gibson"--that look like they've been driven over by a truck. You may have gotten lucky with a single delivery person, but you have to remember that the box has probably been handled by a dozen people before he put his hands on it. The original Gibson shipping cartons are reasonably sturdy, provided they are properly packed around the guitar case. A friend of mine who is a vintage guitar dealer had a mid-60s Gibson electric destroyed in shipping earlier this year. He said it looked like the fork of a forklift had punched straight through the box. I recently had a high-end guitar case arrive from Amazon.com. It was packed in what appears to be the original TKL box. Someone--either at Amazon or some music distributor--must have been out of packing materials to wedge around the "neck" of the case, and they used a high-end foam trumpet case for padding on one side of the case inside the box. That piece of "padding" cost somebody about $50, wholesale. You have seen the recent videos of delivery services tossing valuable parcels like televisions over fences, haven't you? Gruhn's is a professional company. If anyone knows how to pack a guitar, it is them, so I'd say your chances are good that your guitar will arrive intact. Not everyone is quite so thoughtful or capable.
jt Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I've inspected the Hoffee cases and they look great. They are not smaller than a Calton (that would be the Accord cases). Indeed, the new Hoffee II cases look a bit larger than a Calton. In any event, the Hoffees are great cases. When dealing with Calton of North America became difficult, a number of prominent luthiers approached Jeff Hoffee with suggestions to improve his original design. The result is very impressive.
Deadgrateful Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I use a Calton case for my J-45 (direct from Keith in Guillford, England). Can't say enough good things about it! It's not much heaver than the standard true vintage case (if at all) and it's built like a WWII tank! Loooong time to wait though (little under a year).
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